Rating: 
Summary: East doesn't quite meet West...
Review: Ben Fong-Torres succeeds in writing a poignant story of growing up in urban America with Chinese roots in San Francisco's East Bay.
As the book description indicates, this story has little to do with Fong-Torres tenure at Rolling Stone magazine or the music industry. Instead, we are shown how the need to be American sometimes causes an alienation with our parents' culture that makes that melting pot not quite as worthwhile trying to achieve as we are led to believe.
A good book and I highly recommend it for those that would like to read how painful assimilation can be for even those born American.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthwhile But Could be More Insightful
Review: Fong-Torres' autobiography is a worthwhile read though it has some problems. If you're looking for a memoir of Fong-Torres' professional career with the Rolling Stones or with Rock 'N Roll, you might be disappointed. But this is an excellent book in other ways. As a memoir of a personal nature (because he doesn't explore nearly enough his Rolling Stone professional life), it is more than adequate. In fact, so much detail is given, it almost read like a diary. I didn't have to know every detail of what the restaurant business is like nor what his home look like. I do wanted to know more of what he felt, what he thought, why he did such and such... We were given some of this but overall, this part of the story could have been more insightful. But as a period study of the 60's and 70's, this is a powerful and extremely important work. Regardless of the backdrop of Fong-Torres' personal history, this is an excellent record of what it was like growing up a Chinese American in that period in American history. The problems that he faced growing up is not unique. I can absolutely relate. And I appreciate Fong-Torres' sharing of it in such a personal way. In particular, I find it touching his discussion of his brother Barry's death and the circumstances surrounding it. In many ways, the issues that caused the incident are more prevalent today than then. This book is one way of keeping the issue alive and making it a part of the Chinese American history, ugly and painful as it may be. On the other hand, Fong-Torres' story is NOT typical of today's Chinese American. His family arrived in the country prior to 1965 (1965 is dated the Immigration Reform Act which opened entry quota for Chinese immigration) so his family is considered part of the "old" immigrants. Today's immigrants face a different set of problems. It is an interesting contrast. Overall, the book is a worthwhile read but only if you can relate to the "old" immigrant experience. And don't expect too much of Rock 'N Roll history to be explored here. In that sense, the title is a little misleading
Rating:
Summary: A deeper context
Review: I am surprised that anyone contested the worth of Fong-Torres's work. Fong-Torres does not claim to represent the Chinese experience. Rather, he symbolizes the Chinese-American question. Some readers claim that Fong-Torres's individual experience is made more important than that of his family's, is too acculturated and "patronizing" towards Chinese culture. However, I think that it is necessary to recognize the limitations of the author's upbringing, within the realistic context of immigrant survival, and then appreciate the uniqueness of both his parents' and his experience. If Fong-Torres does reflect negatively, at times, towards his parents' culture, it is because he most negotiate it daily. Just how Chinese should he be? White Americans are never forced to consider these issues. Like many children of immigrants, his grasp of a home language is at odds with the white American standard of English. Halloween becomes somewhat traumatic. Dating becomes the nightmare of social expectations within his community. Though some readers believe these problems are petty compared with his parents' economic survival, they are formulated honestly and reflexively. In fact, Fong-Torres's eventual return to China, and an interview with his family, would indicate a reverse position--a sincere desire to learn more about his history. Fong-Torres isn't an authority on Chinese culture; he's only an authority on his own mixed experiences. Furthermore, writing this book, returning to his home country, indicate a desire to explore that contested identity further. No one can determine just "what it means to be Chinese." Therefore, I would remind readers, if you ask a Chinese question, you will receive a Chinese answer.
Rating: 
Summary: It was a very interesting story about a true life expierence
Review: I enjoyed this book very much because it was real. The author described his life perfectly. I could really see the scenes when he described them. I enjoyed it most because even though I am not Chinese my own culture has been through the same hardships and trials.
Rating: 
Summary: A lot of problems....
Review: I read this book as part of my Asian American Literature class, and the class as a whole had a lot of problems with the book. First of all, a lot of us found the author to be very condescending to Chinese culture. It is very clear from his descriptions and narratives that he thinks American culture is far superior to Chinese culture--that somehow Chinese culture is backwards and not modern enough. The author seems proud of the fact that he has sold-out to his culture, that he has totally adopted the American ways. While there are many other Asian Amercians who probably feel the same way, my problem with Fong-Torres is that he obviously has been mideducated or misled about the history of his Chinese background and culture. What he has learned of the Chinese culture has come from what his parents have told him, and while reading the book it is pretty obvious that Fong-Torres does not have very good communication skills with his parents. Fong-Torres also seems to make light of his parents' immigration experience. He doesn't feel the need to find out the details of their immigration until he is in the process of writing this book--presumably when he is well into his adulthood. He also describes a scene in which he "passes" a college or high school swimming test by forging a piece of paper, and then says something to the effect of "Like my parents, I too passed an entry point by way of fake papers." This scene made me very angry because Fong-Torres is making light of his parents' hard, dangerous, and frightening immigration experience, where their only hope of gaining entry to the US was by way of a fake identity and forged papers. Fong-Torres is compairing his petty adolescent swimming test with his parents' real and historic immigration! There is no basis for comparison between the two events, and i think the fact that he even mentioned the two events in the same context just goes to show how ignorant he is of Asian American issues. As for the writing, there are too many uses of cliches and the parts about his journalism career seems like a long brag sheet of people he has met and interviewed. Overall, if you are looking for a novel about the Asian American culture and experience, there are so many other better written and better researched novels out there. Don't let this one book define your idea and opinion of Asian America.
