Perspectives - Hardcover

Downs, Hugh

4.6

5 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 157036219X ISBN 13: 9781570362194

Publisher: Turner Pub, 1995

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Perspectives is a wide-ranging collection of some of Hugh Downs's most interesting, informative, and entertaining essays, adapted from the ten-minute broadcasts that have become his hallmark. His topics include everything from ancient myth to space exploration, and include such subjects as the intangible value of gold, the meaning of true happiness, the trials of lefties in a right-handed world, and the role of the Iroquois Confederacy in shaping American political thought.

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From AudioFile:

This book is not a biography�though the first section discusses Downs's first job in broadcasting�but rather a series of twenty-minute essays. The subjects range from the joys of hot-air ballooning to the near extinction of whales, and even a fascinating discussion of why the hemp (marijuana) plant is banned due to lobbying by the oil industry. As a result of his broadcasting for more than 55 years, Downs's voice is well known, and the diversity of subjects here makes for interesting listening. These segments are short, so this volume is good for people "on the go." S.I.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist:

Hugh Downs, cohost of the 20/20 television news program, holds the Guinness world record for the "greatest number of hours on camera." He also broadcasts weekly 10-minute essays on ABC Radio's Perspective program, and this book consists of more than 50 of those radio commentaries. Surprisingly, Downs is an effective, entertaining writer who open-mindedly discusses topics that range from aging, AIDS, and animal rights to the history of radio, the evolution of neckties, tipping in restaurants, and interactive TV. He often opens his essays with a personal anecdote; for example, while stuck in a cab, he ponders the demise of travel by horse, musing that a horse-drawn carriage got a person across New York City at 15 mph while a taxi now creeps along at 11 mph. He also leads off a discourse on left-handedness by recalling the moment he realized his infant son was a southpaw. Each essay delivers a quick, thought-provoking read. Thanks to his 56-year career in broadcasting, Downs proves to be a true communicator, a man who gets his point across in clear, concise terms. Jennifer Henderson

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