Helpful Score: 1
This book was very enjoyable. Lots of different topics by different writers. Some I didn't read b/c I'd already read the essay somewhere else. One I didn't read because I simply didn't care. And a warning to anyone who has never read David Foster Wallace - his essay about the world of talk radio is like reading someone's crazy stream of conciousness. I love him so I'm used to it - just a warning to the uninitiated.
My only argument is with Ira Glass, the editor. I advise you to skip his intro. He's trying to say that this is true "journalism" as in "just the facts, ma'am," and that these writers are just presenting the facts in a more thorough way. I TOTALLY disagree. These essays would be horribly boring if that were the case.
Each and every one of these essays is definitely biased by the writers perception - which is really great and makes for fascinating, entertaining reading no matter what the subject. These essays would be incredibly boring without the writers' personalities showing through, their personal comments, and their take on the subject. While I have no doubt that the facts presented are all true, this is not true journalism. It's a wonderful nonfiction look at the world through the eyes of some very, very talented writers.
My only argument is with Ira Glass, the editor. I advise you to skip his intro. He's trying to say that this is true "journalism" as in "just the facts, ma'am," and that these writers are just presenting the facts in a more thorough way. I TOTALLY disagree. These essays would be horribly boring if that were the case.
Each and every one of these essays is definitely biased by the writers perception - which is really great and makes for fascinating, entertaining reading no matter what the subject. These essays would be incredibly boring without the writers' personalities showing through, their personal comments, and their take on the subject. While I have no doubt that the facts presented are all true, this is not true journalism. It's a wonderful nonfiction look at the world through the eyes of some very, very talented writers.
