Rating: 
Summary: A civic model for her generation
Review: Ms. Vowell is funny, cynical, and patriotic all at the same time. She uses her voice and her vote very effectively. A master of one-liners, she will make laugh but also think.
Rating: 
Summary: Self-proclaimed "citizenship geek" makes good
Review: Politics and government are not my usual thing, but I really enjoyed Sarah Vowell's book. Her sometimes Parkeresque wit (that's a compliment) keeps this collection of essays jogging briskly along; I was never bored, even as she talked about Gettysburg and voting booths and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. She's more than just funny. She's smart. Sharp. She's the best kind of nerd -- one who can see a broader view of her interests, and not just the minutiae that make nerds nerds. She knows her stuff, and knows it so well that she can wrap an unexpected metaphor around it and you still "get" it. (Elvis, anyone?) The forms of the essays are varied -- in addition to many traditional essays, there are at least two in letter-format, and one Larry King-like list -- which helps to pull the reader through the book. Her studied tangents and "soft" endings that never preach make this a very palatable book for "sunshine patriots" like myself. You'll laugh, you'll think, you'll go back for more. Give this book a try, even if essays aren't your thing. Even if government isn't your thing. You'll learn a thing or two and you'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Embrace your inner (and outer) nerd!
Review: Sarah Vowell is a nerd with passion, an intellectual who has every right to be cynical but can't help being a romantic. "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is a nifty collection of opinionated essays that cover a startling range of subjects - politics, cinema, music, Salem, her own family. It helps to imagine Sarah Vowell reading these essays to you - in fact, I'd recommend the audio book, because she brings the perfect dry timing to her prose. But even in print, this is fun stuff. I'm a big fan of her Al Gore essays (in which she likens the 2000 election to a classic "Nerds vs. Jocks" battle) and her travelogues. In fact, I like it all, even if her odd attempt at Larry Kingisms falls a little flat. Best of all, Sarah manages to keep an open mind on all subjects. She doesn't apologize for her liberal views, but like a true liberal, she's able to see all sides of an issue and isn't above finding flaws in her own logic. She's also comfortable with herself and her own intelligence, which makes her essays all the more compelling. It's impossible to dislike Sarah, and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is a great installment from a talented and intriguing woman.
Rating:
Summary: Embrace your inner (and outer) nerd!
Review: Sarah Vowell is a nerd with passion, an intellectual who has every right to be cynical but can't help being a romantic. "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is a nifty collection of opinionated essays that cover a startling range of subjects - politics, cinema, music, Salem, her own family. It helps to imagine Sarah Vowell reading these essays to you - in fact, I'd recommend the audio book, because she brings the perfect dry timing to her prose. But even in print, this is fun stuff. I'm a big fan of her Al Gore essays (in which she likens the 2000 election to a classic "Nerds vs. Jocks" battle) and her travelogues. In fact, I like it all, even if her odd attempt at Larry Kingisms falls a little flat. Best of all, Sarah manages to keep an open mind on all subjects. She doesn't apologize for her liberal views, but like a true liberal, she's able to see all sides of an issue and isn't above finding flaws in her own logic. She's also comfortable with herself and her own intelligence, which makes her essays all the more compelling. It's impossible to dislike Sarah, and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is a great installment from a talented and intriguing woman.
Rating:
Summary: Partly Cloudy? Her views are clear as day.
Review: Sarah Vowell is a self-proclaimed nerd with a voice. Whether writing on her adolescent love of the New German film, or her unabashed doubt in President Bush, she writes with style and with a voice that is as consistent as it is endearing. In this collection of essays, all of which have a decidedly unacademic, salon.com feel to them, she eschews republican politics and extolls some of our most important historical figures (Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, to name two). Vowell also gives one of the most interesting--and sympathetic--portrayals of Al Gore during the 2000 election campaign. Essentially, this book is interesting to those who are familiar with her work for National Public Radio. But anyone who is interested in top-notch intellectual humor will appreciate Vowell's dry wit and insights on the mundanities of pop culture. Her look on Tom Cruise, for example, puts her among the ranks of our most important informal cultural critics. In the end, she's not for academics, and this collection is not as serious as Vowell sometimes takes herself. But hey, her writing is a lot of fun. Take some time to read about connections between history and life that you probably haven't thought of.
