#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award®–winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN “McConaughey’s book invites us to grapple with the lessons of his life as he … to grapple with the lessons of his life as he did—and to see that the point was never to win, but to understand.”—Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.
Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges—how to get relative with the inevitable—you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights.”
So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.
Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears.
It’s a love letter. To life.
It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights—and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.
Good luck.
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Witty word-smithing
Hilarious, genuine, likeable, and dare I say it inspirational. I listened to the audio, and I highly recommend it. Who doesn’t like to listen to Matthew McConaughey talk?! Plus, he cracks himself up while reading.
This book is felt like I pulled up a seat at the bar with a beer in hand and had a chat with an old friend. Greenlights gave us some insights to McConaughey’s life in an entertaining way, while also sprinkling in some little nuggets of wisdom. While there wasn’t anything earth shattering within these pages, it was entertaining and had some great words worth writing down.
: I really think that this is one of those books that should be listened to on audiobook. McConaughey is able to bring us own words to life and really creates an atmosphere for listening. With that said, many might want to have the physical copy handy as well since there are a lot of little nuggets that can be written down and saved for a rainy day.
Interesting he kept a journal thru life and made it really inspiring when put together as a book. Smart guy.
I loved this book and did not expect to! He is a good writer! I learned some things about him that were quite interesting.
4.5
Definitely a fun audiobook. He’s a great storyteller and it was very entertaining to listen to. I enjoyed hearing some behind-the-scenes from his famous characters and movies and also enjoyed his little ‘prescriptions’ and ‘bumper stickers.’ I don’t normally care enough about celebrities to read a book about their life but I did really like this one.
Greenlights delivers *everything* I want in a book. Excellent stories, behind-the-scenes info you wouldn’t get from the press, and most importantly, new music recommendations. The last might make me crazy, but it is who I am. The best days are always spent with new music and a great book. Having no idea about Ali Farka Toure, I can thank Mr. McConaughey for that if nothing else. This book is written with zest, passion, and his way of telling a tale is like no other. I love his command of the language. “Words are momentary. Intent is momentous.” It is the first audiobook I’ll be getting in eBook. His love for life is contagious. Definitely worth a read.
I would recommend this to everyone! Highly entertaining, sad at times, inspirational! Matthew is a fabulous storyteller and thankfully he started writing his journal at a young age! His messages resonated with me – makes you think!
Alright, alright, alright…
Oh, his voice!! It was such a thrill to listen to Matthew McConaughey tell his story in his own words on this audio book. His memoir, assembled using his diary entries kept for over 36 years, was everything I wanted it to be! Personal, funny, touching, inspiring, insightful, and a few life lessons sprinkled throughout.
Honestly, when I decided to listen to his audio book, I never really thought I would learn any life lessons from Matthew McConaughey….I mean, he’s the actor that played conga drums naked in his living room and starred in the movie Magic Mike as a stripper, right?!? What could he possibly teach me…..plenty I found out!!!!!
I love when a memoir surprises me like this one did. I was a fan of Matthew’s to begin with, except for a few movies he starred in along the way, so that’s why I purchased the audio book….but, I had no idea that he was so wise, spiritual, optimistic and grounded. Not the words that came to mind before listening to this audio book.
His bumper stickers and notes to self, had me laughing (and taking notes) throughout my listen. Matthew has figured out a way to live life to the fullest, changing the red and yellow lights along the way into greenlights as often as possible! A lesson we could all benefit from especially during these times.
“Life is a series of commas, not periods.” Matthew McConaughey
I am now binge watching all of Matthew’s movies again…..seeing him in a much different light than I did before listening to his telling memoir.
Part memoir, part reflection on living life on your own terms including all the sacrifices and consequences that come with that choice. I found him as enchanting in story form as he is on the screen, deeply complex yet simple to his core, devoted to those he loves to the point he’s willing to call them out when he recognizes foolishness. His story is entertaining, his life an adventure, and his reflections both personal and broadly universal. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, which was a treat in itself, and recommend this to those who want something lighter in weight (tone, topics, etc.) with bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout.
WARNING to those sensitive to cussing.
He’s an interesting person. Some crazy stories in the book but not much real advice beyond a couple of one liners.
McConaghy does a wonderful job telling his own story. I felt as if I were listening to a good friend. I highly recommend the audio version.
Interesting view of Matthews life and development from his perspective. The life lessons and positive outlook could inspire readers to accept challenges and disappointments on their way to their goals. A great actor who followed his dream.
Enjoyed this story so much. I listened to the audible version in the authors voice and found that to be even more enjoyable. It was laugh out loud funny. I highly recommend it.
This was not what I expected and I absolutely loved it. We don’t often get an honest glimpse into an actor’s life so this was refreshing, chaotic, fun and engaging. This man has definitely had some crazy times but he also knew how to spend that time and make the most of life. After reading this, I have much more love for Matthew McConaughey and can only wonder what further adventures he will embark upon.
Of course this is going to be a biased review .
I loved, loved, loved this narration. The passion expelled by the author while reading this book was felt deep inside me.
I highly recommend.
I usually avoid books by celebrities. But I’ve always been impressed with McConaughey’s talent and had read interesting things about his lifestyle, so I jumped in.
I’m glad I did.
McConaughey is a genuine adventurer and raconteur. He follows his dreams. Literally. He had a dream about the Amazon—so off he went. Africa? Same thing. This is behavior you’d expect from a larger than life fictional character. His book is part adventure, part self-help, and wholly entertaining. A prodigious note-keeper, he relied on 35 years of introspective musings to recreate his life and strengthen the narrative.
McConaughey is Irish. Similar to the late Pat Conroy, his emotionally charged family bordered on the dysfunctional, a point he does not shy from. His brother took a two-by-four to his father’s head. McConaughey calls this tough love, although in another context it might be construed as attempted homicide. His parents married each other three times, divorced twice, and his father died climaxing while making love to his mother. His relating of these events, and more, is unflinchingly honest. A reader can’t ask for more.
I’m mostly not a fan of memoirs, but this one caught my eye. And no, I’m not a rabid Mather McConaughy fan. I liked him and after reading it, I still do. Greenlight is a love letter to life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights –and to remember that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too. McConaughy is a born story teller and has journaled since he was a boy. His straightforward, rowdy stories, and hard-earned wisdom make for a very entertaining and thought-provoking read. His writing often takes a lyrical style, as in, “…getting wet while trying to dance between the raindrops.” He values family and faith, as so many of us do. I highly recommend this memoir.
Alright, alright, alright! What a wild ride this book was. Greenlights is a motivational memoir like no other. Matthew shares stories of his upbringing in Texas, how he got started in acting (including his iconic role in Dazed and Confused), his rise in Hollywood fame, his Oscar-winning role, and becoming a husband and a father. There are some crazy unbelievable stories along the way! He also includes “bumper stickers” and “prescriptions” throughout that are pieces of advice or words of wisdom from his experiences. Some of them are like poems, others almost seem like rambling, but it all comes together into a very McConaughey package.
I got this book as a Christmas gift, but I knew that I wanted to hear Matthew McConaughey’s words in his own very distinguishable voice, so I also bought the audiobook. While the physical books has photos you’ll want to see, listening to him talk was amazing. Although he reads the book exactly as written, it sounds like you’re sitting at his kitchen table in Austin, Texas, as he recalls moments in his life that lead to “Greenlights”. Matthew is an amazing storyteller. Keep on livin’ and hook ‘em horns.
This man really is inspiring!