The Best American Essays 2007

The diverse collection of 22 essays address some of the most urgent issues we're facing today. Here are some highlights:"A Carnivore's Credo" by Roger Scruton: He writes a unique defense of meat-eating and rebukes vegetarianism."What Should a Billionaire Give--and What Should You?" by Peter Singer. He presents what many will find to be an extreme view of charity."Dragon Slayers"by Jarald Walker. The author, an African American, refutes a definition of embattled victimization as too limiting to African Americans."Apocalypse Now" by Edward O. Wilson. Wilson's attempt to bridge the gulf between science and religion in a "letter" to Baptists challenges the practices of both the scientific and religious community."An Orgy of Power" by George Gessert. The author shows the disturbing use of torture in US policy as being out of bounds historically."Loaded" by Garret Keizer. A "progressive" defense of gun ownership rooted in a Hobbesian worldview lays out the gun debate in a way I've never seen."What the Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell. The author profiles "dog whisperer"and shows that many American dog owners unwittingly harm their dogs when they treat their pets like humans."Petrified" by John Lahr. He shows the curse of stage-fright and self-consciousness and why there is a moral imperative to overcome these afflictions."Onward, Christian Liberals" by Marilynne Robinson. The author rebukes "fundamentalism" by arguing that it is a betrayal of real Christianity.

Absolutely terrific! Only DFW could have picked such excellent essays. And, his introduction, on its own, is worth the price of this book. Even when I disagreed with a premise or conclusion of an article, it didn't matter at all, as each is so well-written and creative. You can't go wrong here if you are an avid reader and appreciate creative writing.

Chanced to be the first book in this series I bought. 5 excellent essays - perspective shifting and/or helpful in completing incomplete understandings. Since then I have tried 6 others in this series and rarely found even a single essay I thought worthwhile.

This is a collection of mostly essays, I find it necessary to state mostly essays because in my opinion the first "essay" presented resembles a short story rather than an essay. I understand from the editor's notes he is looking to push the definition of what an essay is, what is accepted as being an essay, is it possible to write an essay that reads like a short story. It doesn't work for me especially when it is demonstrated within the other essays included there are powerful stories being told in essays that fit within the traditional definition of what an essay is, specifically I'm thinking of Operation Gomorrah by Marione Ingram.I'm giving this collection three stars mostly because I feel betrayed by the first essay, I was given a bait and switch, I was played for a fool. That feeling has lasted with me from finishing the first essay till I finished the last, none of the following essays were able to wash the bad taste out of my mouth.

These are all siper interesting essays. You can read them in any order and you can choose what to read or not.

This book, though it can give you a different view on certain opinions and topics, was very boring and hard to follow. This is not a book i would recomend to anyone unless you love reading confusing essays that dont make sense nor mean anything. As i told my friends, if these are the BEST american essays, i'd love to read the WORST...because in my opinion nothing worse can exist. Don't waste your money on this book that i promise you wouldn't enjoy anyway.

Great book, and received quickly.

Just such smart, clean, clear, interesting essays.Really good read.