Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Review: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

I just finished listening to Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir. I really love Bryson's travel writing, and in this case, the book travels through time - not geography. Specifically, the book is about growing up in the 1950's.

Bryson does an excellent job of capturing both the good of the 50's (the massive wealth of the country, the overall optimism, the freedom kids had) as well as the bad (threat of nuclear holocaust, the polio epidemic, rampant racism). But mostly, it's a just a hilarious book.

When Bryson's storytelling is on, it's nearly unmatched for humor and shear delight. And he managed, yet again, to be on for the Thunderbolt Kid.

Go, read it. You'll be glad you did. And you may even brush up on your 1950's history while you're at.

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