Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: fiction, science fiction, romance
Publication info: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
Pages: 619
Novel #3. I'm very hesitant to write this review.
You may ask, Have I no integrity? Have I lost my taste? Does a grade mean so much to me that I'll stop at nothing? The only answer I can give is an awkward shrug and a shuffling of feet.
Before I am attacked by offended Stephenie Meyer fans, I will say that think this book isn't too bad. I even enjoyed it at times. I was told that people who can't stomach the romance-heavy Twilight novels may find this book more palatable. They may be right, but I'm not going to read Twilight to find out for sure.
The premise of The Host is actually pretty interesting. Earth has been taken over by an alien species, called souls, that live by inhabiting the bodies of other creatures. Meyer isn't the first one to try this idea, but she gives it an interesting twist by telling the story from the point of view not of a human, but of a soul. A soul called Wanderer. She has been on many different planets before this one and therefore has a lot of experience, but she has never come across a challenge such as her human host presents. Her name is Melanie Stryder, and she will just not go away. She keeps showing up in Wanderer's thoughts, to the point where she can influence the soul's feelings and behavior.
Interesting, right? But I have left out a key element that so far has been at the center of every one of Meyer's novels: romance. It is love for a man, it turns out, that is keeping Melanie alive. It is love for a human that leads Wanderer to go against all the norms of her alien society. It is love that Meyer assumes the reader is most interested in. Maybe most of them are, but I came to this book expecting to read a science fiction novel, for that is how the book is marketed. I've read a fair share of science fiction and more or less know what to expect. And while I appreciate Meyer's efforts at shaking things up—her novel is much more character-driven than most science fiction—let's not pretend that this is what it isn't. This is a romance. A science-fictiony romance, but still a romance.
If you like romance, great. You'll probably like this book. I hear it's more tasteful than the Twilight series (although it does have its moments of, shall we say, too much detail). I myself am not totally against romance, but I do have my limits, and The Host flirted with those limits. Although my experience was far from terrible, it's pretty safe to say I've read my last Stephenie Meyer novel.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Runaway Jury
Author: John Grisham
Genre: fiction, legal thriller
Publication info: Doubleday, 1996
Pages: 401
This is novel #2. I forgot to mention that these all have to be written by authors whose work I've never read before. The Runaway Jury is my first foray into John Grisham fiction. And possibly my last. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'd intended to read a Grisham novel for a while, I guess to see what all the fuss is about. I normally stay away from books where you can see the author's name from a mile away but you have to be holding the book to be able to read the title. Grisham's books usually fit that description, so I usually ignore them. But sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. And having a class assignment like the one I have definitely speeds up the process.
I also thought this would be an interesting way to learn about how the courtroom works, a subject I know virtually nothing about. I don't know whether I got an accurate depiction with this novel, but at least it held my interest. Most of the time, anyway.
The Runaway Jury is the story of a big lawsuit against a big tobacco company. If successful, the lawsuit could cripple Big Tobacco indefinitely. So both sides of the case gather all the legal weaponry they can.
It begins with the jury. I had no idea that the parties in the lawsuit could have any say in who is selected for the jury, but apparently getting the right jury is one of the surest ways to win the case. To this end, the defense hires consultant Rankin Fitch. I'm not sure what Fitch's actual job description is; he seems to control everything about the case outside of the courtroom. He oversees the careful examination of every potential juror, and throughout the trial he makes sure each member of the jury is leaning the way he wants. He'll do what it takes, even if it's illegal.
But there are a few problems. One is Nicholas Easter, a young man selected for the jury whose background remains a total mystery and who has a powerful influence over the rest of the jurors. The other is a young woman who frequently calls up Fitch with odd predictions about the jury's behavior, and the predictions always come true. She seems to know too much, and her motives are dubious.
It's an interesting story with enough questions to keep you turning pages. Unfortunately, the pacing is pretty slow at times. Just when it starts to get really interesting, the story slows down again—there's a lot of stop-and-go action. I've heard this is a common characteristic of Grisham's novels. It doesn't necessarily kill the story, but it does make it hard to get through.
The fun of the story, for me, came from all the opportunities to figure out what was going on. Sometimes I was right, and other times I was dead wrong. In either case, it was satisfying. I don't know if I'll ever read Grisham again, because of the pacing issue, but I'd still say this novel was pretty good. Maybe you'd like it.
