University of Chicago Magazine (UChicagoMag)

University of Chicago Magazine is now following Ryan Long's reviews

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Media Smackdown: Deconstructing the News and the Future of Journalism
by Abraham Aamidor

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Abe Aamidor, AB'69
Author

From the author: "Journalism is in crisis. The rise of the internet through social media and citizen journalism and the financial crisis of 2008 have taken their toll. Thousands of reporters and editors have been laid off; nig...more

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Searching for Nada
by Jeff Haas (Goodreads Author)

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Jeff Haas, AB'82
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From the author: A collection of seriously funny short stories that explores the unintended consequences of man’s search for meaning in the 21st century.

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Half-Sick of Shadows
by Erika Tracy (Goodreads Author)

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Erika Tracy, AB'92
Author

From the author: Elena is a dreamer and a witch, neither fitting well into the mining town of Glynarien. John is a collier, born out-of-place. Together they find love or something that passes for it.

University of Chicago Magazine became a fan of Goodreads Author Ryan E. Long

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Living on the Happy Edge of Anarchy
by Ryan E. Long (Goodreads Author)

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Ryan Long, AB'97
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From the author: “Sex, money, murder – will that be my life if I tell him where they are?” The question pounds Ryan’s mind as he sits in the back seat of Frank White’s idling black Chevy SS Monte Carlo. Ryan is a directionless e...more Ryan Long, AB'97
Author

From the author: “Sex, money, murder – will that be my life if I tell him where they are?” The question pounds Ryan’s mind as he sits in the back seat of Frank White’s idling black Chevy SS Monte Carlo. Ryan is a directionless eighteen-year-old. Just eight years ago, he was a loving nerd. Frank, Ryan’s ‘cousin,’ is a tattooed cocaine cowboy. He and his associate sit ready with UZI machine guns resting softly on their laps. Earlier that night, a mob of black teenagers repeatedly stabbed Ryan with screwdrivers in Venice Beach. “Where are they?” Frank asks Ryan with grim eyes after he falls into the back seat.

Ryan’s answer alters the rest of his life. Later that year, Ryan transfers from a state college in Los Angeles to the University of Chicago. Still, Ryan secretly longs to follow in Frank’s footsteps. His anger seemed to magically save him from suffering life’s pains, fears, and disappointments. That’s exactly what Ryan is searching for: the silver bullet that will numb him from the pain he has felt since he was ten. That year, his family shattered after his sixteen-year-old brother was killed in a car accident.

At first, Ryan tried to submerge his feelings under the routine of law firm life. Following his graduation from Chicago and Tulane Law School with honors in 2000, Ryan joined corporate America’s most feared, most hated, and meanest law firm in Manhattan. It was also America’s most successful. On average, partners at the firm made $10.3 million per year. Ryan was on partnership track. And yet, the money didn’t quell Ryan’s demons. Part of him desperately clung to the belief that anger is the silver bullet. But the nerdy boy inside Ryan continued to search for a more positive alternative.

And so Ryan left the firm to travel the world in 2002. During his journey, he met savory and unsavory strangers: Sicilians showed him the joy of routine dinners with loved ones; a WW II photographer in Chicago explained luck matters only when you try; and a Holocaust survivor in New York tutored him on perseverance. He found that strangers had the best insights into his problems. They called it like it is. With their aid, Ryan better understood how to deal with his problems. But he didn’t let go of his anger.

Being diagnosed with cancer changed that. The cancer enabled Ryan to start letting go of his anger by realizing that it will only make life worse. Ryan starts applying the lessons he learned from the hand full of strangers he met during his travels to make the most out of every second, every minute, and every day of his life. There might not be a quick fix for his – or our – demons. But Ryan finds that consistently nurturing them with warmth and compassion is better than the back of his hand like Frank would.

