The Heart and the Fist?

[Pia]

So...who's read it? 

Full title: The Heart and the Fist: The education of a humanitarian and the making of a Navy SEAL. by Eric Greitens

Thoughts? Comments? Pros/Cons? 

 

[Lauren R.]

I read it cause I bought it when a bookstore was closing and got to say pretty disappointed. The writer just bugged me for some reason.

[Pia]

Thanks for the comment, Lauren! Can you put your finger on what bugged you about him? I got the book as a loaner from a friend in uniform, and just finished it.  I was struck by the fact that he seemed like a very driven human being.  I don't know anything about his foundation or post-Navy other work, but was going to look into it some more as at least the motivations for it seemed sound. The first part of the book or "humanitarian education" as the sub-title says was disaster tourism but I was struck by how it shaped his thinking into an approach and a career choice that he identified as really, for lack of a better phrase, "armed humanitarian action." I'm not condoning it -- I don't have enough time in the field or in war-zones to have anything but an armchair opinion -- but it's a topic that is rarely said in "polite" "pure" or "core" aid circles, it seems.  Anyway, it prompted a lot of swirling thoughts in my head...thanks again for chiming in.  

[Lauren R.]

Pia, I can't put my finger on what precisely bugged me about his writing. I had a friend who is military read it and he said the same thing. I might have to unearth it from my remodel packing just to see if I can better articulate what I didn't like about the book. LOL

[J.]

just downloaded on my kindle.

heading to Niger. Will read en-route, and let you know what I think (as I typically do ;) )

(good to see you back in here, Pia!)