Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of an American Family by Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of an American Family Reviews

• 
  Carmen

  One of three famous brothers, the author attempts to explain this abundance of success in a single family with this memoir. In all, it certainly wasn't anything mom "put in the cereal" but simply an early and constant emphasis on speaking one's mind, even to the extent of being pushy or aggressive, something Emanuel admits sometimes served as a double-edged sword. There are some interesting stories regarding his parents and their respective backgrounds, including emigrating from a burgeoning Israel and participating in civil rights activism, and a smattering of tales regarding Rahm's work on Clinton's first presidential campaign. Details regarding the author's health-care policies, or brother Rahm's tenure under Obama or his current position as mayor of a besieged Chicago, or brother Ari's illustrious Tinseltown career, are left out, presumably for their own books. The audio version is narrated by Emanuel, whose nasally voice recalls the nerdy Wesley in that film classic Midnight Madness, but it actually makes this illustrious man of medicine a bit more relatable and endearing, something he seemed to have struggled with while growing up due to his abrasive "Emanuel" manner.
• 
  Shira Reiss

  This is a story mainly about 3 brothers and their family in the 1950’s growing up in Chicago. The story captured the era of the Viet Nam War, MLK & Civil Rights, growing up as Jews in America, the exodus to suburbia, the role and expectation of mothers who mainly focused on “being a housewife” and even on the young state of Israel. Written intelligently by one of the brothers in an open, honest and direct manner, this memoir is a delightful read that I recommend. I loved it and was sad at the end for I wanted more.
  As a baby boomer who is the same age as the author, I admired the values; social conscience, education and love that was instilled.
• 
  Mukeary

  This was a curious memoir by one of the three brothers Emanuel, the more famous being Rahm, the current mayor of Chicago. Curious because the author's deep love for and devotion to his two younger brothers comes through loud and clear as does his loyalty to and affection for his parents. These deeply held feelings are a curious paradox juxtaposed with his description of his parents' marriage and their mother's withdrawls into icy anger.
• 
  Leslie

  Lightweight memoir by a seemingly arrogant man from an obnoxious family. Just my opinion. Read by the author who acknowledges his annoying voice. Not a pleasant listen. Not a pleasant picture of the three Emanuel brothers.
• 
  نسترنّگار

  I came upon this title when I was reading about Rahm Emmanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and noticed that his brother has had a distinguished career in medicine but I was a bit disappointed by his self-congratulatory and obnoxious tone throughout the book. I did enjoy the parts about his childhood, though.
• 
  Susan Bazzett-Griffith

  I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
  
  If this hadn't been a giveaway book, i would probably have rated it only two stars, but decided to give it three because I could find no faults with the writing or story itself; I just could not immerse myself in this memoir at all. I found the author and his family history surprisingly uninteresting, considering as adults they have all become exceptional professionals. I also put the book down for a time because after reading a passage around pages 35-40 about the author's father, I found myself rather irritated by both the "character"/person of the Emanuel patriarch, and his son's lackadaisical amusement when he describes how his father (and his father's friends) basically molested a young woman whom they tricked into thinking they could make her breasts larger by massaging moisturizer into them-- with their own hands, of course. I literally had to put the book away after that because that anecdote was thrown in with no apology or recognition that it was such a foul and objectifying offense.
  
  Once I finally picked the book back up, I tried to read it objectively. Zeke Emanuel is a solid writer, and the memoir was well-written, if long-winded at times. I had trouble connecting to their family, other than their mother, whom I often felt somewhat sorry for when reading his descriptions of her desire for a career and her life surrounded by boys and men who were all somewhat chauvinistic (following their father's example), but usually not so blatantly so as in that previous anecdote mentioned. I could tell that their family was close, that the brothers' bond was exceptional, and that their parents loved them very much, so in that way, the memoir was successful. Overall, though, I found the author/narrator rather arrogant and condescending, which made the book less than pleasant to read in parts. He does seem to acknowledge some of these character flaws in the later chapters and claims he has worked to mellow them, and for the sake of his wife and children, I hope that is true.
• 
  James

  Very revealing insight into the background of these three brothers and their family history and dynamics. Certainly many will read it because of the middle Emanuel brother and they will be rewarded with an understanding that few have. I recommend this as a necessary read for anyone with an opinion or interest in the current mayor of Chicago - whether you hate him, love him, or cover him. (For instance, I recently saw a critique of Rahm that called him "a child of privilege." Sure he was - if living in an Uptown apartment where he shared a bedroom rats sometimes ran through - with two brothers is living in "privilege.") If you're going to have an opinion of someone, you should learn something about them first.
  Perhaps the only thing I didn't like about Ezekiel Emanuel's writing was the psychological analysis he offers of his family members - especially his mother and father. In the end though, it's a really good picture of three highly driven, energetic, passionate, foul-mouthed, loud, relentless, sharp-elbowed men with different talents and challenges, who each found great success in their respective fields.
• 
  Kathryn

