Okay, so I’ve seen the movie adaptation of Max Brooks' *World War Z: An Oral History* a bunch of times on TV, and I’ve even watched a scene or two like, dozens of times on YouTube. Yeah, the action and visuals are amazing. (Except for that one part where the dude pulls his own tooth – gross!)But after reading comments from people who were hating on the movie, saying it doesn’t even come close to the book, I knew I had to read *World War Z: An Oral History*. And yeah, I totally agree that the onl...

A perfect vivisectionOf the social, economic, environmental, and political consequences of zombie outbreaks.One day, it might be a helpful or even lifesaving work, one hopefully has as a paperback and not on an ebook reader. The seriousness and attention to detail Brooks put into his work are part of the satire, because it really feels as if a real reporter is investigating a story.Each one reacts differentlyAs in the ironic *Zombie Survival Guide*, Brooks uses all possible aspects of a zombie a...

Humanity survived the Zombie apocalypse.Like after any great tragedy, the government wants a record.Max Brooks is their oral historian.Only, when he hands his documents over, the bureaucracy whittles it down to the bare facts.Humans, from every nation, dragged their bone-weary bodies through this war.They are now faced with the numbing task of rebuilding society.They deserve to have their stories told. So, he publishes the true account of World War Z: An Oral History.Told in a series of vignette...

"The book of war, the one we’ve been writing since one ape slapped another was completely useless in this situation. We had to write a new one from scratch.”With most apocalyptic situations, I think the hardest part to deal with is that there are no wrong decisions or right decisions. There are simply too many variables to consider if your ultimate goal is to survive. The most meticulously planned strategies can still result in failure. You make the best decisions you can and then hope for a bit...

Right now, my husband and I don't actually have a working will. We're legally intestate. We haven't made any preparations for our death, and we only have life/house insurance because his mother organized the whole damn thing (and she's also the reason we have electricity, water, and a phone line – the internet, though, that was all us because we'd die without it).So, believe me when I say we don't organize… anything. Except our zombie kit. That's right. We have a zombie kit. If zombies suddenly ...

I know what you're thinking. "Five stars for this book? Why???"If you've been following my reviews, then you know I tend to stress over how many stars to give a book, and I'm not one to hand out five-star ratings willy-nilly. I'm usually quite cautious when it comes to handing out that all-important fifth star. I'm stingy. That being said, every once in a while a book, that may or may not be amazing, comes along and wows me.And now you're (probably) thinking: "But Penny, it's a book about zombie...

This book is about zombies the same way the Bible is about God. They're mostly background players who are the reason other characters do what they do, and occasionally they'll *raaaaar* in and kill a bunch of people because they can't help it, but mostly they're an invisible presence, always to be feared but never given a voice. This whole book, *World War Z: An Oral History* by Max Brooks, takes place after the zombies have already destroyed most of the world. It's a collection of testimonials...

I just can't jump on this bandwagon. The pseudo-government report style that *World War Z: An Oral History* by Max Brooks is written in really holds it back in several ways. First off, there are no protagonists to connect with, no real story arc, and no satisfying climax. You basically know what’s going to happen from page one—there's a global crisis involving zombies, and at least some people survive to tell the story. Knowing the outcome for sure just kills any tension, and the book feels, wel...

Several colleagues recommended this book, World War Z: An Oral History, and since I'm a sucker for zombies and apocalyptic stuff, I was stoked. Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype, and I struggled to finish it. (I'm writing this assuming you know the basic premise and how the story's structured.) Two things really killed it for me. First, most of the characters sounded the same. Sure, that's partly because they all come from Max Brooks's head. But the journalistic/interview style limits how mu...

(My full review of this book is longer than Goodreads' word-count limitations; find the entire essay at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com].)Anytime I hear of some funny, gimmicky book suddenly becoming popular among the hipster set, I always squint my eyes and brace myself for the worst. Usually, these books are nothing but an endless series of fluffy pop-culture pieces designed specifically for crafty point-of-purchase display at your favorite corporate supersto...