Book Report #57

Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life by Bill Richardson

It's no secret that I'm a big supporter of Bill Richardson's for the next President of the United States of America (second choice - Stephen Colbert). Bill would be over-qualified for the position if it were possible. That's why when I saw his autobiography at Costco I practically ran to the register to buy it. Since I like to think of myself as a well-informed voter I wanted to be able to spout off statistics about dear Bill should anyone ask.

The problem when I sat down to read the book was that it was horribly boring. It was basically a list of his accomplishments and the people he's met along the way. Since I've never met any of these people or experienced any of this stuff with him it made it pretty difficult to stay focused. I'm not sure I can blame all that on Bill, though. Non-fiction books these days seem to be the product of the publishers who structure how the books are written based on what the market requires. I'm afraid they got this one wrong, though. What people really want in a memoir are well-told stories that help the reader get an understanding of what shaped the person, not just categorical statements run together that you are supposed to accept as fact. So with that in mind I want to assure you that when I co-write John Isner's book you're going to have a hell of a great time.

General consensus: Bill definitely had his heart in the right place.