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Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Paul Rusesabagina, Eric Greitens, Bobby Muller
nnecatrix's review
2.0
Book #46 for 2018
Old Firehouse Books Summer Bingo Square: A Book of Nonfiction
The Messy Middle Summer Reading Challenge: A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with
Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge: Won't Be Long - Read a collection of short stories or essays
Books Inter Alia: A book that challenges your opinion (that Eric Greitens is a piece of shit)
While I Was Reading: Read a book written by an author from the state where you grew up
Abandoned Book Rescue: A book you didn't want to read in the first place
Better World Books: A book by a politician not in office
Yes, I sought this out specifically to celebrate the resignation of Eric Greitens from the Missouri governorship. No, I didn't actually want to read it. But it did turn out to be interesting in some ways.
I'll start out with the text, some of which was contributed by [a:Paul Rusesabagina|56281|Paul Rusesabagina|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Bobby Muller|4678|Bobby Muller|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Rusesabagina's foreword made me realize that I know practically nothing about the Rwandan genocide. I really need to do something about that. I wonder if [b:Hotel Rwanda|8758528|Hotel Rwanda|Frederic P. Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409361385s/8758528.jpg|13631828] is where I should start, or if I should work up to that. As far as I can tell, Rusesabagina and Muller (who wrote the introduction and is a Vietnam vet and a pacifist) are genuine good guys and haven't been revealed to actually be scumbags like Greitens. But I find myself questioning that due to their association with Greitens, and I don't have any idea if I'm being fair to them.
The thing is, Greitens is a really good -- well, perhaps I should say smooth -- writer. His essays in this book say all the right things, and if this is the kind of rhetoric he used in campaigning -- and why wouldn't it be -- I am not at all surprised that he got elected. However, if you take the time and effort to break down what he's saying and read between the lines, you'll find the usual privileged right-wing bullshit at its core. So yes, this book did challenge my opinion of Greitens, but I ultimately concluded that he's a dangerous conservative who should not be taken at face value.
Okay, now, on to the photography. I was determined to be open-minded about Greitens, especially regarding his talent as a photographer. Hey, even assholes can produce stunning works of art. This book put his work at a disadvantage, though. I don't know whose decision it was to do this layout with a sliver of a photograph being displayed on the edge of the page preceding the page turn. Maybe they thought they were being -- pardon the pun -- edgy? Well, whatever they were trying to accomplish, they kinda ruined the book visually.
Looking past that as best I can, I'd say Greitens has above-average skill as a photographer. Maybe a third of the photos in this book were visually arresting. I can see how some of them would be worthy of prizes or awards. But most of the photos presented here were flat or boring. Too many of them were simple shots of people posed for a standard group photo. And too many of them were of people of color who seemed to be barely suppressing an eyeroll and the thought, "Great, just what we need, a white dude with a camera."
Perhaps I am being unfair. Awareness is key to solving problems, after all. And I admitted just a few paragraphs ago that my awareness of awful things in Rwanda was abysmal. So even if Greitens is not a true artist behind the lens, he did some good here. It's just difficult to reconcile this work with the revenge porn photography that ultimately -- along with an entitled approach to fundraising -- got him pushed out of office.
So, do I still think Eric Greitens is a piece of shit? Well, yeah. Just maybe not a complete piece of shit. But I'm still glad he's no longer the governor of my home state.
Old Firehouse Books Summer Bingo Square: A Book of Nonfiction
The Messy Middle Summer Reading Challenge: A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with
Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge: Won't Be Long - Read a collection of short stories or essays
Books Inter Alia: A book that challenges your opinion (that Eric Greitens is a piece of shit)
While I Was Reading: Read a book written by an author from the state where you grew up
Abandoned Book Rescue: A book you didn't want to read in the first place
Better World Books: A book by a politician not in office
Yes, I sought this out specifically to celebrate the resignation of Eric Greitens from the Missouri governorship. No, I didn't actually want to read it. But it did turn out to be interesting in some ways.
I'll start out with the text, some of which was contributed by [a:Paul Rusesabagina|56281|Paul Rusesabagina|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Bobby Muller|4678|Bobby Muller|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Rusesabagina's foreword made me realize that I know practically nothing about the Rwandan genocide. I really need to do something about that. I wonder if [b:Hotel Rwanda|8758528|Hotel Rwanda|Frederic P. Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409361385s/8758528.jpg|13631828] is where I should start, or if I should work up to that. As far as I can tell, Rusesabagina and Muller (who wrote the introduction and is a Vietnam vet and a pacifist) are genuine good guys and haven't been revealed to actually be scumbags like Greitens. But I find myself questioning that due to their association with Greitens, and I don't have any idea if I'm being fair to them.
The thing is, Greitens is a really good -- well, perhaps I should say smooth -- writer. His essays in this book say all the right things, and if this is the kind of rhetoric he used in campaigning -- and why wouldn't it be -- I am not at all surprised that he got elected. However, if you take the time and effort to break down what he's saying and read between the lines, you'll find the usual privileged right-wing bullshit at its core. So yes, this book did challenge my opinion of Greitens, but I ultimately concluded that he's a dangerous conservative who should not be taken at face value.
Okay, now, on to the photography. I was determined to be open-minded about Greitens, especially regarding his talent as a photographer. Hey, even assholes can produce stunning works of art. This book put his work at a disadvantage, though. I don't know whose decision it was to do this layout with a sliver of a photograph being displayed on the edge of the page preceding the page turn. Maybe they thought they were being -- pardon the pun -- edgy? Well, whatever they were trying to accomplish, they kinda ruined the book visually.
Looking past that as best I can, I'd say Greitens has above-average skill as a photographer. Maybe a third of the photos in this book were visually arresting. I can see how some of them would be worthy of prizes or awards. But most of the photos presented here were flat or boring. Too many of them were simple shots of people posed for a standard group photo. And too many of them were of people of color who seemed to be barely suppressing an eyeroll and the thought, "Great, just what we need, a white dude with a camera."
Perhaps I am being unfair. Awareness is key to solving problems, after all. And I admitted just a few paragraphs ago that my awareness of awful things in Rwanda was abysmal. So even if Greitens is not a true artist behind the lens, he did some good here. It's just difficult to reconcile this work with the revenge porn photography that ultimately -- along with an entitled approach to fundraising -- got him pushed out of office.
So, do I still think Eric Greitens is a piece of shit? Well, yeah. Just maybe not a complete piece of shit. But I'm still glad he's no longer the governor of my home state.
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