The Best American Non-Required Reading 2012 (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This annual of non-required reading requires a few flip-throughs at the bookshop before deciding to buy it. I'll skip some years, but bought this edition. As with any reading, it's tough to tell in a bookshop if the writing will engage me. ... Three things I liked about the 2012 edition: — Ray Bradbury's introduction, which he wrote a few weeks before he died last year. It's about his love affair with books that began at his Waukegan, Ill., library, where he checked out ten books a week. "I dreamed because of books," he wrote. (Ray Bradbury wrote "Fahrenheit 451," the temperature at which book paper burns, because he loved books. "You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.")— Steve Jobs' eulogy, given in October 2011 by his sister, Mona Simpson. She spoke of "Steve's capacity for wonderment, the artist's belief in the ideal."— Dave Eggers' autographed inscription on the title page when he came to town in February.That's 11 great pages out of 411. The 2013 edition comes out on Tuesday, Oct 8. I seek out this book every year, eager to see what Dave Eggers and his crew of readers uncover. This is best dipped into casually and over time, rather than read in one sitting. The highlight for me was right upfront: the prelude by Ray Bradbury, written a few weeks before his death, and a fitting coda to his life and career. I also enjoyed the artifacts from the Occupy Wall Street movement, and a lengthy profile of the real life superhero movement.
What do You think about The Best American Non-Required Reading 2012 (2012)?
an incredible collection. every piece was a joy to read. my favorite of the three I've read so far.
—Andrea
Everything in here is interesting and worth your time.
—insanelysane
My favorite collection yet, probably.
—jellybean8851
