Bunch of Amateurs: A Search for the American Character by Jack Hitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bunch of Amateurs: A Search for the American Character by Jack Hitt is an interesting look at weekend hobbyists who can sometimes be more professional than the professionals in their respective fields. The book talks about a variety of subjects and the people who will work endlessly for the pursuit of that subject, whether it be the ancestry of an ancient skeleton, ways to manipulate DNA or an elusive bird. And yes, after reading about the ivory-billed woodpecker, I did have to look it up to see just exactly what they were all talking about.
At first, this book wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought it would be much more about those who work out of their garages for joy, just stumbling upon some new, unexplored idea. The book goes much deeper than that, looking into how this idea of being an amateur—at almost anything—is truly part of the American spirit. Overall, this book is an interesting read, although it can bog the reader down with facts that they didn't know they wanted to know until they read them.
*Reviewer received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
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