2 people found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsTook me back home.
ByDave B.on August 27, 2013
It seems that I am the “Accidental Book Reviewer”. This book begins in my home town, too. It was recommended to me by a dear old friend whose opinion I respect. And it shows how, from humble beginnings, greatness can be the destination. If I had had a thimble-full of the courage and spirit of adventure Dr. Nixon had, I might have been a lot more successful, myself. This book is about fearlessly going out into the world as a child, and being able to turn adventure into opportunities for success. And in the process helping many others along the way. I highly recommend this book for all young people out there. The positive encouragement found within these pages would benefit any one, just as soon as they can read. Hard work and persistence coupled with a can do attitude, served Dr. Nixon well. And I believe this book would serve anyone just as well. Great job, Dr. Nixon. And I thank you.
3.0 out of 5 starsokay
ByJWon August 6, 2013
I thought it was going to be about our school structure and the problems with it. Too much about his life, unfortunately.
5.0 out of 5 starsTook me back home.
ByDave B.on August 27, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
It seems that I am the “Accidental Book Reviewer”. This book begins in my home town, too. It was recommended to me by a dear old friend whose opinion I respect. And it shows how, from humble beginnings, greatness can be the destination. If I had had a thimble-full of the courage and spirit of adventure Dr. Nixon had, I might have been a lot more successful, myself. This book is about fearlessly going out into the world as a child, and being able to turn adventure into opportunities for success. And in the process helping many others along the way. I highly recommend this book for all young people out there. The positive encouragement found within these pages would benefit any one, just as soon as they can read. Hard work and persistence coupled with a can do attitude, served Dr. Nixon well. And I believe this book would serve anyone just as well. Great job, Dr. Nixon. And I thank you.
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ByKellie Guildon July 17, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This book was an interesting read not only about the journey of a lifelong educator, but also tales about history of certain aspects of Las Vegas history that many are not aware of. I think many take for granted the sacrifices that educators make in order to be in the classroom. What I thought was interesting was the opportunities Dr. Nixon has found outside the classroom. I did attain my Masters through the Las Vegas campus of NOVA Southeastern University but had no idea as to how they came to Las Vegas. Dr. Nixon has used his personal experiences to impact a variety of people, and they have in turn impacted him. I always enjoy reading about the Old Las Vegas and this book does not disappoint. The stories about the side of the Las Vegas that most locals do not experience are also interesting. I would love to know who Mr. Pike really was….
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Read
ByJeanne Zinmanon December 25, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
My wife bought this book for me as Xmas gift. As a former teacher in Vegas and now a non LDS public school teacher in Utah County this book was highly relevant to me. It should be read by students who wish to be educators and want to know the real ups and downs of the profession. I was an employee under Doc Nixon at UNLV and can honestly say that his writing style is brutally honest and highly amusing at the same time. The book gives hope to students who are non traditional in their learning style. Write another book with more Vegas experiences! Perhaps on the Maxson vs Tark real story.
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 star sAt last! –one man’s honest view of education.
ByJoyce Standishon October 13, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
While Amazon’s requested word “review” sort of scares me, Andy Nixon’s story of his life before and after his journey through the up’s and down’s of education brought nothing but joy to this reader. Author Nixon writes in an easy-going manner, taking his reader by the hand to enter and enjoy the writer’s life-long journey throughout the sometimes-confusing life of the academia. Readers will neither find use of silly superlatives nor flashy grammar. This writer’s simplistic narrative easily speaks to all levels of readership–and hooray—he introduces readers to academics’ worlds. And Nixon is the reader’s friend from the get-go to the final in his sharing what he wisely names the “Wacademia”
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 starsA great read and very informative.
ByThomas Mooreon July 29, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I have the pleasure of working with Dr Nixon at The Smith Center. This is an interesting story to read and goes very quickly. Once I started to read it, I couldn’t put it down until it was completed.Not only does Andy tell his story, but I believe, this story is the same for many more people. Andy just has a very good sense of humor in his writing and story telling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great escape in their reading.
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 starsGo West Young Man
ByDonald L. Tayloron July 23, 2013
Format: Paperback
Centuries ago, Horace Greeley said, “Go West young man and grow up with the country.” This is an account of a bewildered young ethnic boy from a small mill town in the East and his quest to find an identity and meaning in life. Where and how he ultimately finds his role is ironic. His journey is strewn with pratfalls, disappointments and surprises. Andy’s story is fascinating, you will want to meet him and be his companion!
