lraeskat's review
4.0
Not really what I was anticipating, but I liked the author's voice throughout.
mishka432's review
2.0
Meh. The title implies some sort of broad criticism, but it's really a memoir about his breakdown at princeton. The code-switching aspect is thought-provoking, but overall the story was not super interesting to me
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
1.0
Wow. This was boring and Kirn was not interesting in the least. I couldn't even get through it because, well, he was a slacker and I didn't have any sympathy or ANY interest in him at all.
skundrik87's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted less of a personal biography and much more on the deeper and more pressing flaws with the education system.
mattmatros's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars is probably a bit generous, but I enjoyed the very end of the memoir, where Kirn gives his final verdict on the Princeton experience, so the book gets a half-star bonus.
Outside of the last few chapters, this read like a veiled attempt for Kirn to brag about all the women he slept with and all the drugs he did when he was younger. There was nothing resembling a narrative thread, and there wasn't really any rhyme or reason for what anecdotes were included, except that he seemed to include the most salacious and to leave out anything related to actual coursework. This seemed odd to me, given what the book was supposed to be about (and also, that it was supposed to be about something).
Parts of this were fun to read, but mostly the memoir failed to hold my interest, and didn't give me much new insight into the college experience (again, the last couple chapters excepted).
Outside of the last few chapters, this read like a veiled attempt for Kirn to brag about all the women he slept with and all the drugs he did when he was younger. There was nothing resembling a narrative thread, and there wasn't really any rhyme or reason for what anecdotes were included, except that he seemed to include the most salacious and to leave out anything related to actual coursework. This seemed odd to me, given what the book was supposed to be about (and also, that it was supposed to be about something).
Parts of this were fun to read, but mostly the memoir failed to hold my interest, and didn't give me much new insight into the college experience (again, the last couple chapters excepted).
line_so_fine's review against another edition
2.0
Most of the critiques I have read about education in the United States have been focused on students who are underserved. I thought it would be a compelling thing to read a critical look at the education of our nation's overachievers. And although the book does its job, I felt sort of meh while reading it. Something about the arc of the stories was just too meandering for me. It's not a bad book, but it's just didn't grab me.
adevans16's review against another edition
4.0
Lacerating critique of Princeton and higher education disguised as a comic memoir. A great combination of really funny and really sad.
bexactually's review against another edition
Probably would have liked it better if I could have managed to finish it.
sondosia's review against another edition
5.0
People who don't like this book probably just don't get it.
Yes, I found myself frustrated and even angry at Walter sometimes. Yes, he can be whiny, braggy, and immature. But aren't we all sometimes?
I go to Northwestern, which is a tier down from the Ivies, but I can't say I've never met people like Walter. In fact, if I didn't love learning so much, I'd be a lot like him, too. Truth is, though, he would probably be unhappy just about anywhere, because he is an unhappy person. It took him a long time to learn to appreciate his gifts rather than using them as vehicles for hedonism.
I think everyone who is young and gifted (or remembers being young and gifted) can identify with this book. Intelligence can be both a blessing and a curse, and it's not easy to learn how to appreciate it as the former.
Yes, I found myself frustrated and even angry at Walter sometimes. Yes, he can be whiny, braggy, and immature. But aren't we all sometimes?
I go to Northwestern, which is a tier down from the Ivies, but I can't say I've never met people like Walter. In fact, if I didn't love learning so much, I'd be a lot like him, too. Truth is, though, he would probably be unhappy just about anywhere, because he is an unhappy person. It took him a long time to learn to appreciate his gifts rather than using them as vehicles for hedonism.
I think everyone who is young and gifted (or remembers being young and gifted) can identify with this book. Intelligence can be both a blessing and a curse, and it's not easy to learn how to appreciate it as the former.