Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Gift of Mulligans: Sometimes All You Need is a Second Chance by Dave Morris is a fascinating dive into the reality of what is possible. Jordan O’Brien is a “guru” of the self-help world. He has built his career on seminars, books and helping corporations extract the very best performance from their human resources. Highly successful and just having appeared on a top-rated national talk show to plug his latest book, Jordan is confronted by an old high school friend who opens up a long-buried, dark secret of Jordan’s from his school days. Mitch, his buddy from high school has gone on to become a renowned scientist in the field of Quantum Mechanics. By combining Mitch’s understanding of the power of the subconscious mind and quantum theory, with Jordan’s unique “déjà vu” pod, the pair discover they have the ability to time-travel, using thoughts and memories. Could this possibly be an opportunity to undo the mistakes Jordan made in his childhood that have left him unmarried and alone plus haunted by the suicide of a classmate who experienced intense loneliness at school whilst surrounded by people? Was this a chance for all of them to take a “mulligan”, to get a second chance at something they messed up so badly the first time around? They are both determined to achieve just that and to alter their lives and that of their classmate, Jerry.

There are some books that you read that instantly fill you with a sense of rightness and understanding and The Gift of Mulligans was definitely such a book for me. Having been immersed in “new thought” for some time now, this story just resonated so powerfully with me. Author Dave Morris has tapped into an incredibly powerful expression of individual purpose and understanding that made this story speak to me personally. The whole idea that thoughts are things and a belief in the power of the mind made it a simple jump to the concept that thoughts, through our memories, could actually travel back in time. It was this simple connection that made the story so believable and so relevant. The author’s focus on the religiosity of the story was absolutely fine, as he ensured that it was the message that was important and not the delivery source. This will make the story much more palatable to those without a religious bent. The underlying message about love, compassion, understanding, and the opportunity, indeed the necessity to give people a second chance shone through every page and made the core message of the story stand out like a shining beacon of hope for the world. For me, personally, the key takeaway was to believe in yourself and allow yourself exactly the same compassion and forgiveness we are implored to offer others. Everyone on this earth has a unique talent and higher purpose that they are destined for, if only they choose that road to follow. Few books uplift me as much as this one has and rather than highly recommend it, I would proffer that it should actually be compulsory reading for all teenagers and adults alike. A fantastic book!