Hooking Up

Rating:
Summary: another great read
Review: Although not every essay will be appreciated equally by all readers, the overall quality of Wolfe's writing is superb, and this book is a great read. One of the most important essays he has ever written is here, "In the Land of the Rococo Marxist...", wherein he raises a vital question we should all be asking: What did we hear from all the Marxists, pro-Communists, and leftist liberals when Communist died, and all its flaws were revealed forever? Why didn't any of the blind, ignorant people who supported these empty excuses for "civilization", and who repeatedly excused those "evil empires" (i.e., the Soviet Union and Communist China), have any excuse or apology for the rest of us? Many supposedly-educated people supported those political states for years, ignoring all evidence of their evil and repressive nature, and now that they have been absolutely proven wrong, Wolfe wonders where they are now. He is asking why they have no comment, no excuse, no explanation, and the reader, after reading Wolfe here, wonders also. The author does a fabulous job reviewing some of their now-dead views and leveling proper criticism. His essay on this topic is extremely interesting and relevant. His pieces on the history of Silicon Valley (Noyce), "Two Young Men Who Went West.", and on "Hooking Up" are both quite good, although for different reasons. "Two Young Men..." gives such a detailed history of the cultural and historical background of the Silicon Valley developments, it is a "must read" for all who are affected by digital technology--which is to say, nearly everyone. "Hooking Up" is an eye-opener for most readers over the age of 25 or 30. I've heard people I work with use that phrase many times, and I thought I knew what they meant; now that I've read Wolfe's piece, I sure have to re-think some of those conversations. Read and learn. Some criticism that Wolfe's pieces in this work are of uneven quality seems unjustified when you consider the extreme high quality of the best and the fine quality of the rest. A very entertaining and informative book, and it is sure to be thought-provoking for most who pick it up.

Rating:
Summary: More than half of book is great!
Review: I am a fan of Tom Wolfe because I have so often put down books of fiction thinking, "This ding-a-ling author is just making all this stuff up. It is not informative, nor inspiring and has no relevance to my life.I don't have time for this!" With Wolfe I feel like he is a more honest friend, sharing more real experiences. He gives at least some actual clues about aspects of America that affect me, but I might otherwise never see....There are also wonderful references to Nietsche, American and European history, many American novelists, and there is a great prescription on how to write a good novel.
BUT I was disappointed in much of these essays. My favorite essay may have been "...the Rococco Marxists"...and I was surprised that he was not more critical of certain American professors. He may have politely suggested otherwise but ended with the conclusion that "all" many college professors "really want" is 'to be aloof from the bourgeois'...Monks want to be aloof like this. Is he saying they are holy monks? These professors enjoy many aspects of celebrity: wonderful long vacations all over the world, fine houses, cars, restauraunts, hotels, a sex life better than the most of us? More importantly they may have profound effects on our very powerful class of lawyers and judges, people in the media, etc. I was left with the impression that Wolfe is more worried about offending his own peer group than speaking honestly about some of these issues.
Re: "Ambush at Fort Bragg"....Was it really necessary to have one of the villains go on at great length about his fellow villains' heroic deeds at Mogadishu...a retelling of "Blackhawk Down" ...when they were confronted with damning evidence that the 3 of them had murdered a homosexual in their unit? I think Wolfe might argue 'Yes, that is the whole point...' but it seemed in bad taste, and curious as Wolfe is elsewhere saying some very patriotic things. Surely there was a better way to do this piece. And what is with throwing pies at a miserable jewish insider again? The TV news producer was jewish wasn't he? Is Wolfe running out of funny ideas? Aren't all his jewish friends getting pissed off?....
I loved the stories about the Fairchild Semiconductor founders, and the Harvard zoology-Ant-genius who caused such a controversy; I was puzzled that there was not discussion of the old, non-controversial view that man is part genetic traits and part social learning (nurture vs nature) This Harvard professor did not invent 'trait theory'. ....I didn't like "The New Yorker" parody and related pieces and couldn't finish them... [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best!
Review: I first read a favorable review of this book in The Wall Street Journal so I bought it because I enjoyed Mr. Wolfe's other books. I then read a New York Times review which wasn't really a review but a political diatribe against the author.

