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Growing Up
Growing Up
Author: Russell Baker
Russell Baker is the 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner for Distinguished Commentary and a columnist for The New York Times. This book traces his youth in the mountains of rural Virginia. When Baker was only five, his father died. His mother, strong-willed and matriarchal, never looked back. After all, she had three children to raise. These were depre...  more »
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PBS Market Price: $12.29 or $8.39+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9780452255500
ISBN-10: 0452255503
Publication Date: 1/1/1983
Pages: 288
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 9

3.8 stars, based on 9 ratings
Publisher: Plume Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Growing Up on + 19 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A good read (true story) about a boy growing up in the Depression.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
reviewed Growing Up on
Helpful Score: 1
Very nostalgic glimpse of growing up in the pre-depression and depression era. Warm and funny. A nice read!
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
reviewed Growing Up on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is a gem. The most entertaining memoir I've ever read. You'll learn something about America and laugh out loud in the process.
Read All 27 Book Reviews of "Growing Up"

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miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
reviewed Growing Up on + 80 more book reviews
This autobiography of Russell Baker's life is a well written script of his life of poverty stricken childhood to a Pulitzer prize winning writer. I found it entertaining and recommend it.
reviewed Growing Up on + 588 more book reviews
good book
reviewed Growing Up on + 241 more book reviews
Fascinating and unique story...
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
reviewed Growing Up on + 11 more book reviews
Absolutely delightful these many years after having read it.
reviewed Growing Up on
sweet and warm story of growing up.
knut avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 59 more book reviews
A brief review after reading this book in 2014, " A representative of my parent's world; Great Depression, family, World War II." This is a "keeper book" for my personal library. I'm only putting this paperback on my list for pbs because I now have a good quality hardcover copy, as the result of a pbs swap.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
Leesa-Dee avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 48 more book reviews
What a wonderful read. A great story of growing up during the Depression and of a little boy who was pushed by his ambitious and driven mother to make something of himself and looking back on Baker's career, it looks like she succeeded. Highly recommended.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
reviewed Growing Up on + 6 more book reviews
A wonderful story of a family struggling to fulfill dreams and of a mother's sacrifice to help her children.
jdauntless avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 112 more book reviews
Winner of the 1982 Pulitizer Prize for biography. One of the great books ever about growing up or American memoirs.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.
miss-info avatar reviewed Growing Up on + 386 more book reviews
I liked the first 3/4 of this book. Baker describes growing up poor, half-orphaned, and at the mercy of various relatives during the depression, but it never comes across as depressing or hopeless. Then he grows up and joins the military, and the last segment of the book is a search for sex. Way, way too much time is devoted to exploits, in one form or another, with women. I could have stopped reading when he goes off to college, and left off happy.

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