Zach Anner was born 2 months early, weighing in at 3 pounds and 7 ounces, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He explains, “There is no denying it – I was a crappy baby who failed my way into this world, and I’ve been making the best of it ever since.”
And so he has. As a young adult, Zach has amassed considerable fame in his life. He has had his own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network called Rollin’ with Zach, and has hosted a show called Have a Little Faith for Rainn Wilson’s media company SoulPancake. He also has his own popular shows on his own YouTube Channel called Riding Shotgun and Workout Wednesdays, which has over 10 millions hits.
In his recent memoir, “If at Birth you Don’t Succeed”, Zach recounts the peaks and valleys of his life living with cerebral palsy. A gifted storyteller, Zach takes his readers on a journey with him through a life of adventures, triumph and failure to friendship, love and loss. He does so with an honesty that will make your heart ache and a sense of humour that will make you fall out of your chair with laughter. Along the way he shares pearls of wisdom such as this,
What I’ve learned from taking a bird’s-eye view of my life so far is that the good fortune I’ve had has come from seizing not just my moments but my mistakes. I might not be able to tie my own shoelaces, but if there’s one skill I’ve perfected, it’s the art of finding the humor and the purpose in every failure. I’ve accepted that we’ve all got crap to deal with and problems that we’re fighting not to be defined by. At the end of the day, we all want the same stuff: fulfillment, love, support, comfort, and a hot-air balloon with laser guns attached to it. The most important thing is that we appreciate the crazy ride we’re on.
Simply put, Zach is brilliant – his perseverance, optimism and sharp wit pierce through the often dim shadows cast on the lives of people living with disabilities, and serve to enlighten and uplift us all.
Heartfelt, hilarious and inspiring, this book is a must read.