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Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish
 
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Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish (Hardcover)

by Tom Shachtman (Author)
1.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
US List Price: $25.00
UK Equivalent: £16.81
Price: £16.75 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish + A History of the Amish + Real People: Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: North Point Press; 1st ed edition (30 May 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 086547687X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0865476875
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.3 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 941,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #81 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestant > Amish

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1.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Bashing the Amish, 12 Jan 2008
By Kenneth Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish (Paperback)
The failings of this book can only be dealt with in a review that would have a word count far exceeding the word count of the book itself, so instead I will briefly touch on several points:

1) The majority of this book does not deal with the practice of rumspringa, rather after a few chapters it degenerates into a general critique of of Amish society.

2) The author has a clear agenda and is quite crass at times in his critiques, being particularly vitriolic when it comes to the supposedly low level of education that Amish children receive.

3) When the author does discuss rumspringa, the majority of the time he deals with the vast minority of Amish youth who enter the "English" world and become engaged in partying, drugs and promiscuity. For most Amish youth, rumspringa is still something quite tame. But I guess sensationalism is the whole point, here, right? That's what sells books.

4) The author is convinced that secular society is superior to that of the Amish, and the author continually suggests or implies that it would be best if the Amish adapt themselves more to the world around them. In fact, at one point, he asserts that _will_ eventually be assimilated, and needless to say one can imagine he wrote that with much glee.

5) Yet, despite his continual critques of the Amish, he does admit that the Amish have many characteristics that that are enviable: stable families, hard working, committed to stewardship of the land and quality craftsmenship, honesty, integrity, etc.

6) It would seem that in the end that the author disapproves of the Amish because they are Christian, so-called "fundamentalist" Christians who try to live their lives according to Christ's teachings, rather than simply abiding by them when it's convenient, as most "Christians" do.

7) This book would not have been published had it been written about other minority or religious groups. The Amish are a particularly easy target because they are Christian, insular, non-violent, easily recognized, and, most of all, successful. Despite persecution and outside pressures, they have as distinct society which succeeds in maintaining an agricultural lifestyle in a rapidly modernizing world.

8) In the end, what's most sad about this book is the fact that the author clearly knows that he can spout off about the Amish without fear any consequences or recrimination.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars I agree..., 18 Nov 2008
By N. P. Preston "Natty Patty" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish (Paperback)
I was expecting this to be a story based on real amish people etc etc. It just generated into some kind of essay, and the stories of the interviewee sometimes seemed irrelevant.

I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who has no understanding of religions and cultures like this as it is informative in the wrong way and critiques the Amish way of life in regards to their traditions and their schooling system.

As it has been said before i'm sure'rumspringa' for many isn't about a time for lewd experiementation with sex, drugs and rock n roll, but this book certainly makes it out to be. So it's a shame that this book can be used as a tool to be judgemental towards the faith if you didn't know otherwise.

I, myself didn't even finish it because I felt like I was reading a University textbook in some parts and the end parts felt like a conclusion to a rather longwinded and one sided essay, I especially stopped reading after he started darawing comparisions between amish and orthodox judaism. and the only parts that interested me were the stories, but it has pushed me to find another book detailing the Amish wasy of life, albeit one that depicts in a less judgemental fashion.
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