3 out of 4 stars
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The book, In The Light of Day, is a half autobiography and half social commentary written by eighty-seven-year-old Paulie The Ballie, also known by the nickname Bubba. Paulie is an avid golfer, which gives him the added moniker “The Ballie.” He is very opinionated and unafraid to express his strongly held beliefs. In this book, he uses a nice effect by having Paulie talk to himself, Bubba. This adds a touch of humor to the narrative. Paulie wants the world to have peace and see the truth “In The Light of Day.”
In Chapter 1, Baxter Springs, Kansas A Journey Along Ole Rte. 66 Revised, we learn about his train trip to Baxter Springs at the age of twelve to stay with his father and grandmother. He made many friends that summer, including Howard Dale and Margaret. He fell madly in love with freckle-faced Cecilia. During his teen years, he was an active member of the Salvation Army Red Shield Club. He became a golf caddy, which started his lasting love of the game. He graduated from Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1950. In Chapter 13, In The Yankee Fan, he discusses his love for the Yankees. He has been a Yankee fan for seventy-five years. Chapter 12, Bumps in the Night, is a hilarious tale of a spooky night visitor to him and his wife of fifty-four years.
Much, of the fifty-eight-page book, is a lament about the numerous shootings occurring in our society today. Paulie wonders about the motivation of the Vegas shooter in Chapter 10, Looking for Answers on The Vegas Shooting, and also in Chapter 6, (A Clear and Present Danger) Death Knell. German social psychologist, Erich Fromm’s analogy, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, was an inspiration to Paulie, and he quotes from Fromm’s book in several places. Paulie wants assault weapons banned. He believes it is the only way to stop the killing.
On seeing a Nazi flag in his town, Paulie tells of hearing Benjamin Ferencz speak about his work as a member of Patton’s third army. Ferencz documented the horror of the Holocaust concentration camps, interviewed survivors and hunted and prosecuted twenty-two Nazi officers. He says, “He saw piles of emaciated dead bodies stacked like piles of wood. The stench of death was everywhere.” This chapter, Refresher Course, was powerful, thought-provoking, and effective. Paulie talks about Hitler as an orator and explains why he gained so many supporters. This time in history should be a warning to us today.
Mixed throughout the book is Paulie’s wonderful poetry. The poem, Kindness, exemplifies caring and giving. The Playground shows that childhood goes by so quickly and must be held closely. It Is Okay to Cry, Bubba says we must stop the hatred and killing, and we must have gun control. These and his other poems display his sincere feelings and are deeply moving.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and agreed with Paulie on many of his points. This should appeal to readers who like autobiographical works and poetry. If you are against gun control, then this book is not for you. If you agree with Paulie that something must be done to stop the senseless murder, then you will applaud his unapologetic viewpoint. This book could be greatly improved by professional editing. Numerous grammatical and spelling errors detracted from his writing. Because of the numerous errors, I can’t give this book a perfect score of four. Also, I think that the content merits much more than a score of two. Therefore, I am giving In The Light of Day , by Paulie The Ballie, a score of 3 out of 4 stars.
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In The Light Of Day
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