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Inadmissible
Inadmissible chronicles the unlikely story of a young man who emigrated to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream, and how one mistake landed him behind bars along with some of America’s most notorious offenders. Against innumerable odds, he manages to survive prison, becoming an accomplished scientist, writer, and motivational speaker. Despite that, the separation from his American daughter would be forever, as he remains in the eyes of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Inadmissible.
The book chronicles the flaws in the American justice system that mark felons for a lifetime of discrimination, and immigration laws that rip apart families and leave the most vulnerable—the children—without parents. It’s the true tale of one man’s redemption and triumph, lived through believing in himself and believing in the good hearts of the people who stuck by him.
The book chronicles the flaws in the American justice system that mark felons for a lifetime of discrimination, and immigration laws that rip apart families and leave the most vulnerable—the children—without parents. It’s the true tale of one man’s redemption and triumph, lived through believing in himself and believing in the good hearts of the people who stuck by him.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2014
66 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
January 19, 2015
One man’s dream of a better life - A youthful mistake that will still haunt him 20 years later. This is not just the story of the American dream coming to an end. It is also the story of one man’s determination to change his destiny. It’s the story of great accomplishment, unfair shame and a non-breakable spirit.
The book is beautifully written, catching, and a real page-turner. One get to follow the author from his childhood in Egypt and Kuwait, through the life changing decision to move to the US on a tourist visa, and up till todays date. Without any trace of resentment towards a society that stripped him of his rights to live with his American daughter, and while taking full responsibility for his own mistakes, this autobiography is raising the very relevant question of how long a mistake from our past should be allowed to haunt our future.
I read the book in a single sitting and it was hard to put it down. More than the obvious unfairness of being born into a life with limited opportunities, this book is an engaging story about taking control of our own fates by using the opportunities at hand. It’s a story of how far we can get by believing in our own abilities and by not letting the circumstances or other people’s opinions bring us down. Despite it being a deeply tragic story about torn family bands, it is also a compelling story about personal success and about living to one’s fullest potential.
The book is beautifully written, catching, and a real page-turner. One get to follow the author from his childhood in Egypt and Kuwait, through the life changing decision to move to the US on a tourist visa, and up till todays date. Without any trace of resentment towards a society that stripped him of his rights to live with his American daughter, and while taking full responsibility for his own mistakes, this autobiography is raising the very relevant question of how long a mistake from our past should be allowed to haunt our future.
I read the book in a single sitting and it was hard to put it down. More than the obvious unfairness of being born into a life with limited opportunities, this book is an engaging story about taking control of our own fates by using the opportunities at hand. It’s a story of how far we can get by believing in our own abilities and by not letting the circumstances or other people’s opinions bring us down. Despite it being a deeply tragic story about torn family bands, it is also a compelling story about personal success and about living to one’s fullest potential.
May 18, 2015
Still doesn't get it
The writer owes so much (everything) to the United States. Sadly will not come to terms with his guilt. Good riddance.
The writer owes so much (everything) to the United States. Sadly will not come to terms with his guilt. Good riddance.
September 29, 2015
Inadmissible reads like a fictional psychological thriller about a bright, young Egyptian man who travels to the United States to find a better life but encounters unimaginable injustices at the hands of the US Immigration System. On the surface, the story seems unbelievable except that the author’s voice is so honest and authentic that it is sadly believable.
This young man’s quests for knowledge and growth are so intense that he is driven to make a simple mistake that will change the course of his life in unfathomable ways. The consequences are devastating as he finds himself in jail several times next to hardened criminals. The injustice felt appalling and made me question the integrity of our justice and immigration systems. I appreciated that he did not convey self-pity. He accepted his responsibility for his mistake and let the facts speak for themselves related to the judges and system that put him behind bars. Despite these insurmountable challenges and obstacles, over time, he is able to get into a top school and achieve a Masters’ and PhD degrees while participating in research for the U.S. military.
Elsayed’s writing is honest, engaging and descriptive. Once I started reading this book, I had a hard time putting it down. His resilience under fire and his courage and perseverance under such circumstances left me feeling inspired. He wove in several narratives very nicely: the back story related to his family of origin, his complex social and intimate relationships and the endearing story of his relationship with his daughter, made all the more poignant by his being declared “inadmissible “ to the United States—where she lives-- due to his past. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I am hopeful that by sharing his story, others will be enlightened and justice will prevail in the end. I really want Tamer to be able to come to the United States freely to be with his daughter.
