Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater (Thorndike Press Large Print Biography Series),   ISBN:9781410422620

Customer Rating: 

Bruni's writing about his family, weight challenges, career experiences and journey of self acceptance is honest, heartfelt and inspiring. It was a great read that I couldn't put down and was sad to see come to an end. I received it as a gift and will be giving it as one to numerous people in my life.

Customer Rating: 

Frank Bruni's uneasy relationship with food---as well as his hilariously enabling family---make this book fun...and a little disgusting. In his Italian household, there was always too much grub to go around at the Bruni's, and Frank's early food-related tantrums sound appropriate when we learn what an amazing cook his mom was.

But things get dicey early on, and Bruni, a food critic (of course), struggled early with his voracious appetite, and his one-track mind obsessing on dinner. Being gay didn't helped much, but Bruni largely downplays this experience. Bruni's style--a frothier version of the great David Sedaris'--has a familiar, if eerie, ring. Where Sedaris' life is filled with pratfalls and bittersweet reflections, Bruni's often sounds like a man falling. Drowning, actually. An enlightening book, filled with all the dieter's (and bulemic's) tricks, "Born Round" is only marred, in my opinion, by his newsman's glib language. The divine Sedaris could have elevated this tale to high art.

Customer Rating: 

As a young man Frank Bruni is afraid to be naked, and then he completely exposes his world as a struggling eater in his memoir, Born Round. Frank shares with his readers life with his family, partners, and work. The common thread that weaves its way through it all, is his love of food. Each phase of his life offered something for me to laugh and think about, but I really appreciated his honest look at how he came to understand his particular issue with eating. Frank's insight can be food for thought for many.

Customer Rating: 

The first portion of this book (tales of the author's boyhood we'll say) was very entertaining. Reading the perspective of a 'round child' was very interesting. The book goes on and one can't help but note how very self-indulgent it is. I understand it's somewhat of an autobiography, but it became annoying hearing about this person's struggles with weight while the rest of his life was more stable than most people (superb jobs and seemingly lots of self-earned and family money). Some of the issues raised were hard to see as being 'difficult' when friends were in abundance, as were money and opportunities. I got this book from the library and it was a fine read but not worth a second read or purchase. The last chapters of the book felt pointless and the ending very boring.

Customer Rating: 

What a wonderful book !! This guy can write so well. There were so many parts of this book that I related too...I even cried at one point in the book. I totally recommend this book !!