After actually reading the book I find that his style and observations so compelling and interesting that I can't believe I was reading the same book as the Time's reviewer.

Mr. Wolfe's story about his run-in with Mailer, Updike and Irving is very funny and rings true. The sales numbers tell the story.

"The Invisible Artist" is another favorite.

I only wish Mr. Wolfe would write a piece about the election fiasco and split in the country.

I also wish he would write more material and more often as he is a national treasure.

His journalistic based style is similar to that of Neal Stephenson and Richard Dooling. I enjoy those books so much more than Updike's pondering himself.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: I'd read a lot of these pieces in their original magazine form. Some of them have been updated, and I enjoyed reading the updates (the piece on Robert Noyce and Intel has been updated since its 1983 publication in "Esquire"). Some had been published before that I had NOT read. I'd been dying to read the piece on the "New Yorker" after reading ABOUT it. And I really loved it!! The "New Yorker" is so revered, it's delightful to see Wolfe give it some well-deserved and high-spirited criticism. And then some pieces are published here for the first time (I loved the "Rococo Marxism" piece.) "My Three Stooges" does smack a bit of "me thinketh thou doth protest too much", because Updike, Mailer and Irving had a point. (A MAN IN FULL was a flawed novel). But they are more deserving of Wolfe's criticsim than he is of theirs. I didn't need to read "Ambush at For Bragg" again, having read it in "Rolling Stone." But the "re-runs" were worth having, if it meant having the new and unread stuff. Wolfe is one of the greatest things we've got going in the writing world, and proof of that fact are in these pages.

Rating:
Summary: Wolfe Scores
Review: I've previously enjoyed The Right Stuff and Wolfe's two novels, but I had never read any of his essays or short stories. "Hooking Up" was an excellent, accessible introduction into these genres. The essays in the book cover a range of topics about modern America including its sexual mores, the rise of technology, art and contemporary novels. He makes many great arguments for the greatness and unique character of America and uses his intelligent wit, knowledge of philosophy and historical facts to make strong cases. His writing, as always, is excellent and the stories were insightful. This collection also includes a novella that is both fun and concise (not always Wolfe's strong suit). I think this is a fabulous book for Wolfe fans like myself, but also good for people who want a quick introduction to him without committing to an 800 page novel. Further, it would be great reading for people interested in American Studies and provides a good starting point for lengthy debates. This is a very good book and well worth purchasing.

Rating:
Summary: Wolfe is the Mac-Daddy of American Greatness
Review: If you love living in America, if you're thrilled by the raw courage of entrepeneurial effort that explodes into success, and if you refuse to accept the center-left line America's liberal elite wants to hand you, then Tom Wolfe is your go-to guy. He's hard-working, brilliant, and writes like a man playing a burning piano.

Although many know him best for his novels like "Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full", you're missing his best work if you don't read the essay collections like "Hooking Up". In this volume, we get the true story behind the birth of Silicon Valley, a tale of a great artist no one knows because he possesses actual skill, a novella skewering the television news magazines, and several other gems.

If you have a Wolfe collection, add this book to it. If you don't have a Wolfe collection, start one!

Rating:
Summary: Extremely entertaining
Review: This latest Tom Wolfe collection lacks a central theme, but is nevertheless extremely entertaining. The essays deal with sexual mores, the influence of liberal catholicism and the influence of protestant dissent on the modern world, the mind set of the electronic media and many other matters. The essays are beautifully written. My only criticism of the book, which is itself immensely entertaining, is that it is, what used to be called, "bi-coastal", in its title essay and so is perhaps a bit more critical of American youth than is perhaps fair. I remember well Dr. Wolfe's comments on "co-eds" and "fox terriers" and whilst I thought it "right on" in those far off days, I do not think that "Hooking Up" covers everyone in the age group, there are now other sub-cultures, but in fairness, Dr. Wolfe does not claim that it does. A superb work!