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What Is the What (Hardcover)

by Dave Eggers (Author) "I have no reason not to answer the door so I answer the door ..." (more)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 475 pages
Publisher: McSweeney's Books; 1 edition (28 Oct 2006)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1932416641
ISBN-13: 978-1932416640
Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 17 x 3.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 485,856 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
I have no reason not to answer the door so I answer the door. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking and Staggering. Possibly genius at last..., 19 Nov 2006

By	Deborah Mancino (Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Perhaps in telling the story of Sudanese Lost Boy, Valentino Achak Deng, who has seen things no one should ever see, Eggers has stumbled upon a way to truly break our hearts and inform them without being self-conscious or tragically hip. This is a tough and beautiful read, especially given the fresh horrors befalling the people of Sudan in the current conflict.

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what is the what is what we've been waiting for, 1 Jun 2007

By	Tatiana Butter (London, The United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: What is the What (Hardcover)

i have enjoyed reading this book very much, not only is it very informative, but it manages to describe the plight of human beings and the way refugees and immigres behave and are treated. It is an epic story of our times, I doubt that any immigrant or person who has gone through hard times at their own country would not be able to empathise! a very good read, and also although the book tackles some depressing and gloomy events, it retains its sense of humour and lightness of touch.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart Of Africa, 19 Nov 2008

By	Mr. Donald S. Murray "NISEACH" (Scotland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: What is the What (Hardcover)

This book is hard to classify. It is said to be an autobiography but it written by someone other than the central character Valentin, a refugee from Somalia - the American writer Dave Eggers. Yet he performs the most awe-inspiring ventriloquist act ever committed to paper, showing both the suffering and the strength of spirit of a man who escapes the cruelty of his homeland and adjusts to the new life in the United States.

Read this book and weep. And laugh. And marvel. It's the most under-rated work that has appeared over the last years. While it is large in terms of the numbers of pages in his book, it is dwarfed by the size and scale of the writer's humanity.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly IMPORTANT book
Dave Eggers What is the What is a fantastic book which gives you an insight of the political situation and the brutal civil war of Sudan. Read more

Published 14 months ago by Sabine Leitner

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and shaming
What is the what by Dave Eggers is a tale of epic suffering told through the eyes of a young Sudanese boy who sees his way of life violently destroyed and together with thousands... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Stuart

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