No need to get nasty in review

COME on, guys, since when does mean-spirited nastiness need to be part of a book review? Jonathan Shapiro goes beyond the call of an unbiased reviewer in his review of Tommy Chong’s new memoir of his prison time as a result of selling a bong [“Chong in the Joint, Out of Joint,” Aug. 12].

Chong, a comedian, was imprisoned at taxpayer expense in an era when millions of Americans are suffering from lack of healthcare, poor education and spiraling debt.

The possibility that his incarceration was a result of a Republican conservative Christian campaign is certainly a reasonable hypothesis and not necessarily untrue, as Shapiro states. How could he know that?

The fact that he didn’t like Chong’s prose style is fair game, but his repeated references to Chong being a dazed and confused druggie burnout are outside of his purview as a critic. His final line, “Cheech was the talented one,” is just more unnecessary character assassination.

JEFF STEIN

Beverly Hills