Biography Books

I think the idea of this book was a good one: To compare and contrast the author's memory with others' memories - other people who were actually there.

My main gripe with the first half of the book was that I was bored. The one bright spot in that first 100 pages for me was when Carr explained his first writing assignment - THAT was interesting. Otherwise, all - and I do mean ALL - of his reminisces involve drinking, drugs, and more drinking and drugs. Only the scenery changes (drinking/drugs while fishing, drinking/drugs while at the bar, at parties, including a wedding reception, drinking/drugs in the car, going to get more drugs, getting drugs to other people, etc. etc.)

I also didn't particularly care for Carr's attitude in the beginning of the book. At first, he says he can see where he made some mistakes; he made some unsavory choices that split his existence into half bad guy, half intelligent guy who just went down the wrong path. He admits to some pretty rotten things but then instead of keeping that mind set (meaning some semblance of humility), he jumps into co-workers' glowing reports of his genius ... oh no, this one didn't focus on his drug addiction; all she saw was his great work! And then after that, when remembering (or rather, not remembering) being arrested for assaulting a cab driver, he jokes, "I'm sure the guy deserved it." I didn't think it was funny.

The book changes for the better in the second half. The cancer obviously impacted him hard, and I felt more sympathy and admiration for him when he details his caring for his young girls while he was ill. The best part of the whole book for me was his meeting Jill, his wife. Pure magic. "She wasn't my type." But she was his kind - a good woman who is interesting in her own right.

If you could chop the first half of the book off I'd have been much happier with the book. Yeah, he was addicted to drugs and it was hell (and sometimes seemingly humorous to him) and I get it - but I'd have got it without a lot of the repeating of the same act, different day/setting.

Even though I haven't read this book yet. I WANT TO. It sounds interesting. Ever thought of making it a search inside the book feature for your book? Can't wait to buy it.

David Carr has a remarkable story to tell, and he is without question a gifted writer. He also pulls no punches, time and again laying blame where it belongs -- with himself -- for terrible judgments made in a life of addiction, recovery, and backslides to trouble. Carr also takes an interesting approach to reporting his own story -- conducting interviews and research as though he were investigating another person's story. The difficulty is that Carr overwrites, or repeats himself, all too often. There are too many musings about that sort of self-investigation; far too many espisodes of crack-addled madness; too many aphorisms about second chances, missed chances, and so on. I believe the manuscript runs close to four hundred pages; it could have been pared by a hundred or so pages, and made for a far better book.

So says David Carr. "But if there is one, it lies in the space between people." Something haunting in that line, and relevant to anyone regardless of whether they share Carr's story of self-destruction and recovery. This reformed thug, drug addict and spiraling loser pulls out of the dive at a critical moment, rescues his infant twin daughters (or is it the other way around?) and rebuilds a shattered career to become a columnist for The New York Times. It's a harrowing story -- part crime saga, part family heartwarmer -- but the remarkable thing is how he did it. Not trusting his own memory of events, Carr retraced the steps from That Guy to This Guy, using his skills as a journalist to interview his old friends, junkies, dealers, lawyers, counselors, to connect those dots. What makes The Night of the Gun transcend the everyday memoir is his exploration of the vagaries of memory -- who remembers what, and when. Stories retold become mythologized, sins he can't bear to see forgiven absolve themselves through forgetfulness, and the question of who pulled that gun on whom becomes more existential than whodunnit. Carr shows that memory becomes a biased informant, whispering that things weren't so bad, not our fault, and yet the truth can be found for those daring enough to confront it. As a fellow reporter, this book was especially compelling. An excellent, riveting read.

The concept behind David Carr's memoir is intriguing. Stoned and drunk for much of his early life, the fact that he couldn't trust his own memories was brought home to him when he was shown that he completely misremembered an incident with a gun (hence the book's title). So, reporter that he is, he set out to interview people who knew him back in the day. He became an investigative reporter tracking down the young David Carr. Along the way, he discovered lots of things he said and did, but of which he has either no or distorted recollections.

