Book Summary:
“Letters of Note: Volume 2: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience” by Shaun Usher is the companion volume to the instant classic “Letters of Note.”
Volume 2 follows a similar formula as the original and contains a collection of more than 125 captivating letters written by authors, scientists, celebrities, and ordinary people. Relive history with this beautifully designed book and gain insight into the personal lives of incredible figures.
There is an image of each letter and a transcript to go with it–the book is also filled with photographs, portraits and relevant artwork that adds a visual treat to this collection of text.
The book contains letters from:
Abraham Lincoln
Carl Jung
David Bowie
Dr. Seuss
J.K. Rowling
John Lennon
W.E.B. Du Bois
Winston Churchill
And many more.
Book Lessons:
1) Life advice from W.E.B. Du Bois
W. E.B. Du Bois was the first African American to earn a PhD at Harvard and cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization that fought for racial equality since its inception.
In 1914, his daughter, Yolande, who was soon turning fourteen, left home to study at Bedales School in England. Shortly after arriving, her father wrote a letter with some words of advice for her.
2) Don’t ever cross Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known as simply Michelangelo, is one of the greatest artists of all-time. His work has become legendary and millions of people travel every year to see his paintings, sculptures, and artwork.
Michelangelo worked tirelessly and was well rewarded for his work, and shared his fortune with his family. However, one of his brothers, Giovan Simone, mistreated their father, which greatly upset Michelangelo. Michelangelo responded furiously by letter.
3) Kurt Vonnegut’s advice for high school students
In 2006, a group of high school students were tasked with writing a letter to their favorite author and asking them to come visit their school. Five students decided to write to Kurt Vonnegut, the American writer who published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction.
Although Vonnegut never made the trip to visit the school, he did write a wonderful letter to the students. Here are a few quotes from his response:
Book Review:
“Letters of Note: Volume 2” by Shaun Usher is just as aesthetically pleasing as Usher’s first book, however, I found Volume 2 much less interesting than the first. Out of the 125+ letters in this book, I’d say about only a dozen really caught my attention and made the book worth reading.
This opinion is of course biased and I would have loved to have seen more letters from writers offering advice on their craft or more letters such as the one W.E.B. Du Bois wrote, where readers could gain valuable life advice.
My recommendation would be to get the first volume of “Letters of Note” and if you truly love the book, then feel free to pickup the second volume.
You can also read the letters for free on Usher’s website here.
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
If you’re interested in getting the book, you can do so here.
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