Brothers

Rating:
Summary: Ballsy and profound
Review: Good news, guys: You don't have to get your bro another garden weasel for Christmas. A few days ago I had a chance to flip through this book and I instantly ordered a copy for my kid brother. The photos are hilarious and heartbreaking (James and Jack Garner livin' large in a Beverly Hills hot tub, three blind brothers in Rhode Island who build furniture); the essays (by the likes of Tom Junod and Frank McCourt) knock you flat. This isn't some sappy, bogus collection of "Deep Thoughts" and greeting-card cliches. The words and pictures are real, potent, and deeply moving. I can't put the book down, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking to buy his brother something better than a batch of golf balls this holiday season.

Rating:
Summary: Brotherly Love
Review: Having grown up as the only boy with two wonderful sisters, I never regretted not having a brother. Until now. This is simply a beautiful book. As you'd expect from Esquire, Brothers is visually magnificent, with great, creative(but never contrived)shots of celebrities and non-celebrities alike, all sharing the joys of brotherhood. The shot of James Garner and his golf pro brother, in a rooftop hot tub in Beverly Hills, is worth the cover price alone. But what really makes this book special, elevates it far above the level of another attractive coffee table volume, are the essays. This is the rarest of literary birds -- a photo book that DEMANDS to be read. Not only have the editors culled essays from some of the leading authors of the day, Tobias Wolff, Frank McCourt and others, but they culled supremely thoughtful pieces from each. Perhaps it's the subject matter, but not one of the literary heavyweights phoned this one in. Not one. And some of the best writing is by writers you haven't heard of. Check out the powerful, evocative piece by a North Carolina law professor named Thomas A. Kelley, about a trip to Africa with his brother. Brothers is a beautiful experience, whether or not you've experienced the real thing.

Rating:
Summary: I'm sending it back
Review: I thought this would be a good present, but it turns out to be a bit of the magazine, which I like, sandwiched between pieces of cardboard. Esquire should have know better than producing a cheap spin off. This was one present I thought I had taken care of, but now I have to ship it back.