Genre: fiction, legal thriller
Publication info: Doubleday, 1996
Pages: 401
This is novel #2. I forgot to mention that these all have to be written by authors whose work I've never read before. The Runaway Jury is my first foray into John Grisham fiction. And possibly my last. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'd intended to read a Grisham novel for a while, I guess to see what all the fuss is about. I normally stay away from books where you can see the author's name from a mile away but you have to be holding the book to be able to read the title. Grisham's books usually fit that description, so I usually ignore them. But sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. And having a class assignment like the one I have definitely speeds up the process.
I also thought this would be an interesting way to learn about how the courtroom works, a subject I know virtually nothing about. I don't know whether I got an accurate depiction with this novel, but at least it held my interest. Most of the time, anyway.
The Runaway Jury is the story of a big lawsuit against a big tobacco company. If successful, the lawsuit could cripple Big Tobacco indefinitely. So both sides of the case gather all the legal weaponry they can.
It begins with the jury. I had no idea that the parties in the lawsuit could have any say in who is selected for the jury, but apparently getting the right jury is one of the surest ways to win the case. To this end, the defense hires consultant Rankin Fitch. I'm not sure what Fitch's actual job description is; he seems to control everything about the case outside of the courtroom. He oversees the careful examination of every potential juror, and throughout the trial he makes sure each member of the jury is leaning the way he wants. He'll do what it takes, even if it's illegal.
But there are a few problems. One is Nicholas Easter, a young man selected for the jury whose background remains a total mystery and who has a powerful influence over the rest of the jurors. The other is a young woman who frequently calls up Fitch with odd predictions about the jury's behavior, and the predictions always come true. She seems to know too much, and her motives are dubious.
It's an interesting story with enough questions to keep you turning pages. Unfortunately, the pacing is pretty slow at times. Just when it starts to get really interesting, the story slows down again—there's a lot of stop-and-go action. I've heard this is a common characteristic of Grisham's novels. It doesn't necessarily kill the story, but it does make it hard to get through.
The fun of the story, for me, came from all the opportunities to figure out what was going on. Sometimes I was right, and other times I was dead wrong. In either case, it was satisfying. I don't know if I'll ever read Grisham again, because of the pacing issue, but I'd still say this novel was pretty good. Maybe you'd like it.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Shack
Author: William Paul Young
Genre: fiction, Christian
Publication info: Windblown Media, 2007
Pages: 248
The next several books I'll be reviewing will break away from my normal pattern a little bit, if I've been following a pattern at all. But don't panic—I'm doing this for a reason. For a class, no less. If you can believe it, a class I'm taking this term requires me to read some popular novels. Can you believe it? Me read popular novels? Okay, I admit that when I made my reading list, I became secretly excited for some of them. Everyone needs guilty pleasures, right?
Anyway, here's book #1: The Shack.
The title sounds like a horror story, doesn't it? And when you look at the cover from a distance, it looks like a horror story too. But it's not. Far from it, in fact. The Shack is a piece of Christian fiction. It happened to be a bestseller only recently. I first heard about it from a newspaper review. I was intrigued and thought that I might want to read this book when I could get around to it. Of course, I never thought I really would get around to it, but then I took this class, and now we see the result.
The Shack begins with a man named Mackenzie Allen Philips (most often referred to as Mac) receiving a strange note from someone that could possibly be God. The note invites him to come back to "the shack." After seeing Mac's incredulity, we are taken back a couple years to when his daughter Missy was abducted and apparently murdered. The most compelling evidence of murder was found in an isolated the shack—the same shack that someone claiming to be God invites Mac to come back to.
Mack is incredulous some more (and rightfully so), but he does end up going to the shack. And what he finds there surprises the heck out of him (excuse the pun). Without giving too much away, I'll say that at the shack he meets, well, God. That is to say he meets God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost—all three of them. Mac is going to have an unforgettable weekend.
Here Young gets pretty creative. If you are religious, particularly Christian, then prepare to see a very unorthodox depiction of God. It seems almost irreverent, but it's fascinating. I myself am a Christian, and I found it pretty interesting. Sometimes even funny. I particularly liked the idea that God has a sense of humor.
