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susanbrooks's review
3.0
A charming social history of the guitar. I was less interested in the physical side of the author's guitar being created.
chrisrubenwinters's review
3.0
Brookes does a good job of recounting the history of the guitar in America and touches upon interesting details that I, as a guitar student in college, didn't even know about. Brookes' history is interspersed with a personal narrative about the construction of his own custom-made guitar by a luthier, but this account functions mainly as a springboard for the discussion of guitar construction. The format works better than it did in [b:The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World|35820369|The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs A New History of a Lost World|Stephen Brusatte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515529573l/35820369._SY75_.jpg|56364062], which I also have reviewed.
I'd be lying if I said that certain elements of the book didn't frustrate me. In light of the changing American social climate, certain passages have not aged well. While Brookes gives female guitarists their due, there's some annoying gender stereotyping sprinkled throughout, including at the very beginning. The connection of the guitar to African-American history and American racial politics is discussed, but Brookes sometimes reprints historical figures' virulent racism with little warning, which I found off-putting. Brookes' attempts at humor in the glossary came off to me as cringe-inducing. Typographical errors appeared throughout the text with surprising frequency.
Are there better texts on the subject out there? I couldn't tell you, because I haven't done enough research. Guitar: An American Life can be an enjoyable read if examined with a critical eye. I don't regret having read it, but I am glad that I borrowed a library copy.
I'd be lying if I said that certain elements of the book didn't frustrate me. In light of the changing American social climate, certain passages have not aged well. While Brookes gives female guitarists their due, there's some annoying gender stereotyping sprinkled throughout, including at the very beginning. The connection of the guitar to African-American history and American racial politics is discussed, but Brookes sometimes reprints historical figures' virulent racism with little warning, which I found off-putting. Brookes' attempts at humor in the glossary came off to me as cringe-inducing. Typographical errors appeared throughout the text with surprising frequency.
Are there better texts on the subject out there? I couldn't tell you, because I haven't done enough research. Guitar: An American Life can be an enjoyable read if examined with a critical eye. I don't regret having read it, but I am glad that I borrowed a library copy.
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