So the angle that Night of the Gun takes is attractive. That's the good news. The bad news is that Carr can't quite deliver. For starters, the book is way too long and so the episodes Carr recounts (often with cinematic speed and compactness) tend to become repetitious. So there's a lot of words but not a lot of depth. Moreover, the lack of depth is reflected in the tough guy, Mickey Spillane style Carr chooses to write in, a style that comes across as inauthentic and, within just a few pages, incredibly annoying. Perhaps the point of the style is to create a living-on-the-edge ambience. But it doesn't work very well.

Ultimately, and most seriously, it's difficult to see what the point of Carr's book is. Is it to draw attention to the mysterious ways in which our memories deceive us? But if so, there's precious little real reflection on the issue, and most of it consists of unenlightening one-liners. (What a lost opportunity.) Is it to impress upon us the terrible things that drug and alcohol addictions do? But surely this has been done a bazillion times already in other memoirs as well as in films and novels (read anything by Hubert Selby, Jr., for example). Is the book intended to be a sort of celebrity confessional? But if so, it falls short of the mark because Mr. Carr simply isn't a celebrity.

I'm glad that Carr has straightened out his life. But I'm afraid his book rates no more than two and a half stars. For more authentic and better written recent memoirs of the addicted life, I recommend Lee Stringer's Grand Central Winter, David Sheff's Beautiful Boy, or James Salant's Leaving Dirty Jersey.

A must for anyone's library and a great read. Easy to follow, clear, and a concise and logical plan for rebuilding America into the nation it should be, the nation that was designed by our Constitution, with freedom and justice for all.

This book is so good. It really shows what Barack Obama is thinking and what is wrong with the current administration today. I wish more politicians would think like him. I think all voters need to read this book.

I must add that Mr. Obama is a great speaker but in the end he sounds like a politician dreaming of Utopia with a past touching every walk of life to give him a superior in depth view of ....everything. Although I am no fan of Mr. Obama, I did enjoy reading this book. In the end what did I get out of this book? Alot of babble about his life and experiences and what/why he thinks as he does. I haven't to date heard any definitive statements from Obama on what he stands for other that against the war in Iraq, pro-choice, and in favor of taxes. I'm more interested in a person with great ideas-------BUT moreover ways to get to an endpoint, not muddle around in the hypothetical and no true solutions (just questions about what the problem currently is). Spit it out Mr. Obama......please!! There are many great points about how and why he thinks but in the end, I see an empty suit as many other politicians that speak of change. I recommend the book for an uplifting view of his life without many negative facts or true insights into his inner conflicts. We all need to be more educated about politicians; this book is just FLUFF. Good read to better understand Mr. Obama and see, he stands for everything, but nothing in the end. Don't ask him a yes or no question because we will get another book about his life. Obama Nation is also another interesting book about Mr. Obama. Different but nonetheless interesting. It seems all of America is looking for a modern day Patton dressed as Ghandi to be the next president, Mr. Obama is neither. Read this book and you may agree.....or disagree.

If Obama wins America loses
If Obama wins morality is no more
If Obama wins values are gone
If Obama wins America is doomed.
A vote for Obama is a vote for Al Queida
God save us all and dont vote for Obama

This book was a wonderful surprise. To tell you the truth, I bought it because my foster grandson Lois goes to the same school as the author's literary agent's children, and I felt that it would be the right thing to support local people.

I am a rather conservative reader in my tastes. I like good writing skills, a reasonable plot, a read which is not relying on too much "experimental" writing (such as misspelled slang that makes you wonder what the author/character meants). I want to enjoy reading a book, and, if possible, not be so discouraged that suicide seems to be a rationale course of action.

