Customer Reviews

The Good Times

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

 

 

I was forced to read this book for one of my journalism classes and I had the 'typical' student attitude: 'I will skim through this book and guess my way through the paper'. I decided to read the first and last chapters of the book to get a basic understanding and then skim the rest. I started the book and realized that I could not put it down. This language in this book was very natural and the stories that were told were interesting. Being a journalism student, I was fasinated seeing all of the hardships that Baker went through to become the famed reporter that he is today. For once an assigned book that was actually interesting and worth reading.

While I was "forced" to read "Growing Up"--part one of Russell Baker's autobiography--by my high school English teacher, I anxiously sought out this sequel. Baker's descriptions of the everyday life of a reporter makes for an intriguing book. While he has a tendency to romanticize situations, Baker provides enough details to give a clear picture of the type of challenges that reporters constantly face, especially early on in their careers. Baker's writing style is clean and straightforward without being simple. (I would zip through 20-30 pages at one sitting without even realizing it.) This is one of the few books I've read more than once and boy, do I wish he'd write another "chapter" of his autobiography. If you like the so called "adventures" of a reporter, an effortless history lesson, and lots of behind-the-scenes stuff, buy this book.

A gently but lively autobiographical memoire. For me, reading this book was a rare case of pure enjoyment, and one which I expect to repeat about once a year until ... .

...I was surprised at how dated some of his 'contemporary style' writing has become. I used to read and enjoy his column in the NY Times every Sunday. I realize the man is from an older generation (most of the book takes place in the 50's, when he was in his late twenties); many of his phrases and patterns of speech reflect that 'gee-whiz-bang' time. Unfortunately, no one says 'Gee-whiz-bang' anymore. Baker also tends to repeat himself a bit, and his name-by-name tribute to every good (and bad) newspaperman he could think of won't mean much to the layman.
Don't get me wrong--I couldn't put the book down, and some of his personality portraits of the leading politicians of the day were illuminating. Baker's own humility is overly self-conscious, but most definitely genuine.
Remember that reviews you read of this book by other publications--especially newspapers--will really tend to gush over this.
But buy it anyway--it's a good, solid read.