A riveting memoir of resilience and courage in the face of injustice, this book will make you think about life, choices and human nature. I highly recommend it.
This young man’s quests for knowledge and growth are so intense that he is driven to make a simple mistake that will change the course of his life in unfathomable ways. The consequences are devastating as he finds himself in jail several times next to hardened criminals. The injustice felt appalling and made me question the integrity of our justice and immigration systems. I appreciated that he did not convey self-pity. He accepted his responsibility for his mistake and let the facts speak for themselves related to the judges and system that put him behind bars. Despite these insurmountable challenges and obstacles, over time, he is able to get into a top school and achieve a Masters’ and PhD degrees while participating in research for the U.S. military.
Elsayed’s writing is honest, engaging and descriptive. Once I started reading this book, I had a hard time putting it down. His resilience under fire and his courage and perseverance under such circumstances left me feeling inspired. He wove in several narratives very nicely: the back story related to his family of origin, his complex social and intimate relationships and the endearing story of his relationship with his daughter, made all the more poignant by his being declared “inadmissible “ to the United States—where she lives-- due to his past. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I am hopeful that by sharing his story, others will be enlightened and justice will prevail in the end. I really want Tamer to be able to come to the United States freely to be with his daughter.
A riveting memoir of resilience and courage in the face of injustice, this book will make you think about life, choices and human nature. I highly recommend it.
August 22, 2015
Restore real justice!
Thought provoking! Beautifully written! From the heart! So much so that I have a new rule for giving 5 star reviews! Images from scenes in a book must linger in my mind long after I've read the ending and closed the book. If I can't remember a scene from a book weeks and months later, it doesn't deserve 5 stars.
I finished this book a few weeks ago and decided I would wait to write a review until I had time to digest my own feelings about the book and the society I grew up in. A society where I feel the criminal-justice process is not a fair one. The US justice system seems to focus on the crime, the lawbreaker, and the subsequent punishment—which does not necessarily fit the crime.
Yes, Dr. Elsayed lied about his citizenship status. He paid for his crime by going to prison and repaying all fines and loans. Unfortunately he continues to pay a high price for a lie he told when he was only 19 by not being able to reenter the US. Seems unfair to me.
Did he learn from his mistake? Can others learn from his mistake? Of course! I sincerely hope his book and other honest books on this subject will help shift the US justice system into a more forgiving one. Other civilized countries erase criminal records after 5-10 years and forgive. I hope in the future cases like this move out of the adversarial legal system and into a parallel restorative-justice process where forgiveness plays an important role. It needs to. We need to make amends, forgive, and restore real justice.
Thought provoking! Beautifully written! From the heart! So much so that I have a new rule for giving 5 star reviews! Images from scenes in a book must linger in my mind long after I've read the ending and closed the book. If I can't remember a scene from a book weeks and months later, it doesn't deserve 5 stars.
I finished this book a few weeks ago and decided I would wait to write a review until I had time to digest my own feelings about the book and the society I grew up in. A society where I feel the criminal-justice process is not a fair one. The US justice system seems to focus on the crime, the lawbreaker, and the subsequent punishment—which does not necessarily fit the crime.
Yes, Dr. Elsayed lied about his citizenship status. He paid for his crime by going to prison and repaying all fines and loans. Unfortunately he continues to pay a high price for a lie he told when he was only 19 by not being able to reenter the US. Seems unfair to me.
Did he learn from his mistake? Can others learn from his mistake? Of course! I sincerely hope his book and other honest books on this subject will help shift the US justice system into a more forgiving one. Other civilized countries erase criminal records after 5-10 years and forgive. I hope in the future cases like this move out of the adversarial legal system and into a parallel restorative-justice process where forgiveness plays an important role. It needs to. We need to make amends, forgive, and restore real justice.
June 6, 2015
The last third of the book just felt like complaining and talking badly about everyone. Ugh.
