Age & Guile, Beat Youth, Innocence & A Bad Haircut

This is an eclectic collection of PJ’s writings. Some of it is downright a waste of paper – like his “concrete poetry” inclusions. However, many of the essays are classic PJ – travelling the world, commenting on the ordinariness of people and events everywhere with his famous wit. If there’s a connection between each article, I missed it. But you can certainly see his growth and evolution as a writer.Having gone to Miami University, PJs alma mater, I was very interested in his early writing about his days in Oxford, OH. If the stories he tells are even half true then college has changed dramatically since his day. And for the better. But his writing of this period is compelling and often touching. He has some great lines, such as, “It’s hard to forgive someone when you’re beginning to agree with her.” You can see the shift in his political attitudes, but he never really explains them. Maybe he doesn’t have to. Several of these essays are outstanding, such as his speech at the dedication of the new Cato Institute building. And his article about Hillarycare is very timely given the current healthcare debate (note: this review written in January 2010).If you’re a PJ completest, and I am, you’ll enjoy large parts of this book. But if you’re new to PJ, start with Parliament of Whores or Eat the Rich.