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Book Reviews of Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish

Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish
Rumspringa To Be or Not to Be Amish
Author: Tom Shachtman
ISBN-13: 9780865476875
ISBN-10: 086547687X
Publication Date: 5/30/2006
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 59

3.4 stars, based on 59 ratings
Publisher: North Point Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

16 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

sunalso avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
A fascinating, if sometime overly sympathetic, look at Amish life. The author's narrative primarily moves forward through "case studies" of Amish youth. These young people make varied choices, that either lead them back to the Amish fold, or out into the larger world. To me what was amazing was the decision process that lead these young people back to the Amish Church and way of life after being out and experiencing mainstream life.
shiner716 avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 34 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
The beginning was interesting; the middle lagged; the end was boring and repetitive. I was expecting so much more from this book and somehow the author dropped the ball.
skywaywaver avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 148 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
An inside look into the lives of modern Amish teenagers faced with some tough decisions. This book had a little too much sociology/anthropology/psychology than I felt was needed to compare Amish teens with non-Amish teens.
logdweller avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Started out good but midway I started to lose interest. Seemed somewhat repetitive at times. Could serve well as an added read in a sociology class.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I was expecting more stories from Amish themselves and what their lives were like. This book included lots of studies done on the Amish lifestyle. Still a good read but hard to trudge through at times.
daedelys avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This book was just awful. I plodded through 50 pages to try to give it a chance but just had to quit. I was hoping for an informative documentary but I felt like I was reading a something out of a gossip column. It just didn't grab my attention and I didn't really learn anything new.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 46 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Very interesting. A bit repetitive at times but informative.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 366 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Well researched and well told. These Amish youngsters have much to think about, and in the end, so do we
Twintoni avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 133 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Interesting book about Amish teens and the pressures in their lives.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 61 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Really interesting! Learned a lot
mountainspirit avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on
To me this was a difficult book to read - it felt too much like I was reading a textbook. While it was very informative, I felt like the author was a little pretentious and thesaurus happy in his wording - some parts were hard to understand. The stories of the different youth's passages were interesting.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on
I wasn't really impressed with this book. Not sure what I expected but nothing exciting really jumped out and grabbed me. I didn't even finish it. If a book doesn't snag me with the first couple of chapters its not for me.
sheilam avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 10 more book reviews
Well written and insightful take on what it means in today's world to be Amish.
reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 160 more book reviews
Very informative look at the practice of "rumspringa", the Pennsylvania Dutch word for "running around", a time when Amish youth can try out life in the "English" world, with all its temptations, before deciding to become baptised and remain in the Amish faith. The book is well- documented with many examples from the various Amish communities in the mid-West and in Pennsylvania.
suspenseprincess avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 51 more book reviews
This book is kind of interesting. It was about my hometown.
Thursday-Next avatar reviewed Rumspringa : To Be or Not to Be Amish on + 12 more book reviews
I already knew a lot about the subject because of where I live. It was a fascinating book made more so because a lot of it took place in Shipshewana where my daughter lives and i recognized some of the places mentioned.