Books Journalists Should Read, Definitely

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis


This is the second Michael Lewis book I have read, with a previous review of Moneyball.

Lewis is a bestselling author and journalist, specializing in business journalism. His forte from the two books that I’ve read is transforming complex economic and business issues into easy-to-understand prose. Lewis also displays a wicked sense of humor in this book, sometimes veering toward scathing, but always entertaining. The title alone demonstrates his sense of the absurd. Look at the table of contents and the countries covered—the new Third World includes Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Germany and the United States.

If you’ll notice, three of the five countries Lewis includes in his list have already experienced severe financial meltdown, and some would probably argue that all five are headed in that direction, which is why Lewis considers them part of the new Third World.

This book details his travels into this new Third World to discover why financial meltdown has occurred or is occuring.

Boomerang shows a top-notch reporter’s skills at their best. Using statistics and personal anecdotes, this book details the economics behind the global financial meltdown and the cultural imperatives that drove it.

Whether it was the unregulated ability for Icelanders to become investment bankers—the overconfidence of the traditional fishermen to learn anything quickly—or the idea that Irish from throughout the world would find their way back to Ireland to buy the massive numbers of second homes being built, it’s easy to see how cultural imperatives, lax loan standards and just plain delusion led many of these countries and to financial disaster.

While this book wasn't on the CMA list of books journalists should read, I think it should be added. Lewis tells a compelling story, using great reporting and clear analysis. If that isn't a great example of good communication, especially for young journalists, I don't know what is.

Up next, the previously promised review of Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem.

Books Journalists Should Read, No. Definitely No.

The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan

This is the second Amy Tan book I’ve read. The first one was The Joy Luck Club, which was very similar to the movie of the same name. However, it was easier to understand when you were changing narrators in the movie. Again, Tan uses this device of changing narrators without giving the reader a clear indication of the change. Truly confusing at times.

While Tan gives some great insight into Chinese culture, traditions and history, this book really reads like The Joy Luck Club. Especially in the beginning. After the first few chapters, I had to close the book, look at the cover and make sure I wasn’t reading The Joy Luck Club. Does that make the book repetitive? Well yes. I believe it does, which is one of the biggest problems I see with this book. It just seems like a rehash of The Joy Luck Club in parts, which is why I wouldn’t recommend this book as a must read for journalists. Although not on the College Media Advisers list of books that journalists should read, Tan is an accomplished writer who gives a different perspective from the male-dominated, white, middle-class perspective offered in so many of the books on CMA’s list. But just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s better.

Tan does give some great visual images, and I would recommend The Kitchen God’s Wife to my International and Intercultural Communications class. It would also be a good read for a Women’s studies class. But the storytelling and writing don’t rise to the levels of must read.

Books Journalists Should Read, Definitely No, Unless You're a Hunter Thompson Fan

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson

Disclaimer: I have not watched the movie The Rum Diary starring Johnny Depp.

Instead, I read this book because it was on the list…yes the list of books compiled by members of the College Media Advisers listserv. The list that all journalists should read.

In this case, I’d have to disagree. While The Rum Diary is entertaining, and Hunter S. Thompson is a talented writer, this isn’t a must-read book for all journalists. This book is a loving and longing reflection on a time that was the height of romantic journalism—lots of drinking, hamburgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner, easy, beautiful women who fall for journalists, and party, party, party on the beach. Who wouldn’t want to lovingly remember such a lifestyle? Unfortunately, the glamorized world of Paul Kemp is more Earnest Hemingway than reality. Too bad, because it’s wildly entertaining.

Thompson does work in some gems of writing throughout The Rum Diary. Like this bit on writers:

“Most people who deal in words don’t have much faith in them and I am no exception—especially the big ones like Happy and Love and Honest and Strong. They are too elusive and far too relative when you compare them to sharp, mean little words like Punk and Cheap and Phony. I feel at home with these, because they’re scrawny and easy to pin, but the big ones are tough and it takes either a priest or a fool to use them with any confidence.”

Cuts right to the quick doesn’t it.?

Much of The Rum Diary gives some similar cheap shots at luck, friendship, Puerto Rican media, Puerto Rican police, journalists and flacks. Allusions to famous films, gangsters and lazy natives abound in this thin novel, with ascerbic commentary and booze-filled nights.

If you’re a journalist’s journalist, Thompson provides all of the cynicism and worldly pleasures expected, including a shot of rum with a get-out-of-jail chaser. That’s probably the charm associated with The Rum Diary, and probably one of the reasons that anything by Hunter S. Thompson was included on this list. Some more discerning listers specified Thompson’s Fear and Loathing books. I’ll be reading those next.

Books Everyone Should Read, Really

The Shining by Stephen King

Disclaimer: I have watched the movie The Shining starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.

Okay, so this book veers from the list of books compiled by members of the College Media Advisers listserv, but I’ve never read The Shining and a girl needs some entertainment every now and then.

And entertaining this book is. A hotel that basically comes to life, including blood, guts on the wall and murdered gangsters and their girlfriends (and sometimes boyfriends too). Hedge animals that move, bite, tear and grab, but ultimately fall prey to gasoline and fire. But scariest of all, the tightly-wound father who comes unraveled based on imaginary liquor and over-inflated sense of self.

Of course in the movie, the tightly-wound father is the character to watch, so aptly played by Nicholson, but the true focus of this book is The Shining, those people with the ability to read minds and see the future. In this case, Jack’s son and namesake, who sees and hears much scarier things in the book than he does in the film. I’ve found this to be the case with all Stephen King book’s I’ve read: They’re much scarier than the movies.

I’m not a big scary movie, scary book person, but Stephen King is one of the best writers of our time. He’s also one of the most prolific, delving into the psyche and plumbing the depths of what makes each of us get the skin-crawling sensation that gives us bad dreams, or keeps us up at night.

As usual, King’s writing is something to be emulated by all good communicators. Direct and descriptive, King cuts to the heart of the matter.

The story, while creepy, is a bit out there as believability goes. However, it still induced a couple of wide-eyed nights as I read some of the most supernatural and unbelievable parts.

Recently, I told several students at Texas A&M University, that the best way to improve as a writer is to read. Well here’s a chance for students to read something that may be of more interest than their textbooks. While you’re reading, enjoy the entertainment, but pay attention to the writing. It’s so good, you’ll forget to pay attention. Now that’s what I call a great writer.

Twello Ladies and Gentlemen

Pardon my pun, but I needed something to catch your attention.

It seems that new media has struck College Media Advisers throughout the CMA Summer Workshop, but especially after a particularly fun-filled and information-filled session at the Poynter Institute yesterday. When I returned to the room, I was much too fried to give any of the new information a try, but I have since gone to Twitter's version of the Yellow Pages, Twello, and registered. It seems that every day launches at least one new application that can be added onto Twitter.

Those naysayers of social media will be clucking their disdain right about now, saying that Twitter is just a flash in the pan. But with almost an 800% increase in members in the last year, it's a mighty flash indeed. By the way, got my figures from Ellyn Angelotti of the Poynter Institute. What an impressive young woman, who introduced the lot of us (45 new and experienced media advisers) to the new news cycle. Some people are kicking and screaming, while railing against the changing news environment. Others are embracing with some reckless abandon. I say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Thus my addition of Twello.

If you haven't been dabling in the new media and social networking, what's taking you so long? Follow me on Twitter @kaycolley, and use Twello as a great resource to find folks who might share similar interests. Creating community by finding folks who share your interests or your values is the best way to introduce yourself to social media. After all, it's hard to talk when you don't have something in common, which is why we commune with similar folks. See you on Twello soon!