Customer Reviews

Ruminations on College Life

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Wow...look at all those other reviews. Those people are seriously deluded about the nature of this book.

People, let me be straight with you. I attend school at the University of Pennsylvania. Or, as we call it, Penn. Yes, it is the "Social Ivy". No, we don't JUST binge drink (although it does happen).

If you want proof that this guy went to class, look at the fact that he actually graduated. From Wharton. The best business school in the nation. Then, he published a book about it. Calm down.

This is a fun little book. It is entertaining, it makes light of a lot of college problems, and no one who has been in college in the past decade or so is going to find it that offensive. It's entertainment, nothing more.

It doesn't purport to be a survival guide for college, and it wasn't intended to be. Instead, it was intended to be what it is. An amusing series of anecdotes about drinking at Penn. It also teaches an important lesson. Which is that Penn is no different from other college campuses.

Take it for what it is, people. Don't get all preachy.

I recommend it. It's entertaining. Pick it up. Then pass it on. I am.

Harkius

You know when you're watching a tv show that is supposed to depict a college scene, and the actors look like they're 40...and in real life, they are married with like seven kids? Well, that's the way most college books tend to relate to college. Like they are written by someone much older who is envisioning what college MUST be like these days.

What is so great about this book is that Aaron Karo speaks not only as a real college student, but someone with the wit and intelligence needed to point out the idiocy and humor in the most fundamental parts of fraternity and campus life. I found myself laughing not only from reading the book, but from envisioning what he's talking about...either myself or one of my friends has been, at one time or another, in the situations he smartly describes.

It's a great book...for everyone. A lot of fun. And it's true - every word of it.

It's sometimes nice to hear of novels that have humble beginnings and explore a part of life that doesn't get much attention or repsect. Aaron Karo wrote "Ruminations on college life" after writing a letter to all of his friends once a week on college life at the University of Pennsylvania. It started out as a letter to 11 friends that snowballed by the time he graduated.
The novel highlights several parts of college life, such as the drinking, the residence halls, the greek life, night activities, studying abroad and the transition to going home. at turns were laughs on every page.
I guess the reason why i liked it so much as because it looked at two groups that society does'nt really pay much attention to: youth and college students. and it seems like every portrayal of youth has it at one end of the spectrum or the other. in other words, youth is either a tragic lost generation or trying to save the world and find a cure for AIDS. These characters are just kids on the transition from childhood to adulthood and enjoy the ride. Karo doesn't fall into either one and simply describes his endeavors during his undergraduate education. It's honest and humorous. The humor is derived from his life without the drama and trouble.
There is no plot and the chapters are short. There is no real logic in the book, either. But that's what makes it so much fun to read. Life does not have a beginning, middle or end and doesn't follow Freytags pyramid. Life is more of a series of short chapters. And the characters sort of flow in and out of the book,just as characters do in real life. I have met a lot of people while in college. Some of them i keep in contact with, although most provide me with a brief lesson or examination on human condition for a short period of time.
I'm not quite for sure if the book provides a profile for all college students. For one, I had a lot more to be concerned about. But the book isn't meant to be applied to every college student . It just describes karo's experienced. The book is fun to read and anyone i think will like it. whether you're looking foward to college, an old veteran, don't plan or going, or if you're in school, there's something in this book that everyone can relate to.
The humble beginnings of "Ruminations" has given it the title of being a cult classic. and that it is.

at the request of the man himself, i'm going to write a little review for one of the funniest and truest books i have ever read.
ruminations is a basic overview for all college life, from the crazy drunken nights of underage freshman to the quasi-return to normal life with the family where the college kid has to remember who the rulemakers are (the ones who, of course, fund the "education"- or as Mr. Karo put it, the drinking habits). you will laugh out loud and you will enjoy this book. while i haven't personally joined a frat and engaged in the wild drunken behavior that runs throughout the book, i have been witness to MANY fine examples of typical college behavior- Aaron Karo tells it like it is. and parents should probably give this book a read, too, if only to look back on their own experiences with a smile. thank you Aaron Karo.

This book is extremely funny. Perfect gift for any college student!

An absolutely hilarious book! Karo seems to record all the strange (and sometimes empty) thoughts going through a college kids head....with every page it was like he had been there with me through my college experiences, from freshman year roommates to senior year fun. Everyother "college" book I've read was cute and amusing but this is outright funny because it is all so true! I've ordered copys for my brother and sister so they can enjoy it during their college days!

I started this book on friday afternoon and finished friday night. I could not put this book down. I was laughing so hard my stomache hurt. This is a great book and I encourage anyone who wants to know what really takes place in college to get yourself a copy of ruminations on college life.

I bought this book in college and found it to be very entertaining. Now that I've been out of college for a few years I find myself reading through it less and less. This is the kind of book you get as a gift for someone entering college or who's in college. It now sits in a basket on the back of my toilet for 'bathroom' reading time.

I purchased this book even though I had read each of Karo's "ruminations" when I was in college. I was one of the many on his e-mail distribution (the original form of these ruminations). I used love when his next update would arrive!

Now, that I have been out of college for over 6 years, reading these ruminations take me back. They help me remember what I loved about college. The fact that I knew kids like Karo described and I sometimes partied a bit too much make it pretty easy to relate.

There are many times when you will read this book that you will laugh out loud. I loved reading the ruminations that I still remembered, (the steam room of a bathroom, asking the Med student to help an injured friend, etc.). I recommend this book for people that partied in college or are currently partying in college and want to read a light and entertaining book.

if you go away to college then you will understand this book. i think it's great and i couldn't put it down until i was done. karo says what every college student experiences, thinks, and wonders about in the simplest ways and is pretty damn funny too. if you don't like this book then, obviously, you are not getting the full college experience and need to start having fun and enjoying the best four years of your life.