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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I was pleasantly surprised while listening to this adult memoir. I remember seeing the juvenile of the book, Discovering Wes Moore, years ago, and not wanting to read it because of the cover. However, this cover is more approachable for me.
Wes Moore is a successful black man who pulled himself out of a bad Baltimore neighborhood and created a successful life for himself. Rhodes scholarship, traveling to Europe and Africa, US paratrooper, military school--Wes Moore was on a steep uphill climb to success. Doesn't hurt when you look like him either (Google him--it's worth it!).
Wes's curiosity is peaked when he reads in the newspaper of a man named Wes Moore arrested for shooting a cop. Both young men grew up in similar neighborhoods--how did they end up so different? And so he began visiting the other Wes in prison, interviewing friends and family members, and the result is this book.
I never felt like I was being preached at, which is what I was afraid of. Why did one man succeed and the other failed? Supportive family members? The one teacher who reached out? Through the telling of their stories, Wes doesn't make the judgements for the reader--but I kept noticing things. As I heard about the other Wes Moore, I kept thinking, "Oh, no, don't choose to do that." I learned more about poor urban America--something I only see from the view of an elevated train in most cities. This is a good nonfiction listen!
And usually I can't stand when authors read their own works--in fact, I usually shy away from those. But Wes Moore has a voice like a professional--deep, smooth, and emotional.
Wes Moore is a successful black man who pulled himself out of a bad Baltimore neighborhood and created a successful life for himself. Rhodes scholarship, traveling to Europe and Africa, US paratrooper, military school--Wes Moore was on a steep uphill climb to success. Doesn't hurt when you look like him either (Google him--it's worth it!).
Wes's curiosity is peaked when he reads in the newspaper of a man named Wes Moore arrested for shooting a cop. Both young men grew up in similar neighborhoods--how did they end up so different? And so he began visiting the other Wes in prison, interviewing friends and family members, and the result is this book.
I never felt like I was being preached at, which is what I was afraid of. Why did one man succeed and the other failed? Supportive family members? The one teacher who reached out? Through the telling of their stories, Wes doesn't make the judgements for the reader--but I kept noticing things. As I heard about the other Wes Moore, I kept thinking, "Oh, no, don't choose to do that." I learned more about poor urban America--something I only see from the view of an elevated train in most cities. This is a good nonfiction listen!
And usually I can't stand when authors read their own works--in fact, I usually shy away from those. But Wes Moore has a voice like a professional--deep, smooth, and emotional.
What started as an immersive read fell totally flat by the end. I enjoyed Moore’s storytelling, especially about his and Other Wes’s childhoods, but he avoided any clear call to action or vision of how to change the systems at play. Is he calling for… prioritizing fatherhood? A healthier celebration of masculinity? I wish he’d say it with his chest instead of just petering out into an extended campaign ad at the end
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This book captured me a world that is somewhat unfamiliar to myself, but all too familiar for many children growing up in inner city neighborhoods. This book is an eye opener to the realities of raising and supporting children in an environment littered with drugs and violence.
Reading this book taught me the importance of connection and expectation with children. I was engulfed in the stories of both Weses, and it was hard to watch their adult lives diverge so drastically.
The reason that I give this book a 4-star rating is the fact that I wanted to hear me. I was hoping to hear more stories about each human being. It is very impressive the amount of time the author, Wes Moore, put into interviewing has counterpart and creating a seemingly complete narrative depicting his life
Reading this book taught me the importance of connection and expectation with children. I was engulfed in the stories of both Weses, and it was hard to watch their adult lives diverge so drastically.
The reason that I give this book a 4-star rating is the fact that I wanted to hear me. I was hoping to hear more stories about each human being. It is very impressive the amount of time the author, Wes Moore, put into interviewing has counterpart and creating a seemingly complete narrative depicting his life
Its not a bad book. The idea of two men growing up in similar circumstances with different outcomes is interesting. I just grew bored. My bad.
I think it’s shy of 4 stars, interesting story, thoughtful, reflective. Since I’m reading it for class i have a different lens, so I think it serves as a good illustration of how environments dictate some futures. The only thing that I personally am unsure how I feel about is the high military praise, but I understand that it was important for the story of the author so I’ll reflect on it.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
A pretty interesting read, but Wes seemed to jump over a lot of the interesting details of his own life to wrap the book up quickly