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bfraynt 's review for:
Short version: I really, really enjoyed this book (which may be evidenced by the fact that I devoured it in two days), and it confirmed my strong belief that Bill Bryson is someone I would very much enjoy inviting over to dinner. I docked one star because there were a couple of passages that were very similar (if not reused) from A Walk in the Woods, but they were few and far between.
I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a reprinted collection of series of editorials Bryson wrote for the Times in London when he moved back to the US after a 20 year absence in the 1990's. In typical Bryson fashion, the essays are extremely funny(to the point where strangers in my gym were actively staring at me while I was laughing out loud reading this on the treadmill) but manage to sneak in a great deal of interesting information and poignancy, as well as point out real problems in American society in a mild-mannered, hard-to-take-offense kind of way. I particularly enjoyed Bryson's descriptions of his adventures in airports, as well as his take on hemorrhoid cream commercials.
The other stunning thing about this book is, even though it was written just about 20 years ago, many of the issues Bryson discusses are the same (or worse) than when the book was written. And he really hits on most of the hot-button issues in the news today: energy consumption, pollution, and global warming, corporate and government spying on citizens, gun violence, immigration, the decline of small-town America and independently owned businesses, and even obesity and junk food. Which leads me to one of two conclusions: Bryson had an awesome crystal ball when writing his column, or, (which is both more probable and depressing), we haven't learned much about solving our problems since the 90's.
Highly, highly recommend.
I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a reprinted collection of series of editorials Bryson wrote for the Times in London when he moved back to the US after a 20 year absence in the 1990's. In typical Bryson fashion, the essays are extremely funny(to the point where strangers in my gym were actively staring at me while I was laughing out loud reading this on the treadmill) but manage to sneak in a great deal of interesting information and poignancy, as well as point out real problems in American society in a mild-mannered, hard-to-take-offense kind of way. I particularly enjoyed Bryson's descriptions of his adventures in airports, as well as his take on hemorrhoid cream commercials.
The other stunning thing about this book is, even though it was written just about 20 years ago, many of the issues Bryson discusses are the same (or worse) than when the book was written. And he really hits on most of the hot-button issues in the news today: energy consumption, pollution, and global warming, corporate and government spying on citizens, gun violence, immigration, the decline of small-town America and independently owned businesses, and even obesity and junk food. Which leads me to one of two conclusions: Bryson had an awesome crystal ball when writing his column, or, (which is both more probable and depressing), we haven't learned much about solving our problems since the 90's.
Highly, highly recommend.