In the end, Ryan comes to peace with the answer he gave Frank that night in Venice Beach. Perhaps, after reading the book, you will find the same strength from the strangers you come across in your daily life, too.(less)

University of Chicago Magazine added:

The Embassy in Grosvenor Square by J. Simon Rofe

The Embassy in Grosvenor Square: American Ambassadors to the United Kingdom, 1938-2008
by J. Simon Rofe

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Alison Holmes, AM'87
Coeditor

From the Coeditor: Leaders scholars explore the role played by the American Embassy in London and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James's, not only in bilateral UK-US relations, but also in wider international issues...more

University of Chicago Magazine added:

Shock Markets: Trading Lessons for Volatile Times
by Robert Webb

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Robert Ivory Webb, MBA'76, PhD'79
Author

From the author: "We live in the age of shock markets, where sudden sharp changes in financial market prices are common, "flash crashes" are seemingly unavoidable, volatility is often off the charts, and anythin...more

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From Sword to Shield: The Transformation of the Corporate Income Tax, 1861 to Present
by Steven A. Bank

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Steven A. Bank, JD'94
Author

The U.S. corporate income tax - and in particular the double taxation of corporate income - has long been one of the most criticized and stubbornly persistent aspects of the federal revenue system. Unlike in most other indu...more

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University of Chicago Magazine is now following Ryan Long's reviews
May 13, 2013 12:37pm
University of Chicago Magazine added: Media Smackdown: Deconstructing the News and the Future of Journalism by Abraham Aamidor	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Abe Aamidor, AB'69 Author From the author: "Journalism is in crisis. The rise of the internet through social media and citizen journalism and the financial crisis of 2008 have taken their toll. Thousands of reporters and editors have been laid off; nig...more
May 09, 2013 08:21am · see review
University of Chicago Magazine added: Searching for Nada by Jeff Haas (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jeff Haas, AB'82 Author From the author: A collection of seriously funny short stories that explores the unintended consequences of man’s search for meaning in the 21st century.
May 08, 2013 07:12am · see review
University of Chicago Magazine added: Half-Sick of Shadows by Erika Tracy (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Erika Tracy, AB'92 Author From the author: Elena is a dreamer and a witch, neither fitting well into the mining town of Glynarien. John is a collier, born out-of-place. Together they find love or something that passes for it.
May 08, 2013 07:11am · see review
University of Chicago Magazine became a fan of Goodreads Author Ryan E. Long
May 08, 2013 07:10am · all of University of Chicago's favorite authors
University of Chicago Magazine added: Living on the Happy Edge of Anarchy by Ryan E. Long (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ryan Long, AB'97 Author From the author: “Sex, money, murder – will that be my life if I tell him where they are?” The question pounds Ryan’s mind as he sits in the back seat of Frank White’s idling black Chevy SS Monte Carlo. Ryan is a directionless e...more
May 08, 2013 07:09am · see review
University of Chicago Magazine added: The Embassy in Grosvenor Square: American Ambassadors to the United Kingdom, 1938-2008 by J. Simon Rofe	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Alison Holmes, AM'87 Coeditor From the Coeditor: Leaders scholars explore the role played by the American Embassy in London and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James's, not only in bilateral UK-US relations, but also in wider international issues...more
Apr 25, 2013 02:16pm · see review
University of Chicago Magazine added: Shock Markets: Trading Lessons for Volatile Times by Robert Webb	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Robert Ivory Webb, MBA'76, PhD'79 Author From the author: "We live in the age of shock markets, where sudden sharp changes in financial market prices are common, "flash crashes" are seemingly unavoidable, volatility is often off the charts, and anythin...more
Apr 24, 2013 02:48pm · see review
University of Chicago Magazine added: From Sword to Shield: The Transformation of the Corporate Income Tax, 1861 to Present by Steven A. Bank	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Steven A. Bank, JD'94 Author The U.S. corporate income tax - and in particular the double taxation of corporate income - has long been one of the most criticized and stubbornly persistent aspects of the federal revenue system. Unlike in most other indu...more
Apr 12, 2013 09:02am · see review

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