Customer Reviews

First Job: A Memoir of Growing Up at Work

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rinker Buck has captured all the excitement, innocence, pluck, and wide-eyed enthusiasm in "First Job." I can't imagine anyone coming of age in the early 1970s who couldn't relate to his story. His ability in describing the lushness of the Berkshires is on a level with James Michener. Without the self-congratulatory sexual conquests, this could have been a near-perfect read. How much sexier the story could have been with just a hint of the romantic entanglements. Seems like an awful lot of explaining to do to the women in his family! That said, I'd still recommend this as a truly fun read. Way to go, Rinky!

What a trip down Rinker Buck's memory lane. I belly-laughed my way through seemingly unbelievable stories, then was shocked at the photo of The Duke and the Beauty. Can all this really be true? What a blast! What a job! And what a tribute to a truly special time and place, that those magical days and lucky people were recognized and captured so beautifully, by a very young man, no less. Bravo, Mr. Buck. Thank you for the best read I've had in a long time!

I read First Job because I was such a great fan of Flight of Passage. This book is just as much fun, I laughed out loud at some parts, and it evokes that time in life when you were stumbling along pretending to be an adult and everything was new, exciting and fun. Poignant descriptions of relationships with mentors, love affairs and screw-ups at work. I couldn't put it down.

I've read Rinker Buck's articles in the newspaper and was interested in this book because of the setting which is my neck of the woods. I had been alerted about the sex scenes.

Wonderful descriptions of the landscape and the people around here, but the details of his affairs spoiled it. Do we really need to read about these? I skipped past them.

The best part may be the interview with John Wayne in Stockbridge. Description of the Red Lion Inn is on the mark, too. Have been to the bar in the basement and it was an interesting place.

Don't skim this book. Enjoy the story while you appreciate how carefully the author choses his words.

I sat down to read Rinker Buck's new book "First Job" the other night and was so impressed with the writing in the first chapter that I realized unless I had the time to sit down and read the whole book I was doing to be a) very frustrated because I didn't have time to continue read it and 2) very behind in other work because I wouldn't be able to put the book down. I also hear that there is a lot of S-E-X in the book, so I certainly don't want to miss any of that. I am what you call a "voracious" reader. I love to read and I love to read great writing, but I simply refuse to skim through, across or around it and not do it the justice it deserves. That's why I'm saving First Job for next week when I have a luxurious few hours on an airplane to read, then a few hours before my next job starts (long story, but trust me)...My review so far is that this is going to be pretty close to being a masterpiece. I might even go back and read Mr. Buck's last book, "Flight of Passage." I might have missed a paragraph or two and even more gems of writing. GREAT BOOK MR. BUCK and I hope you will indulge me when I post a "real" review.

I thought the book lacked content. In well written memoirs a reader searches for a certain down to earth quality. This book rings a false note. The sexual passages seemed as if they were designed to inflate the author's ego rather than provide insight. It seemed written to imply the author was a piece of meat in a lion cage...

This memoir is poorly written. I don't recommend this book to anyone.