A critical examination, in diary form, of the state of radio in 1995. Vowell listened to the radio daily for the entire year and described what she heard and what it meant to her. The topics she discusses include Rush Limbaugh, the anniversary of the suicide of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, the Oaklahoma City bombing, the opening of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, NPR, the NEA, Clinton era politics and much more.
This was Vowells first book. As usual her writing is intelligent, witty and insightful. While not as engrossing as her later works I'd still recommend this -- esp to music lovers and NPR listeners. ( )

I didn't even know this book existed until I found it while browsing through the used section of the Harvard Bookstore. I've read and love Ms. Vowell's "Assassination Vacation" and greatly enjoy her contributions to This American Life and other outlets, so I picked it up and only now put it back down.

For me, "Radio On" was a nostalgic tribute and tear through the music and politics of the mid-90s. It was also an informative editorial portrait of Radio (capital R) as a powerful, forgotten, neglected, often misused medium -- honestly, something I hadn't given much thought. It was also a respectable piece of masochism, a hell of a way for her to "take her lumps" early on in her writing career. Sarah's usual humor (smirky, scathing, sincere) and humble personal touches are offered throughout. I recommend it, though your mileage will certainly vary depending on your politics, radio listening habits, and connection to the era. ( )

I really love Sarah Vowell. It's interesting to read this (I believe it was her first book) after reaing her more recent works. It is definitely less polished and while the journal style makes sense because of the book's concept, i think it restrained her too much leading to some pretty boring stretches.

However, as a music junkie, I really appreciated most of her commentary on the state of radio (around 1994-1995!) and found the book pretty entertaining as a time capsule from those years.

I'm sure any Sarah Vowell fan - or anyone who was listening to a lot of music in the mid-90's would enjoy this book. ( )