Book Review – Bus 9 to Paradise

I found this 1980’s ‘teaching memoir’ type book by Leo Buscaglia in a Little Free Library and inserted it into my morning reading cadence.

What is a morning reading cadence?  This is one of those life habits that I have found to be very useful.  I suppose the current Bro culture would call it a ‘life hack’.  But, for me, it consists of reading a chapter or two of a book every morning as I eat my breakfast.

For this ‘morning reading’ practice, or habit, I prefer books that are designed to be read one chapter at a time. Or, more appropriately, one thought, or one concept at a time.  Not novels.  Not linear narratives, but teachings.

This was one of those books.

The throughline, if there was one was something like ‘how to live a happier life’.  The structure was short sections, grouped together, that explored one of Leo’s thoughts or teachings.  Perfect for a morning practice.

Guess what?  You can read a ~300 page book in 3 months if you read a few pages a day.  How about that?

Leo had a brief brush with fame in the 80’s as a motivational speaker.  He was very passionate about living life and being kind and leaning into love.  I really miss those concepts in 2026.

And while some of the examples are dated, the teachings are timeless.

The beautiful aspect of a morning reading habit and a book like this is that it jump starts your brain with something to celebrate, or aspire to, or think about each day.  It sets the context for a thoughtful day instead of just another head long rush into the frenzy and chaos.

Life is good my friends.

Love is good.

Go hug someone.

It’s ok.