Sam Strives For 55 - Week Seven

Here is week 7 of Sam's reading journey, the metrics and first week can be found here

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler

1. Intrigue 
   1. Interested in Walt Disney? Say no more. This biography does an excellent job of detailing his life’s events and his personal beliefs. Depending on how you look at it, this is a story about how an artist capitalizes on their idea, only to become more obsessed with the money than the art. Or this is about how humans are only capable of doing the same thing for so long, and eventually what excites and motivates us changes and we have to change with it. Disney’s biography paints a full picture of the man, and of the time. 
2. Writing Style
   1. This is the strongest piece of the entire book. Everything is organized. The sentences are clear. The ideas are eloquently discussed. And, namely the word choice is never, ever distracting. Fantastic writing from Gabler. 
3. Flow of Storytelling
   1. The short answer, the flow is nice. Unlike many biographies it doesn’t get bogged down after the subjects initial moment of victory. Once Disney starts growing his business the story stays tight and on subject. The only moments of blockage occur when Disney’s politics come up. Then it becomes hard to figure out if there is any protection around Disney’s image, or authorial point of view interpreting what Disney meant or inferred, etc. This doesn’t stop the flow too much, as it’s a very enjoyable read. 
4. Re-readability
   1. None! But that’s just me. I read this about Disney and am uninterested in reading any more about him. While an excellent read, to me there are so many more people to read about if I’m going to pick up a biography. But this is a very good biography. 
5. TESS
   1. Does not qualify. 

​Final Rating: ★★★

J. Sam Williams is an illustrious black-tailed hawk, longing to eat as many vegan mice as possible. In his human form, he is a High School English Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife, one dog and two cats. A somewhat retired breakdancing teacher, he is now a co-host on the Alohomora Podcast! He has been published on Lunch Ticket, immix: a journal for justice, Mugglenet, and a slew of small sports journalism publications. You can find him on twitter @Jabbernator.