My first book

A nod and a smile

Open it to any poem,
and read what is there.
You will know
if the book
is for you.

To see a sample, click here.

A nod and a smile is a collection of writings by Gary J Dodd, on my journey in life, what was experienced, what was learned, and some surprises along the way. Everyone who has had the opportunity to read parts of this book, has at one time or another, nodded or smiled.

The theme behind each piece of writing is to stimulate your thoughts and ideas. Some of the pieces will be so close to your heart, that you may even shed a tear, while others may mean little to you. My aim is to touch my readers, and to give them hope for the future.


About the author

Gary J Dodd was born in Melbourne, Australia. In 1989, after the failure of his first marriage, he embarked on a journey of discovering himself, through attending personal growth courses, reading self-help books, and attending weekend seminars. This process involved some in-depth soul-searching and many hard questions.

In the mid-1990s, he found writing about what was happening in his life to be very helpful for his journey. This started a passion which continues to today.

Until recently, Gary has been living in the garden city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Many of the poems included in this book have been written in and around the UAE.

Now while Gary readily admits that he does not have the answers, he offers suggestions and thoughts that may help us on our own journey in life.

This is his first book.