catladylover94's review
4.0
really good writing, never thought of some of the stuff he was talking about in the way that he was saying, so it was interesting, and really good knowledge
thecristoforo's review
5.0
Weingarten makes astute commentary on nuanced aspects of human life with great wit and clarity. His language is a joy to read and one cannot help but find oneself pensive and reflective as one pages through this compilation of his work.
bjr2022's review
5.0
I would recommend this book to anybody who reads.
I would recommend this book to anybody who writes and publishes, or secretly writes, or doesn’t write but wants to, or who is learning to tell stories.
I would recommend this book to people who don’t read and would rather be playing video games or watching a ball game while gulping Bud Light.
I would recommend this for a beach read because there are lots of brilliant short pieces that alternate with long feature articles—moving and funny and totally unexpected knock-the-breath-out-you heartbreakers.
I would recommend this book for an education—on indigenous cultures, politics, terrorism, and travel. And I would recommend this to people who prefer stories about human nature to two-dimensional relationship stories, but even if you like the flat stuff, I’d bet money you’ll like this too.
I would recommend this to people like me who love the craft and mechanics of writing and want to see a master at work. (I love shop talk, but if you are a person who doesn’t like seeing behind the curtain of how good writing happens, just skip the book’s introduction.)
In short, I would recommend this book to all human beings—with one caveat: the writing is so good, it may ruin you for anything less.
***
Here is a video of violinist Joshua Bell playing Bach’s Chaconne—the piece he played in the famous subway performance that is the title of this collection. It seems fitting to add this virtuoso performance to a review of a virtuoso writer. (The feature “Fiddler in the Subway” won a Pulitzer. So did the feature “A Fatal Distraction.”)
I would recommend this book to anybody who writes and publishes, or secretly writes, or doesn’t write but wants to, or who is learning to tell stories.
I would recommend this book to people who don’t read and would rather be playing video games or watching a ball game while gulping Bud Light.
I would recommend this for a beach read because there are lots of brilliant short pieces that alternate with long feature articles—moving and funny and totally unexpected knock-the-breath-out-you heartbreakers.
I would recommend this book for an education—on indigenous cultures, politics, terrorism, and travel. And I would recommend this to people who prefer stories about human nature to two-dimensional relationship stories, but even if you like the flat stuff, I’d bet money you’ll like this too.
I would recommend this to people like me who love the craft and mechanics of writing and want to see a master at work. (I love shop talk, but if you are a person who doesn’t like seeing behind the curtain of how good writing happens, just skip the book’s introduction.)
In short, I would recommend this book to all human beings—with one caveat: the writing is so good, it may ruin you for anything less.
***
Here is a video of violinist Joshua Bell playing Bach’s Chaconne—the piece he played in the famous subway performance that is the title of this collection. It seems fitting to add this virtuoso performance to a review of a virtuoso writer. (The feature “Fiddler in the Subway” won a Pulitzer. So did the feature “A Fatal Distraction.”)
zhzhang's review against another edition
5.0
I read the essay of the same title as the book first and like it immediately, then I read the first essay and like the book even more. The characters in this book are truly vividly described and the events he narrated are either interesting or thought-provoking or both. His experience in Jerusalem impresses me the most. However, his wisdom seeps through the whole book. A very pleasant reading experience indee色额
thepoptimist's review
3.0
Gene works within the confines of a terse newspaper style pushing against the constraints of limited lines of copy. There's not much room for meandering prose and building a scene. It's just the facts ma'am. He also relies on the aside and necessary tangents that loop around the main narrative to keep up the punishing pace of information. It's just I kept getting jarred out of the flow.
He's a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (both are included in this collection) so don't listen to my armchair criticisms. I love the ideas behind most of his stories too, whether it's a write up on Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau, having dinner with a girl he had a crush on in elementary school or following around a wildly successful but ultimately damaged children's entertainer - the stories have got legs. I just wasn't that into them.
He's a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (both are included in this collection) so don't listen to my armchair criticisms. I love the ideas behind most of his stories too, whether it's a write up on Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau, having dinner with a girl he had a crush on in elementary school or following around a wildly successful but ultimately damaged children's entertainer - the stories have got legs. I just wasn't that into them.
carlettathegreat's review
4.0
Really fantastic collection of essays from Weingarten. There are a few that drag on a wee bit too long for my taste, but overwhelmingly fantastic stories.
trogdor19's review
4.0
This book is an example of great writing.
The subject matter is all over the place, but the writing is spot-on, always entertaining and sucks you in whether you have any interest in a particular topic or not. This should be a textbook on creative writing.
The subject matter is all over the place, but the writing is spot-on, always entertaining and sucks you in whether you have any interest in a particular topic or not. This should be a textbook on creative writing.