As for the more serious theology of the book, I have mixed feelings. The bulk of the novel is basically a framework for Mac to have discussions with one of the Godhead. Frankly, I'm amazed that one man could come up with so much material. I imagine he had a lot of help. Some of what he says is quite good, quite profound. But other points he makes I don't agree with. (I'm speaking this generally for two reasons: a thorough discussion would take too much space, and I'm way behind on this blog and I read the book too long ago to remember a lot of specifics.) In short, I don't consider this book scripture, and neither should you. But it may be a good vehicle to get you thinking about your relationship with God.
Young does make some good points about the meaning of human suffering. To find out what those points are, well, you know what to do.
Genre: fiction, Christian
Publication info: Windblown Media, 2007
Pages: 248
The next several books I'll be reviewing will break away from my normal pattern a little bit, if I've been following a pattern at all. But don't panic—I'm doing this for a reason. For a class, no less. If you can believe it, a class I'm taking this term requires me to read some popular novels. Can you believe it? Me read popular novels? Okay, I admit that when I made my reading list, I became secretly excited for some of them. Everyone needs guilty pleasures, right?
Anyway, here's book #1: The Shack.
The title sounds like a horror story, doesn't it? And when you look at the cover from a distance, it looks like a horror story too. But it's not. Far from it, in fact. The Shack is a piece of Christian fiction. It happened to be a bestseller only recently. I first heard about it from a newspaper review. I was intrigued and thought that I might want to read this book when I could get around to it. Of course, I never thought I really would get around to it, but then I took this class, and now we see the result.
The Shack begins with a man named Mackenzie Allen Philips (most often referred to as Mac) receiving a strange note from someone that could possibly be God. The note invites him to come back to "the shack." After seeing Mac's incredulity, we are taken back a couple years to when his daughter Missy was abducted and apparently murdered. The most compelling evidence of murder was found in an isolated the shack—the same shack that someone claiming to be God invites Mac to come back to.
Mack is incredulous some more (and rightfully so), but he does end up going to the shack. And what he finds there surprises the heck out of him (excuse the pun). Without giving too much away, I'll say that at the shack he meets, well, God. That is to say he meets God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost—all three of them. Mac is going to have an unforgettable weekend.
Here Young gets pretty creative. If you are religious, particularly Christian, then prepare to see a very unorthodox depiction of God. It seems almost irreverent, but it's fascinating. I myself am a Christian, and I found it pretty interesting. Sometimes even funny. I particularly liked the idea that God has a sense of humor.
As for the more serious theology of the book, I have mixed feelings. The bulk of the novel is basically a framework for Mac to have discussions with one of the Godhead. Frankly, I'm amazed that one man could come up with so much material. I imagine he had a lot of help. Some of what he says is quite good, quite profound. But other points he makes I don't agree with. (I'm speaking this generally for two reasons: a thorough discussion would take too much space, and I'm way behind on this blog and I read the book too long ago to remember a lot of specifics.) In short, I don't consider this book scripture, and neither should you. But it may be a good vehicle to get you thinking about your relationship with God.
Young does make some good points about the meaning of human suffering. To find out what those points are, well, you know what to do.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Matchless
Author: Jane Candia Coleman
Genre: historical fiction
Publication info: Five Star, 2003
Pages: 247
This is one of those books I probably wouldn't have picked out myself, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. My girlfriend came across it while we were at the library. She read it and loved it and recommended it to me. And I liked it too! Probably not as much as she did, but I still liked it.
Matchless is the story of Augusta Tabor, first wife of H. A. W. Tabor, who was Colorado's "silver king," according to the back cover. It is more or less a true story, based on Augusta Tabor's diaries and correspondence, although the author admits to some creative license.
It is interesting to see the adventures of settling the West through the eyes of a woman, a viewpoint we probably don't get enough of. Augusta's take on things is entirely different from that of Haw, as they call him. She is determined to make the most out of whatever situation she's in, while he is always looking for more, never satisfied. And therein lies the problem.
Ultimately, this novel is less a story about silver mining and taming the frontier of American civilization than it is a story about a failed marriage. And what a spectacular failure it is. The sad part about it is that the failure is largely one-sided. Augusta does all she can to keep the family together, but Haw persists in behaving like a thirteen-year-old in an adult body who ends up with enormous wealth and political sway (why do dumb jerks get so much power so often?). It's a sad story, but it's a rich one.
