Michael Gill is the author of a new book "How Starbucks Saved My Life." I had the distinct privilege of interviewing him for almost an hour. You can hear the interview TODAY (Monday, September 24 at 1 PM Pacific/4 PM Eastern Please adjust for other time zones.) Go to my journal page:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Radio_Lady Look in the right hand column for more information on how to hear my interview via the internet.
This is a real riches to rags to riches story, with a lot of information about Starbucks. (Buy the way, he's been given leave to publicize the story, and Starbucks management did not require him to submit his draft prior to publication Michael is the oldest son of Brendan Gill, a very popular and busy author who wrote for the New Yorker magazine. Mike and his four siblings lived a life of wealthy privilege until the tables turned in the most difficult way. He lost his job, his marriage shattered, and to add insult to injury, Michael was diagnosed with a non-cancerous but still scary brain tumor.
One day, while Mike was sitting in a Starbucks restaurant, an African-American woman named Crystal must have sensed his pain, and offered him a job as a barista. That's a fancy name for Starbucks counter person. Michael took the job largely because he needed the medical insurance and he needed the work.
Well, the story gets better here. Michael starts writing a book on his experiences of being downsized -- and turns that into a liberal appreciation of how other classes of people struggle to get and keep work, especially those employed at Starbucks. That's in-between cleaning latrines, which he apparently does not mind.
So what has happened since has been almost a miracle. Michael lives comfortably but not lavishly in Bronxville, which is a not the hoity-toity neighborhood. He has a home, but no significant other, not even a dog. Now he has a bouncing baby book to take him to many cities to speak at book stores.
Here's the kicker: The story has been optioned for a movie. Tom Hanks is the potential star to play Michael in the movie. Six figures is the rumor. The story is listed on the IMDB in pre-production.
Please get a copy of this eye-opening new book for the honest description of a ride on the roller coaster of life. It's exceptional, and if I weren't married, well... he is just a very warm human being who has been chewed up by life, but lives to tell about. I think his fortune has definitely changed and we'll be hearing about him author again soon.
Let's hope he doesn't get too rich to quite his Starbucks job and go back to playing golf at the country club.
Naw, I think he's hitched his amazing wagon to the stars! Hope book sales keep up with the expectations.