This book reached 5 stars at almost every level. First, it is a true page turner, one of those books which you cannot put down until you are done with it - not so much because you want to know what will happen (although there is a bit of that too) - but because it plays with your emotions and enjoyment in such an unusual way. The language is wonderful - precise when discussing a detail oriented individual, passionate for a romantic, always well tuned to the characters and to the events. The vocabulary is full, although not as rich, maybe, as Joseph Conrad. The characters are deeply etched and displayed, yet not revealed to their innermost layers. They are unusual and interesting, yet not so outrageous that you are interested in them because of their anomalous behavior. The story is non-linear and absolutely ignores classical rules of composition, yet it achieves grandeur which reminds you a bit, without all the pathos, of Sempleton-MacFee (although the large number of characters also contributes to that echo). The period seems quite well researched, and the author has mixed in his story true details as well as "fake" notes or "small history" regarding his own made-up additions, sometimes creating funny or ironic moments.

I was impressed by the story and how the writer is able to sell us that story - very few could have pulled it off. I loved the language and its effects. I enjoyed the mix of post modernity and classicism. I loved the book and at the same time enjoyed the fact that it stretched my tastes in literature. I am still trying to describe what makes this such a wonderful novel - it might be the non-linearity of its story, the seeming lack of logic that some of its turns have, and yet the richness of the language and of the events it depicts.

But:
Some loops in the story are superfluous and could have been cut to greater effect and Obama (as well as several minor characters) lack true depth and seem to be paper folks imagined by some spin doctor. Not real people with flaws and anger and errors and upset dreams.

So only 3 stars eventhough this novel is one of the best I have read this year.

ciao // gurkha

"My stroke of insight" was not only your insight, Jill, it was insightful and life-changing to us.
Great time to live. Great people to enlighten us on our changing and evolving path.

This book is not about strokes in general, but rather about this scientists experience. She writes very clearly and paints a wonderful picture of what was going on in her head during the stroke and recovery. It really gave me a better understanding of what problems there are with a left side stroke and why, and inspiration of the powers of the brain's ability to recover.

The book, 'My Stroke of Insight' by Jill Bolte Taylor is a remarkable read. It contains information everyone should know who might sit with or care for a stroke victim or anyone suffering from a brain injury. The chapter, 'Simple Science' is like taking a course in 'The Brain 101' as we are given a look at the workings of an organ that defines who we are. I recommend this book to the inquisitive and to inquiring minds.

Billy R. Boggs
A Critical Reader

Dr Taylor shows her courage to break convention and formal ideas about this topic. Her experience in full view, with their emotional and philosophical content included. Not only was she inspired by her own journey, but she shares the inspiration directly with the reader.

The author describes minutely her subjective experience of having a stroke and her struggle to recover. It's a quick primer on brain functioning, particularly on the activites of the right and left hemispheres. One feels great empathy and admiration.
However, the book could easily have been a magazine article, as it is quite repetitious. First, it becomes a catalogue of thank-yous to her mother, who aided her recovery. Second, it is an under-edited exhortation to train our minds to choose right-hemisphere thinking, which is more loving and accepting and less judgmental. Oops. Maybe I still need practice on that.

This book was entirely too funny! Reminds me of too many guys I knew when I was younger, but the stories! Sometimes I wonder if this could actually happen to a person- then I realize that I had my own stories.... Definitely a good read!

This could be the worst read in the history of literature...the fact that I'd have to characterize this as literature makes me ill. This idiot completely fabricates every single story in the book, and sounds like a pathetic loser the entire time. I feel bad for him and his family and hope to god he doesn't attempt to write another book. How can one write dialogue after consuming 35 drinks? I'm not sure it is feasible. Don't buy this book, such a waste of money.

I got this book as a light read for vacation, and I think it served its purpose well. I heard of this book because Tucker Max's celebrity was emerging while I was in law school. He and his blog were often a topic of discussion in the library and between classes. It's a fairly short book broken into small sections where he essentially tells a different story with each break.

The stories are truly legendary. I found myself laughing out loud and retelling some of the stories to my wife. They range from the outrageous to the gross. While the book has several weaknesses, the stories really are the lifeblood of this book, and aren't overshadowed by flowery writing or unnecessary "stretching" by the editors.

