How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill

Michael Gates Gill was living the American Dream, he became the hot-shot Creative Director of one of the top advertisement firms in the United States just after graduating Yale. He also once owned a beautiful mansion in Bronxville, about 50 Brooks Brothers suits and a perfect family with a charming picture-perfect Stepford-Esq wife with a few of those darling kids essential for a All-American family included.

As a privileged son of the famous writer Brendan Gill, Mike never imagined that anyone or anything could intrude his perfect little bubble made of accomplishments, successes, cooperate greed and his own arrogance. That bubble popped when he was called into a breakfast meeting with his boss and was told he was let go, stripped of his throne at the top of the cooperate chain. Having found out that he was unseated from his job of over 25 years, he was devastated. His life went downhill, so did everything that revolved around him. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor, then due to exasperation became involved in a affair, that which ultimately led to a divorce between him and his wife.

The day he was ready to off himself, he found his salvation, he entered a Starbucks shop, unknowing that there was a hiring event, and was offered a job by the store manager, Crystal. She young African American woman who grew up in the Detroit, she had an abusive husband and a unprivileged childhood which she appreciated, therefore made her a kind, empathic being. While working at Starbucks, (He still does!) he changed spiritually and physically. His suit was replaced with a green apron, his ego was replaced with a beating heart. That day his old life ended, a new one started.

The people that he used to work with when he was successful ignored him. The people who stood up for him were his true friends and his kids. This is a truly moving memoir of a man who was put out like a smoked cigarette who then rebuilt himself from his own ashes. This book is recommended to anyone who has empathy and emotion because this story has life lessons like regret and appreciation, all which learn sooner or later. Read this book and dwell in it's warmth. You know you want to.