August 11, 2015
Personal memoir about major problem
I found the strict chronological narrative somewhat tedious at times telling me more than what I felt was needed to bring the story along and less about context of the story and description of the personalities. There were so many characters that I got confused at times. For someone who is such a brilliant scientist who is both rational and even calculating, he appears to be totally ignorant of how to deal with women or to try to understand them. He seemed able to cope in the violent setting of prison but totally inept in his personal relationships. It might sound racist, but I wonder if that is part of the Middle Eastern culture. More likely, it is the result of the divorce of his parents and the absence of the guidance of a father. His mother took out on him the bitterness she felt against his father, and the combination of the two poisoned his psyche.
I’m sure that his story is only one of hundreds of thousands about our broken immigration system. In spite of numerous proposals for reform, the gridlock in the U.S. Congress and the partisan politics in vilifying all immigrants don’t offer much hope for any significant changes anytime soon. There is neither common sense nor justice, and as a nation of immigrants, it is hard to defend the morality of our hodge-podge statutes and arbitrary enforcement policies. It is a corrupt system that threatens our democracy.
As a writer, I would expand our some of the most dramatic scenes and omit of the less significant events to improve the flow of the story. I understand that some of the details are needed to explain the consequences of specific events, and he even admits he did some stupid things without understanding what he was doing. He paid the price for his desperation, but I wanted a more complete end to the story that seemed to just quit without any conclusion.
I found the strict chronological narrative somewhat tedious at times telling me more than what I felt was needed to bring the story along and less about context of the story and description of the personalities. There were so many characters that I got confused at times. For someone who is such a brilliant scientist who is both rational and even calculating, he appears to be totally ignorant of how to deal with women or to try to understand them. He seemed able to cope in the violent setting of prison but totally inept in his personal relationships. It might sound racist, but I wonder if that is part of the Middle Eastern culture. More likely, it is the result of the divorce of his parents and the absence of the guidance of a father. His mother took out on him the bitterness she felt against his father, and the combination of the two poisoned his psyche.
I’m sure that his story is only one of hundreds of thousands about our broken immigration system. In spite of numerous proposals for reform, the gridlock in the U.S. Congress and the partisan politics in vilifying all immigrants don’t offer much hope for any significant changes anytime soon. There is neither common sense nor justice, and as a nation of immigrants, it is hard to defend the morality of our hodge-podge statutes and arbitrary enforcement policies. It is a corrupt system that threatens our democracy.
As a writer, I would expand our some of the most dramatic scenes and omit of the less significant events to improve the flow of the story. I understand that some of the details are needed to explain the consequences of specific events, and he even admits he did some stupid things without understanding what he was doing. He paid the price for his desperation, but I wanted a more complete end to the story that seemed to just quit without any conclusion.
August 5, 2015
What an incredible story. Tamer Elsayed, a young Egyptian seeks to improve his chances in life by moving to America. Most of us in the West take the fact that we have access to Higher and University education for granted – something that is not available to Tamer in his own country. He is an exceptionally clever and focused young man and once in America he juggles work and studying eventually attaining his Ph.D. However in order to obtain some funding for this he made a false claim. This error of judgement has haunted him to this day and has had a profound effect on his life. He was convicted of his crime, labelled a felon, and imprisoned. I am astounded at the American justice system and its brutal treatment of Tamer. I am also astounded at the obstacles he has had to overcome not least his problems with his mother and sister, two deeply unpleasant women in my opinion. The book is totally honest and he makes no attempt to make excuses for what he did. I actually did not want to put this book down as it is so gripping a story. It’s even more amazing as English is not actually his first language. It’s certainly a testament to his determination and overwhelming desire to do his very best. I wish him all the very best and hope to hear more from this writer.
June 15, 2015
This book was an attempt by the author to explain why he did the bad things he did in his life. He tried to justify illegal immigration - sneaking into USA saying he was going to Disney World when he fully intended on living there much longer, lying on a federal student loan form, gaining fake social security number, living with numerous women and getting one pregnant and an abortion, faking a marriage to keep his green card....the list goes on. He abandons his family when it is no longer in his best interest and plays the "poor pitiful me' card over and over again as he suffers in prison for his poor choices. He claims to be a world authority on computational engineering but for all the academic accomplishments he brags about, his personal and moral life is a disaster. This man should NEVER be allowed back in the USA and his book is a poor choice for anyone to read. Luckily I got the book free on Bookbub.
