National bestseller! Tom Seeman, ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds
Totally Booked with Zibby
Zibby Owens
4.5 • 643 Ratings
🗓️ 16 August 2024
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Zibby chats with bestselling author Tom Seeman about ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE, a lyrical, tender, and insightful memoir about a boy who grew up in a family of fourteen in the projects of Toledo, Ohio, and journeyed from child janitor with big dreams to teenage petty criminal to student at Yale and Harvard. Tom describes his wonderful mother, whose resilience and kindness shaped his life and shielded him from his alcoholic father’s abuse. He also touches on his life-changing scholarship to a private high school and the small act of kindness that transformed his life. Finally, he reflects on the role of luck, nature vs. nurture, and the power of persistence and positive thinking.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books, hosted by me, Zibi Owens. |
| 0:07.6 | It's an award-winning podcast with over 1,900 episodes, all featuring authors of books you love and those you have yet to discover. |
| 0:15.5 | Listen daily five times a week. |
| 0:17.2 | Then go to Zivimedia.com and learn more about what the L.A. Times called the Zivieverse. |
| 0:22.7 | Zippy Media includes Zivis Bucshop, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, |
| 0:27.2 | Zippy Books Publishing, Zippy Retreats, Zivis book club, and more. |
| 0:31.5 | Go check it out at Zivimedia.com and follow me on Instagram at Zivie Owens. |
| 0:36.8 | It'll take you where you need to go. Thanks for listening. |
| 0:42.5 | Tom Seaman is the author of Animals I Want to See, a memoir of growing up in the projects and defying the odds. |
| 0:49.2 | Tom is a business person who has owned and led several businesses. He grew up in a family of 14 on welfare and food |
| 0:55.8 | stamps and the projects of Toledo, Ohio. He earned his BA from Yale, graduating summa cum laude |
| 1:01.1 | and Phi Beta Kappa before going on to earn his JD at Harvard. He has worked across the globe, |
| 1:06.5 | has lived in five countries, and has traveled to over 100. Tom lives in Massachusetts with his wife, |
| 1:12.4 | four children, three dogs, and a cat. Welcome, Tom. Thank you so much for coming on moms don't |
| 1:17.4 | have time to read books to discuss animals. I want to see a memoir of growing up in the projects |
| 1:22.3 | and defying the odds. What a book. Oh my gosh. Congratulations. Well, thank you so much for having me. I've enjoyed your |
| 1:28.8 | podcast as well. Oh, my gosh. Honestly, your story, I read every word. I could not put this book down. |
| 1:35.5 | I can't believe. I just, it's so inspiring and so amazing. I want to see what's on your list of |
| 1:41.4 | things to do today and like the projects that you still have coming, |
| 1:44.6 | because I'm sure you have some sort of list. |
| 1:46.5 | But wow, can you tell listeners about your whole backstory and turning it into a book? |
| 1:52.1 | Just what is the book about? |
... |
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