Be genuine and grateful
In a short “Book of Life” note, Bob leads with humility, gratitude, sincerity, romance, and a reminder to smile. He places the way we treat others ahead of appearances.
Source: Book of Life.docx
NOTES FOR LIFE
What he wanted to hold onto.
Bob saved an enormous range of thoughts about family, work, happiness, time, and getting out into the world. These themes come from his own notebooks; the words below summarize them unless marked as a direct quotation.
Make people feel seen
He wrote about listening without interrupting and giving someone your full attention. In his notes, a good relationship begins with understanding.
Source: Book of Life.docx
Learn, build, teach
Bob’s résumé and plans show a lifelong interest in technology, working with his hands, and helping others learn. His work moved from computer rooms to businesses of his own.
Sources: Robert Henkel.pdf; Bob’s goals and plans
Have enough; do what you love
One notebook asks what moments have made you truly happy, who you were with, and whether acquiring more things really helps. He suggests teaching and doing work you love.
Source: Book of Life.docx
Help the next generation begin
Bob’s notes ask how to give children a start while leaving them space to create lives of their own. This collection carries that thought forward as a place to learn about the person behind the advice.
Source: Book of Life.docx
Make plans, then go
The plans mention sailing, fishing, travel, learning new skills, and writing a book. They show someone who liked a practical list but also wanted room for an unfamiliar place.
Sources: Bob’s life plans, 2000–2050 and 2018–2028
“Ask yourself: When have I been truly happy and why? What were you doing at the time? Whom were you with?”From Bob’s Book of Life notes
OPINIONS & QUESTIONS
Ideas kept for discussion
The archive includes a brief draft on affordable housing. Bob’s note argues that broad subsidies can let employers avoid paying wages that match local living costs; he suggests focusing public help on those most in need. It calls the idea a simple explanation of a complex problem.
Other folders contain political images, articles, jokes, and quotations from many sources. Saving an item does not by itself establish that Bob wrote it or agreed with every claim. The collection index keeps those materials discoverable without presenting them as his statements.
A READING NOTE
Three kinds of material
Bob’s documents: notebooks, plans, a résumé, and short drafts.
Collected writing: articles, speeches, quotations, and lists saved from elsewhere.
Images and humor: a large assortment of photographs, graphics, and jokes, with varied or unknown origins.
Where authorship is uncertain, the site says so.