By Rubin E. Grant
Richard E. Simmons III had a front-row seat to college life for the past decade as he put three children through school.
What he saw provided the inspiration for his latest book: “College With No Regrets – Wisdom for the Journey.”
“I witnessed all kinds of issues young people have to deal with that I didn’t have to deal with when I was in college,” said Simmons, founder and executive director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a bestselling author. “Young Americans are dying at an alarming rate and are struggling with homicides, suicides, drug overdoses and sexuality.
“There is no real how-to manual for going off to college. We have found more and more parents are ill-equipped in preparing their children for college, so this book is something parents can use for them and their children to walk through.”
The book was released at the end of April and retails for $12 on Amazon and through Simmons’ website: richardesimmons3.com.
“College With No Regrets” targets students from 17 to 25 years old and is divided into six chapters. Each chapter contains three to six short essays. At the end of each essay are questions parents can use to stimulate discussions with their student.
The six chapters of the book are:
• Wisdom for the Journey
• Living an Exceptional Life
• What Is True Freedom?
• Principles to Follow
• Human Sexuality
• Care of the Soul
The book closes with three essays under the heading, “Our Ultimate Good.”
“I believe this is a creative way for parents to deepen their relationship with their children,” Simmons said. “College is one of the most exciting and meaningful times in life. One key thing separates an unfulfilling college experience from a life-changing one: the choices you make. These choices will ultimately determine whether you thrive in college or it ends up being a major disappointment.
“It is a wisdom book and we know how important wisdom is because Solomon says in Proverbs it’s more valuable than silver and gold. The Hebrew word for wisdom is “chokmah” and it means skill or expertise in living. I can’t think of anything a parent would want more for their children.”
Simmons said he has received some positive feedback about the book already, particularly from parents.
“That encourages me,” he said. “At my church, we gave out copies of it to our graduating seniors. I had an 80-year-old woman come up to me afterward and say, ‘I wish I had read that when I went off to college ‘cause I have a lot of regrets that happened when I was in college.’
“I had a friend tell me that it’s not just a book for kids going off to college, but it’s a book that’s good for any adult.”
English (US)