Donald L. Taylor, Professor Emeritus
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 starsTotally Engaging
ByD. Dorchakon August 8, 2013
Format: Paperback
Andrew’s wit, combined with the serious undertones when talking about his experiences with education make for an engaging book. I particularly enjoyed his stories about his early days in Las Vegas. Andrew knows how to tell a story, and believe me, he’s got a lot of them. Definitely a must read.
Comment|2 people found this helpful.
5.0 out of 5 starsA memoir that demonstrates that there are many ways to define “intelligence.”
Byclahainon July 9, 2015
Format: Paperback
Anthropologist and author Mary Catherine Bateson (daughter of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson) wrote that “we are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.” I don’t think I had a concrete example of this philosophy–that the most important thing one can learn is HOW to learn–until I read 50 SHADES OF GRADES, Andrew Nixon’s account of how a late-blooming kid whose schoolwork was mediocre at best ended up not only earning a Doctorate degree in education, but built a life within and beyond academia.
This son of Eastern European immigrants starts his story in steel-milling Pittsburgh and recounts how a series of apparent accidents led him to a top private university in Utah and a career in teaching that spanned several states and every grade level from elementary through university. He accomplished all of this while working various demanding side jobs. Fair warning, Nixon’s idea of a “sideline” is often a hilarious understatement. Decades working in the livery business? Starting his own hugely successful company providing promotional products to the advertising industry? Designing the programs for whole new schools? His sidelines exhausted me just reading about them.
Don’t let Nixon’s light, happy-go-lucky tone and humorous style fool you. There’s a keen intelligence at work here. I go so far to say that very little of what he presents as “accidental” is actually happenstance. Nixon may not have been a natural-born genius, but his sharp observational skills and an almost superhuman work ethic carried him way further than even the straightest of straight-A students. There’s a special power that comes with true self-knowledge and the ability to not only see opportunities but CREATE them.
Nixon’s story isn’t all rainbows and birdsong. At times, his dedication to work and to his own continued improvement strained his personal relationships. There are several instances in his professional life where his good intentions and honest efforts bumped up against immovable obstacles–big egos and big bureaucracies are often allergic to innovation. What I love is how Nixon never accepts the limits set by others. And when the naysayers get him mad enough…well…he’ll build his own path right around them. Failures become stepping stones. The Cowboy Christmas debacle comes to mind. A business reversal that would have sent most of us running from entrepreneurship with our tails between our legs was a mere detour for Nixon and Promotions By Pat, the company he built with his wife.
In short, FIFTY SHADES OF GRADES is an entertaining memoir about a lousy student who nevertheless learns how to learn and has some amazing life experiences in the process.
5.0 out of 5 starsAn encouraging life story with lessons to uplift the the reader and make him laugh.
ByGeorge McLendon author of Papa’s Gifton June 30, 2015
Format: Paperback
50 Shades of Grades – My Journey Through Wacademia by Andrew R. Nixon, EdD
I am a local author in the area of Las Vegas, Nevada. I wanted to read some of the other local authors’ works. My closest library maintains a local author shelf. I selected several books including this one. I found the title amusing and had a sense of impending mirth. I was in no way disappointed with Dr. Nixon’s journey through a series of life’s foibles and happenstances, diversions, and what seemed to be misdirections. Life, however, has a way of making sense in the long term.
The skinny kid from a small mill town in Pennsylvania, an obviously poor student as his various early teachers confirmed, moved forward fearlessly toward success. As Andrew Nixon matured into a young adult, he saw opportunities overlooked by others to develop skills and methods which compounded to create one who would succeed in life and become a mentor to others. Anyone who has attended college with little money to spare will appreciate the author’s progress through BYU.
Dr. Nixon and I are fairly contemporary in age, making the various descriptions and stories of his youth familiar. One major difference is that this memoir describes a man who seems to need little sleep and can work nearly twenty-four hours a day. I need sleep.
This presentation of one man’s path through life is very well written as I suspected it would be. Humor is abundant during this journey through wacademia. Lessons learned. Lessons missed. Excellent portrayal of local life and notable characters in Las Vegas over several decades is included, so there is amusing local history as well.
To quote the author, ” It is no sin to be knocked down. It is only a sin to not get back up.”
I enjoyed this read and I recommend it with enthusiasm.
5.0 out of 5 starsYou will recognize yourself through his story
ByJuneBlaszon July 13, 2016
Format: Paperback
The author has the ability to weave a story about his adventures growing up in a small town. But at the same time you can easily see yourself having the same adventures or problems from childhood to adulthood. He is able to hold you attention from beginning to end. You want to know what happens next, does he ever succeed? You soon realize that this is a young man who though his friends ( of many), and family members pave the way for him to accomplish his goals and most of all his dreams. Then again this story represents so many of us one way or another. It really is a good read. I hope the author writes many more books.
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