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loujoseph's review against another edition
3.0
okay stuff.. kind of pre-npr sort of writing, a bit too clever in a dumb way.
pantsreads's review against another edition
3.0
I love reading these books because of their atypical collections. The amount of "different" material in this series is wonderful, and although I sometimes don't like what I read, I feel better for having read it.
amberhayward's review against another edition
3.0
I like that this book was assembled by high school kids. I think that have weird taste, good taste, taste that is trying to be too mature, and bad taste. My favorite essay in here that is pretty much near life changing is "The Futile Pursuit of Happiness". It sounds pretty much like a bummer but I promise it's not! You can find it online if you Google the title. It's something that would be on RadioLab or something, not some emo album (they were still making those in 2004, right?). I also really enjoyed "Transmissions From Camp Trans" which examines the trangender folx and how they fit into or do not fit into current-day feminism. It's a deep and controversial topic but it's pretty accessible in this piece.
pajge's review against another edition
3.5
pretty entertaining. its hard to review stuff like this, everything in it is so varied. some parts were a bore to get through but there were many highlights, authors i most enjoyed were haskell, ehrenreich, peterson, sedaris, and tea. overall would pick one of these collections up again, it was valuable
seapeanut's review against another edition
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2004 (The Best American Series) by Dave Eggers (2004)
inagreenshade's review against another edition
4.0
"What You Eat"by Ben Ehrenreich is one of the best short stories I have read recently. It is disturbing with an ambiguous ending, and I can't stop thinking about it. I think it is a modern, dysfunctional retelling of "The Most Dangerous Game."
biglibraryenergy's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't enjoy this one as much as the 2003 collection.
renatasnacks's review against another edition
4.0
As always, a solid anthology with a few wonderful 5-star pieces and a few "what?" 2/3-star pieces. Overall: four stars? Oh and don't skip the introduction because Dave Eggers laced it with awesome microfiction.
eirenophile's review against another edition
3.0
Still working my way through it. I'm enjoying the short stories, even though they hurt my heart. Especially the Poor Sailor.