Tom Shachtman

Reviews of Recent Books by Tom Shachtman

RUMSPRINGA: TO BE OR NOT TO BE AMISH (North Point Press, 2006).

"Shachtman is like a maestro, masterfully conducting an orchestra of history, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and journalism together in a harmonious and evocative symphony of all things Amish. He follows the lives of numerous young Amish in the midst of the tumultuous "Rumspringa" years .... I fully expect to see this book short-listed next year come literary awards time." Christian Science Monitor

Publishers Weekly starred review: "A teenage Amish girl sits in her buggy, one hand dangling a cigarette while the other holds a cell phone into which she is loudly chatting away. This girl, like many Amish teens sixteen and older, is in a period called rumspringa, when the strict rules of community life are temporarily lifted while an adolescent chooses whether to be baptized into the church and abide fully by its laws. Shachtman is a sensitive and nimble chronicler of Amish teens, devoting ample space to allowing them to tell their stories in their own words. Throughout, he uses the Amish rumspringa experience as a foil for understanding American adolescence and identity formation in general, and also contextualizes rumspringa throughout the rapidly growing and changing Amish world. This is not only one of the most absorbing books ever written about the Plain People, but a perceptive snapshot of the larger culture in which they live and move."

"Writer, novelist, and documentarian Shachtman has created a fascinating and near-unprecedented glimpse into the inner lives of Amish society. High recommended." Library Journal

"A riveting and instructive portrait," Kirkus Reviews

"Mr. Shachtman's wonderfully rich portrait and history of the Amish as a people and a faith helps to show why one of the strictest religious communities in America is better at holding a flock than some of the most liberal." Wall Street Journal



TERRORS AND MARVELS: How Science and Technology Changed the Character and the Outcome of World War II (Morrow, 2002)

"Remarkable view of a war that not only advanced but politicized science, perhaps forever.... A comprehensive analysis of how mobilization and management of scientists -- and their research and resultant technologies -- produced an array of weapons for the Allies that ranged from horrific to unbelieveable. Shachtman ... builds a fascinating case boosting science, including ‘soft disciplines’ ... as a pivotal factor in the outcome." -- Kirkus Reviews.

"There was more to WWII science than the atomic bomb, demonstrates Shachtman in his fascinating history …. Shachtman dramatically captures the breakneck pace of research and the charged atmosphere of the WWII lab …. The impeccably researched, taut volume maintains its focus on the role of science without drowning in voluminous WWII historical material. This effortlessly readable text will be of interest to fans of history and science, and to the casual reader as well." -- Publishers Weekly.

"TERRORS AND MARVELS shows you that when desperate times call for desperate measures, science will answer the call, morality be damned …. A fine and knowledgeable writer who sees the union between science and state becoming increasingly strong … Shachtman does an exceptionally good job not only explaining how all the gizmos work, but also showing that scientific and technological know-how alone isn’t enough." -- San Jose Mercury News

"A brisk, clear, and revealing narrative. Shachtman has done an impressive job of explaining the far-reaching scientific/ technological aspects of World War II …. Other books have dealt with the technology of the war, but none has endeavored to explore more fully the extent to which that technology was utilized …. Because World War II was so predominantly a conflict of machines, this penetrating and intelligent study is highly relevant."
-- World War II History.

ABSOLUTE ZERO AND THE CONQUEST OF COLD (Houghton Mifflin, 1999)

"Analyzes the social impact of the chill factor, explains the science of cold and tells the curious tales behind inventions like the thermometer, the fridge and the thermos flask …. Excellent use of analogies … [an] astonishing observation … a fascinating finale …. Recounts the history of cold with passion and clarity." –-
New York Times Book Review

"Intriguing … a disarming portrait of an exquisite, ferocious, world-ending extreme." -- Kirkus "An absorbing account to chill out with." –- Booklist

"The pursuit of absolute zero may not, at first, seem important or exciting ... But Shachtman –- who has a gift for telling scientific adventure stories –- has done a wonderful job of conveying the excitement …. This is a truly wonderful book: purchase this before it becomes an episode of Nova. –- Library Journal (starred review)

"Shachtman … holds the reader’s attention with the skill of a novelist as he relates the 400-year effort to fill out what scientists have called ‘the map of Frigor.’" – Scientific American

"This esoteric scientific adventure story –- as keenly pursued as the simultaneous quest for the arctic regions –- is masterfully told …. In many ways an absolute delight, chock-full of quirky characters questing for ever-lower temperatures and discovering fundamental properties of matter along the way …. Shachtman has achieved an enormous feat, combining science, biography and analysis into a compelling narrative full of explosions, obsessed experimentalists and unexpected revelations." – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"For a subject bound to leave many readers, well, cold, [Shachtman] has compiled here a surprisingly fascinating account of what cold is and the role it has played and plays in our lives and nature." -- Copley News Service.

AROUND THE BLOCK: The Business of a Neighborhood (Harcourt Brace, 1997)

"A ‘near-classic’ ... One of the best descriptions of American business in microcosm to come out of the 1990s [and] the sort of business book that is published too rarely .... Its subject goes to the heart of modern American business -- and in the process tells you more about social conflicts, immigration, education and, indeed, America itself than countless loftier works .... Most memorable are the characters .... Mr. Shachtman is wonderful at detailing the obstinacy of small businessmen .... One of the book’s best chapters is on the stout defence put up by a gym and a video store against two national chains that move in across the street .... Another fascinating section looks at the economics of three deli-groceries ...." -- The Economist

"To answer such questions as whether small businesses create jobs and how they survive the competition with big business, Shachtman spent a year exploring the assorted enterprises in a square block of Manhattan’s Chelsea. The book is crowded with real people speaking candidly about plans and problems as varied as their occupations, which range from dog grooming to wholesale plumbing supplies. A grand idea, splendidly executed." -- The New Yorker.

"Fascinating detail, [a] terrific new book ... a lively, insightful chronicle of a year in the business life of a Manhattan block .... AROUND THE BLOCK is a wonderful weave of personal stories and big-picture trends. Mr. Shachtman has mastered the art of the disciplined digression: his side trips into architecture, history and macroeconomics are short and sharply illuminating."
-- The New York Times, Business Section.

"A complex and detailed [study of] the gradual, almost invisible creation of jobs, wealth and economic growth through the establishment and nurturing of small businesses .... A thoughtful, interesting book ..... Tom Shachtman has written a good and useful book that -- unlike so much else these days -- gives cause to look to the future with hope." -- Washington Post Book World