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asurges's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent prose and a tribute to a city that's had its share of tragedy and an ongoing depression. It's also bitingly funny. I recommend this to any of my Michigan friends (along with *Middlesex*) as a book that will make you see a downtrodden city in many lights.
And the section on Kwame Kilpatrick's sexts had me cackling. Oh, MAN.
And the section on Kwame Kilpatrick's sexts had me cackling. Oh, MAN.
angeliquefiske's review against another edition
5.0
This book really struck me. It had its flaws, as any book does. LeDuff comes off as someone who threw on a cape and set off to save the city of Detroit. That thought process is arrogant, but he is a reporter. As a fellow journalist, I can say we are all driven by that at times -- to be the next Bob Woodward, to save the corrupt world. True crusaders in the night.
The saving grace here is that he knows the ridiculousness of his own motivation. He acknowledges it, laughs at it and eventually admits defeat (kind of).
The core of this book is a heartbreaking story that is both expertly written and thoroughly reported. To say it is an unimportant book is naive. It is important, not only to a Detroiter but to anyone who genuinely cares about the future of this country. It addresses the fundamental and systemic problems in Detroit, which can also be found in cities in all regions.
A+, LeDuff. Keep fighting the good fight.
The saving grace here is that he knows the ridiculousness of his own motivation. He acknowledges it, laughs at it and eventually admits defeat (kind of).
The core of this book is a heartbreaking story that is both expertly written and thoroughly reported. To say it is an unimportant book is naive. It is important, not only to a Detroiter but to anyone who genuinely cares about the future of this country. It addresses the fundamental and systemic problems in Detroit, which can also be found in cities in all regions.
A+, LeDuff. Keep fighting the good fight.
wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
all reviews in one place:
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skaitom nakties rezimu
My Opinion: I know nothing of the Detroit as it is today, but if even half the good people described in this book got to something, I’m sure it’s a beautiful place to be. Author describes the crimes, the life, life and death in Detroit, the constant fires, and unreported bodies. And the good people within that do everything they can, people who don’t take life for granted, and try their best to get the most from it not just for themselves, but their family, their neighbor. You can feel the beating heart in these dark stories.
It’s a very fine piece. Probably not for everyone, but I can give a solid 5 out of 5.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
My Opinion: I know nothing of the Detroit as it is today, but if even half the good people described in this book got to something, I’m sure it’s a beautiful place to be. Author describes the crimes, the life, life and death in Detroit, the constant fires, and unreported bodies. And the good people within that do everything they can, people who don’t take life for granted, and try their best to get the most from it not just for themselves, but their family, their neighbor. You can feel the beating heart in these dark stories.
It’s a very fine piece. Probably not for everyone, but I can give a solid 5 out of 5.
emilywv's review against another edition
3.0
I'm fascinated by the evolution of Detroit and by its many stories. In particular, I'm inspired by the potential for urban renewal, by the city lots and old warehouses being reclaimed as farms and fish hatcheries and greenhouses.
But this book isn't about that particular Detroit story. Instead, it's about the heartbreaking tale that Detroit has been telling for much longer: the dark, gritty woundedness of poverty and crime and corruption. And it's told in the (sometimes annoyingly) macho, yet utterly invested, voice of one of its own, Detroit reporter, Charlie LeDuff. Alternately sad and enraging, but riveting the whole way through.
But this book isn't about that particular Detroit story. Instead, it's about the heartbreaking tale that Detroit has been telling for much longer: the dark, gritty woundedness of poverty and crime and corruption. And it's told in the (sometimes annoyingly) macho, yet utterly invested, voice of one of its own, Detroit reporter, Charlie LeDuff. Alternately sad and enraging, but riveting the whole way through.
gonzalez711's review against another edition
5.0
Love this book! I love how Charlie writes the way he speaks, so while you are reading it i couldn't help but hear his voice retelling the story. It is raw and to the point. He spares no details, which is great. He is a great writer and hope he continues to write more!
leslielu67's review against another edition
3.0
At first I thought LeDuff was trying too hard to be edgy, but clearly he knows Detroit and he knows how to dig deep. Poor Detroit.
pr727's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook; Eric Martin did an excellent job - easy to understand, has a voice just gritty and direct enough to add authenticity to this book by a reporter; the Guy-Noir-ish cliche lines work. Very readable and interesting.
barbtrek's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this--well, actually, I really didn't like it because it made me sad because I love Detroit.
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People of Goodreads, did you know Detroit has a 4 story used book store located in an old glove factory!!!: http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/about.html?id=TnCa53jS I didn't learn that from this book, it's just an example of why I love Detroit.
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Anyway.... back to the book. I liked it, but it made me sad. It was partly about Detroit, and partly about the author who grew up in Detroit. The writing got a little "Mitch Albom-ish" at times, not a good thing in my opinion--maybe it's a newsman skew or something but the flowery language just got a little too drippy at times. Also, it sometimes read like a series of essays instead of one cohesive book, but still, there was an overriding subject and a beginning and middle, just not so much an end. But, in all fairness, the story of Detroit is still going on & I hope it gets happier.
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People of Goodreads, did you know Detroit has a 4 story used book store located in an old glove factory!!!: http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/about.html?id=TnCa53jS I didn't learn that from this book, it's just an example of why I love Detroit.
---------
Anyway.... back to the book. I liked it, but it made me sad. It was partly about Detroit, and partly about the author who grew up in Detroit. The writing got a little "Mitch Albom-ish" at times, not a good thing in my opinion--maybe it's a newsman skew or something but the flowery language just got a little too drippy at times. Also, it sometimes read like a series of essays instead of one cohesive book, but still, there was an overriding subject and a beginning and middle, just not so much an end. But, in all fairness, the story of Detroit is still going on & I hope it gets happier.
crummeyforthewin's review against another edition
5.0
Alternatingly hilarious and heartbreaking (and sometimes both at once), Leduff's autopsy of a once great American city is a sobering look at the rot that is hollowing America from the inside out. From rampant greed and corruption, to simple indifference, violence, and hopelessness, Detroit serves as a microcosm of the death of the American Dream, one which, it seems, no one wants to look at. Yet there are glimmers of hope here as well, beautiful actions of some who refuse to give up or give in and seek to make a better lives for themselves, and those coming after them, without utterly destroying others in the process. A fantastic way to put a human face on what is truly going on in America.