First Printing Review I just received your published book in the mail. Thank you. Your dedication to your mother brought tears to my eyes, which caused me to turn to your acknowledgement section. It affected me so strongly I had to leave my desk and go to a back room to finish reading it; tears were streaming down my cheeks. Your mother's love for you overwhelmed me. And you keeping the erector set that John gave you for all those years so touching.
I thought your story was truly amazing as you shared bits and pieces of it with me when we worked together at Tomax. Then, when I read your transcript, before your book was published, I was flabbergasted, for lack of a better word. Having read your acknowledgements section today it touched me so deeply. It really testifies that God knows every single one of his children and what their needs are and brings people into our lives to help us when we need it most. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing!.
Lastly, I truly hope your books gains the kind of momentum so that someone like Oprah picks it up. Your story needs and deserves a national audience. People need to know that it is possible to triumph over the most hideous of circumstances and how to do that. And, another reason the world needs to know your story is so the John's, Mr. Fosters, and Sims' of the world won't give up and will provide as much help as a hurting boy will allow them to give at that time with the hope that, even though it may seem futile at the moment, a seed is planted that may come to fruition at some future date.-- Erin Fletcher, VP of HR, Cambric
The Imposter?addresses tough issues. But it's real and it's uplifting. It's all about the ability to change; to be transformed. This is not a religious book, though the author acknowledges the role of God in his transformation.
When I first read the Amazon Product Description, I smiled. The author had a lot to deliver!
And interestingly enough, he did cover all that ground...
Here's the general outline of the book: The author uses his own life story to illustrate eight principles of transformation. While it is a memoir, it is organized so that the reader could use this as a guide to life changes, and it includes historical figures and history in making its points.
Who is the author? Here's a bio, which is in a large way what the book is about:
A product of our broken urban society, Kip Kreiling was arrested 3 times before he was 10 years old and 11 times before he was 14. When Kip was only 13 years old, he was taken out of 2 schools, a shopping mall, and a bank in handcuffs. Because of his criminal activity, and the resulting chaos he brought into his life, Kip moved 34 times from the young age of 11 to the age of 26. On average, he moved every 5 months for 15 years, in and out of jails, group homes, and street shelters, while his mother and father moved less than 4 times each.
Today, Kip is a Fortune 15 executive who has had the opportunity to work with several of the world's most respected companies including Ford Motor, Hewlett Packard, Vodafone, and the UnitedHealth Group. As of 2009, Kip has provided transformation and business leadership services for over 40 companies in more than 20 industries. Between his corporate, consulting, educational, and speaking engagements, Kip has had the opportunity to travel to nearly 200 cities in 21 countries on 4 continents. Kip earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Brigham Young University and his MBA at Indiana University.
Kip Kreiling is also the founder of the nonprofit foundation
TransformationHelp.org. The foundation is focused on improving the human condition through personal and organizational transformation, with a focus on teaching transformation classes in prisons.
Most important to him, Kip has been happily married for almost 20 years and has five happy and healthy children.
So what do I think of this book? Wow! First of all, this book would be a great source of hope to anyone who has family members who have hit rock bottom as Kip describes. Reading his acknowledgements section makes one realize how, even when things seem hopeless and with no effect, you should never give up on someone. Contrary to sometimes-popular belief, people have been endowed with the ability to change.
Secondly, this book can help someone who desperately wants to make a change. While admittedly some of the transformation steps need to happen before a person will even want to pick up the book, this can certainly be a useful aid in the journey. And it doesn't have to be what one might consider a drastic change! I found a lot of relevance to my own weight management issues. It could apply to cutting down on TV watching, or taking a more active role in parenting, or many similar issues.
And finally, this book is a great resource for friends along the way.
As a Christian, I wouldn't have minded more emphasis on God's role in Kip's transformation. However, I'd say the religious undertones in the book, while satisfying the Christian's need to see God get credit, are subtle enough that a nonreligious person won't feel preached at. Well done.
And overall, very well done, Kip Kreiling! No imposter are you... While the past is certainly part of who you are, my opinion is you're the genuine thing. I would love to see this book get into many more hands... --Jane Maritz,
WinningReading.blogspot.com In this riveting true story, the author takes us back and forth from his cruel and painful childhood to his life as a successful corporate leader. Some say that people basically don't change. But this incredibly inspiring true story--which really should be made into a movie!--will make you realize anything is possible. As a young man, Kip Kreiling was arrested three times before he was 10 and 11 times before age 14. He left home at the age of 13 and made a living by selling drugs, living with a stripper, and hanging out with the
bad; crowd.
I spent 20 years as a teacher in inner city schools, and even I found myself incredulous that any kid could be so...well, so bad! Yet Kip, who never even finished high school, went on to receive an MBA at Indiana University and become a hugely successful business leader.
When I got to the part where Kip totally transformed himself, I was astounded to discover that Kip was alone for several of the catalytic events in his life. There were no mentors, no teachers, no parents with him during these events. This is a real testimony to the power of the inner guidance and strength in each one of us, if we just chose to listen. Kip believes that there are powers (assistance) at our fingertips, if we chose to use those powers.
Kip lived in a neighborhood where if he didn't get revenge, people would abuse him even more. Nonetheless, he learned to forgive and let go...with no one teaching him but his own inner voice! (Not that we shouldn't take advantage of help from outside voices; in fact, one of Kip's lessons is to accept assistance when it is available.)
Throughout this story we get a clear picture of the author's life in the streets, and even some of his journeys abroad. (He traveled to 22 countries.) My favorite is when he describes life behind the Berlin wall, right before it went down. And when you come to chapter six, your jaw will drop when you discover the opportunity of a lifetime that Kip turns down...a decision based solely on his still inner voice. Who among us would have rejected this
lottery ticketbased on a mere hunch?
Throughout the book, we are given deep insights Kip learned along life's way. He sprinkles in psychology experiments or lessons and anecdotes of historical figures (such as Ben Franklin and President Lincoln). One of the lessons I especially liked was about how a rat study showed that isolation leads to addiction. The rats which were alone got addicted to drugs, whereas if they had companions, they were drug free. So if you have an addiction, you must change your environment to a more supportive one. The transformation principle here is
By transforming your environment, you can transform who you are. Kip teaches us:
This may be one of the greatest paradoxes associated with human nature: we have an almost unlimited capacity to change, but we cannot take advantage of that capacity until we choose to... If my life is a testimony to any principle, it is a testimony to the true principle that people can change, and they can change in very profound ways, and those changes are almost always caused by a change in their ideas. Reviewed by Susan Schenck, Author of The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet
Reviewed posted on
basilandspice.com on January 24, 2010 --Susan Schenck, Author of The Live Food Factor
