The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

John Izzo

Jan 2008 · Berrett-Koehler Publishers

About this ebook

“What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn't?” asks Dr. John Izzo. Based on a highly acclaimed public television series, this book takes the reader on a heartwarming and profound journey to find lasting happiness.

Imagine for a moment that you are about to take a foreign vacation to an exotic destination. You have saved your entire life to travel there. It is a destination with almost unlimited choices of how to spend your time and you know you will not have enough time to explore every opportunity. You are fairly certain that you will never get to take a second trip to this destination; this will be your one opportunity.

Now imagine that someone informs you that there are several people in your neighborhood who have been to that country, explored every corner. Some of them enjoyed the journey and have few regrets, but others wish they could take the trip again knowing what they know now. Would you not invite them over for dinner, ask them to bring their photographs, listen to their stories, and hear their advice?

This is precisely the journey explored in this book. Dr. John Izzo and his colleagues interviewed over 200 people, ages 60-106, who were identified by friends and acquaintances as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.” From town barbers to Holocaust survivors, from aboriginal chiefs to CEOs, these people had over 18,000 years of life experience between them. He asked them questions like, “What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn't?”

Here Izzo shares their stories—funny, moving, and thought-provoking—and the Five Secrets he learned from listening to them. This book will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and inspire you to discover what matters long before you die.

Ratings and reviews

The thing I appreciated most about this book were the real life stories. Great read!

About the author

Dr. John Izzo is the author of four books and a sought after advisor on soul in work and life. His best selling book Awakening Corporate Soul (now in its fifteenth printing) has sold over 250,000 copies. He is an American who now lives in Vancouver, Canada. He is a speaker, consultant, and coach, working principally in the U.S. and Canada. Each year he speaks at over 65 corporate and association events to over 50,000 attendees. Dr. Izzo’s work has been featured by the likes of Fast Company, CNN, INC magazine, ABC World News, the Wall Street Journal, Nurse Week, the LA Times, CBC, and numerous print and electronic outlets worldwide. He is a regular monthly contributor to the Globe and Mail’s Career section.