Book Review: The Other Wes Moore

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
Wes Moore
Spiegle & Grau, 2011
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

What It's All About

Two boys with the same name, living in similar neighborhoods not very far from each other, without fathers in their lives.  So how come one ended up with a Rhodes Scholar and successful career and the other is serving a life sentence in prison for murder?  Where did things change for these young men who grew up with so many similarities?  Wes Moore chronicles his life and also the other Wes Moore's life, piecing together different periods of their lives and presenting them side by side.  He doesn't offer answers, but shows how each of their lives allowed for different paths at various points in time and where those paths led them.  

My Thoughts

I was drawn into The Other Wes Moore almost immediately.  The story of both men's lives was heartbreaking at times and I would look out at my class as I was reading, wondering which way my students would go.  Although I don't teach in an inner city school, I see the same things with kids being pulled into bad choices and parents who are desperately trying to do their best, but also trying to make enough money to keep a roof over their heads and be there to help with homework.  Would my words be enough today?  Did my short temper earlier just make it easier for someone to take a different path?

What I liked about this book was that the author didn't give a reason for the difference.  He simply showed the differences that were there.  Both boys had many of the same or at least similar experiences, but the author managed to find himself a Rhodes Scholar, interning at the White House, and a successful businessman.

At the beginning of each chapter, snippets of conversations between the Wes's are shared as they discuss different aspects of their lives.  These all take place in prison as the author visits the man who shares his name in prison. They have insightful discussions that cause the author to consider his own beliefs and understanding of the world.

Overall, I think The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates is an important read for everyone, especially people who work with youth.

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Book Review: Why Not Me?

Why Not Me?

Mindy Kaling

Crown Archetype, 2015

Genre: Essays/Memoir/Humor

Source: purchased

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

~What It's About~

Mindy Kaling has penned another humorous set of essays about her life as a woman in the spotlight.  This time her essays have moved on from stories of her childhood and experiences breaking into the business.  She's focused on her life as a celebrity, including essays about days on the set, fashion, her love life, meeting some incredible people (like President Barak Obama!), and her friends.  Her stories are filled with humor that pokes fun at herself and others in a lighthearted way.

~The Good~

I love Mindy Kaling.  I didn't really follow her on The Office, only watching now and then, but I love love love The Mindy Project.  I'm very sad that we don't have Hulu and have considered getting it solely for the the purpose of watching new episodes.  I think she is funny, and, after reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), I know she is smart, resourceful, and a great role model for girls--no matter what they want to do with their lives.

That being said...

~The Not-So-Good~

There are hints at the same strength and intelligence that I found in her first memoir--not to say that this book isn't intelligent.  She pokes fun at people and herself in intelligent ways that are still lighthearted, but I missed seeing the insight that filled her first book.  I felt that was missing in this book.

It was difficult for me to connect to her in Why Not Me? because there was so much focused on being a celebrity--which I'm not.  There were entire essays devoted to fashion, which is fine, but it was a fashion that is not accessible by a vast majority of the public, and it turned me off almost immediately.  I understand that this is her life and that she has worked incredibly hard to get where she is.  She even wrote one essay that focused on her typical day and it was long and harrowing and not easy.  I get that.  She deserves what she has earned, but it was difficult for me to make any connections to her when she wrote about extravagances that are not attainable for most people.  Maybe I'm jealous?  I don't know.  I do know that I felt like the depth of her first book was missing from this one.

~Final Thoughts~

I still love Mindy Kaling and want to be her friend.  I think she's incredible and a wonderful role model for teenage girls who are looking for somebody to idolize.  She stands for hard work and determination and not allowing someone else to dictate the direction you're taking your life.  I love all those qualities and they do peek through here.  If you're going to buy only one of Mindy Kaling's books, I suggest Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me.  If you love love love Mindy Kaling, then borrow Why Not Me? too.  It was well written, but don't expect as much insight as her first.

Want to see my review of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?  Check out the review here.

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