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k80bowman's review against another edition
5.0
After reading What Should I Do With My Life, I was excited to see Bronson's new book come out. And I was not disappointed. I actually got the opportunity to go hear him speak during the tour for this book and it was great. The stories from his book are ones that stick with you and you find yourself randomly thinking about months, years after you've read them.
yetilibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This scores four stars and a "highly recommended" rating because the stories of the families Bronson interviews are fascinating, genuine, and instructive in their own way. There is an incredible diversity of experience here that is hard to find in similar projects. The book is at its best when Bronson lets these stories flow on their own, without interjecting his own commentary, and fortunately that's what happens for most of the book.
The problem is when Bronson does inject his own commentary, often little more than unedited rants: these moments derail the narrative flow of the book, and ultimately feel like he's trying to make each family's story somehow about him and his agenda (I could hear his many axes grinding in the background). Most of his assertions aren't backed up by any statistical data, and even when they are, instead of providing a footnote, he simply refers the reader to his website, which is at best extraordinarily lazy (at worst it's rank self-promotion covering up for a lack of research). At the beginning of each chapter he poses a question, which I imagine some readers will find interesting and others (like me) will find unnecessary; I ignored them, for the most part.
Bronson also mentions, during his interjections, that near the end he will tell the reader some of his own story. He'll occasionally mention the hard lives of his grandparents, and repeatedly pats himself on the back for overcoming his relationship fears (and his child-free Manhattanite friends, who are somehow representative of all of humanity) to get married and have children. And yet, the story he tells at the end of the book is about his relationship with his brother. It's a good and interesting story, but not at all what the breadcrumbs he scattered throughout the book led the reader to expect. It feels more like sloppiness than a bait-and-switch, once again affirming that if there's anything this book needed, it was a good editor.
Nonetheless, the stories of the families are so interesting, so varied, and ultimately well-told on their own, and that earns it its high rating and recommendation. I especially recommend this to people who are in the midst of family troubles of their own and unsure of how to handle them--this book won't tell you what to do, but it will make you feel less alone in your struggles, and it will show you the range of solutions different people have tried (whether or not they worked). And you can skip Bronson's editorializing--you won't miss anything, really.
The problem is when Bronson does inject his own commentary, often little more than unedited rants: these moments derail the narrative flow of the book, and ultimately feel like he's trying to make each family's story somehow about him and his agenda (I could hear his many axes grinding in the background). Most of his assertions aren't backed up by any statistical data, and even when they are, instead of providing a footnote, he simply refers the reader to his website, which is at best extraordinarily lazy (at worst it's rank self-promotion covering up for a lack of research). At the beginning of each chapter he poses a question, which I imagine some readers will find interesting and others (like me) will find unnecessary; I ignored them, for the most part.
Bronson also mentions, during his interjections, that near the end he will tell the reader some of his own story. He'll occasionally mention the hard lives of his grandparents, and repeatedly pats himself on the back for overcoming his relationship fears (and his child-free Manhattanite friends, who are somehow representative of all of humanity) to get married and have children. And yet, the story he tells at the end of the book is about his relationship with his brother. It's a good and interesting story, but not at all what the breadcrumbs he scattered throughout the book led the reader to expect. It feels more like sloppiness than a bait-and-switch, once again affirming that if there's anything this book needed, it was a good editor.
Nonetheless, the stories of the families are so interesting, so varied, and ultimately well-told on their own, and that earns it its high rating and recommendation. I especially recommend this to people who are in the midst of family troubles of their own and unsure of how to handle them--this book won't tell you what to do, but it will make you feel less alone in your struggles, and it will show you the range of solutions different people have tried (whether or not they worked). And you can skip Bronson's editorializing--you won't miss anything, really.
eileen_critchley's review against another edition
2.0
Some of these stories I really enjoyed and some felt really disjointed (like "The Tornado").
sweetpeppah's review against another edition
3.0
entertaining, well-told stories, but he's trying to hard to create a lesson or theme. i think the family stories can stand on their own without trying to jam them into an adage.
solakai's review against another edition
5.0
Bronson went all over the country interviewing families from all walks of life... The stories are engaging... definitely worth a read...
kallbri's review against another edition
5.0
After Nurtureshock, I was hoping to find more writing by Po Bronson. Then I stumbled across this during checkins one day. I love that not one of the stories are the same in any way. The love he shows through each story is entirely specific to each individual. It really shows that you cannot expect any type of love, because everyone is different. Many times I wanted to cry, but I was listening to the audiobook and would always get close to my destination when the tears started to come. I really enjoy Bronson's research and interest in human behavior.
sarahbotreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book fell down for me where Bronson's other book, "What Should I Do With My Life?" succeeded - neither provided any easy answers, just questions. But this book felt more like a series of anecdotes than illustrative examples - I couldn't see myself or my family here, because these were all such extreme stories.
catzkc's review
5.0
Inspiring stories of how people have worked through family difficulties. A couple of stories towards the end felt rushed, incomplete. Overall, worth your time.
crystalisreading's review against another edition
2.0
meh. it was okay. nothing as rapturous as my enjoyment of What Should I Do with My Life, probably due to the fact that this time around his purpose/ thesis was much less defined. He admitted himself several times throughout the book that he struggled knowing what to include/ what his purpose was, and it showed. Plus, in expounding on his opinions about family and what it means, he got kinda preachy.
on the other hand, it wasn't a bad book, and I really enjoyed a few of the stories. it was especially interesting to have two of them set very close by to my new hometown, in my new state--so it gave me a little more perspective on those stories. But still, while I don't regret reading it, I doubt I'll reread this book.
on the other hand, it wasn't a bad book, and I really enjoyed a few of the stories. it was especially interesting to have two of them set very close by to my new hometown, in my new state--so it gave me a little more perspective on those stories. But still, while I don't regret reading it, I doubt I'll reread this book.