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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Although the subject matter of the book is interesting, the author's writing style annoyed me. Particularly his "unnecessary" and "annoying" overuse of "quotation marks".
The topic of this book seemed very interesting to me: Amish kids are given the chance to live outside the Amish world in an effort to make their decisions to spend their adult lives committed to the Amish church. They're rebellious teenagers who do what other rebellious teenagers do, which was surprising to me. I assumed Amish kids would've been kept so far away from technology that they wouldn't have known what cell phones were.
I have to be honest that I couldn't finish this book. It's broken up into segments that make it hard to read. Some segments are about the history of the Amish church (what people believe, how they worship). There are also segments reporting on the various effect of rumspringa on different families. The author doesn't just cover one family or a few. It's family after family. It was hard for me to get a sense of who anyone was because each little snippet was only a page or so long. Then the family would be gone and he'd be on to a new story. Overall, it was just a bit too dry for my tastes.
I have to be honest that I couldn't finish this book. It's broken up into segments that make it hard to read. Some segments are about the history of the Amish church (what people believe, how they worship). There are also segments reporting on the various effect of rumspringa on different families. The author doesn't just cover one family or a few. It's family after family. It was hard for me to get a sense of who anyone was because each little snippet was only a page or so long. Then the family would be gone and he'd be on to a new story. Overall, it was just a bit too dry for my tastes.
This was a fascinating glimpse into the world of the Amish. The author intersperses firsthand testimonials with his own research and background information. Shachtman deals with a wider variety of issues than you might think would be encompassed by the idea of rumspringa, including the role of women, deeper matters of faith, economy, etc.
Rumspringa, in my opinion, seems a very bizarre idea. Old Order Amish shun the modern English world and yet let their teenagers venture off into it ill-prepared with no restrictions whatsoever. How any of these teens manage to come out of the other side of it without serious repercussions is beyond me. (And some definitely experience those serious repercussions!) To have the world of modern technology, fashion, and ideas opened to you all at once, including drugs, alcohol,and sex, is a completely overwhelming concept.
Furthermore, as a Christian, I have a hard time reconciling this idea of a "free pass" for these years to the idea of living your life for Christ, putting aside the old self and putting on the new self in Christ.
Anyway, if you are at all interested in the Amish, I think you would find this book fascinating and informative.
Rumspringa, in my opinion, seems a very bizarre idea. Old Order Amish shun the modern English world and yet let their teenagers venture off into it ill-prepared with no restrictions whatsoever. How any of these teens manage to come out of the other side of it without serious repercussions is beyond me. (And some definitely experience those serious repercussions!) To have the world of modern technology, fashion, and ideas opened to you all at once, including drugs, alcohol,and sex, is a completely overwhelming concept.
Furthermore, as a Christian, I have a hard time reconciling this idea of a "free pass" for these years to the idea of living your life for Christ, putting aside the old self and putting on the new self in Christ.
Anyway, if you are at all interested in the Amish, I think you would find this book fascinating and informative.
interesting overview of this amish phase of life.
This is a relatively engaging look into Amish culture, and an interesting examination of how it will potentially have to change in light of societal changes outside of Amish communities. The only thing I disliked was the way that quotations were incorporated--they were peppered in randomly throughout sentences, rather than being used in full. Some were even single-word quotations. I felt like this made it a little more challenging to hear the voices of the Amish teenagers that this book attempts to capture. Overall, though, it's an interesting read.
An interesting look at Amish adolescents. I thought the book would be completely directed at Rumspringa, but was happy to find that it also explains other Amish beliefs. Much of what the Old Order Amish believe, or expect, I find to be contradictory. I can see how their lifestyle appears to be both predictable and safe, yet boring and stiffling. Many of the teens in this book held the same ideas - kind of caught in between what their lives have been up to the point of Rumspringa and what it will be after. I respect some of the ideals they stress - humility, hard work, etc. But I'm shocked by others - no education past the age of 14, etc.
Randomly, I am obsessed with the Amish. Not sure why...but the religious group fascinates me. This book is one of many that I have read about the Amish. And ranked in that group of books....it is low on the list, but it is good.
Good: The interviews from actual Amish teenagers and parents.
Bad: a bit too much philosophy. And you don't learn a lot about the religious group...but the teenager part.
The book explores rumspringa. And the irony of the this ultra religious sect allowing its teenagers to experiment with drugs and alcohol.
I would read Amish Society first, if you are looking for a book about the Amish....but if you want to continue your exploration, grab the book.
Good: The interviews from actual Amish teenagers and parents.
Bad: a bit too much philosophy. And you don't learn a lot about the religious group...but the teenager part.
The book explores rumspringa. And the irony of the this ultra religious sect allowing its teenagers to experiment with drugs and alcohol.
I would read Amish Society first, if you are looking for a book about the Amish....but if you want to continue your exploration, grab the book.
This was a fascinating and in-depth look into what it means to be Amish. It was written in 2006, so I’m sure things must have changed a lot since then. The challenges to remain Amish are greatly increasing as the modern world “progresses “. My husband and I are not religious, but recently moved onto a few acres in the country to live a much simpler life and to be as self-sustaining as possible. I understand why the Amish cling to their way of life, but after reading this book, I’m not sure they’re going to be able to continue for much longer. I highly recommend reading this book if you have any interest in their way of life like I did.
This is a good, but limited, book describing how Rumspringa goes for teenage outliers in Amish communities. The things described in this book do happen: some Amish teens drink, often to excess, some have sex, a few use drugs. The analogous period for English young people is, I believe, college. Many people experiment and test their values in college, but only a few go to extremes. It's the same with the Amish. There's nothing wrong with describing the "wilder" end of the spectrum, but it's worth noting that there are many teens whose Rumspringa is quite sedate, and that as the community gets smaller, the activities of the teens get regulated more strictly. This is a good book; it's just an incomplete picture.
Read for my bookclub. It was not the best written book, I wanted to know more about the personal experiences of teens and those who left the Amish Community following their Rumspringa period, but it did peak my interest in Amish culture.