Book: 102 Minutes

I'd read (listened) to this book awhile back but am just getting around to posting a review. I picked the book based on reviews I'd read and not being one to buy into anything that aims to sensationalize, I was skeptical about it. I can freely admit that 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers surprised me... in a good way.

Let's take a moment to talk about what this book isn't. It's not a Nick Cage movie about the Towers, it's not a heart-felt story about about all the people that didn't get out, it's not a conspiracy theory manifesto and it's definitely not a political examination of the role America's foreign policy plays in the world. If it's not any of things, what could it possibly be and how could it prove to be anything but boring? This book is not only one, but two things that are far from boring.

First and foremost, tt intends to report what happened inside the Towers based on eyewitnesses accounts and post-disaster evidence. It does this with an amazingly clear and concise style that is devoid of the conjecture so that has ruined so many other pieces on the same subject. Make no mistake, it is emotional and it is a people story, it's just done in a way that seems much more... informational.

Where this book shines, however, is that it also takes a look at the history and decisions that shaped who lived and died that day. No, I'm not talking about things like our presence in Saudi Arabia but rather things like why the buildings only had three stairwells when more was the industry standard. It couldn't be known at the time, but choices that were made 4 to 40 years ago for very specific reasons would impact escapes routes, emergency personnel communication and ultimately the death toll.

I honestly can't recommend this book enough. It offers an unparalleled glimpse into the why? and on many occasions I found myself muttering "hmmm, interesting" on the serendipity of it all. I'm confident in saying this is the best September 11th related media I've experienced... but I don't want to build it up too much. ;-)