I am loving this book. I got this book from a friend for, I think, two reasons. It was my graduation present and I was going to continue school to be a teacher. And more importantly, I had the chance to meet and speak with Frank McCourt. In an almost comical situation, he ended up coming to a Business Comm class speaking to us about life. I hadn't read anything he'd written, and barely knew anything about him. He asked "Who in the room wants to be a teacher?" And our instructor said, "Um, we're mostly Communication-Business people here..." awkwardly. I, however, raised my hand and he proceeded to tell me what a saint I am and how being a teacher is going to impact my life. It's pretty cool when a Pulitzer Prize winner tells you how awesome you are going to be.

I waited a couple years to read this until I had some real teaching experience, and it makes the book a lot more meaningful. My favorite thing is how he talks about how he failed as a teacher; failed his students in some instances. A lot of account of teaching, I think, become how they were able to do the impossible and really change the life of "that" difficult kid. McCourt has those moments, but he realistically talks about when he's screwed up in the classroom and reflects on it. I find the account very real. It's excellent.