Rating: 
Summary: A Partly Cloudy Patriot who writes like a clear day!
Review: Sarah Vowell is a veteran of NPR and appears with regularity on "This American Life" hosted by Ira Glass. My wife and I spotted her on Book TV being enchanted by this iconoclastic liberal commentator on all things American.
In the tradition of Will Rogers, Mark Twain and all other true patriorts she humorously and wittily comments on such diverse subjects as National Parks, Canadian Life, a trip to
Gettysburg and relationships within her family.
Vowell is a gifted author whose pungent commentaires make this short book of essays a joy to read, savor and think about in the days ahead.
We live in a media age of talking heads but Vowell's "nerdy
noggin" as she may phrase it stands head and shoulders over many so called pundits of the politcal and cultural scene.
One would like to see Vowell become more visible on the cable talk show circuit.
This young lady thinks and causes us all to rethink our love of this land called America.
I recommend this book especially to young people who are bored with textbook histroy but still love America and want to know more about it. Vowell's book is an easy read which is not to be missed. Enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: A Partly Cloudy Patriot who writes like a clear day!
Review: Sarah Vowell is a veteran of NPR and appears with regularity on "This American Life" hosted by Ira Glass. My wife and I spotted her on Book TV being enchanted by this iconoclastic liberal commentator on all things American.
In the tradition of Will Rogers, Mark Twain and all other true patriorts she humorously and wittily comments on such diverse subjects as National Parks, Canadian Life, a trip to
Gettysburg and relationships within her family.
Vowell is a gifted author whose pungent commentaires make this short book of essays a joy to read, savor and think about in the days ahead.
We live in a media age of talking heads but Vowell's "nerdy
noggin" as she may phrase it stands head and shoulders over many so called pundits of the politcal and cultural scene.
One would like to see Vowell become more visible on the cable talk show circuit.
This young lady thinks and causes us all to rethink our love of this land called America.
I recommend this book especially to young people who are bored with textbook histroy but still love America and want to know more about it. Vowell's book is an easy read which is not to be missed. Enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: More Smart, Witty Vowell!
Review: Sarah Vowell is that rare writer who manages to be sarcastic and cynical, but still respectful and downright witty as can be. Her follow-up to "Take the Cannoli" is just as good, but in a different way. Whereas "Take the Cannoli" was more about her coming-of-age and life experiences, "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is mainly her take on recent political and news events. She manages to put her own personal spin on what has transpired, never sugar-coating her views, but she keeps the humor alive throughout. Her take on the fiasco that was the 2000 election is both hysterically funny and profoundly sad. Sarah Vowell has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the USA and is an unapologetic nerd, while also being as hip as other writers in her particular genre. She also tosses in anecdotes from her life for good measure. She and her fraternal twin sister are as different as ever; her sister is now married, has a child, and is still living in Montana. Sarah now lives in New York City, and hosts her family for Thanksgiving, much to her eternal regret. The differences between Sarah Vowell and her family and upbringing are funny and witty, not filled with angst. It is a rare writer who can produce two such very good books, without peaking on their first, and just putting out a second book as an afterthought. I look forward to so much more from the incredibly talented Sarah Vowell.
Rating:
Summary: Vowell Can Get You Through the Winter Doldrums
Review: Sarah Vowell makes me laugh, not just a chuckle, but a belly laugh. Then she pulls me up short when she hits readers with some of her observations of people, politics, the world, never belaboring her point. A friend and fellow Oklahoman told me about Vowell, a displaced Oklahoman. Her "Letter to a Dead Senator" (Mike Synar) is touching; her advice to Pres. Clinton about how to arrange his library is witty and wise. Her piece about having her family for Thanksgiving is a treasure. She looks at herself and others and says what we'd all like to say, but we don't have her courage and wit. One of my favorite lines: (I paraphrase) Some days you just want to rent "Die Hard," close the shades and eat Cheerios for lunch.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous and insightful look into patriotism in modern times
Review: Sarah Vowell tells a good story, whether it involves her parents first and last visit to New York, or how and what American children are taught about past presidents. Insightful, touching, and always humorous, she follows up her enjoyable "Pass the Cannoli" with a look at the conflict in a Liberal Patriot's heart, and brings warmth and humor to each essay.
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