As far as weaknesses, I'd have to say that the writing is just not very strong. Mind you, this is Tucker Max's first book, so there's always room for improvement. The writing is stilted at times, extremely simplistic, and repetitive, though I guess that still can't ruin a good "crapping your pants" story. Since these are recollections of stories that occurred at different times, several elements are repeated a little too often. Some readers may be turned off by the author's carefree rich kid attitude, but Max makes no apologies for it, and I think it actually adds to the stories.

I would recommend this as light reading on the beach. It's a short, easy, entertaining read for when you're just looking to have a good laugh.

Yes, Tucker is creepy. Yes, his writing is puerile, relying on cliches and ALL CAPS so often that after a while you are half expecting him to start tossing in emoticons. Yes, he treats women horribly. To make matters worse, he admits he is reprehensible as a disclaimer. But he always spares us the painful details that would hit home what his brand of abuse is all about. All the women he deals with are asking for it in some way, either through their loose morals or inflated self-opinions or extreme horniness or low IQs. And usually it is all of the above. Tucker's sex partners are never conquests. Most come to him with open arms and open legs.

But he never humanizes a sex partner. In one story Tucker beds a fat chick he picks up online through some poorly articulated dare/bet/homoerotic duty to his nameless and faceless Greek frat chorus of absolute buddies, the only people in his world that are real and interesting, lovable and loving. Tucker tosses the girls clothes out of his window and forces her to make a midnight run out of his apartment naked. He does this because he is faced with a choice: treat this woman like an animal or lose face in front of his roommates.

Great stuff. But I would have liked to have heard the woman's parting words, or a line from the email she sent him the next morning. Not because I wanted to see Tucker get what is coming to him. (As Tucker freely admists, God will take car of that.) Just because I require more in a narrative. As they stand, Tucker's stories (as most of the reviewers at Amazon have pointed our) have the effect of dirty jokebook jokes --shocking, worthy of a guffaw, but ultimately disposable. Tucker Max is a womanizer. But his biggest sin ultimately is his corniness. His stories may be true, but they are not real.

All this is not to say that I did not read the book from cover to cover in three sittings. Why? I won't call Tucker a hero, a zen alcoholic, but there is something a little fascinating in Tucker's choice to reject the sterile, career-centric, empty adulthood that most of us tolerate. Most dropouts and outlaws get rejected by society first. Tucker, on the other hand, had it all, looks, brains and a great education. A corporate legal career was his for the taking. He instead opted for a life dedicated to nickel wing nights, boilmakers when you are too drunk to stand and coming to in the morning with a stranger's thong on your carpet. The media sells the image of the party life; in reality very few have the stamina or moral black hole to live it. Tucker does.

Again, I am not saying that I have more than few ounces of respect for the man. One idiot reviewer has championed him as a free speech hero. What a load. Tucker's only value is that his exploits beg the scary question of whether adulthood really exists anymore. I believe it does, but I am not so sure after reading this book.

The first time I picked up this book, it was at a friends house after a few beers and I started reading random pages. It was hilarious! Irreverent, arrogant, fun - much like the evening we were having. I thought I had to have this book, since Tucker Max would probably be my new hero.

When I actually bought the book, it was right before a 5 hour flight when I really needed to be sleeping, and was completely sober. Not quite so funny. If this guy is so smart and could have been a lawyer, can he please drop the word 'like' from his writing? I get it, it's supposed to be conversational, you're supposed to feel like his buddy, but at this point, the dude's 30. Grow up. (not in his behavior, just his word choice)

I was also put off by how frequently he refers to women as 'b*tch' or other degrading words. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the many degrading things he does with or to them, and it he really said it to someone's face, great. But don't call someone you met once a bitch when she doesn't even know she's being talked about.

His stories are absolutely hilarious, but I think you have to be in the right mood to go along with him and his friends on their ridiculous drunken adventures.

I wish that every American could read this book! I was moved and impressed as I learned about who Barack Obama is. This book was written shortly after graduating from law school and before Obama entered politics. It highlights what an intelligent, perceptive, philosophical and principled person he is.