  I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. If it wasn't for living near Chicago, I most likely would never have read this book. Middle brother, Rahm is mayor of Chicago and like most politicians, he is not the most upstanding guy: I think that is inherent to almost anyone who is in politics and otherwise, I like him. I found the story of the three brothers: Zeke, Rahm, and Avi very interesting and in some aspects surprising. All 3 brothers grew up in a middle-class Jewish family and became successful, each in very different fields: Zeke in medicine, Rahm in politics and Avi as a talent agent in Hollywood. I enjoyed this and am glad I chose to listen to this book.
• 
  Ellen

  A fascinating story that I could not put down. I felt like I was a fly on the wall. What a way to grow up!
• 
  catherine

  meh. competent memoir, familiar sibling dynamic, but i don't really care. most interesting parts were about the family history and visits to israel as a burgeoning state.
• 
  Melissa

  I’m a huge fan of memoir and was likely drawn to this book because I’m raising 3 boys. I understand that this genre has taken its licks over the years because it’s one person’s interpretation of events. I’ve also seen people write memoirs and leave out whole swaths of their lives “out of respect” for someone’s privacy. I do not get it. The theme in every way of this book is 3 brothers. I happened to glance at a family in tree in the back of the book that shows they have a sister! She is literally never mentioned otherwise. Completely erased. I do not see how you can accurately portray growing up in a family while writing the story in such a way that one of the siblings never (and still doesn’t) existed. She’s not in acknowledgements. Nowhere. After hunting for more info, I found one interview where Zeke says it’s out of respect for her privacy. That explanation falls short. I think if 1/4 of the siblings growing up in a family don’t want to participate, you can’t do the project with any amount of intellectual honesty. I think there is a way to include someone and still “respect their privacy”. The author in this case doesn’t even try.
• 
  Ken Oder

  I found this memoir tedious, repetitive, and boring. The author ponders his early childhood ad nausea. We're two thirds through the book before we make it to his bar mitzvah. Countless playground brawls with the three musketeer brothers and plowing the same ground about the interplay between the family members again and again. Clogged with unremarkable antidotes. All of it imbued with an attitude of arrogance. I liked the stories about the ancestors in Israel and some of the six day war discussion, but that was about it. I went into this expecting a good read. Came away wishing I hadn't spent the time.
• 
  Damilola

  "Foraging through the memories of our lives, my brothers and I have decided that there isn't one single thing that our mother, our father, or anyone else added to our cereal to make us this way. Instead it was an approach to life itself, reinforced in myriad different moments, that made us Emanuel boys into Emanuel men (272). " Family biography that outlines the upbringing of three of America's beloved people. Coming from humble beginnings, this book reminds me of the beauty of being American.
• 
  Lisa Caldwell

  I so enjoyed this 1960's Jewish American family true story. Mom was a civil rights activist/father a pediatric doctor- fun tales of their 3 boys growing up. Ea son successful a Hollywood Gru, a Chicago Mayor and one an oncologist/health/policy advisor.
• 
  Mary

  I think what put me off the most was the seemingly prideful way Emmanuel wrote about how all the brothers not only were verbally aggressive but physically, as well. He was open about their flaws, however, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
• 
  Mairead Rochford

  Fascinating men and a beautiful story of family, values and education.
• 
  Lenny

  A lot of very entertaining and emotionally moving memories by one of the Emanuel brothers. Very well written!
• 
  Alyson

  I received this as a promotional copy through the Good Reads First Reads program.
  
  This is a fascinating look inside a middle class family in the 2nd half of the 20th century, that just happened to produce 3 driven and ultimately powerful sons. Zeke Emanuel successfully depicts his early life positively, while still being honest about the family's flaws.
  
  For myself, I would have appreciated a little more of a linear structure. The book, roughly, takes you from Rahm's birth through to present day, however it jumps back and forward enough that I at times it got a little confusing. It would have been a smoother ride if Zeke had chosen one structure (linear, thematic, character) for the memoir and stuck with it. As it is it seems to be trying to do all three simultaneously and at times is a bit disjointed.
  
  Zeke was the least sympathetic of the three brothers, in my opinion. It is hard to draw your own character, flaws and accomplishments, without sounding either self-deprecating or boastful. Zeke never came across as self-deprecating. To the contrary, he recounted stories that should have been embarrassing or (at times) shameful in a way that suggested he learned nothing from the experience. Instead he at one point said that while he recognized his behavior was bad, he would not change it or learn from it. It was hard to sympathize with a character (especially a real-life character) that refused to try and improve his shortcomings. I do, though, give him major props for being so honest about his lack-of desire to change.
  
