I have heard nothing but good reviews of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs and was really excited to read it. It certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a fascinating and, indeed, tragic story. While I hate to say it, there were some flaws in the writing and it slogged a bit midway through and toward the end. But I was compelled to find out what had happened to Rob Peace. Why had his life, with so much potential, derailed so tragically? I am not sure that, even having read it, I can completely understand his story. And, I thought that perhaps the author (Peace’s college roommate at Yale) was too close to the story. However, there is no doubt that Hobbs cared very much for his roommate and did exhaustive research to understand Peace better. At the end of the day, though, I think the story could have been more effectively told in fewer words. I am glad I read the book, though, and so sad for this truth both for the environment in Newark and also for Rob’s family and friends.