Customer Reviews

Excellence: Sons of Xavier Forever

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Even though I did not attend a Catholic High School myself I feel like I have lived the experience after reading "Excellence: Sons of Xavier Forever". Mr Brennan's writing brought me right back to the days when the most important things I had to worry about were passing the chemistry regents, which hair band was the coolest, and where everybody was hanging out on friday night. "Excellence" is a breath of fresh air, and a fun read.

I can only hope George Brennan, Jr will follow up with his college years.

I loved this book! It was funny and never dull. Despite all of the misfortune and betrayal in the church today, it was such a breathe of fresh air to read about someone who pays homage to his Catholic faith and Jesuit educators. Bravo! It would have been boring to read about the valedictorian bragging, but instead, we follow the slow maturation of the struggling student who finds out in the end that there is a place in the crowd for everyone to succeed. As an author, George Brennan, Jr. has done more than just succeed, he has inspired. His writing style is very JD Salinger meets Mitch Albom. If you want to read a book that will make you laugh, make you happy and not bog you down for months to just finish it, then this is the book for you.

A fun book. A good share of laughs and a fun read. It is refreshing to read something true that is funny, informative and not intellectually insulting. George Brennan, Jr. is a gifted writer who lures you in with brutal honesty and self examination while maintaining a great sense of humor along the way. This book would transcend well on to the big or small screen. This could be the new millenium answer to the Catcher in the Rye.

As a classmate of the author's at Xavier, I found this book factual and funny. The experiences are true to form - much of which I had forgotten but thanks to George Brennan are now fresh in my mind as if they happened yesterday. The passion of the teachers, quality of the education inside and outside of the classroom, and the camaraderie of the students is what separates Xavier from other schools. Xavier truly fulfills its promise to turn boys into men and as a Son of Xavier becoming "Men for Others". Great job, George Brennan, an inspiring story.

In his first foray into publishing, George Brennan, Jr. has given readers a book they'll want to both enjoy themselves and share with their teens. Excellence: Sons of Xavier Forever (1st Books Library, November 2003, paperback, 140 pages) is Brennan's tribute to the life he led as a student at Manhattan's prestigious Xavier High School. Combining the dual disciplines of military and Jesuit education, Xavier is renowned for its academic excellence.

With wit and insight, George Brennan, Jr. offers his reader an insight into the life of a Xavier student. Brennan credits the institution with preparing him to face the many challenges life has thrown his way. His freshman effort at writing is results in a book that is both enjoyable for adults and appropriate for young adults. Readers have described the book as both amusing and inspirational.

This book has become somewhat of a cult classic around the New York City neighborhoods. After a friend of mine lent it to me for a recent beach excursion, by the way he too is a graduate of this prestigious school, I soon realized the magnitude of this book. It was so enjoyable, on both a historical and humorous front, that I only wished I could have been part of this experience myself. I am glad the author allowed me to share in his experiences. George Brennan, Jr. is one of the most refreshing, unique and original authors I have read from in many years. He has an incredible gift for incorporating precise detail and alerting you to characters you will need to appreciate before they pass you by. Don't let this book pass you by. It is a sure fire winner.

Terrific book. I can totally see it being optioned into a television series or after school special. I only wish it was longer. I guess I will have to read it twice.

I went to Catholic school as well as this author. Its amazing that we had the same experience but with different schools. It really made me think back. After I finished this book, I read it again. Now thats a good book!