A review by marcymurli
Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident by Bill Ayers

4.0

I really loved this sequel to Ayers' first memoir, Fugitive Days. Although some of his history overlaps a bit with the previous book, this one is bookended by the Obama election campaign and Ayers' unwitting involvement in it. The best part of the book is when he talks about teaching and parenting and the interconnection of the two. I especially enjoyed the first chunk of the book when he narrates his experiences, some of which while he was still underground, working for a day care center in New York City and how this sent him down the path of pursuing a career in education. The reflective quality about the teachable moments in life are moving and often quite funny, too. I think that many readers, especially those who demonize Ayers, will find themselves tickled when they pick up a book with such a cover and title and find out that being an American dissident involves leading a relatively quotidian life. And that's one of the refreshing things about the book, too.