How to Be Like Walt

I recently decided I wanted to read a biography about Walt Disney, and after some research, I chose How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life by Pat Williams. This book tells the story of Walt Disney's life--his background, the beginnings of his animation studio, his movies, Disneyland, and his death.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always loved Disneyland, and I love so many Disney movies, so it was fascinating to learn the background on Walt Disney. I especially liked the way this book focused on the admirable traits of Walt Disney and how we can apply them into our lives to be better people. The book didn't act like Walt Disney was perfect--it definitely admitted his faults, but I liked that the book didn't dwell there. Instead, it used the words of dozens of people who knew him to show us what an amazing person he was. Not only did he dream big dreams and never give up, but he was a man of true compassion who cared about people. I really felt like I came to know Walt Disney in a small way after reading this book, and it made me even more admire and appreciate him and what Disney stands for. In the end, I was tearing up as I read about his death. The shock felt by those who knew him was just heartbreaking--one said, "We couldn't imagine living in a world without Walt Disney." Another quote I loved was this: After Walt's death, Walt Disney World was finished, and someone said, "Isn't it too bad Walt Disney didn't live to see this?" A Disney employee and friend of Walt's replied, "He did see it--that's why it's here."

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)