mirpanda277's review against another edition
5.0
I was given this book as a present, and I’m so fortunate. This book was eye-opening to experiences I could never have imagined on my own. People are cruel, resilient, and amazing.
sonar132's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
I would highly recommend this for basically anyone but specifically anyone with an interest in journalism or photojournalism. It’s honest, real, and very eye opening to the world beneath the headlines the world sees. This could be a difficult read for many folks so it would be best read when in a good enough mental space to handle difficult topics.
labonneville's review against another edition
4.0
Well written. What adventures described by this author explaining her path photographing war zones.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book for the glimpse it provided into a profession that is interesting to me but one I'll never pursue. Addario is an award-winning photojournalist who has covered wars and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, and countless other places. She's worked on the front lines with the military and has been kidnapped twice. She talks a lot about the challenges of her profession, but I think it's almost impossible for this kind of job not to sound glamorous, despite all of its dangers. Addario also writes honestly on how her profession has impacted her relationships and how being a female in a male-dominated profession has been both a blessing and a curse. From this book I not only learned about what it's like to be a photojournalist, but I feel I learned more about America's involvement in wars in the Middle East. I think Addario does a great job explaining that her willingness to take risks and put herself in harm's way is driven largely from her desire to compel people and governments to act.
nighthawk921's review against another edition
3.0
The best part of this book was watching the progression in her photography from the beginning until the end of the book.
She is obviously a photographer and not a writer. I did not feel much emotion and I had a hard time following quite a few of the time lines. I also had a major issue with some of the photos having captions and some not. All photos should have a caption, even if the next paragraph is talking about what is in the photo, the photo needs a caption.
Also, as a photographer who documented every event she talks about (except for a few extreme cases) there should be photos for every section, at least for the digital version. Especially since she emphasizes, over and over, how she wants to use her photos as a visual aid to bring awareness to the rest of the world of the plights people face every day. And then she doesn't show pictures for every story. She talks about being censored and then she willingly censors herself in her book.
She is obviously a photographer and not a writer. I did not feel much emotion and I had a hard time following quite a few of the time lines. I also had a major issue with some of the photos having captions and some not. All photos should have a caption, even if the next paragraph is talking about what is in the photo, the photo needs a caption.
Also, as a photographer who documented every event she talks about (except for a few extreme cases) there should be photos for every section, at least for the digital version. Especially since she emphasizes, over and over, how she wants to use her photos as a visual aid to bring awareness to the rest of the world of the plights people face every day. And then she doesn't show pictures for every story. She talks about being censored and then she willingly censors herself in her book.
epierce28's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This book was an amazing expose of photojournalism and I was riveted for the first 3/4 of the book. But the teaser from chapter one Addario returns to late in the book, and what should have been the full circle moment of clarity I search for in books, was somewhat lost. The momentum built up during the entire book almost fizzled out rather than take your breath away and impress you. All that said 95% of the book was an absolute page turner and the added luxury of getting to see some never published photos was truly special.
jrmama42's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a fascinating look at the life of a photojournalist. Lynsey Addario describes what it's like to travel in various war zones photographing the impact of war on civilians, while enduring horrors most of use have only read about. It's not something I would ever choose to do, but I had to admire the chutzpah of the woman! The audio book was quite well done, but I wonder if there are photographs in the book? I'll have to check it out sometime and/or look at her work online.
sanjana1510's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
5.0
verenas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0