Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek
A Memoir
Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek is a captivating immigrant’s memoir that celebrates community, honesty, and generosity.
George E. Danis draws important lessons from his personal story in his memoir Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek.
Danis was raised in a small, close-knit village in the mountains of Greece, but he realized at an early age that his fortunes lay in the United States. After working an eclectic series of jobs, he found his niche in manufacturing and used his success to help others pursue their own goals, even meeting, supporting, and advising politicians at the highest level. All the while, he held tight to the lessons he learned growing up in Greece, relying on them to solve problems, correct mistakes, and work toward a future that was fairer for everyone.
The book begins with the conclusions Danis formed based on a lifetime of experience, such as the necessity of taking coherent action to mitigate the climate crisis and making higher education accessible to all. Then, it shares stories that explain how Danis developed that worldview. Its first, exciting section covers his winding move from Greece to the US; its second section focuses on various business ventures and political endeavors. There are tales of his down-to-earth relationship with Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis; there’s a heartbreaking story about how he left home for the first time as a boy determined to get an education. Charming, profound, and suspenseful anecdotes run throughout, shared in a tone that’s wry and humorous and marked by thoughtful hindsight.
The descriptions of the island where Danis was born are lush. It’s treated as a beautiful and motivational place to grow up; at the same time, it was too small to contain his ambitions. His move from rural Greece on ships that sailed around the globe to the corporate world of the eastern United States is as fascinating, marked by a sense of the unlikely: Danis acknowledges that luck combined with his own work ethic and the kindness of others enabled his personal and professional happiness. He uses this fact as a foundation from which to argue for greater unity, political participation, and goodwill among all Americans, regardless of where they were born.
In Danis’s words, “We are not made to exist alone.” The only way for a person to succeed is for all people to succeed, by helping others when they need it and receiving help in return. This cooperative vision for the future, as well as the fond amazement with which Danis views his own past, results in an optimistic account of his eventful life filled with incredible experiences.
Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek is a captivating immigrant’s memoir about how community, honesty, and generosity contributed to personal thriving.
Reviewed by
Eileen Gonzalez
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
