On Paradise Drive : How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense

Rating:
Summary: Watery latte, and a big disappointment after "Bobos"
Review: David Brooks' previous book was so well-written, intelligent, and fun (even when we Bobos winced in self-recognition) that the bar was set very high for a sequel.

Did Brooks clear the bar? Hell no, he ducked and ran right under it.

This busy, busy man became so famous so fast that he didn't bother to thoroughly research and write a satisfying book. Sasha Issenberg of "Philadelphia" magazine has convincingly summarized the factual errors made on one of Brooks' only fact-finding trips for this book. I won't duplicate her findings; Google 'em if you like. Brooks gushes an insincere paean to sprawl suburbs that he wouldn't be caught dead actually living in. He also generalizes heavily from his observations of affluent "inner-ring" suburbs such as Bethesda, Maryland.

What little meat clings to the bones of "Paradise" is charred by the BTUs of the author's self-regard. Brooks obviously can write a better book, and he has--it's just not this one.

Brooks does earn five stars for the most chilling spousal acknowledgment I've seen in recent years. He thanks his wife, "whose plans for our new house made this book necessary. Just kidding."

Just kidding? Brrrr!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Sequel to Bobos in Paradise
Review: I hesitate to write a review of this book given how politically charged the other customer reviewers have been thus far. Liberals seem to dislike David Brooks because he's a moderate conservative intruder into the sacred halls of the New York Times, and conservatives think he's a sellout. Neither opinion of the man has any real reflection on his work, and we are supposed to be reviewing the book, not the man.

That said, this book is genuinely funny and interesting (right up until the very last chapter, which reads more like a sociology primer than the witty social satire that preceeded it). Brooks is simply masterful with some of his turns of phrase. His descriptions of Grill Guy's High-Powered BBQ Grill purchase at Home Depot and the snooty professionals in the Inner Ring Suburbs almost had me in tears at points I was laughing so hard. For those that appreciate a sarcastic sense of humor and a witty use of words (and doesn't mind too much when some of that sarcasm hits dangerously close to home) this is your book. Ignore the overly political criticism from people who apparently haven't even read On Paradise Drive.

Rating:
Summary: Bobos in Paradise - Part II
Review: On Paradise Drive, much like Bobos in Paradise, is more of a compilation of Brook's observances of social patterns rather than a fact-filled sociology sleeper. He talks about geographic segregation by class status, how Americans are seen in the world, and how soccer moms and college students have changed (and changed the country) in the recent past.

Do not expect Brooks to prove his point with statistics. It is almost devoid of them. What he expresses are his opinions. Nonetheless, while reading the book, I recognized many of my own observations in Brooks'. The book is full of witty one-liners: "people move to suburbs like these in order to have friends and co-workers who do not make fun of their daughter's interest in competitive cheerleading." "Suburbs like these are so Democratic the compilation of New York Times blue home delivery bags are visible from outer-space."

Brooks' gift is his ability to make sense of the small things that we all notice and then put this into a larger context. If you already agree with his observances, the book is a gem.