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A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
May 2012
On Sale: May 8, 2012
288 pages ISBN: 0547816561 EAN: 9780547816562 Kindle: B005LVQZBQ Paperback / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
A remarkable memoir from the best-selling author of Friday Night Lights and Three Nights in August. Buzz Bissingerβs twins were born three minutesβand a worldβapart. Gerry, the older one, is a graduate student at Penn, preparing to become a teacher. His brother Zach has spent his life attending special schools. Heβll never drive a car, or kiss a girl, or live by himself. He is a savant, challenged by serious intellectual deficits but also blessed with rare talents: an astonishing memory, a dazzling knack for navigation, and a reflexive honesty that can make him both socially awkward and surprisingly wise. Buzz realized that while he had always been an attentive father, he didnβt really understand what it was like to be Zach. So one summer night Buzz and Zach hit the road to revisit all the places they have lived together during Zachβs twenty-four years. Zach revels in his memories, and Buzz hopes this journey into their shared past will bring them closer and reveal to him the mysterious workings of his sonβs mind and heart. The trip also becomes Buzz's personal journey, yielding revelations about his own parents, the price of ambition, and its effect on his twins. As father and son journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, they see the best and worst of America and each other. Ultimately, Buzz gains a new and uplifting wisdom, realizing that Zachβs worldview has a sturdy logic of its own: a logic that deserves the greatest respect. And with the help of Zachβs twin, Gerry, Buzz learns an even more vital lesson about Zach: character transcends intellect. We come to see Zach as he truly is: patient, fearless, perceptive, kindβa man of excellent character.
 Media BuzzHard Ball with Chris Matthews - July 2, 2012 CBS This Morning - June 16, 2012 Diane Rehm Show - NPR - June 14, 2012 Hard Ball with Chris Matthews - June 13, 2012 Today - May 15, 2012
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