Salzman can take an ordinary upbringing and turn it into a tragic comedy full of deep sighs and tears of laughter. What were American boys in the mid 70s obsessing over? Sex, drugs and rock and roll...and Bruce Lee. Picture Mark Salzman at thirteen listening to Ozzy Osbourne and practicing flying kicks just like his idol. Only add a bald wig, cello lessons, and an obsession with all things Chinese while living in the suburbs of Connecticut, and you have the makings of an incredibly sweet and hilarious memoir. This should have been a movie. ( )

3.5 stars. Most dragged a bit, because I'm a pacifist and female, and I just don't understand the drive to fight, to prove how tough one is by hurting oneself and others. But I sure did enjoy getting glimpses of his incredibly supportive family - no dysfunction there! And the ending was almost up to the standards of Iron & Silk - insightful, sincerely humorous, disarmingly enchanting.

I still haven't decided whether I want to read Salzman's novels or not. ( )

Sort of a prequel to his _Iron and Silk_. I could personally relate to many of Salzman's aspirations and childhood fascinations, and even shared some of the same childhood TV shows... ( )

This memoir of Mark Salzman's early life (up through Harvard), gave me the backstory on his life to his book Iron and Silk (his memoir of his two years teaching English in China). Reading it made me purchase all of his books I didn't have/hadn't read. He's an engaging writer and knows that the things that he does are definitely not the norm for every child, i.e., learning Kung Fu from a vicious and alcoholic Sensei, learning Chinese, calligraphy and Chinese screen painting in order to keep from having to follow the usual path of high school study (and never figuring out that he probably spent three times the amount of time and did three times the amount of work that the other kids did in pursuing these very different studies), applying to and being accepted to Harvard though he had neither the grades or brilliance of the usual students there, deciding to become a world-class cellist, and lots of other adventures. It made me laugh, snort in amazement, roll my eyes, and gave me immense respect for his parents who had two other children to ride herd on while this wild man was in their midst. I'm sure it was due to them that this borderline kook turned out so well. ( )

Recommended by: Erica J. ( )