David McCullough will talk about his new book “You Are Not Special…And Other Encouragements”

Portland Public Library - Friday, January 30th at 6:30pm

Portland, Maine - Raised by well-meaning, but all too often micromanaging parents to believe they each have a birthright to the cultural plums, teenagers are becoming ever more preoccupied with conspicuous achievement—often at the expense of important formative experiences. Drawing upon his 26 years as a high school English teacher, father of four, David McCullough, Jr.( the son and namesake of the famous historian) argues in his prophetic and witty new book, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL…And Other Encouragements, that we should encourage our children  to shake off the pressures to excel, to be special, and pursue what they love.

When McCullough gave a commencement address late one the afternoon in June, 2012, to the senior
class of the public high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts where he is an English teacher, his message caught fire. “You are not special. You are not exceptional,” he told the graduating class. "Think about this: even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you." Now, expanding upon his popular address, viewed by more than two million people on YouTube, McCullough has written YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL, a love letter to students and parents as well as a guide to a truly fulfilling, happy life.

In addition to taking on club sports, electronic distractions and professional college prep, McCullough offers thoughtful advice about:

Community: Liberate kids from the me-centered attitudes encouraged by our culture. They aren’t special—let them be, rather, part of something bigger than themselves.
Helicopter parents: They do more harm than good. Kids need the latitude to screw up, even to screw up royally—and better sooner than later.
Responsibility: Know yourself and own your mistakes
Privilege: The responsibilities that come with it.
Learning: Learning happens when a child finds his or her own way to a subject and is allowed to follow it with independent enthusiasm.

With profound wisdom and affectionate humor, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL urges us all to spend our limited time on earth living as fully and generously as we can.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David McCullough, Jr. started teaching English in 1986. He has appeared on and/or done interviews for the following outlets : Fox 25 News, CNN, NBC Nightly News, CBS This Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, ABC News, Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Wellesley Townsman, Montreal radio, Vancouver radio, Madison, WI, radio, Time Magazine and Epoca (Brazilian magazine).  He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and four children.