Why Do I Love These People?: Honest and Amazing Stories ...

Surviving our families:
Insight, wisdom, and/or knowledge come from unexpected places sometimes. I'm used to my colleagues putting me on the "right path" whenever I reach out to them, and this year was no different. I asked for recommendations for a book that would "push the growing edges" for the chief executives in my group, and I was given many suggestions. Two books stood out in the list and this book was one. I found myself nodding in agreement, shaking my head in wonder, and shedding tears of compassion as I read through this wonderful compendium of stories of real people with real challenges and messy outcomes in their struggles at managing relationships. Bronson definitely pushes on my growing edges. "Why Do I Love These People" is a thoroughly enjoyable book about "understanding, surviving, and creating your own family." These are not special people with storybook lives. These are ordinary people who have found extraordinary ways to manage the messiness of relationships. Compelling stories, told in a way that reaches through the fog of our own experiences and touches that neglected subconscious mind which has recorded all our loves, fears, and joys. Bronson has laid out his book in a logical and thoughtful manner, including an "intermission" in the middle that transitions from the more or less successful negotiations in relationships to those which did not end in such a straightforward way. He never misses a beat in providing the real issues at hand, from the several valid views of those involved in the relationships. Writing in clear and engaging prose, Bronson keeps our interests, shares many insights, and deftly avoids the twin traps of preaching and judgments. This is must reading for all your close friends and relatives. Find a way to get it to them!

Real Stories About Real People Experiencing Real Things:
Provocative, compelling, enlightening stories of human beings grappling with what they want--and don't--from their families beyond shared genes, history and memories. While Bronson's "narrative" sometimes get in the way of the stories he's telling, this remains a gem of a book that hasn't received nearly the attention that it deserves.

Love it!:
This is such a great book! I am using it for my book club choice this year I love it so much.

High Hopes Fall Short:
I recently read Po Bronson's What Should I Do With My Life, and would easily give that at least four stars. I found it extremely interesting and the people Po wrote about real, believable and worth gaining insight from. I purchased Why Do I Love These People based on how well I liked What Should I Do With My Life. I have to say that I am disappointed. Po's voice that drove What Should I Do With My Life (which some people didn't like in that book but didn't bother me) totally overwhelmed Why Do I Love These People. His commentary here is like watching a movie with someone talking the whole time ('Now here is the part where the guy realizes he's in love, watch this part'). He gives us all his thoughts, makes all the connections for us, and even presupposes elements that I disagree with as far as the family relationships depicted. This is too bad. Because, the stories about the families and the types and depth of relationships that we get to see into are intriguing. He needed to let the stories speak more for themselves than doing our interpretive work for us. I still give it three stars rather than two because: 1) I think his work is unique and I'm not seeing this type of large scale social investigation going on a lot elsewhere that's being presented in a conversational, layperson type of format like presented here; 2) the people we meet in this book and their struggles with their interpersonal relationships are worthwhile; and 3) I liked the book enough to finish reading it. Thus, I would have preferred that the messenger were more transparent because the stories would have carried the book on their own quite well and better.

Another great book:
This is a great book and I look forward to reading more from this author.