Literary Las Vegas: Bill Baillargeon

"Waking Up to All That Matters" is a book about a physical and spiritual journey that led Las Vegas author Bill Baillargeon through Greece, Italy, Egypt, Central America, Peru and beyond in search of wisdom. Along the way, Baillargeon discovered life isn't about money. "Money's great, but it's not why we're here," he writes. "We come into life naked and we go out naked. In the end, all we have are our life experiences."

Excerpt from "Waking Up to All That Matters"

Before I tell you about three near-death experiences that really opened my eyes to the truth of there being a greater meaning to life, I want to say a few words about "stuff."

Money is a tool, but when it comes down to it, it's the human experience, the everyday moments that have real importance. That's where the measure is; that's the real test. Life is a lot deeper than money or control. God is all around us and He'll show Himself -- if we leave ourselves open to Him. I'm not talking Jewish, Presbyterian, Baptist, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim -- it's irrelevant. Everybody thinks that religious background matters, but it doesn't.