做父亲的关注女儿生命的每一步是如何展开，女儿生命的每一步又是怎样反过来影响父亲对自身生命的感悟和反思，母亲提供了他们父女俩生命历程中的点滴瞬间的照片，这一切都构成了人间最美的画面。 本书以类似对话、日记、独白的散文诗形式抒写父女俩日常生活中的点点滴滴和人生感悟。这不是一个人的创作，是父亲、母亲、女儿，一家三口，共同创作了独一无二的互动文本，爱是弥漫其中的内核。 它是一本情书。杨照明目张胆地背着老婆和另一女孩倾吐心思、反思现实、垦抉记忆、期许未来；其多愁善感，迷惘惆怅，非堕入情网不能办。继《迷路的诗》之后，杨照再一次轻掩住他搏理善辩的滔滔之论，娓娓向女儿述说自己。

乔治（詹姆斯•斯图尔特 James Stewart 饰）在圣诞节前准备自杀，这时上帝传来旨意，派天使拯救他，并让他了解到自己一生的使命——拯救那些不幸的人。乔治小时候左耳有疾，在贝德福德镇上的一家药店帮工。他很机灵，深得老板器重，同时也很招女孩喜欢。某日，老板接到爱子死亡的电报，悲痛欲绝，配错了药，幸亏乔治才化险为夷。乔治从小嫉恶如仇，尤其看不惯富人专横跋扈。长大后，乔治一表人才，准备去读大学。这时，他的父亲去世了，他子承父业，协助叔父料理公司事务。然而公司经营状况不佳，在董事会会议上面临破产。如果公司破产，小镇将会有很多家庭陷入困境。乔治力排众议，说服了董事会，但是条件是他要担任董事会秘书长。这与他的大学梦相去甚远。而且，此时他还陷入了对一个女孩的爱恋之中……

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

An emotional journey of a former school teacher, who writes letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died, as they search for the father he never knew.

Retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu lives in modern day Taipei, with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. Soon, each daughter encounters a new man in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes.

Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.

2004 film directed by Alexander Payne

收录散文50余篇，包括《生命本来没有名字》、《女性拯救人类》、《爱情不风流》、《爱与孤独》、《论性爱》等。