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Steinberg did not really know what he wanted to do with his life. Almost on the spur of the moment, he applied for the job of prison librarian. He was not a librarian by profession and he knew nothing about prisons either. It turned out to be a job he loved and hated. And it was a job that provided lots of terribly interesting anecdotes that make up the core of this book.
The first chapter was brilliant. The second chapter was strong. But by chapter three, things began to slip. In the end I have ...more
The first chapter was brilliant. The second chapter was strong. But by chapter three, things began to slip. In the end I have ...more
DNF. I thought this would be more interesting and humorous than it was. Something about the characterizations, especially of the female inmates, was really off-putting. After about 60 pages, I realized I didn’t care for the digressions or the narrator’s arrogance and seeming lack of empathy so I stopped reading.
This book gives one hope for real bricks and morter libraries. Growth in them seems to be in prisons. The inmates Steinberg has met in his tenure as a prison librarian are not exactly what one would expect and are all in some respect admirable in their own right. A fascinating read.
While Steinberg has a tendency to get a bit flowery with his description (which I think he himself would freely acknowledge), his vignettes about the prisoners he meets and how the library touches them make for fascinating reading. Not necessarily a cheerful book, but one well worth it for the way it gives human context to the impact of incarceration.
Started this yesterday and so far it's very compelling. Of course a Harvard grad should be able to write very "compelling" stuff......
Forgot this one and had to return it. I'll request it again later. ...more
Forgot this one and had to return it. I'll request it again later. ...more
This was terrific -- moving, well-written, absolutely fascinating look at Judaism, reading, the US prison culture, and how they intersect. One of the best I've read this year.
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This book inspired me to contact a local organization that donates books to prisons and I was able to give them tons of stuff we don't use at work.
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