My one complaint about this book is the spare description. I think I've mentioned before that I am not a fan of extensive description, but I am also not a fan of not enough description. When I read a story or novel, I want a clear sense of where I am. I don't always get that sense in this book. Sometimes the characters go to a place and the narrator describes it as if I'd been there before (in other words, she hardly describes it at all). So it's easy to get disoriented.
But I want to end on a positive note. This book is quite interesting, and I found it easy to immerse myself in it. The novel provides an intriguing look at an interesting period in the country's history.
Genre: historical fiction
Publication info: Five Star, 2003
Pages: 247
This is one of those books I probably wouldn't have picked out myself, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. My girlfriend came across it while we were at the library. She read it and loved it and recommended it to me. And I liked it too! Probably not as much as she did, but I still liked it.
Matchless is the story of Augusta Tabor, first wife of H. A. W. Tabor, who was Colorado's "silver king," according to the back cover. It is more or less a true story, based on Augusta Tabor's diaries and correspondence, although the author admits to some creative license.
It is interesting to see the adventures of settling the West through the eyes of a woman, a viewpoint we probably don't get enough of. Augusta's take on things is entirely different from that of Haw, as they call him. She is determined to make the most out of whatever situation she's in, while he is always looking for more, never satisfied. And therein lies the problem.
Ultimately, this novel is less a story about silver mining and taming the frontier of American civilization than it is a story about a failed marriage. And what a spectacular failure it is. The sad part about it is that the failure is largely one-sided. Augusta does all she can to keep the family together, but Haw persists in behaving like a thirteen-year-old in an adult body who ends up with enormous wealth and political sway (why do dumb jerks get so much power so often?). It's a sad story, but it's a rich one.
My one complaint about this book is the spare description. I think I've mentioned before that I am not a fan of extensive description, but I am also not a fan of not enough description. When I read a story or novel, I want a clear sense of where I am. I don't always get that sense in this book. Sometimes the characters go to a place and the narrator describes it as if I'd been there before (in other words, she hardly describes it at all). So it's easy to get disoriented.
But I want to end on a positive note. This book is quite interesting, and I found it easy to immerse myself in it. The novel provides an intriguing look at an interesting period in the country's history.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Road Less Traveled
A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth
Author: M. Scott Peck, M.D.
Genre: nonfiction
Publication info: Touchstone, 2003 (first published in 1978)
Pages: 315
First one of my professors said this was the most important book he read besides the scriptures. Then a psychologist friend told me that every family should have this volume in their library. Now it's my turn to recommend this book to everyone I know and, by virtue of this blog, to people I don't know.
The Road Less Traveled is psychiatrist's views on life, garnered from years of giving therapy to a wide variety of patients. Dr. Peck treats the subjects of discipline, love, religion, and grace, all with the aim of helping us to achieve greater mental health. Few people, Peck believes, really have good mental health.
A lot of what he says are things you've probably heard before, or at least they should make sense. A disciplined person delays gratification to gain deeper happiness. Real love involves recognizing your beloved as a separate person. Stuff like that. But it's one thing to understand a principle and another to live by it. Our biggest problem, collectively and individually, is laziness, Says Peck. The resistance to change.
Of course, I'm not suggesting that you buy everything Peck says wholesale. I don't agree with all the points he makes. His views on religion may especially rub people the wrong way. But I recommend this book to all because it has important points that would be beneficial to anyone. The sections on discipline and love would probably be the most helpful, but I recommend reading the whole book. If you don't agree with it, fine, but at least you'll have thought about it.
Yes, I wouldn't put this book above actual scripture. But as a book that tries to make its reader a better person, it does a pretty dang good job. I think I've become at least a slightly better person from having read it. Now it's your turn. See if it can make a better person out of you.
Author: M. Scott Peck, M.D.
Genre: nonfiction
Publication info: Touchstone, 2003 (first published in 1978)
Pages: 315
First one of my professors said this was the most important book he read besides the scriptures. Then a psychologist friend told me that every family should have this volume in their library. Now it's my turn to recommend this book to everyone I know and, by virtue of this blog, to people I don't know.
The Road Less Traveled is psychiatrist's views on life, garnered from years of giving therapy to a wide variety of patients. Dr. Peck treats the subjects of discipline, love, religion, and grace, all with the aim of helping us to achieve greater mental health. Few people, Peck believes, really have good mental health.
A lot of what he says are things you've probably heard before, or at least they should make sense. A disciplined person delays gratification to gain deeper happiness. Real love involves recognizing your beloved as a separate person. Stuff like that. But it's one thing to understand a principle and another to live by it. Our biggest problem, collectively and individually, is laziness, Says Peck. The resistance to change.
