For as long as I can remember, the secret to getting me out of the doldrums of life has been to watch the movie The Wizard of Oz. On feeling-blue weekends I curl up on the couch and follow Dorothy on her journey with skipping, dancing, and many happy tunes. Beneath the musical, the powerful, positive messages always renew my spirit. Finding two hours to watch a movie is almost impossible, so I looked for a book about the lessons from Oz. The few books available for adults were overly analytical, written dryly by academics, and were a disappointment to me as an Oz lover. I needed a book written by someone like me–someone who adores the movie, can do a mean munchkin imitation and knows where and why the film touches your heart. None of the books related Oz to life in a fun way to give me that inspirational fix I needed. Jotting down my own lessons became a kind of game. Every time a challenging situation appeared, I’d ask myself "What would Dorothy do?" and could always find the answer. The list of lessons grew, as the thought of this book would plague me. I’d think, "This would be a great book! I wish someone would write this!" Finally it hit me, if you want something written right, you’d better write it yourself. This book is as much for me as it is for anybody. These lessons are my own little pep talks for the really grumpy days. I don’t have a Ph.D. in anything. I’m not some master teacher. I am just a woman trying to get by, who sometimes needs to be reminded of the wonder.