( 7 reviews )
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Posted: May 31 2009
I was introduced to Dooling by my dad, who is a radiologist and book collector in Warren, MI. He loved Critical Care (a scathing satire of the medical industry) and White Man's Grave is one of his favorite novels. All I can say is White Man's Grave is hilarious. That's the best thing about it... its a really funny book. Yeah it has a lot of deep and profound messages but its lighthearted and fun to read. Looking forward to reading Brain Storm.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 9 2007
I first stumbled on the writings of author Richard Dooling in the library we have at work, It was a book called 'Bet your Life' and I knew from reading the first page that I had stumbled upon a talent. White Man's Grave is undoubtedly even better, displaying the author's virtuosity with words, wit and factual substance on a level very rare these days. To some extent, thats what also makes it a relatively slow read. There is so much information to be digested on virtually every page that, quite frankly, it was exhausting. Hey, but by the time you finish, you'll have learned quite a bit of Krio, the language of the Mende. Anyway, its a really good read...filled with the humorous insights on just what makes us Americans foolishly think we're more civilized, better educated, and morally superior to the 'superstitious' Africans in the 'bush'. If you really believe that, you owe it to yourself to read this book. The cynical satire is nearly flawless in its objectivity. Dooling really sees the big picture about the whole human situation ...and there are several passages that nearly killed me with laughter. For example, there is one scene where a U.S. govt official explains just how backward the Mende are for their lack of scientific knowledge. He then elaborates with a full description of the current state of modern physics which, needless to say, is quite hilarious. Another noteworthy passage was the cover-letter written by a soon-to-be unemployed peace-corps worker explaining just how the peace-corps has prepared him for work within the corporate world. Great stuff. It does take a while to get to the good stuff...and the second half of the book is much better that than the first. Once you become fully immersed in the whole scenario, its just too bad that it had to end.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 15 2005
first our erstwhile anti-hero expects a few terse words in the right places will solve everything but not so in fact words are of almost no use when other means of communication are in process. READ THIS BOOK. Particularly if you are from or still residing in the Midwest, if you want to find a person or a memory but, and most particularly, if you want to read an incredible serious realistic and fun to read book that is an education into american litigation as well as a very decent introduction to Sierra Leone culture. Not to mention the ending which rivals stephen king and alfred hitchcock, very good stuff.
