Thedwick

Ok, just to prove that not every book I read is technical, here’s one about Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm by MF Grimm.

This book is a graphic novel (ie. a very long comic book) that’s an autobiography of a rapper named MF Grimm who grew up in the inner city, appeared on Sesame Street as a kid, and eventually ended up partially paralyzed and in jail from gun and drug dealing.

Unlike most of what you read about rap stars and growing up in the inner city, this story neither glorifies nor condemns anything about the life. It’s simply a matter-of-fact, first person description that leaves a pampered, yuppie whitey like me a little more aware of a culture that doesn’t resemble mine. As you might expect from a book of its format, it’s an easy read and well worth the small investment.

Anyone who has been paying attention to the news lately probably already knows the facts laid out in Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. The book was published in 2006 and thanks to Gore’s tireless promotion its message has entered our consciousness.

What I did get new from reading the book was a real sense of urgency and shared purpose. Gore describes global warming in all seriousness as a planetary emergency–something that will be our generation’s greatest challenge on the level of (or exceeding) previous generations’ fights against global fascism, poverty, and communism. Facing its challenge will transcend anything else we’ve faced as a planet.

Gore mentions several times throughout the book that he has spent the last 20 years or so gathering its material and it shows. Just like a poem, every graphic, every example, and every page has an impact. This careful choice is important because the book is not at all dense and is a very easy and short read.