May 28, 2015
Unacceptable
Mr Elsayed got some bad breaks. That is true. He totally does not understand what it means to be an American. He believes he is entitled to
the largesse of the American people, simply because he has a brilliant mind. He flaunts American laws, is immoral and devious. He states his only crime was to check a box as American citizen on college application. Hmm, he forgot he obtained a second Social Security number, faked a citizenship document and had 2 drivers licenses. He abused the American system in every way he could. He then cried when he got caught. Boo Hoo.It was a chore to finish this book. He married a Mexican girl to obtain American citizenship, then lied about the marriage being legitimate. Mr. Elsayed, you will never understand the character of true Americans. He is a disgrace and should remain in admissible.
Mr Elsayed got some bad breaks. That is true. He totally does not understand what it means to be an American. He believes he is entitled to
the largesse of the American people, simply because he has a brilliant mind. He flaunts American laws, is immoral and devious. He states his only crime was to check a box as American citizen on college application. Hmm, he forgot he obtained a second Social Security number, faked a citizenship document and had 2 drivers licenses. He abused the American system in every way he could. He then cried when he got caught. Boo Hoo.It was a chore to finish this book. He married a Mexican girl to obtain American citizenship, then lied about the marriage being legitimate. Mr. Elsayed, you will never understand the character of true Americans. He is a disgrace and should remain in admissible.
January 1, 2015
The moment I opened the book I knew I was going to have a long night of reading ahead.
This book is about a mans determination to overcome whatever obstacles life may throw at him. One obstacle after another and the author continues to show fortitude, time and time again.
Very well written book and a tremendous effort on the authors part to open up his life story so that others may benefit from the mistakes, and excersize perseverance in the face of life's vicissitudes.
This book is about a mans determination to overcome whatever obstacles life may throw at him. One obstacle after another and the author continues to show fortitude, time and time again.
Very well written book and a tremendous effort on the authors part to open up his life story so that others may benefit from the mistakes, and excersize perseverance in the face of life's vicissitudes.
May 24, 2015
Self-serving egotistical
Do not have taste your money unless you enjoy reading a out individuals that blame others for mistakes they make. The author, by his own admission, broke several laws in an attempt to get illegally what he felt he deserved, but could not get legally. When one of his girlfriend's got pregnant, he states, "she got herself pregnant".
This book is the worst example I have read of an individual refusing to take responsibility for his actions.
Do not have taste your money unless you enjoy reading a out individuals that blame others for mistakes they make. The author, by his own admission, broke several laws in an attempt to get illegally what he felt he deserved, but could not get legally. When one of his girlfriend's got pregnant, he states, "she got herself pregnant".
This book is the worst example I have read of an individual refusing to take responsibility for his actions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2015
It is absolutely amazing that a young Egyptian armed only with his intelligence and "never give up attitude" rises to the top of his academic endeavors. Early in his academic studies he makes a very bad choice and lies on a form for scholarship money. That and other incidents land him in prison. From there it comes to light the many injustices of the US immigration laws.
July 3, 2015
It might take tears but if you defraud the American system, they will catch up with you. The author does a really stupid thing for someone so intelligent and after graduating with distinction, marrying for love (on his part) and a green card, finds himself counting down the days until he must either leave the USA or face the consequences.
Read
October 15, 2016Aside from his irreversible mistakes, I think that this story is truly inspiring in the sense that Tamer's resourcefulness is stunning. This story is one that makes you realize that the best way to overcome adversity is to stop whining and do the best you can.
May 24, 2017
I bailed on this about half way in. The author might be a gifted mechanical engineer, but a writer he is not... and humble he is not either. I think this account would have been better with a co-writer and the exploration of the topic beyond one man's personal story.
May 27, 2015
Once I began reading this powerful and thought-provoking memoir, I was unable to stop. It was simply un-put-downable. It tells how the author, a highly intelligent Egyptian lad, is driven by the sort of intense hunger for knowledge and advancement that few in the spoilt west can really understand, to make a fateful decision that will change his life forever.
