Shanda: The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jew
"[A] stirring journey with a surprising and deeply moving conclusion."--Forward"What makes this personal account of self-dividedness so riveting is the ferocious honesty with which the author exposes his wound and the clarity and humor which seem testimony enough to its healing."-- Philip Lopate"Shandashould be sold in a plain brown wrapper -- Neal Karlen's self-examination of his internal identity conflicts is that honest and disturbing."--Sara Nelson,New York Post"Shandareads much likeTuesdays with Morriebut has a wry irreverence and a seething edge. Karlen's memoir is an alternately hilarious and heart-wrenching spiritual adventure."--The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles"Poignant and original...Karlen's personal saga shows that while there is no one set way to reconnect with your Jewish heart, the journey is always rich and fulfilling."-- Stephen Fried, author ofThe New Rabbi"If you like scary beginnings, Neal Karlen's memoir is the book for you...The amazing thing here is not how dramatically Karlen turns himself around but how astutely he chronicles the turnaround.Shandais hilarious, heartbreaking, seething, wary, and joyful -- in a word, a marvel."-- Stephen J. Dubner, author ofTurbulent Soulsand coauthor,Freakonomics--This text refers to thePaperbackedition.