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May 09
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Dustin
gave
to:
Angela's Ashes (Paperback)
by Frank McCourt
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my rating:
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read in May, 2008
Dustin said:
"I borrowed this a book a few years ago from my brother and finally picked it up last week and couldn't put it down--so yeah, Brayd, you can finally get your book back... Before reading the book, I knew very little about it. Aside from the obvious r...more
I borrowed this a book a few years ago from my brother and finally picked it up last week and couldn't put it down--so yeah, Brayd, you can finally get your book back... Before reading the book, I knew very little about it. Aside from the obvious recommendations by my family and the Pulitzer people, I actually had very mild expectations. For most, I'm probably preaching to the choir, but this is a great book that really resonated with me. I don't have first hand experience with hunger, death and the utter poverty on the scale this book puts forth, but I know what it is like to be left to my own devices for days at a time with my three brothers, all of us under the age of ten. There were so many parts that seemed familiar to me, though that familiarity was always quickly replaced by a new heart wrenching perspective.
Another important aspect of this book is the humor. I read the majority of this book on a trip with my wife and was constantly embarrassing her on the plane with loud bursts of laughter. McCourt truly has a gift for portraying desperate circumstances in a way that includes humor without taking away from the seriousness of the material.
I was also truly amazed to find so many negative reviews on this site. Basically, most seem to be dissatisfied with McCourt's rendering of Ireland. But in my mind, those who think this book is essentially about Ireland are missing what Angela's Ashes has to offer. This book is not about Ireland. It's about poverty, class, drug abuse, religion, death, the lack of birth control, and so on. Those that read memoirs/biographies know that McCourt's story is not unique to Ireland.
For me, the value in Angela's Ashes resides in what it tells us about being human, and serves as a reminder of what impoverished children suffered, and are still suffering, in the world today. ...less
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New comment on Honore's review of
Angela's Ashes
(see all 6 comments)
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May 08
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New comment on Angela's review of
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
(see all 8 comments)
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April 25
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New comment on Dustin's review of
The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By
(see all 2 comments)
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April 23
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Dustin
gave
to:
The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By (Hardcover)
by Scott A. Shane
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Dustin said:
" This book was very informative, but way too negative. The author clearly had strong views about the myths associated with entrepreneurship that he shattered with loads of data. The problem I had was was with the myths he labled as commonly held ...more
This book was very informative, but way too negative. The author clearly had strong views about the myths associated with entrepreneurship that he shattered with loads of data. The problem I had was was with the myths he labled as commonly held beliefs. As someone who has read a lot about entrepreneurship in the last few months, I was confused by many of the "illusions" the author was debunking. Every book I have read so far talks about how difficult it is to run a successful start-up, and how the great majority of them fail.
It also seemed like the author tailored and tweaked the "illusions" to fit the data he had a available. For instance, the author quotes some business website in Dallas as saying entrepreneurs should be willing to take risks, be self-starters, good salesman and so on. But then goes on to debunk this illusion with data showing that the typical entrepreneur is none of those things. This irked me because I don't think the website was making the claim, or perpetuating the illusion, that the typical entrepreneur has those traits. Rather, I'm fairly certain that the website, and others like it, were listing traits that would help you succeed as an entrepreneur. Now the author does go into what a successful entrepreneur looks like, but largely discounts psychological reasons because, I suspect, he wasn't able to find a way to quantify those kind of traits.
All in all though, this book is full of valuable statistics for the would be entrepreneur. Just don't think statistics tell the whole story like the author does....less
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Dustin
is currently reading:
People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.)
by Howard Zinn
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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April 18
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New comment on Dustin's review of
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
(see all 2 comments)
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New comment on Jen's review of
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
(see all 2 comments)
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Dustin
gave
to:
East of Eden (Centennial Edition)
by John Steinbeck
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2002
Dustin said:
"When people ask me to name my favorite book, 'East of Eden' is generally the first book that comes to mind. At a time when we are surrounded by determinism in its varied shapes and forms, the message this book offers, without shying away from the ho...more
When people ask me to name my favorite book, 'East of Eden' is generally the first book that comes to mind. At a time when we are surrounded by determinism in its varied shapes and forms, the message this book offers, without shying away from the horrors and tragedies of life, is truly inspiring. ...less
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Dustin
gave
to:
The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers (Paperback)
by Robert L. Heilbroner
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in February, 2008
Dustin said:
"This book was oddly engaging while also perfectly fulfilling my goal of understanding economics better. Without much prior knowledge of the economists covered in this book, however, it's difficult to asses whether or not the author covered his subjec...more
This book was oddly engaging while also perfectly fulfilling my goal of understanding economics better. Without much prior knowledge of the economists covered in this book, however, it's difficult to asses whether or not the author covered his subject matter fairly. I'll have to read more to improve my foundation, but as of now, this book is a very accessible way to learn more about economics and its great thinkers....less
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