This is so much more than a simple bio. Obama's relections about the events of his life are poignant and insightful. I learned so much about the man as he recounted his real education (the one he got on the south side of Chicago) after Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard Law.

Obama's capacity to weave something handsome and strong from the disparate threads of his inheritance gives me hope that through his vision and leadership he can help our country appreciate and make good use of our diversity.

Obviously, I only bought and read the book, because Mr. Obama is in the race to become the next President.

The book is easy reading, the story he tells is interesting enough so you will not put the book away because you are bored. The father he searches for was a gifted man, who wasted his gifts, became an alcoholic and an abuse, yet is Mr. Obama's eyes, he had one redeeming quality - he was BLACK!

The book is full of racism! Not the "Red neck" kind of dumb racism, but a more sophisticated one - YET STILL RACISM!
After having read this book, it is easy to understand, why Mr. Obama had such a difficult time to separate himself from Reverend Wright - he simply believes the same racist agenda, Mr. Wright does!

Being a German national, the question of who to vote for does not arise, but I certainly feel, those Americans who contemplate voting for Mr. Obama should read this book.

Though I am not an American citizen and therefore I do not get a vote in the Nov election, I still find Obama an inspiring and interesting person.

As for the book, it's interesting but not that engaging. It should be noted that the book was written over ten years ago and is not about his recent public political success and more about a young black boy growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia being raised by a white mother and her white grandparents.

I found the real star of the book is Barack's mother. What an amazing woman. She put everything into raising him. At the beginning of the book, Barack writes, had he known his mother would not survive her cancer illness, he may have instead written a book about her (as a great parent) and not about the absent one.

The book is about growing up, making decisions and reconciliation - going back to Africa to meet his brothers, sisters and grandparents.

Growing up in Hawaii is the first part of the book. Going to university in California and New York is the second part of the book and the final part is Barack going home to meet his relatives. I find the latter half was better than the first half.

Reading the book, I found it astounding the level of detail he goes into describing each scene and what everyone said. I later learned that names of characters have been changed to protect their privacy and the story is an approximation of what happened. Barack is quite the storyteller.

I thought the book could have been edited a bit as it was long.

Interesting read as I didn't realize how strong he feels attached to his black roots. There is so much separation in every scene who is black who is white. I was surprised by that. Very strong lines drawn between blacks and whites in his opinions.

Overall, if you want to know about the man before age 25, and how he formed his views and values, I think you may find this book to be an interesting insight. It's not a page-turner but it does provide insight into the man and his thought processes.

The young Barack Obama, going to a school in Hawaii, flips through a library book in search of information about the Luo tribe of Africa from which his Grandfather and Father are descendants. His mind has entertained thoughts of his ancestor tribe as glorious kings, adorned in colorful traditional clothes. The book he is reading tells him that the Luo were a kind of nomadic farmers who wore a loincloth. He leaves the book open and walks out of the library.

This incident is one of many that nicely illustrate the power and ultimate disillusionment of generational myths and how we have to reconcile truths with our affections. The author conveys a restless, impatient nature and a palpable unease with his heritage and his place in American society.

This is not a book about a presidential candidate, it was written well before the author was seriously considering even his national Senate run.
Actually, Dreams of My Father more closely hews to the conventions of 1st generation fiction, than it does to autobiography or memoir. The author has a nice way with language, though at times he crosses to cliche and seems too enamored with the literary scenes he has constructed. In the introduction to my paperback edition, Obama admits that on the republication of the book, he was tempted to edit it down a bit.

The book is split into three main sections. First he lays out his "Origins," by talking about his parents and his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. He segues into his time of becoming a young man of color in the United States.

In the second part, he tells of his days as an activist/organizer in Chicago. Working in one of the worst neighborhoods, Obama tries to accomplish little victories by gaining enough grass roots support from neighborhood residents for things like employment centers and increased policing.