The consequences are beyond devastating, especially when he encounters Hanging Judge Read – the sort of character no-one in their right mind would want judging their case. Ignoring the terms of the plea bargain, Read sends the young valedictorian off to serve 18 months in prison for a youthful crime that in many countries would receive no more than a suspended sentence.
The prison and court scenes are exceptionally well drawn, the writing so clear and vivid the reader can ‘see’ the events and characters portrayed. One reads with horrified fascination of the coping mechanisms the author is forced to develop in order to survive in this environment. Yet there’s absolutely no self-pity in the telling of this story, which is ultimately a story of redemption, of atonement, of putting right, and making good.
For me this book inspired a great deal of reflection about human nature. We all have skeletons in our closets, or, as the author put it: “Who of us isn’t guilty of some crime – under-reporting income or over-reporting charitable deductions at tax time? And yet how many of us go unpunished versus those who are punished more severely than the crime warrants?”
He is quite right.
And finally, the quality of the writing of this memoir puts to shame a great many similar works written by native English speakers. English is not the author’s first language. I would never have guessed. My overall assessment – this is a spell-binding, extremely well-written book, and one that will resonate with most readers, inspiring reflection and debate, long after they have reached “The End.”
The consequences are beyond devastating, especially when he encounters Hanging Judge Read – the sort of character no-one in their right mind would want judging their case. Ignoring the terms of the plea bargain, Read sends the young valedictorian off to serve 18 months in prison for a youthful crime that in many countries would receive no more than a suspended sentence.
The prison and court scenes are exceptionally well drawn, the writing so clear and vivid the reader can ‘see’ the events and characters portrayed. One reads with horrified fascination of the coping mechanisms the author is forced to develop in order to survive in this environment. Yet there’s absolutely no self-pity in the telling of this story, which is ultimately a story of redemption, of atonement, of putting right, and making good.
For me this book inspired a great deal of reflection about human nature. We all have skeletons in our closets, or, as the author put it: “Who of us isn’t guilty of some crime – under-reporting income or over-reporting charitable deductions at tax time? And yet how many of us go unpunished versus those who are punished more severely than the crime warrants?”
He is quite right.
And finally, the quality of the writing of this memoir puts to shame a great many similar works written by native English speakers. English is not the author’s first language. I would never have guessed. My overall assessment – this is a spell-binding, extremely well-written book, and one that will resonate with most readers, inspiring reflection and debate, long after they have reached “The End.”
December 14, 2016
True story. Hard to put down. The courage and persistence the writer has really paid off, although he endured some terrible things. The writing is a bit clunky and unpolished, but that emphasizes the rawness of his life story.
April 9, 2015
This was an interesting read for me, partly because I never read autobiographical accounts like this. I came into contact with Tamer over Twitter of all place and learned about his story. I'm gad that I ended up reading the book.
It was fascinating to learn how one small action on his part led to such a drastic reaction further down the line with all of the hardships he suffered as a result, physical, mental and spiritual. I believe the sign of a good book lies in its impact to affect the reader and leave them with something to think about. That is almost certainly with this book. Having been born into a loving, middle class family in England, I literally don't know, can't know, will never know, quite how priviliged I am. The fact that I had a world class education (for free!) - completely taken for granted. The fact that I had a loving family who supported all the way - completely taken for granted. The fact that I never once worried about being deported or about being the wrong colour or religion - completely taken for granted.
Thank you Tamer for reminding me how good I have it, and how unfortunate others are, all over the world, right now. Something for me to meditate on.
It was fascinating to learn how one small action on his part led to such a drastic reaction further down the line with all of the hardships he suffered as a result, physical, mental and spiritual. I believe the sign of a good book lies in its impact to affect the reader and leave them with something to think about. That is almost certainly with this book. Having been born into a loving, middle class family in England, I literally don't know, can't know, will never know, quite how priviliged I am. The fact that I had a world class education (for free!) - completely taken for granted. The fact that I had a loving family who supported all the way - completely taken for granted. The fact that I never once worried about being deported or about being the wrong colour or religion - completely taken for granted.
Thank you Tamer for reminding me how good I have it, and how unfortunate others are, all over the world, right now. Something for me to meditate on.