Of course, I'm not suggesting that you buy everything Peck says wholesale. I don't agree with all the points he makes. His views on religion may especially rub people the wrong way. But I recommend this book to all because it has important points that would be beneficial to anyone. The sections on discipline and love would probably be the most helpful, but I recommend reading the whole book. If you don't agree with it, fine, but at least you'll have thought about it.
Yes, I wouldn't put this book above actual scripture. But as a book that tries to make its reader a better person, it does a pretty dang good job. I think I've become at least a slightly better person from having read it. Now it's your turn. See if it can make a better person out of you.
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Significance of Insignificant Things
Author: G. David Hunt
Genre: memoir
Publication info: self-published
Pages: 93
I'm going to be a little mean here.
In the Pixar film Ratatouille, renowned chef Auguste Gusteau gives the maxim, "Anyone can cook." To this, Remy, the protagonist, replies, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean anyone should." The same applies to publishing. Anyone can publish, but not necessarily anyone should publish. The Significance of Insignificant Things is proof of that statement.
I know it's pretentious of me, a no-name blogger, to say something like this. You really have to read this book (even just one page of it) to see what I mean. Or maybe you've read a book like it—fraught with poor organization, riddled with mechanical and usage errors, and breaking virtually every principle of good design imaginable. You may say, perhaps, that I am being too picky here. It is a self-published book, after all. But the fact is that it is published, meaning that it is intended for the public to read. Publication just naturally carries with it some responsibilities.
To be truthful, I didn't expect much out of this book when I started reading it. I chose to read it because I thought there would be interesting life stories in it, and there were. The man had a pretty interesting life. He doesn't tell the stories very well, but I tried not to let that bother me. As poorly written as this book is, I look up to the man for recording his life so that others could learn from it. His family, I'm sure, is especially grateful for this book. I hope I can do the same one day for my descendants.
My only other problem with this book was the issue of significance. The author draws frequently on the theme of the title (and also the subtitle, No Event in Our Lives Is Insignificant to God) by telling about seemingly insignificant occurrences in his life. I get that much, but he usually fails to convince me of how they're actually significant. The "insignificant things" I understand, but their significance I don't always see. I suppose this problem arises from the fact that I don't know the man personally.
I don't exactly recommend this book to you, unless you're related to the author. However, he sets a good example by writing his life history. We all should follow that example. We all have significant things that happen in our life, and our families would benefit from our recording them.
But please, if you plan to publish your memoirs, make sure you get a good editor!
Genre: memoir
Publication info: self-published
Pages: 93
I'm going to be a little mean here.
In the Pixar film Ratatouille, renowned chef Auguste Gusteau gives the maxim, "Anyone can cook." To this, Remy, the protagonist, replies, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean anyone should." The same applies to publishing. Anyone can publish, but not necessarily anyone should publish. The Significance of Insignificant Things is proof of that statement.
I know it's pretentious of me, a no-name blogger, to say something like this. You really have to read this book (even just one page of it) to see what I mean. Or maybe you've read a book like it—fraught with poor organization, riddled with mechanical and usage errors, and breaking virtually every principle of good design imaginable. You may say, perhaps, that I am being too picky here. It is a self-published book, after all. But the fact is that it is published, meaning that it is intended for the public to read. Publication just naturally carries with it some responsibilities.
To be truthful, I didn't expect much out of this book when I started reading it. I chose to read it because I thought there would be interesting life stories in it, and there were. The man had a pretty interesting life. He doesn't tell the stories very well, but I tried not to let that bother me. As poorly written as this book is, I look up to the man for recording his life so that others could learn from it. His family, I'm sure, is especially grateful for this book. I hope I can do the same one day for my descendants.
My only other problem with this book was the issue of significance. The author draws frequently on the theme of the title (and also the subtitle, No Event in Our Lives Is Insignificant to God) by telling about seemingly insignificant occurrences in his life. I get that much, but he usually fails to convince me of how they're actually significant. The "insignificant things" I understand, but their significance I don't always see. I suppose this problem arises from the fact that I don't know the man personally.
I don't exactly recommend this book to you, unless you're related to the author. However, he sets a good example by writing his life history. We all should follow that example. We all have significant things that happen in our life, and our families would benefit from our recording them.
