Heinrich does his best to combine science writing, nature writing, the physiology of running, and entymology. The only part I liked was the running. Granted, I know enough science and nature that I didn’t learn anything new from his writing, not even new perspectives on old things, but he failed in one critical aspect. He didn’t make me care either about him or the places he was writing about. Except the fact that he came from a family of Nazis and refused to admit it. February 2008.
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To Hate Like This is to be Happy Forever by Will Blythe *** (of 4)
One of the great first chapters in literature. Blythe’s book is a rant about basketball, specifically Duke vs. North Carolina. At the book’s opening he draws upon Greek Myth, Shakespeare, the Civil War, class conflict in America, Democrats vs. Republicans, Uma Thurman, Ichabod Crane, Mr. Rogers, Brideshead Revisited, and most of all how much he hates Duke because he is a fan of North Carolina. Remarkably, Blythe keeps up his hatred and his seriously educated investigation of philosophy and religion for the whole book. All the while talking about college B-ball. A rant this long, however, grows shrill. Make the book seventy pages shorter and it could have been a masterpiece. January 2008. -
Game Time by Roger Angell *** (of 4)
A collection of Angell’s best stories about baseball. Vintage Angell. He’s one of the greatest writers in the English language on any topic.