Ratings8
Average rating3.8
Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut's words were unfailingly unique, insightful, and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. As edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers of all ages. At times hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and deeply serious, these reflections are ideal for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their "long-delayed puberty ceremony"-marking the passage from student to full-time adult. This book makes the perfect gift for high school or college graduates-or for parents and grandparents who remember Vonnegut fondly and want to connect with him in a new context.
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I'll admit I just got this because it was really cheap on the Kindle library while I was loading it for a trip - and I like Vonnegut, so what the hell. I didn't expect it to be quite so much a book you'd really only give to a recent graduate but I still found his speeches - not two the same, but all echoing the same sentiments - just as pleasantly quirky and heartwarming as his books. He seems like such a great guy. Would love to pick up a biography sometime.
Anyways basic advice takeaways - be kind and merciful to your fellow humans. Be a pacifist, war is no good. We should care about the environment because we're destroying the earth. The normal career path is not necessary to get where you're going. There needs to be more than two people in a family - and more than a nuclear family - humans are built on community.
Anyhoo maybe pick this up for your next grad but wouldn't go seeking it out otherwise, unless it's $1.99
I randomly purchased this book based on recommendations. I didn't know who Kurt Vonnegut was. It's a collection of talks given to University freshmen. It's short, funny by moment, insightful and brings oneself to think. Kurt obviously had a huge amount of empathy. What shines in those talks is his ability to make us understand others point of view. I will definitely pick-up his books after this introduction. Recommended.