But please, if you plan to publish your memoirs, make sure you get a good editor!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Relentless Pursuit
A Year in the Trenches with Teach For America
Author: Donna Foote
Genre: nonfiction
Publication info: Knopf, 2008
Pages: 338
Teach For America began in 1990 with a mission to end "the nation's greatest injustice"—that is, the achievement gap in education between privileged and underprivileged children. It works by recruiting college graduates, putting them through intensive training over the summer, and then sending them to work for two years in underprivileged schools around the country.
Relentless Pursuit tells the story of four such recruits, or corps members, as they are called. Phillip Gedeon, Hrag Hamalian, Taylor Rifkin, and Rachelle Snyder recently fulfilled their two-year commitment to TFA at Locke High School in Watts, California. If you know anything about Watts (which I didn't until I read this book), you know that it's not exactly one of the top-ten best cities to live in the U.S. And Locke is definitely not the best place to go to school. But these four young college graduates took on the challenge to help the students improve, and this book shows their struggles and triumphs.
I read a review of Relentless Pursuit in the newspaper, right around the time it came out. Already I had been interested TFA and wanted to learn more about it. I thought that perhaps this book could tell me or even show me more than brochures and a Web site could. I was right.
Thanks to this book, I think I understand the TFA experience the best I could without actually doing it myself. And it scares me to death.
Those TFAers, as the author calls them, are some pretty tough cookies. First there is the rigorous selection process, which Foote depicts with intimidating detail. Then there is the summer institute, more commonly known as boot camp, at which the recruits receive their training. And then there is the teaching itself, which is probably the hardest part of all. These young teachers face challenges you wouldn't believe as they try to get their students to achieve more.
They're far from perfect and definitely don't do it without complaining (one of the chapters is titled "What the Hell Am I Doing?"), but I don't see myself doing any better than they did. Far from it, in fact. Now that I have become more familiar with TFA, I really don't know if I'm up to the challenge. But it's better to know that now than later, right?
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the condition of our nation's education. What TFA teachers do is heroic and inspiring. If you're considering joining the ranks of TFA to make a difference in the world, I'd definitely recommend this book, but I'd also warn you that it may frighten you. Teaching is a serious business. And Teach For America requires some really gutsy people.
Author: Donna Foote
Genre: nonfiction
Publication info: Knopf, 2008
Pages: 338
Teach For America began in 1990 with a mission to end "the nation's greatest injustice"—that is, the achievement gap in education between privileged and underprivileged children. It works by recruiting college graduates, putting them through intensive training over the summer, and then sending them to work for two years in underprivileged schools around the country.
Relentless Pursuit tells the story of four such recruits, or corps members, as they are called. Phillip Gedeon, Hrag Hamalian, Taylor Rifkin, and Rachelle Snyder recently fulfilled their two-year commitment to TFA at Locke High School in Watts, California. If you know anything about Watts (which I didn't until I read this book), you know that it's not exactly one of the top-ten best cities to live in the U.S. And Locke is definitely not the best place to go to school. But these four young college graduates took on the challenge to help the students improve, and this book shows their struggles and triumphs.
I read a review of Relentless Pursuit in the newspaper, right around the time it came out. Already I had been interested TFA and wanted to learn more about it. I thought that perhaps this book could tell me or even show me more than brochures and a Web site could. I was right.
Thanks to this book, I think I understand the TFA experience the best I could without actually doing it myself. And it scares me to death.
Those TFAers, as the author calls them, are some pretty tough cookies. First there is the rigorous selection process, which Foote depicts with intimidating detail. Then there is the summer institute, more commonly known as boot camp, at which the recruits receive their training. And then there is the teaching itself, which is probably the hardest part of all. These young teachers face challenges you wouldn't believe as they try to get their students to achieve more.
They're far from perfect and definitely don't do it without complaining (one of the chapters is titled "What the Hell Am I Doing?"), but I don't see myself doing any better than they did. Far from it, in fact. Now that I have become more familiar with TFA, I really don't know if I'm up to the challenge. But it's better to know that now than later, right?
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the condition of our nation's education. What TFA teachers do is heroic and inspiring. If you're considering joining the ranks of TFA to make a difference in the world, I'd definitely recommend this book, but I'd also warn you that it may frighten you. Teaching is a serious business. And Teach For America requires some really gutsy people.
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