In the final act, he visits Kenya to meet his African family and learn more about his Father and his Grandfather, and he finds, not to his or our surpise, that the stories are complicated and not always flattering. Polygamy, violence, debt, political uprisings and betrayals are all part of the fabric of his heritage.

The story could get there quicker, and, at key points, Obama would rather detach and look at a painful or heart wrenching event with a somewhat clinical or philosophical lens. I agree with other reviewers here that it is the type of book that you CAN put down. However, it does speak with with an authentic disaffected voice, one that you can hear a little in Obama's second book The Audacity of Hope, which is far less personal and more political.

Would be a better title from his polygamist alcoholic father who abanonded everyone in his family. Read closely and you will see the roots of the radical rage that we will all inherit from this corrupt loser...the father and the son...if he is ever elected. I dare you to delve into his past and believe he is a good man. Chicago anyone?

Rarely has a book had such an impact on me. Ismael Beah's epic journey from carefree childhood to inhuman adolescence to enlightened adulthood tells the story of hope for mankind. As Beah has said, it puts a human voice to the war and violence in his country of Sierra Leone, and, in the larger perspective, to all violence, war and hatred around the world. I heard Ismael Beah speak in person yesterday at Florida Gulf Coast University where he addressed the incoming freshmen with his message of love and hope. In the tradition of his people, he is a true storyteller and he tells his story with conviction. If ever a book should be read by everyone living in today's world, this is it.

very hard to put this book down, heart wrenching and difficult to read at times, but worth every minute of it. Very well written

I have no doubt that Beah experienced things that I can't imagine and that no child should see, but he writes it poorly. I am all for stories, which is why I read, but think they need to be told well. A given medium needs to be done properly to be most effective. Beah does it poorly. I'd give his book a D. He tells his story so badly that the reader has no idea the point, plot, relevance, or validity of the story. In no way do I want to make light of what he experienced, but he did it so poorly that he did a disservice to all books. This was a waste of the paper it was printed on.

Never in my life have I been so involved in a book as this one. For one person to have actually lived this life it is amazing to me. A wonderfully written book.

This book should be read by every teenager in the United States and there parents. Our children of today think life is so hard on them. If they read this book as written by someone who had life turned upside down on them and came out with a purpose they would know that they have a pretty good life in the USA. He will never be able to get his childhood back but can now recover from the things no child should have to see or go through.

I really enjoyed this book he made you think that he was a "storyteller of his village". I do wish that he had added a couple of chapters at the end on how he is doing today and what he is going to do next.

If you haven't read this book now is the time! Whenever I am forced to chose only one book as my all time favorite What It Takes (The Way to the White House) by Richard Ben Cramer is the one...I read it when it was first published and still have yet to find another book about politics that is so enthralling..Lots of Joe Biden in the book so that alone makes it a timely book to read now...

This is a book people might shy away from since it deals with the 1988 campaign, and those candidates are basically ancient history (except for Biden). However, what the book really describes it literally 'what it takes' for any man or woman to believe they can be President.

We look at the people running today, and we see them as TV characters and sometimes buffoons, but forget that in their youth they were probably the smartest, most popular, most driven people we would have known. Just to get to a place where one can entertain the idea of running for President takes a life of very, very few wasted opportunities.

So, while this book doesn't talk about Obama or Clinton or Huckabee, etc., you can read it and at least get sort of a sense of what the candidates are like behind the masks they put on.

The best thing that can be said about "What It Takes" is that you will read it and you will appreciate that Presidential candidates actually are qualified, and while they might make terrible decisions, they really are the best we have.

"What It Takes" is an antidote for cynicism.

It's a great insight into the psyche of candidates, the jargon of campaigns -- and a demonstration of just how tough campaings are. (The author of this book is also a frequent contributer to Rolling Stone and Esquire. Some of the language in this book certainly isn't appropriate for younger readers).

Ben Cramer follows the major candidates in their races to become president in 1988. He reproduces their speaking and thinking styles in such an incredible way that you will never be able to think of any of these people (Bob Dole, GHW Bush, Jesse Jackson) in quite the same way you did before.

