Paul Harris and the Birth of Rotary

"Marred by careless errors" is what my high school English teachers used to write when correcting papers. As a copy editor, I found this book so painful to read that I deferred it till Lent, regarding it as penitential reading (and I've still reached only page 39). It is really a shame that a book with so much good information should suffer from such poor (or, more likely, no) copy editing, a common failing of self-published books.It is not unusual for me to read a book with pencil in hand, but to have to make dozens of corrections on every page is quite unprecedented. When the author manages to avoid errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or syntax, he introduces logical errors that are often risible (I collect this kind of "howler," but I could start a new collection with this book). Dangling participles are just the beginning of his problems. One example: "At some point, the slow ticking of the old banjo clock that hung on the north wall, working in harmony with the sitting room clock began chiming attention to the lateness of the hour." Hmm, the ticking began chiming, eh?As a Rotarian (20 years with perfect attendance, and daughter of a Rotarian with 50+ years of perfect attendance), I would be willing to read all the tedious background (mentioned by other reviewers) if the writing were not so flawed, but this book is really testing my devotion to Rotary.There is no question that the author has done his research. It is meticulously documented--even to the point of absurdity, as when a straightforward description of the location of Wallingford, Vermont ("The village of Wallingford is located almost ten miles south of Rutland, nestled in a small valley between two ranges of the Green Mountains"), has a footnote citing "AAA Road Map 2006 edition and MapQuest." Perhaps the 50+ pages of notes could have been reduced if some such had been omitted.I appreciate the work the author has done in compiling this information. I just wish that I (or some other copy editor) had had a chance to edit it before it was published. I would also have made recommendations about the layout. The size of the book makes it less than ideal to hold and read; reducing the leading would have resulted in a thinner or perhaps smaller book. But at least the double spacing allows plenty of room for corrections (there is none in the skimpy margins).

This is an easy read. After overlooking a tremendous amount of grammatical errors throughout, as a Rotarian for ove 35 years, I was able to get a glimpse of the man, Paul Harris. The author obviously did a great deal of research for this writing. He oftentimes poses anecdotes in a way that has the reader conclude that verification is impossible. As in anyone's life, there are truths and then there are two different stories, interpretations, inadvertent fabrications, and just down-right lies. The author is very careful to advise when some of his related stories about the founder of Rotary International are more lore than factual. I recommend it.

Being a long-time Rotarian, I found this biography of our founding father to be informative and entertaining. The research that was conducted and the details of those who were instrumental in furthering the world's most influential and widely known service organization were fascinating and a revelation to one who only knew the sanitized version of the beginnings of Rotary. It is a very revealing account of Mr. Harris's life, warts and all. For those Rotarians who read this book, you will see many parallels between the challenges that were faced during the inception era of Rotary and those of today. If you can avoid the distraction of more than just a few editorial flaws, especially in the early chapters, Rotarians will find this to be a great historical perspective of our organization.

This book is a must for all Rotarians. I gave this as a gift who, like me, wanted to learn more of how that Rotary founder Paul Harris came to form what now comprises 1.2 Million members recognized around the world. Harris's life was an inspiration for all those in Rotary - the oldest Service Organization in the world. Excellent read.

Fred Carvin has done a lot of research for this book. It helps us understand the history of Rotary and where Rotary is moving towards in the future.The book is a valuable tool of information for Rotary leaders of today and the future!

I was hoping for a great read into the insight of a great man. I haven't finished the book yet, and bought it 2 years ago. The beginning is so detailed I forget what I am reading. I was looking for detail about Paul Harris, but was reading detail about the woman who knew the man who was an acquaintance to another man who knew Paul's father. A little like listening to a person who didn't write a speech, and your on a second hour of listening to them. I keep thumbing through to find relevant information I am interested in. I hope to find it in the next 2 years.

As a new Rotarian I enjoyed reading the founder's story. It is inspiring and moving, written in a passionate way. My membership has become even more meaningful, my dedication to the causes Rotary around the world supports has deepened. I'm sharing it with friends and hope they will join their local club.

As a researcher on Paul Harris' life, this book came to me to complete details of his life and to answer lots of questions. Excellent!!