I won a copy of this through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. Based on the title, I was quite excited to read a gritty, outrageous account of the underground artI won a copy of this through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. Based on the title, I was quite excited to read a gritty, outrageous account of the underground artists who influenced so much of our culture today. Instead, it was a dense and long book that somehow made this exciting era seem, well, not exciting. I applaud the author for tracking down so many long-lost people and artists who were part of the various New York art scenes. And the author was quite thorough in piecing together the connections between the different scenes that were happening simultaneously. However, I ultimately gave up reading because, while the information was right, the spirit was not. The account was too straightforward, without the artistry needed to truly capture the "glitter" that was promised in the title. I was bored....more
This novel read more like a collection of short stories, with each chapter focusing on a different person related to the newspaper. I liked this formaThis novel read more like a collection of short stories, with each chapter focusing on a different person related to the newspaper. I liked this format because it gave you nice snippets of stories that tied up well from chapter to chapter. It also made things interesting when the characters showed up again in a more periphery way in later chapters -- you already had a deep insight into their character that made you see them differently when they appeared again. And that seems to be part of the author's point -- you can see people only in a shallow way and make assumptions about them by watching how they interact with others (as we tend to do in real life with people we encounter frequently but don't truly know), or you can see things from their point of view, if only temporarily, and truly understand how their personal motivations and circumstances affect their actions. It's a very interesting book that makes you reexamine the way you perceive the people around you. Beyond this, as a former newspaper reporter, I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into a newsroom, and I recognized many of the characters as being similar to people I had worked with over the years -- it was quite accurate in that respect....more
I won this book through a First Reads giveaway, and I'm glad I did, because I might not have picked it up otherwise. I can tell that this is a book I'I won this book through a First Reads giveaway, and I'm glad I did, because I might not have picked it up otherwise. I can tell that this is a book I'll be thinking and talking about for a long time. I love watching NBA basketball, but I knew very little about the grassroots system that recruits and grooms young players to reach the pros. Dohrmann spent years hanging out with a coach and his players to write this in-depth account of the grassroots system, which was quite an undertaking, and he provides an extremely eye-opening account of the process. I was angered by the way the sports companies, coaches and others involved in the system took advantage of these kids, exploiting their talent and dreams of college and the NBA just to make money. I really hope this book gets a lot of attention when it is released -- and that it spurs the NBA to do something to change this flawed system. Sadly, I know that's unlikely to happen, but I can only hope....more
I won a free copy of this book through First Reads (thanks Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ!). The topic sounded fascinating and quirky, and it is, but unfortunately I was nI won a free copy of this book through First Reads (thanks Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ!). The topic sounded fascinating and quirky, and it is, but unfortunately I was not impressed with the writing or storytelling in this book. It probably would have worked as a long magazine article, but as a book, it was a bit slow, there wasn't much "there" there, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the way the author portrayed his characters. He talked multiple times about how the people and the town of Calcata were the oddest in Italy, but he didn't really show me the people's quirks as much as I would have liked -- I only got surface details rather than getting a real feel for the town. I also agree with someone else's review that the ending was unsatisfying....more
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