Book Review - On Admiration: Heroes, Heroines, Role Models, and Mentors

About the Book

Not only did people all over the world cry when Tiger Woods got caught cheating on his beautiful wife, but they obsessively followed every detail of his separation and divorce in real time. For better or for worse, he is, or was, seen as an American sports “hero.”

We’ve gotten to the point where people monitor every move that celebrities make. We look up to them for their ability to make money; reach the top of their sport or profession; and find love with other wealthy, attractive, successful people. When their worlds shatter, so do ours. When they falter, so do we. Just how far will we take this celebrity worship before we admit that these people just don’t deserve our admiration? Award-winning writer W. D. Wetherell explores the impact of those we admire on our everyday lives, and just how much we might be losing by admiring the wrong people.

On Admiration is a refreshing departure from a celebrity culture fueled by reality television, tabloid magazines, and celebrity twittering. Through a series of personal and moving mini-essays, it celebrates the heroes and heroines who have steered Wetherell’s life from his earliest years. Some of these heroes include:

·        Henry David Thoreau                   •   Dwight D. Eisenhower

·        Mickey Mantle                               •   Barack Obama

·        Davy Crockett                               •   Jim Thorpe

·        Robert Frost                                  •   Rosa Parks

·        Sir Edmund Hillary                       •   Beverly Sills

Through humorous, insightful stories, Wetherell examines the state of fame, celebrity culture, and honest admiration in a personal way that will touch everyone who has been moved by a hero or heroine. He skillfully reminds us of the magic and mystery that comes with slow discovery – of that first awareness of those figures who awoke something within us, who inspired us as children, teenagers, and adults – forever changing our lives. His lively exploration of our collective psyche through pop-culture essays not only remind us what admiration is and what it does, but also how the people we admire define us, and the danger in letting the wrong people make us who we are.

About the Author:

W. D. Wetherell is a writer and author of over a dozen books including Soccer Dad and Morning. His short stories have appeared in Kenyon Review, Tri-Quarterly, Massachusetts Review, New England Review, Breadloaf Quarterly, Atlantic, Southern Review, Colorado Quarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Graffiti. He has also written essays and travel pieces for The New York Times, The Boston Review, and other periodicals. He lives in Lyme Center, New Hampshire.

My Take on the Book

I was impressed with the array of people that the author examines in this book as he examines what it means to be a hero, role model and mentor and how all of this intertwines with society.

Using individuals that the reader readily can identify the author does an admirable job at allowing the reader to understand the role admiration plays in our society and how these different people fit into this. I enjoyed reading about the myriad of people that he selected and he uses a writing style that is easy to read and is engaging for the reader.

Overall, a great book and one that I would recommend highly!

If you want to have this book as a part of your own collection, you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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