His intense focus on how the candidates act differently when in private than they do when they're out giving their stump speech makes for fascinating reading. If you're tired of dry books that are "nothing but the facts, ma'am," you'll love this well-written story.

No study of modern American politics is complete without reading this book. At the center of the political universe is the presidency. What kind of people seek this office, and all of the attendant scrutiny and hardship that even the most fortunate candidates endure? What personal attributes set one candidate above the rest?

Essentially, one of these men will be the most powerful man in the world, and have a chance at shaping history. This book answers the questions "why" and "how."

Cramer understands his subjects, and the profiles of each candidate would be excellent stand-alone biographies. Extremely readable and well written, without sacrificing substance.

A truly unique and indespensible work. To find out what it takes, read this book.

I'm sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book. The author was honest when he named the book - "Waiter Rant" because it is a rant of a prejudiced and unhappy waiter. The author reveals a lot about himself in this book that has little to do with being a waiter and mostly to do with being a snob in a job he hates. The language in the book bothered me as did his cruel treatment of the kitchen staff, poor, mostly immigrant workers who had to use public transportation and barely made enough to support their families.

There were a few redeeming tales in the book - like when he waited on a young couple celebrating an anniversary and obviously were not able to afford to eat at the high end restaurant. Helping them select items from the menu that would cost less and asking the kitchen to put a little extra on the plate was unexpected.

If you enjoy reading the author's blog - keep reading the blog.

A cursory glance at `Waiter Rant's summary did not prepare me for the surprise I'd have actually reading it. With the subtitle "Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter" and the vague hints of pointed anecdotes about the frustrations of being a server, the descriptions only scratch the surface. Having psychology, sociology, movies and books at his disposal, the waiter is a resourceful humorist and philosopher.

Like many a server, the anonymous waiter yearns to be someone else. In this case a writer. Using wit and wisdom at his disposal he gives us a set of stories that weave in and out both seamlessly and episodically at the same time. A former seminarian, he constructs his book to match the four seasons, but like the liturgy he formerly read, his narrative unfolds vividly and without mincing metaphors.

I love how he balances his criticism with empathy for all of his true life characters and shares the unvarnished truth about poverty, sanitation, relationships, and bad customers.

Appetizers:

Humor: 1.) For the tyrant owner, the waiter offers this: "`Caesar's in the hospital,' Sammy says, close to weeping. `I want all of us to remember him in our prayers.' It soon becomes obvious the waiters aren't besieging heaven with requests to speed up Caesar's recovery. In fact, they're probably asking the Almighty for the exact opposite."

2.) For finicky customers: "Fussy eaters are an interesting evolutionary paradox. How did they manage to survive the primordial jungle and pass on their DNA?...I can just imagine some Stepford cave wife getting mauled by a saber-tooth tiger because she dithered between picking free-range mastadon and dietetic tree bark."

3.) And for fellow staff: "...I feel my prisoner struggle inside the napkin. For a moment I wonder what karmic sins it committed to deserve coming back as a cockroach. Maybe he was a concentration-camp guard, a serial killer, or a politician. Maybe he was a chef."

4.) For unwanted visitors: "'MADAM, STEP AWAY FROM THE SQUIRREL!' I yelled. With a hurt expression the animal do-gooder returned to her seat. Tough s---, lady. This is a restaurant. Not a petting zoo."

Compassion: For decent, poor customers: "'It's a little expensive,' his girlfriend says. 'I completely understand, madam,' I say in a conspiratorial whisper. 'I can't even afford to eat here.'"

Philosophy: "Not taking Mom out to a restaurant on Mother's Day is like Ebenezer Scrooge pistol-whipping Tiny Tim on Christmas morning."

Straight from the hip, about "the rest of us": "Was I out to lunch when the happiness and success genes were passed out?"

