Book Summary

Matthew McConaughey, the handsome Oscar-winning actor, wrote and published a book titled "Greenlights" in 2020, which beautifully presents the story of his life to his audience. He has no intention of advising his readers; instead, he describes in suitable detail the successes and failures he has experienced throughout his life. The sincere and eloquent expression evident in his writing makes this work a delightful read. The features we mentioned about "Greenlights" led it to be labeled one of the best books by Amazon, The New York Times, The Guardian, and of course, other websites and magazines in 2020. As we read through McConaughey's autobiography in "Greenlights," we encounter various points that are worth pondering.

When these points are accompanied by real-life examples from the author's personal life, they become increasingly relatable, allowing readers to connect with them effectively. For instance, the author aims to convey how one can lead a good life by distancing oneself from unnecessary worries and stress while being fair, and how to enjoy different aspects of life for entertainment. Additionally, when he discusses his marriage and married life, he talks about the qualities that make a man a good person and turns them into a checklist that individuals can use to become a suitable man.

The choice of the title "Greenlights" for the book also has its interesting logic. McConaughey believes that throughout a person's life, there are various red and yellow lights on their path that ultimately turn into green lights. What he has written serves as guidance to help people receive multiple green lights in their lives. In any case, the book, which was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award in the memoir category in 2020, is undoubtedly very readable.

About the Author

Matthew David McConaughey was born on November 4, 1969, in Texas, United States. His father owned a gas station, and his mother was a kindergarten teacher; they divorced and subsequently had several other marriages. Matthew spent his teenage years in Longview and graduated with a degree in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas.

McConaughey, who was voted the most handsome student in high school, first gained recognition in 1993 with his role in the comedy film "Dazed and Confused," and later appeared in films such as "The Next Generation," "A Time to Kill," "Contact," and "EDtv." Meeting Brazilian model Camila Alves in 2006 and the birth of their three children marked a new chapter in his life. He won Academy Awards for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" in 2013 and received critical acclaim for his performance in the series "True Detective" in 2014.

Who Should Read the Book?

It is recommended for fans of the lives of beloved figures in the arts, as well as those who particularly admire Hollywood actors like Matthew McConaughey and his works, to read "Greenlights" for a deeper understanding of these individuals and the challenges they have faced in their lives.

The popular and renowned author has categorized his content into eight sections, and before and after these sections, he completes his thoughts under titles such as: For Life, How I Got Here, What is a Greenlight?, and an Epilogue.

Book Quotes

I’ve been in this life for fifty years, I’ve been trying to solve its puzzle for forty-two years, and I’ve been taking notes for thirty-five years on the clues I find to solve it; notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that have amazed me and things that have made me laugh. Thirty-five years of understanding, remembering, recognizing, collecting, and writing down things that have been moving or intriguing to me. How to be fair... how to have less stress... how to have fun... how to hurt people less... how to be a good person... how to get what I want... how to find meaning in life... how to be my true self.

When I entered the kitchen, I saw her with her back to me. She was sitting on the middle stool behind the kitchen counter where the stove was. She was wearing that turquoise shirt, on those beautiful caramel shoulders. Now she was the entertainer. My servant was making pancakes and placing them on her plate along with those of my two friends. My friends weren’t wearing T-shirts and were still laughing at the silly story that "she" had told an hour earlier.

The sound of their conversation didn’t just resemble old friends talking; it looked that way up close too. It wasn’t as if she was pretending to be embarrassed or showing that she felt shy about being here in my house today... or that she had no hurry to leave a house where she didn’t want to spend the night. No! Whatever it was, it was just grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.

Fame changes people. But in this case, it changed the place. I lost my anonymity again. My presence there was no longer fair—neither for myself nor for my neighbors. The peace I had found there was gone. Everyone was unhappy about the house being emptied and complained. They didn’t want me to leave, but I had no choice. It was time to say goodbye, and there would be no more “see you later.” My wife and I packed our bags. We terminated the lease and set off west again. No one gets into trouble for what they do; you only get into trouble when you get caught. The real art is being able to bail out! Lawbreakers don’t live on the edge of life; they are always right in the middle and keep moving forward.

I called the gas station to ask where they had taken his car. It was an hour to the place where I could retrieve the impounded vehicle. I insisted that I needed to take him there myself. On the way, I played one of my favorite CDs for him. It was from Mishka, an artist with a reggae style for whom I was producing an album at that time.

I drove. We listened. Two or three songs played in succession, and neither of us spoke a word. Neither of us felt we needed to say anything. Neither of us had any anxiety pushing us to break the silence. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable. It was wonderful.

We arrived at the parking lot. We both wished the parking lot were in Florida. Before we parted ways, I asked him for his phone number. He reached into his bag, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, and wrote his number on it.