March 31, 2015
A gripping and fascinating account written by an exceptionally intelligent young man. Tamer could easily have glossed over or omitted certain aspects of his story and presented himself in a more flattering and heroic way, but he didn't. He admits he made mistakes and errors of judgement that did eventually affect and change the course of his life. I admired his honesty and determination as a convicted felon who only had a limited time to gain his desired qualifications before possible deportation to be accepted into and work his way through degree, masters and Phd courses at top class universities in the US. I'm totally in awe of his intelligence and application to the extremely difficult courses he undertook. I couldn't even begin to name them all but even following the story of how he progressed was fascinating. I won't give anything more away. A truly inspirational memoir written by a man from a modest virtually one-parent background in Egypt. Highly recommended.
February 1, 2015
This book takes the reader on a journey across continents and explains how some of us take so many things for granted. It is also a true tale of choices, consequences, and an extremely unbreakable character. I googled the author after reading the book and found that Science Magazine has written two pieces about his life trying to explain to readers some of the flawed laws and policies in the U.S. At what point do we forgive someone for mistakes made 15 years ago? What if that someone had done tremendous things to redeem himself? Do we still punish that person forever? I am confident this book will be reviewed negatively by people who never suffered in their lives to the point where they would have to break laws to be able to afford a place to live and to get an education like the author did. I highly recommend this book!
August 1, 2015
This book was somewhat interesting, but I felt it was nowhere near as good as it could have been. This is mostly due to how un-self-aware the author is about the events in his life.
He manages to say that he made a mistake and is responsible for that while at the same time, the rest of the narrative reads like he is perfect and never did anything wrong. It's sad because the immigration system and the prison industry are very messed up, but that never really got explored because the author was too busy complaining about how crazy women did him wrong. For instance, this guy was in US federal prison during 9/11 and manages to spend about 2 paragraphs on that in the whole book!
Anyway, interesting topic. I'd be interested to see if the author's story would be better told from somebody less narcistic.
He manages to say that he made a mistake and is responsible for that while at the same time, the rest of the narrative reads like he is perfect and never did anything wrong. It's sad because the immigration system and the prison industry are very messed up, but that never really got explored because the author was too busy complaining about how crazy women did him wrong. For instance, this guy was in US federal prison during 9/11 and manages to spend about 2 paragraphs on that in the whole book!
Anyway, interesting topic. I'd be interested to see if the author's story would be better told from somebody less narcistic.
July 5, 2015
I was not sure what to expect when I began this book, but it is a sad story of what can happen as the result of one mistake. I felt the author’s frustration with the authorities and the consequences of his decisions which were overwhelming. I related to the family conflicts which highlighted the vast chasm between cultures and the expectations they have of their children. That story in itself is not unique, first generation children caught between the old and new world, but this book had the added element - the involvement of government authorities – and the time the author spent in prison. I applaud his bravery in recounting his life story to the world at large. I would have liked an epilogue to find out what happened after the author moved county just to bring his story up to date. Highly recommended.
July 17, 2015
A young intelligent guy - who goes on a 'journey' at a tender age… from Egypt to the US. During his endeavours to gain his education in America he ended up a felon and in prison but was determined to gain the qualifications he was capable of and desired in the relatively short time he had left in America to enable him to achieve his goals.. Degrees, Masters, Phd's - none of which are easy-going. A family background that as a mother of 2 sons I couldn't quite understand - I can't even begin to imagine how 'lost' the Author must have felt at times throughout his twenties - This Memoir also tells of his relationships, depression - the birth of his beautiful daughter and his onward move to the Middle East - it's written well in my humble opinion and all aspects of the Author's life during that time are interwoven well. I have no problem recommending it.
April 24, 2015
This was a very interesting story of a young Egyptian who came to the U.S. to pursue the American dream. He discovers that the cost of higher education is much more than he realized, and wants to apply for student loans. Well, they only give the loans to American citizens, so he claims to be one despite the fact that he isn't (yet). He plans to pay back the loans, and does not realize how serious the consequences may be. When the authorities find out about it, Tamer is thrown into jail. The story follows the many obstacles that Tamer must face in his quest to become an engineer and make a good life for himself. It makes you think about the way we treat immigrants in this country, and consider whether our justice system makes sense. Recommended.