If there's a flaw in the book, it is when he restates that he feels like a loser waiting tables into his upper thirties. Although emphatic and fitting into each scene's reflection, it gets repetitious. Otherwise, this little tempered criticism comes from such a fun and engaging read.

In the end, `Waiter Rant' does for wait staff what `The Cracker Factory' did for alcoholic housewives. It is an insightful trip that thoroughly examines every nook and cranny of restaurant life, its every participant, and every funny philosophical thought as it comes to fruition in the author's mind. Blending Miss Manners with excruciatingly humorous anecdotes, the waiter does a skillful job of illuminating both the restaurant world and the life it frames.

While ultimately a worthwhile read, Waiter Rant leaves something to be desired.
"The Waiter", Steve Dublanica, is a career waiter working at three restaurants throughout the book. He spends most of his time on The Bistro, a New York City 'fine dining' establishment. He serves the crassest of individuals to the nicest, most sensitive people one could hope to meet. And throughout the memoir (and in the appendixes) information about how to be a better customer is dispensed. However, I have a number of problems with Waiter Rant. They are as follows:
As a memoir, Waiter Rant succeeds until about page two hundred. At which time it gets repetitive. The stories The Waiter tells throughout are interesting in many ways. Each has its own morals or objectives but as the memoir goes on, the stories get very repetitive and almost a pain to read. Hearing about the waiter's point of view on holidays like Valentines Day or new years eve are interesting and informational - but that value is lost when tales of what happens behind the scenes become all similar. Don't get me wrong, each brings something new to the table but - in my opinion - Waiter Rant should have been cut off much sooner.
The second main problem I have with Waiter Rant is how a chronology of the success of his blog (and book deal) is interspersed throughout the memoir. Frankly, an update on his blog is not of concern to the rest of the book nor is it of any concern to readers outside those who follow it. At seemingly random points, the author inserts conversations about his blog or book with coworkers or narrates a paragraph or so about it. Not only is it somewhat irrelevant, but mentioning the writing process of the book as the reader is reading it disrupts the memoir's flow. Steve Dublanica takes away the magic of the book. It's like you're at a movie, completely engrossed in the film, and all of the sudden the lights go on - you realize you're not in the movie anymore but in a theater. That's the essence of what I'm trying to convey.
From a purely realist perspective, Waiter Rant provides valuable information on the restaurant service industry and on being a better customer and patron. The author indirectly answers many questions one may have about restaurants and - rather explicitly - lists important information one may want to use at the end.
Looking at the memoir from a pure entertainment perspective, I feel the first half or so was very entertaining - well written and thought out. However, by the end we see repetition though the writing style never fails.
All in all, this book deserves fours stars for the job it does in dispensing interesting, valuable information and most importantly being an entertaining read. Despite its shortcomings, I recommend picking it up at the library or - if you so desire - buying it at your local bookstore.

I was expecting a lot more from this book. The waiter is rather whiny, and the customers described say little more than "unacceptable" when faced with less than what they feel entitled to. They're all rather homogenous. I've never read the blog, but I am not impressed with the writing and felt like it was more of a "me, me, me" story than a true description - or expose - on the behaviour encountered in restaurants. The waiter himself is not a very interesting character, and has little in the way of redeeming personality traits.He also seems to have a chip on his shoulder rather than any semblance of a sense of humor. Maybe the blog is better, but this doesn't make me want to read it. The whole going-to-the-seminary thing put me off at the beginning, so I fee like this guy has a lot of issues.

I got a lot of insight into the world behind the swinging kitchen door in this book, which make me crack up out loud sometimes and rub my chin in thought at others, impressed by some of his observations. He can be a witty, sarcastic SOB from time to time (his background includes studying to be a priest -- to being the recipient of a lap dance in the back room of a stripclub. what a versatile guy!), which I love. But, I didn't find the book to be consistent. The editor definitely didn't do his/her job here because the pacing is all over the place. I do recommend Waiter Rant, however, especially for the stories about horribly rude customers that remind of me of how I've probably behaved sitting in a restaurant seat. I promise I won't act that way any more.