The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 (Paperback)

~ Dave Eggers (Editor), Beck (Introduction)
Key Phrases: Pranab Kaku, Wild Mustang, Big Dave (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fourth installment in the ubiquitous Eggers' series collecting offbeat magazine writing chosen by Bay Area teenagers underscores the continued blurring between fiction and nonfiction in contemporary American writing. Of 24 selections, 21 are written in first person, and much of the book has the feeling of memoir. Of the three exceptions, two are forgettable, but "Lost Boys," by Jeff Gordiner, is a fascinating piece of reportage (for Details) on the hundreds of young men weeded out of polygamous families along the Utah border, presumably to leave more wives for their elders. Other first-rate nonfiction pieces include Al Franken's account of his USO tour of Iraq (Mother Jones), Tish Durkin's profile of a mercenary soldier (Rolling Stone) and William T. Vollmann's gonzo search for Chinese tunnels in Mexico (Harper's). The fiction is more uneven, but varied stories by Jhumpa Lahiri, Molly McNett and Douglas Trevor make vivid impressions, and two, by Stephen Elliott and Rattawutt Lapcharoensap explore the older-and-younger-brother relationship, a subject dear to Eggers. This year, Eggers puts the cartoon and "filler" material into his forward, which is skippable (except for the young editors' self-written profiles), as is the short introduction by musician Beck.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Once again, aided by an advisory board of high-school students, Eggers has selected an eclectic mix of short stories, reportage, essays, and humor--the variety so great that its inclusion into the genre-specific Best American series seems like a sly wink. It's hard to review a work that includes Al Franken's "Tearaway Burkas and Tinplate Menorahs," his account of a USO tour in Iraq, alongside George Saunders' beautiful and moving short story "Bohemians." It's also difficult to say exactly who should read this fine, provocative collection. The audience may be youngish, but it would be ridiculous to suggest their parents (or even grandparents) wouldn't enjoy pieces such as William T. Vollmann's "They Came Out like Ants!" which chronicles his fascinating and funny quest to locate Chinese tunnels in Mexicali (also included in this year's Best American Travel Writing). If there's a wrong note, it's that musician Beck was commissioned to write a three-page introduction, thereby securing his name for the cover. They don't need a rock star to sell writing that rocks. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 2005 ed. edition (October 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618570489
• ISBN-13: 978-0618570485
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,957 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Nonrequired Reading So Far, December 23, 2005

By	My Uncle Stu (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I'm a fan of short stories and essays in general because I tend to finish a good 60 to 70% of the ones I start. Contrast that to novels and non-fiction monographs, where, secondary to undertreated ADHD and a busy schedule, I probably complete less than 10% of books I start. That's okay, I like accumulating books with bookmarks a third of the way in. An unfinished book is like a totem, a sacred symbol of potential wisdom, something to anticipate. But still, there is something satisfying and confidence boosting about reading something completely in one sitting.

I like this series, the adolescents we are told do the selections must have a keen eye for talent. Unlike other reviewers, I was not bothered by some of the overlap, in particular multiple stories about sibling rivalry. It's a pretty big theme in the lives of most people with siblings, and its effects resonate in multiple realms of our relationships and interactions. Perhaps it's closer to the surface for the Bay area teenagers who made these selections. That's fine. Personally, I'm glad they didn't throw out any of these stories in the name of variety and balance. Oh, by the way, have you gotten into Sudoku yet? You really should.

I particularly enjoyed Molly McNett's work, I hope we'll hear more from her, as well as the contributions by Franken, Saunders, Vollmann, Dickinson, and Boudinot. Big fan, big fan. So far, 2005 is the best edition of this series.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best, December 24, 2005

By	Michael A. Rogers (Fort Campbell, KY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The fourth edition of David Eggers Best American Nonrequired Reading is an impressive collection of twenty four of the year's finest fiction, essays, and memoirs. Culled from a mountain of publications and assembled by a group of teenagers at Eggers' 826 Valencia; a non-profit writing lab, drop-in tutoring center and the Bay Area's only independent pirate supply shop, this collection is a refreshing approach to modern American literature.
Covering a huge spread of interests and emotions Best American has everything from William T. Vollmann's (The Came Out Like Ants!) search for subterranean Chinese casinos and opium dens hidden under the streets of Mexicali since the nineteenth century to the almost familiar lives of Douglas Trevor (Girls I Know) and Ryan Boudinot (Free Burgers For Life). Completely devoid of clichés and tired literary devices every page of the genre-less Best American will have you awaiting next year's collection.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Series, January 4, 2006

By	Bruce Boeck "Fearless Reader" (Normal, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love most of the "Best American" series, but I eagerly look forward to the "Nonrequired Reading" title. This volume is one of the best, with wonderful, quirky, hard to find stories that range all over the place. Selected by high schoolers, it gives me hope for the future that this is what our youth find of interest.