Works Cited: An Alphabetical Odyssey of Mayhem and Misbehavior (American Lives)
*Starred Review* As a poor student often disciplined for misbehavior, Schrand read mostly books that encouraged mayhem, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, by Hunter S. Thompson, and poetry by Jim Morrison, of the Doors. After reading Rock ‘n’ Roll Nights, by Todd Strasser, he thought that being in a rock band was his best hope to escape a life in the mines of Idaho. Then a girl encouraged him to go with her to college in southern Utah, where he discovered more girls, alcohol, drugs, and serious books, such as The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson and 1984, by George Orwell. Always in trouble, he read Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, in jail. After seven years, he earned an English degree and surprised everyone who knew him by applying for graduate school. Often forgiven, Schrand has led an oddly charmed life, which he reveals through 27 essays about the benefits and dangers of reading particular books, which he arranges alphabetically by author. This has strong book-discussion possibilities. --Rick Roche