Friday, June 2, 2017

Book report: "It's What I Do" by Lynsey Addario

"It's What I Do" book report.

 Lynsey Addario's book, "It's What I Do" is a powerful example of what dedication is. She's been kidnapped twice, sexually abused and been through a car accident. Addario has such an intense sense of duty to share with the world what is happening in war zones. I think she's the bravest person I have ever known about, and she inspires me to push more, to try harder. So no, I don't think she's crazy, she just loves what she does.

 I think Addario shows the most dedication from her career in the Korengal Valley, because she was literally risking her life every moment. Even after she left, she couldn't quite let go of it. She experienced PTSD symptoms, because of all she went through. The worst part about it was that most of the pictures were never used. 
  
 Addario seems to focus on breaking stereotypes by showing emotion. She changes the feared and unknown, into people with their own fears. It evokes my sympathy.  
Courtesy: lynseyaddario.com

 This photo of Kabul citizens is one of the many that make me realize that these people aren't monsters, that they are more than what they have been labeled. These are people, just like me, who have emotions and memories. They have families they worry about.

 Addario's drive impacted and taught me the most out of her work. After her assignment in Korengal Valley, she said "Coming so close to the edge of death and pushing myself to my own physical and mental limits helped me appreciate the beauty of daily life. In my late teens I had made a promise to myself that every day I would push myself to do something I didn't want to do. I was convinced it would ultimately make me become a better person" (p.238). I now want to do the same, to drive myself harder everyday, to learn new skills. This way I'll go somewhare one step at a time.

Courtesy: lynseyaddario.com 
This photo of Khalid on page 243, is amazing. It shows exactly what he feels. The eyes are almost haunting, etched into my memory. This photo compels me to ask questions about the war, was it really worth it?

It's amazing to me that Addario would choose to keep working after being kidnapped twice. Even without that, everything else she had to go through is almost unbelievable. She had to ware hijabs and sometimes burkas, while trying to operate a camera. She worked in an extremely sexist society, but she never let it stop her.

 One of my favourite sections is where a group of soldiers are staring at her and talking. She assumed something bad would happen. It turned out that they just wanted her to be able to drink the tea, but she couldn't with her head piece on.

Addario's book is one the best books I've ever read.
Even though I don't agree with everything,
I would suggest this book to anyone who wanted to go into photojournalism. It's so alive, and it adds another level of understanding to recent world events.

 To all the war photographers that risk their lives, thank you so very much for your valuable service. Thank you for bringing the world to us, as you risk your lives for that one photo that will change the world. 

No comments:

Post a Comment