Member Reviews

A book that’s equal parts biography as well as a cultural and sociological examination of four Jewish American trailblazers.

These are historical figures I’ve heard of but did not really know. Sure, some of their stories have made it to the big screen. While others’ creativity are featured on bookshelves or discussed on college campuses. Still others, have graced the stages of NYC.

What influenced their work, their childhoods and their Jewish cultural identity is explored in detail. The author does not flinch from sharing their flaws. And that makes their stories even that more interesting.

This took much longer to read given the amount of detail the author expended but the reader will only leave the read with more knowledge of these extraordinary individuals when that last page is turned.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Henry Holt and Company via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I did not realize that there were only 4 profiles that were going to be examined, but nevertheless, I did enjoy learning how Judaism impacted each one’s life and careers.

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American Liberty Unlocked Jewish Genius
I could list pages andAm pages of Jewish contributions to medicine, music, politics and more contributions. David Denby chose four famous American Jews: Mel Brooks (comedy including significant satire); Leonard Bernstein, (music original composer and teacher); Betty Friedan, (politics and opening America to the role of women), and Norman Mailer, (literature and philosophy).

They are 100% Jewish and 100% American. The Jews have sometimes survived significant anti-Semitism in this country and the rest of the world. Denby’s writing is clear and honest. He was writing about intellectuals and impacted the reader and American culture.

Despite the raw talent and outrage of Denby’s master changers of American life, it is shocking to know that there are a total of less than 16 million Jews in the world, 7.3 million live in Israel, 8.5 millions outside of Israel, and only 6.3 million in the United States. And yet these small group of people has made your laugh, listen to remarkable music, and enjoy having Novocain at the dentist, using digitalis for your heart and keeping your children alive with the Salk vaccine.

Denby writes with candor and does not omit their impact on American culture.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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First off, I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

This book was fun! As a Jewish person myself, I loved a fun read through some of the famous Jews throughout history. It's such an enjoyable read, light-hearted, with a nice cover and illustrations. I especially enjoyed the focus on non-pop culture people, like Betty Friedan. This would make a great gift for Jewish folks in your life, friends who love trivia or celebrities, or who are interested in history.

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