Papa Cado’s Book of Wisdom

“If you spot a rattlesnake and he’s not bothering you, leave the damn thing alone.”

“Make sure you cultivate the left side of your brain because a little imagination can sure go a long way.”

Papa Cado’s Book of Wisdom: Wit and Wisdom for the Heart and Soul by M. G. Crisci (in collaboration with Arthur Mercado) is bursting with wise, pithy, and profound life advice. Crisci’s earlier book Papa Cado: What an Ordinary Man Learned on His Extraordinary Man Learned on His Extraordinary Journey Through Life chronicled the life and experiences of Arthur Mercado. Crisci realized that the book was “dotted with bits of wisdom…that might benefit those in need of a little emotional pick-me-up.” This short collection of quotations was born.

Mercado—known as Papa Cado by his grandchildren—survived 51 different heart procedures and two out-of-body experiences. Before his death in 2016, Mercado also had Parkinson’s Disease. Papa Cado’s Book of Wisdom chronicles the best of Papa Cado’s sayings on life, love, death, adversity and so much more.

There are many gems to be had.

About adversity, Papa Cado says, “In life, crap always happens, but there’s no manual about how to deal with it.”

Regarding common sense, he advises, “A grown man should never lose his sense of humor because laughter makes everything right with the world.”

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Papa Cado says about fear, “You just don’t let it stop you from doing what you need to do.”

Another gem: “Make sure you cultivate the left side of your brain because a little imagination can go a long way.”

“Coolness always greases cupid’s arrows,” Papa Cado says, “But recognize the space between cool and arrogant is extremely narrow.”

Adversity, common sense, death, fear, food, gambling, laughter, love, medicine, money, nightmares, Parkinsons, reality, sensitivity, self-defense, women, and the afterlife are all matters of discussion.

For those unfamiliar with this man and his story, it’s a quick read with some gems. Without a personal connection to his story, though, it lacks much context. Papa Cado’s Book of Wisdom: Wit and Wisdom for the Heart and Soul is a sweet volume sure to be a meaningful keepsake for those who knew and loved Arthur Mercado. It may also be a nice keepsake for those who read and enjoyed Papa Cado: What an Ordinary Man Learned on His Extraordinary Journey Through Life.

If there’s one takeaway from this book, it’s that Papa Cado must have been a great man to be around. He had a lot of great—and hilarious—anecdotes about life.