  Overall the book was enlightening, and was a peek inside a new and interesting world that I have little experience in/knowledge of. Was it biased? Of course, it's a memoir. Could it have used some extra editing to make it flow better? Yes. Was it an enjoyable and captivating read? Absolutely.
• 
  Ellie

  As a Chicagoan, of course I mostly wanted to hear about Rahm. Zeke does a great job of pacing the important contextual elements that make the focuses on him when they do arrive, more meaningful than if he had just satisfied my impulses.
  
  Along the way, honestly- the drive and passion for justice in this family is pretty amazing. I appreciated that they were honest about how their commitment to justice was sometimes overblown due to hereditary stubbornness bordering on entitlement. (Can justice be entitled? Hmmm....) I think it would have been tempting to have crafted 300-pages of "O'Doyle Rules!" which mercifully, Zeke does not, in favor of a more challenging yet more authentic and enjoyable path.
  
  My favorite part of the book was reading about Dr. King's visit to Chicago and the family's participation in it. Pretty mind-blowing. I picked up this read under the guise of being a loyal Chicagoan, but really it made me prouder to be an American- this is a great genre/ethnic/neighborhood/racial/time transcending doc that is representative of those only possible in this country.
• 
  Nina

  a really fascinating read about the childhood of three very successful brothers: a doctor, current mayor of chicago and famous hollywood agent (entourage's ari gold). they were really lucky to have such a close and supportive family. i loved how his mother took them to civil rights protests. their mom really sacrificed a lot to raise them. she got passed over to go to college because they could only afford to send one child, her brother, and then she spent the rest of her life raising them. zeke alludes a bit to the resentment she felt and it would really be interesting to hear everything from her point of view. zeke says something about how the hallmark of a good parent is when your kids dont need you anymore, that they grow up to be successful and independent people. it sounds like his mom struggled with this a bit. she devoted so much to them and was shocked when they pulled away from her. the stories are sometimes a bit disjointed but still very interesting. i also enjoyed learning about the zionist movement and the history of israel.
• 
  Sylvia

  Two and a half stars really ... Interesting family. I picked this book up from a discount bin, when I found myself without a book at an airport. Definitely a Tiger Mom, with a strong political conscious ruled this unruly household. The youngest brother, Ari, states "I loved my Mother, but not sure I liked her." In this wildly competitive and verbally aggressive household, its not surprising that each brother chose a different profession - their own corner of the universe to excel in, and that it took some years after high school for them to come back together as adults. It was also interesting to me the role that Amherst (a toommate in particular) in Ezekial's case helped to socialize somewhat these boys. this book answered my question as to how Rahm started ballet, too! A fast read about an interesting family, but not sure I'd care to participate in their family dinners.
• 
  Harry Lane

  A well-written memoir by the eldest of three high-achieving brothers. The anecdotes and narrative of growing up Emanuel do explain the forces fueling their accomplishments. It is a mystery to me how any siblings could engage in the kind of raucous and adversarial exchanges the author describes, and still have the strong bonds that clearly exist among the three of them. This unusual dynamic is at the heart of the story, but the author simply puts it out there with no more than a superficial exploration of how it worked. Maybe its one of those happy combinations of nature and nurture that cannot be fully appreciated within the limits of our current state of knowledge. While it appears relatively unvarnished, do not expect any skeletons to emerge.
• 
  Ede

  I bought the book after reading an excerpt of it in Vanity Fair which made it sound like an interesting account of a personal story as well as an overview of a certain decisive period in American history. There is no longer a question in my mind why it was published in this magazine as this book is mostly about pure vanity. The description of the Emanuel family life made me as a reader feel ill at ease, constant repetitions of the other brothers' dyslexia and unwillingness to be as good as the older brother and the description of self-centric parents' supposedly creating an unusually supportive environment for raising extremely intelligent kids made me feel sorry not just for them but mostly for the author.
• 
  Holly

  This is a great book that made me laugh over and over again. Zeke Emanuel narrates his own work and is perfect for the role as his voice and antics during the telling of family stories are hilarious. This book helped me better understand the history of Chicago and Israel from the 1940-1970's and the daily discrimination experienced by races of all kinds. Sparing neither his parents nor brothers, Zeke details the many personal and family experiences that created men who are driven, dedicated and hard workers. The best part of the book for me was the telling of the history of their father, a jewish immigrant to US who worked hard to become a physician and live out the American dream, often at the expense of his wife's desires for her family.
• 
  Jen Dee

  Does an extraordinary childhood create extraordinary adults? Zeke Emanuel certainly tries to make this case with his book chronicling his and his brothers' upbringing by Jewis parents in '60s and '70s Chicago. The story is interesting, if more than a bit self-congratulatory, but the exclusion of their adopted, handicapped sister from the book really bothered me. It's as if, because she didn't fit the mold he was putting forth, Zeke just excised her from the family. He also does not mention his own divorce even though it happened well before the book came out. Ah well. Probably would have given this 3.5 stars if that were possible on this site.