Review of The End of an Era

[Saint Bruno]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The End of an Era" by John H. Manhold.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In The End of an Era, John H. Manhold, the author, reveals the dissimilarities between the mores of American inhabitants in the 1900s and the present century through his eventful life experiences.

Born in 1919, Manhold has engaged himself in various activities and witnessed the contrasting customs of this present century and the one before it. Having enjoyed careers as a research scientist, lecturer, author, and even won prizes as a sculptor, Manhold shares his rich life experiences with readers in this memoir while presenting his analysis of the differences between the two eras.

Times have changed, no doubt. But people who aren't interested in history might never know. The author highlights the decay in values such as empathy, loyalty, hard work, work ethics, and patriotism in today's America. The message this memoir intends to pass is both relevant and thought-provoking, and it is what I like most about the book. Though I am not a centenarian like the author of this book, I am old enough to agree with most of his points. So I believe a book like this would help us understand where we are coming from and where we'll end up if we don't change how we do things.

The author's story doesn't follow a chronological order. Instead, the author takes an aspect of his life and intimates the reader about it. One such example is his teaching days. While a linear progression of events is easier to follow, I enjoyed how the author's preferred style helped me concentrate on one part of his life while appreciating his points on the aspect in view. I especially liked the author's discussions about the quality of conversations today. Most readers can relate to how annoying it is when people can't take their eyes off their smartphones during conversations. I also agree with the author on the overreliance of Americans on handouts provided by government agencies instead of getting a job.

Furthermore, there's a lot to learn from this author. His humility is worth emulating, and his respect for his wife is admirable. His story is a testament that having a partner who loves and shares the same passion as you do is vital. His narrations about their shared love for boating are inspiring, and the many places they visited together make the book even more exciting. One of the many things I learned from Manhold is the need to live an active life. And I am sure readers would admire his ability to keep being productive despite his age.

Nevertheless, I didn't enjoy some aspects of this book. What I disliked most was how the author often digressed from a particular discussion to something else entirely. While that in itself isn't a qualm, it's how long it takes to get back to the main subject that I don't like. As a result, I needed to go back a few pages to reconnect with the main topic. Also, I found many editing errors in the book, some of which were very distracting.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this memoir and think it's a privilege to learn from a centenarian. More so, the author's message is a wake-up call for us to begin to show empathy, be diligent, relate more with others, use our common sense, and be patriotic citizens. However, I am deducting a star from the book's rating due to the issues I mentioned. Therefore, I rate The End of an Era three out of four stars. Regardless, I still highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy memoirs, especially those interested in a centenarian's comparison between the mores of the last century and the present one.

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The End of an Era
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[Ekezie1998]

Quite a historical and informative piece we have here. Great review.

[John Karanja 1]

This book highlights some of the history and current situation of today's America, and it's true that things have drastically changed.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I'd definitely read this book because the author seems not only as an accomplished individual, but also as a very wise one. Great review!

[kirthana_shivakumar]

This looks very interesting. It's also one of my favourite genres so I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks for the review!

[Astral Magi]

Although the story digresses, I would like to read about the views that the author expresses on moral decline. Thanks for a great review.

[Paluk Pathania]

Exploring such books have made me to realise that we might end up disagreeing with the author's point of view which can be a disadvantage itself. Thanks for your review!^^

[Chin Brown]

I like history so I would like to give this book a try.

[brooke oakes]

It’s sad when there is a focus on the decay in values. You would hope that generations want to be better and do better.