The New Kings of Nonfiction
by Ira Glass
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ira GlassEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2007-10-02
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Book Reviews of The New Kings of Nonfiction
Book Review: Where Old is New and a Queen can be a King
Summary: 3 Stars
It must have been opposite day when this collection's title was chosen, because by my calculations, the average original publication date of this potpourri on persons, politics, poison, and poker is 1998. And two of its authors are women.
The (fourteen) articles themselves are a mixed bag, so it's likely that every reader will find at least one story ("The Hostess Diaries" - the misbehavior of celebrities at a trendy restaurant) or subject ("Among the Thugs" - maniacal soccer fans) to dislike and the same that he or she will at least be glad to have read, like the informative "Power Steer" (about the beef industry). They range from short beach reads requiring little more than a high school-level reading ability ("THD"), to those best tackled wearing your best thinking cap ("Losing the War" - which both shattered my illusions of and piqued my interest about the Battle of Midway) or at least a good understanding of the subject ("Fortune's Smile: World Series of Poker"). Several concern specific persons: Jonathan Lebed (fifteen-year-old charged with stock-market fraud), Saddam Hussein ("Tales of the Tyrant"), Lois Weisberg (eccentric, elderly, chain-smoker with a surprising number of important personal connections), Harold Shapinsky (abstract expressionist impoverished painter gains fame late in life), Christian Scientist actor Val Kilmer, and radio talk-show host (and user of the "n" word) John Ziegler. A few are funny, including: "The American Man, Age Ten" (the life of a typical ten-year-old boy), and "My Republican Journey" (gay Democrat wreaks havoc with the Republican party), while some, like "Toxic Dreams" (litigation involving haphazardous waste dumping in a small CA town with a Dickensian slant) are more serious. But there is nothing "new" about them. Researching the subjects on-line today, you'll find: Mr. Shapinsky died, tragically, of Alzheimer's, on January 31, 2004; Jonathan Lebed, now 23, has his own website; John Ziegler's job title of the story is now preceded by "former;" the status of the The Stringfellow Acid Pits (the subject of an article written in 1999) as of May 2008, is available, titled Stringfellow Superfund Site Project Update, through the State of CA; and the restaurant/setting of "The Hostess Diaries" is now closed. The best of the book is that proceeds of its sale go to a literacy program. The worst is that the stories are old: the most recent original publication date being 2005, the least recent, 1985. Other good non-fiction reads: 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.
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