Thoughts So Far: "It's What I Do" by Lynsey Addario, Preface & Ch. 1

So far I've very much enjoyed this book. This assignment could not have come at a better time for me; I had just finished reading The Lord of the Rings over the summer, and was feeling a slight sense of literary ennui while I looked for another book to read. THIS one hooked me so immediately that I could have easily found more than enough material to discuss even if the assignment had only been on the preface. I had to stop myself from reading too far ahead just so that I'd be able to remember what parts of the book I'm supposed to be writing about. Gushing aside, the part of the book I've liked best so far would have to be the way she describes her surroundings and what's going on. "It feels like I'm really there" is a commonly used phrase which I definitely feel applies here. Also, I felt that she provided her own thoughts in a very natural and personable manner, which made it all the easier to get invested. 

For me the real highlight of the first chapter was her account of when she was first breaking into photojournalism in Buenos Aires. I can't help but admire the persistence she showed while trying to get meaningful work at the Gazette. That whole part of the chapter feels like a very good guide on how to go about a photojournalism career. In fact, that section is also the source of my favorite quote from the book so far: "Make all your professional mistakes in Argentina; because if you make one mistake in New York, no one will give you another chance." Can't really say I have a favorite out of her photos from the book, though. I know it sounds like a cop-out answer, but all the ones I particularly liked I liked equally as much.

The other big thing I learned was from the preface; it gave me a very clear look at what life is like living in an active war zone, and this perspective has inspired me to start taking more of an active interest in current events, where before I’d become very cynical and jaded in that regard. Whatever problems I’ve been having with the way our country’s being run kind of pale in comparison to Addario’s account of Libya during Arab Spring, I guess is what I’m saying.