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The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006 (The Best American Series (TM))
by Dave Eggers

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22428.The_Best_American_Nonrequired_Reading_2006?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006 (The Best American Series (TM))" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1167349155m/22428.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22428.The_Best_American_Nonrequired_Reading_2006?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3371.Dave_Eggers">Dave Eggers</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/739300?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars This was one of the better Non-Required Reading Comps over the years. Although, I think I say that about all of them. Of course there were particular essays I wasn't crazy about, but those were the minority and I only skipped over one because I started falling asleep as I was reading it (Iraqi constitution...I sound ignorant saying this...but I think reading the United States Constitution has the same effect on me). I was also at work at the time...
 Overall, this was fantastic. I'd recomend all of the previous volumes as well because they're simply fantastic. It's like reading This American Life...no problems there.
 Highlights were the David Rakoff, Michael Lewis, Murakami, and comic strip about North Korea as well as the Julia Sweeney article Letting Go Of God (her essay about finding her inherent atheism) which was brilliant...as she usually is. 
 Many of the topics dealt with Iraq and the war and were fascinating and heart-breaking. It was nice to see so much devoted to that and I think the kids who edited this really did a huge service in chosing to focus on that. Also, may I add that this is really edited by a bunch of high school kids who are people who give me hope for mankind?! Well, yes, they are. The editors of this anthology are the antithesis of that My Sweet Sixteen show on MTV. They're also way smarter than most "grown-ups". 
 Not everything was focused on topical issues involving Iraq, there was an entire selection devoted to fake headlines, blog entries, Daily Show moments, words and phrases, as well as an utterly hilarious treastise on Hoboes. 
 This also includes an essay by the late, great Kurt Vonnegut which he ends by saying: "And if I die-God forbid-I would like to go to heaven to ask somebody in charge up there, "Hey, what was the good news and what was the bad news?'
 Go read this. 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/60654?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

LordBeardsley's review
rating:
bookshelves: read2007
recommended for: Anyone looking to diversify their reading subject matter

This was one of the better Non-Required Reading Comps over the years. Although, I think I say that about all of them. Of course there were particular essays I wasn't crazy about, but those were the minority and I only skipped over one because I started falling asleep as I was reading it (Iraqi constitution...I sound ignorant saying this...but I think reading the United States Constitution has the same effect on me). I was also at work at the time...
Overall, this was fantastic. I'd recomend all of the previous volumes as well because they're simply fantastic. It's like reading This American Life...no problems there.
Highlights were the David Rakoff, Michael Lewis, Murakami, and comic strip about North Korea as well as the Julia Sweeney article Letting Go Of God (her essay about finding her inherent atheism) which was brilliant...as she usually is.
Many of the topics dealt with Iraq and the war and were fascinating and heart-breaking. It was nice to see so much devoted...more

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