July 17, 2015
This book is definitely well written, i have to say i really identified myself with the author, especially in the academic area, why an excellent international student is deemed to have less than an indifferent native?. Born in the wrong place, can't agree more with that sentence. The months you spent in jail are not different from the years we spent dealing with the Egyptian education system. Though, i found it a bit naive for anybody to believe that an outsider, despite the effort he exerts, will ever be considered a citizen! It is a natural law, a huge part of your identity is inevitable, even if you consider yourself an american and you write this book targeting a western audience. Finally, man something is really wrong with all those relationships!!!! Keep fighting anyway
March 17, 2016
Wow !
well I've always found writing memoirs very courageous as one exposes himself completely to the readers judgement. Tamer's book is no different, it's very honestly written. What I like most is how one person's roller-coaster life exposes so much about so many things: Egyptian families in the gulf at the 80's, Egyptian deeply flawed Education system and culture, a teen's immigrant coming of age story, How the American justice system is inherently flawed and corrupt, Inequality, Academia, and very sharp insights to the politics of gulf states: how they would spend billions on a leading research institution only for corruption and politics to ruin it. Anyway, I'd recommend it to anyone , finished it in two days
well I've always found writing memoirs very courageous as one exposes himself completely to the readers judgement. Tamer's book is no different, it's very honestly written. What I like most is how one person's roller-coaster life exposes so much about so many things: Egyptian families in the gulf at the 80's, Egyptian deeply flawed Education system and culture, a teen's immigrant coming of age story, How the American justice system is inherently flawed and corrupt, Inequality, Academia, and very sharp insights to the politics of gulf states: how they would spend billions on a leading research institution only for corruption and politics to ruin it. Anyway, I'd recommend it to anyone , finished it in two days
July 12, 2015
While this isn’t something I would usually read my book club was reading it and I actually found myself really enjoying this book and this man’s tale. Tamer is a dreamer and he dreams to bettering himself so he goes to America, land of the free and opportunities to try and do that. Unfortunately due to his naivety or perhaps the drive to succeed at any cost things fall apart on him. However a good man will not stay down for long and he works hard and tries to come back from his previous fall only to come into more hurdles he must face. It’s a gripping tale, with tears, happiness and lots of guts. Very glad I gave this tale ago as it shows you a whole other side to the world.
March 9, 2015
Tamer Elysad's memoir Inadmissible is a thought provoking read about higher education and immigration in America. In diary form he walks us through his journey from top performing Egyptian secondary student, to doing time in an American Federal prison, through the rigors of a top engineering doctoral program, to fleeing a country that cannot forgive his past. It is a read that serves as a warning as well as a guide for how a powerful mind can persist despite severe physical obstacles.
June 8, 2015
Inexcusable Persecution
Wow! What an incredible story about one man's desperate mistake to better his life! I was born in this country (USA) and I am truly appalled at this man's treatment by our judicial system. Dr. Elsayed is to be commended for his "never give up" attitude. To come so far, against all odds and still keep a great attitude. This is a poignant story that well certainly tug at your heart strings and certainly have you cheering for the "bad" guy.
Wow! What an incredible story about one man's desperate mistake to better his life! I was born in this country (USA) and I am truly appalled at this man's treatment by our judicial system. Dr. Elsayed is to be commended for his "never give up" attitude. To come so far, against all odds and still keep a great attitude. This is a poignant story that well certainly tug at your heart strings and certainly have you cheering for the "bad" guy.
June 20, 2015
Interesting and well written.
The experiences of the author are recounted in such a way that the reader is clearly taken through the circumstances resulting from his life choices. Holds the reader's attention in most aspects. Quite insightful regarding the protections afforded class-conscious academics especially in light of what degrees might entitle them to versus 'knowledge' of and obeying the law. Good Read.
The experiences of the author are recounted in such a way that the reader is clearly taken through the circumstances resulting from his life choices. Holds the reader's attention in most aspects. Quite insightful regarding the protections afforded class-conscious academics especially in light of what degrees might entitle them to versus 'knowledge' of and obeying the law. Good Read.
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