Rating:
Summary: Good but wanted more
Review: I really enjoyed Fong-Torres' autobiography -- he may not be famous but his story has all the elements of great drama and storytelling. The only thing the book needed was more of this "Tom Gericke" fellow who appears at various points throughout the story. One can tell there must be more good stories about this friend of Ben's. Sequel, Mr. Fong-Torres?
Rating:
Summary: Another point of view...
Review: I really enjoyed reading about Ben Fong Torres' life growing up in Oakland's Chinatown. He has a very different perspective than writers of many of the books I've read lately, in that he grew up as an American, appreciating American culture and thought. I've read some reviews that said he sold out his own culture, but I disagree. I'd say that he was very typical. I can completely understand why much of his parents' ways were lost on him and his siblings while they were young. As someone who is half-Iranian, exposed to many traditions, proverbs, food, and extremely different perceptions of women and men, what was proper behavior, and family life, I can totally relate to this book. As a child, I, too, didn't "get it." I didn't appreciate these differences, and I viewed the Iranian way as nonsense, backwards, idiosyncratic, and generally a pain in the butt. Oftentimes when one grows up in a family whose parent(s) are immigrants, the children will naturally want to assimilate into the society in which they live. In this case they'll want to be American. However, it isn't until they become adults that they start to appreciate or understand their heritage, which was the case with Torres' memoir, and that discovery on his part makes the whole story that much more touching. His sense of humor comes shining through in his work as well, which is a nice change from other writers. I enjoyed his detailed descriptions of the hippy movement in San Francisco, and it was fascinating to see the difference between the movement on the streets--mainly for fashion and partying, versus the movement in the universities, which was political, the heart of all the changes. The only thing that kind put me off was the way Ben Fong-Torres juggled multiple relationships. Although he was the first to admit that his maturity level wasn't exactly up to par when it came to women, I was surprised at how much he (and his brother Barry) were able to do this unscathed. I'm glad that he wrote in detail about his siblings, how they struggled as well, especially his brother Barry, who was the impetus behind this book (I almost wish he wrote as much about his sisters!). Ben Fong-Torres obviously had (and probably still has) a very interesting life with a great many stories to tell. There were many facets to his life; the Chinese-American experience, his appreciation for rock n' roll music, his work with the Rolling Stone, and his ever-evolving relationship with his family. His story is worth reading.
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Summary: Autobiography from Ben Fong-Torres is a page-turner
Review: I'm not a fast reader, but I finished Mr. Fong-Torres' expansive book in two days, because his is such a fascinating life. Besides, how many Asian Americans do you know have written an autobiography? Additionally, I can relate to being born to Asian immigrants and not being able to communicate with parents, the far and wide cultural gap, and feeling like an Asian geek at times. I really have to appreciate Mr. Fong-Torres for giving a voice to us 2nd-generation Asian Americans. P.S. If you're interested in some of Ben's rock 'n roll writings, then read his "Not Fade Away," also a page-turner chock full of revealing portraits of some of the most fascinating artists ever.
Rating:
Summary: A Straightforward Look at an Interesting Life
Review: It would have been tempting for Ben Fong Torres to write one of those "rockstars I've met" memoirs, replete with purple prose about purple people. Ben Fong Torres takes a different tack in this autobiography, telling us about two disparate worlds. One is the world of being the child of Chinese immigrants, living without a great deal of money. The other is the story of a man who seemed born to be a journalist, coming of age in 1960s San Francisco.
Many novels chronicle the Asian American experience in California with a magical realism. The author instead uses a conversational, simple style.
The book is not free from flaws. One section of the book tries to communicate the 60s "free love" experience, but comes off a bit like "hippie chicks I've conquered". It's as though the social failure from high school must show his belated prowess even after all these years. But it's a quibble, overall.
But overall, this book feels more "real" than many more "visionary" works. Mr. Fong Torres' description of how a family tragedy indirectly helps him connect the disparate pieces of his bicultural world really works well.
I thought this book would be flamboyant. It is anything but. It's a simple, solid read by a good writer. It's worth taking in.
Rating:
Summary: This is a book to die for!!!
Review: This is a hunky dory book that I would recommend it to the people all over the world, especially Chinese people in America!!I'm a Chinese, but I wasn't born here. I live in San Francisco, his story takes place in Oakland, i can understand and imagine the scenes clearly!!This is a book to die for!!!!!!!!
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