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Really enjoyed this one and the author‘s awakening to her own biases. So eye-opening and an excellent work to understand the impact America has on the world and other people.

Book club tonight, with Turkish guests and Turkish food

Suzy Hansen moved to Istanbul and found she had a lot of work to do to confront what it means to be a white American in the world. I found it thought provoking although I did get a little bogged down in the Iran-Egypt-Afghanistan parts at the end, just too much information to absorb. Tomorrow, my book club discusses it.

We have a way of separating us and them but when we really take the time to see the human experience, we aren‘t that different after all.

I feel a lot of fellow Appalachians can relate to stories from the 2014 Soma mining disaster in Turkey. If only they knew that it happened...

I seem to be the only one who doesn't love this book. I don't think I'm going to be able to finish before it's due back. I don't like the author and I'm struggling to get past her to the ideas that made me pick up the book.

Wow! A very revealing look at American exceptionalism. The history we were taught in school paints a pretty picture for us. This is a book that will remove the filter. Although I must criticize how there is no enough acknowledgment of gender discrimination through this dark history (from either side) but otherwise this was totally enlightening. Definitely a must read.

Curious as to why James Baldwin said he was more comfortable in Turkey than in Paris and New York,and her drive to better understand the world , Suzy Hansen moves to Istanbul.While learning about Turkey, Greece, and Iran the young journalist gets an education in US exceptionalism and a history of interference in other countries and cultures,that often has had disastrous results . Coming home for a visit, she is made keenly aware of U.S. decline.

Wonderful will read anything about turkey now! And have also picked up James Baldwin. First review on Litsy so I am still practicing on how to write reviews.

I read this recently and it is, in part, why I‘m reading James Baldwin now. I hadn‘t realized that Baldwin lived in Turkey for a time and Hansen talks about how this influenced her thinking about Baldwin and the Middle East. Hansen‘s book is a great read for our time!

Hate it when this happens, disc 7 of 9 would not work! Took it back , we discovered the disc is blank! Got back in line for the audio .Heard enough to know this is an important read .Ms. Hansen‘s only disquiet over her own country comes from reading James Baldwin. When she moves abroad she‘s longing to learn about other countries & cultures.What she finds is American exceptionalism & U.S. interference in world affairs often with tragic results.

A distressing view of the U.S.A.'s involvement in world politics which documents the ways in which our government has meddled and influenced other nations.

This book was full of history. Extremely well informed and well written. The author lived abroad and learned truths about America that are shared here.

Suzy Hansen grew up in a small town in New Jersey. At around the age of 30, she got a fellowship to live abroad and moved to Istanbul. There she realizes how little she knows about the rest of the world and how much of what she does know is influenced by ideas of American exceptionalism that she didn't realize she had. This book really made me stop, question, and reflect. Large parts of this should be required reading in American high schools.

All the #cursive books in my collection, plus one library book that I am #currentlyreading (and loving)! Happy September!
#fallintobooks