REVIEWS of THE VIEW from the GRASS ROOTS
REVIEWS of THE VIEW from the GRASS ROOTS
A deep and diverse understanding of the human condition, January 4,
2003 Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (see more about me) from Oregon, WI USA The View From The Grass Roots is a compilation of the syndicated columns of award-winning columnist Gregory J. Rummo, showcasing his deftly written commentaries upon a variety of issues both national and personal. His wit, wisdom and ruminations range from the deaf culture and what it's like to raise a deaf son, to environmental ills such as global warming, to the 2000 Presidential Election and the September 11 attacks. Confidently recommended reading, The View From The Grassroots is filled from cover to cover with keen insights, profound thoughts, and a deep and diverse understanding of the human condition. |
"[Rummo
is] uniquely
qualified...
plenty of exercise for the mind and soul, January 18, 2003
The
View From the Grass Roots by Gregory J. Rummo
Millennial Mind Publishing, 1589821017, $22.00
Enjoy the View! 
,
JULY 7, 2002
Picture Erma Bombeck and George Will having a child who grew up, moved
to New Jersey, and got a dog named Chewbacca. This is probably the best way
one could describe Gregory J. Rummo.
Readers in the New Jersey area will know Rummo from his many years as a
regular contributor to regional newspapers, where his work tackles a variety
of topics, personal and political. The Amy Foundation, an organization
dedicated to promoting Christian-influenced journalism in secular newspapers
and magazines, has seen fit to bestow a number of
awards on Rummo's work. Some of these pieces are featured in The View
From the Grass Roots, a collection of ten-plus years of opinions on the
Clinton administration, profiles in courage, and timely observations of the
country and government in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The book's title, Rummo explains in the introduction, is meant to emphasize
Rummo's position as a writer. He does not proclaim to be an expert on the
topics about which he writes, but rather he calls shots as he sees them -- as
an ordinary husband, father, Christian, and American citizen observing life.
To call Rummo "ordinary" would be a misnomer, however. A perfunctory glance at
the contents of View presents the reader with a look into a life both
blessed and challenged, a life appreciative of God's creations - everything
from the rough beauty of rural New Jersey to the child growing in a mother's
womb. Rummo's style is common sense and easy on the eye; a column on the
logistics of coaching his son's soccer team may illicit a few chuckles while
at the same time warm a reader's heart as Rummo explains how his son refuses
to let his deafness become an obstacle while playing. His thoughts on past and
present Presidential administrations may, depending on one's political
leanings, leave a reader nodding in agreement or shaking his head.
Whatever your view on religion, the government, and life in general, it is well worth the time to see these things from Rummo's point of View.
--Reviewed by Kathryn Lively, author of Little Flowers
SEPTEMBER 9, 2002
Passion and opinion - a strong alliance, September 9, 2002
Reviewer: Brenda
S. Weeaks (see more about me) from United States
Gregory J. Rummo is an award-winning columnist - a man with loads of opinion
and a passion for writing. His book, The View From the Grass Roots is an
anthology of his collected works... The columns are about various subjects.
Let me give you a list of the chapters.
Family Life
Deaf Culture
Getting Old
America, Then and Now
The Great Outdoors
The Weather, the Environment and Global Warming
The Clinton Administration
The 2000 Presidential Election
Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Eternity
The Lighter Side
Missionaries and Missionary Adventures
An Evangelical View
Terrorism on American Soil
See what I mean? Passion and opinion - a strong alliance.
Rummo is a family man. He writes in length about his loved ones. One chapter
is about his second son, born deaf. I was blessed in reading his positive
attitude toward his deaf son and parents'-in-law and the lengths he personally
went to to communicate with them.
Rummo tends to take a Christian view in his work. Although the Word may not be prominent in all his work, it's obvious that it's a moral ground from which he speaks. His political view is Conservative and will most likely rile his dedicated opponents, but they, in turn, will have to admit he writes with respect and honesty. Being a Conservative, I agreed with most of what he had to say and recommend anyone and everyone pick up his book and give it a try. Something in there is bound to speak to you.
--Reviewer: Brenda S. Weeaks (see more about me)
 |
JULY 5, 2002
"An eclectic anthology of the author's favorite commentaries that have appeared in various newspapers over the past decade. He writes about his love of family and country, political and cultural issues, and takes firm stands on moral issues such as abortion." |
SEPTEMBER 5, 2002
Gregory Rummo Serves us
Food for the Soul, August 29, 2002
Reviewer: Alice
C. Bateman (see more about me) from Calgary, Canada
Perhaps if you took selections from several volumes in the Chicken Soup for
the Soul series, you would come close to what Gregory J. Rummo has
accomplished with his 'View From the Grass Roots.' This Award-Winning
Columnist has compiled his first book, where we can travel with Gregory
through Missionary work to Little League Soccer, and all points in between. Chicken
Soup for the Soul with a dash of cayenne pepper. A must read selection!
--Alice C. Bateman, Managing Editor The
Writers-Voice.com, The
World's Favourite Literary Website