Editorial Review

"I've struck it!" Mark Twain wrote in a 1904 letter to a friend. "And I will give it away--to you. You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography." Thus, after dozens of false starts and hundreds of pages, Twain embarked on his "Final (and Right) Plan" for telling the story of his life. His innovative notion--to "talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment"--meant that his thoughts could range freely. The strict instruction that many of these texts remain unpublished for 100 years meant that when they came out, he would be "dead, and unaware, and indifferent," and that he was therefore free to speak his "whole frank mind." The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Twain's death. In celebration of this important milestone and in honor of the cherished tradition of publishing Mark Twain's works, UC Press is proud to offer for the first time Mark Twain's uncensored autobiography in its entirety and exactly as he left it. This major literary event brings to readers, admirers, and scholars the first of three volumes and presents Mark Twain's authentic and unsuppressed voice, brimming with humor, ideas, and opinions, and speaking clearly from the grave as he intended. ... Read more

Reviews

The Scholarly Mark Twain Edition, October 21, 2010
The potential reader for this edition should be aware of several items. First, this autobiography is an oversize hardbook which means it may not fit into a bookshelf with other more traditional hardbooks. Second this is an academic press which means that there is a long introduction and discussion of prior autobiographical starts by Mark Twain (1870-1905) for two hundred pages. The actual autobiography of Mark Twain is only 270 pages of transcriptions from his dictation of his 1906 attempt to write his life story. Following the narrative are an additional 150+ pages of notes, index and appendixes. Two more volumes will be published later. Third, this edition is a rambling text with no chronological sequence. Mark Twain told stories as he remembered as they came to his memory. None of these observations are negative but the reader should be aware of these differences.

This book aims to be the definitive edition by publishing everything that Mark dictated or wrote after 1905 in the order that it came into creation. Prior publications were much shorter as various editors organized what they thought was interesting, had his family's approval and was in some chronlogical sequence (Charles Neider did the best overall job of this fifty years ago). What the reader has here is Mark Twain's true speaking voice -- he is doing a monologue in your presence, going wherever his memory takes him.

Wonderful, but beyond any adequate description, October 21, 2010
Fifteen minutes ago I finished reading Volume One of the newly published "Autobiography of Mark Twain". It is no more possible to adequately describe this massive book as to attempt to fully capture the full, intricate realities of a vast range of wild mountains.

Twain tried for many years to write his autobiography, but time and again his efforts ground to a halt and were abandoned, although fragments were kept for eventual use (and presented as part of this Volume One). It was not until Twain fixed upon the mode of orally dictating his autobiography that he found a method that really worked for him and allowed him to complete the project to his own satisfaction. The first portion of these 1906 dictations (plus explanatory editorial notes) form the heart of the present volume (two more volumes will eventually be released to complete the "Autobiography"). The result certainly does not follow a standard autobiographical approach (which Twain characterizes as a "plan that starts you at the cradle and drives you straight for the grave, with no side-excursions permitted on the way. Whereas the side-excursions are the life of our life-voyage, and should be, also, of its history.") The "Autobiography" as dictated instead is all side-excursion, almost stream of consciousness. Twain's intent was that it not be published in unexpurgated form until a hundred years after his death, leaving him free to say whatever he wished about whomever he wished to speak. Portions of it have indeed been published from time to time, in a highly edited form bearing little resemblance to what Twain intended as the true "Autobiography".

In approaching the "Autobiography" the reader should not expect a conventional, chronologically arranged, continuous narrative in the traditional style. Twain strove intentionally, and successfully, to avoid that, instead reaching for an entirely novel style suitable for avoiding what he considered to be the usual "lying" (perhaps especially lying to oneself) found in standard autobiographies. The present volume is presented in four distinct parts: First is a lengthy explanatory section from the editors, providing the background for the "Autobiography" and explaining what Twain was aiming for; this section is probably necessary for better appreciating what Twain eventually achieved, but also may not be the best place to begin browsing. Second are the fragments of autobiographical material Twain wrote over the last few decades of the 19th century, fragments left over from his failed attempts to create an autobiography but retained by him as containing enough material and honesty to satisfy his desires. Third is the real heart of the book: oral dictations that left Twain free to dart and drift wherever his thoughts led him, free of any rigid structure; this section is most open to casual browsing. And fourth are lengthy notes and comments from the editors on Twain's text and dictations, correcting factual errors and expanding upon details.

Reading the dictations is as near as one could hope to be sitting in a room with Twain, listening to him ramble along, mixing trivial events of forty or sixty years before with headlines from today's newspaper -- an effect that Twain was deliberately creating -- and dizzyingly flipping the pages of the calendar back and forth. Imagine Twain sitting there with a cigar and perhaps a glass of Scotch whiskey. Imagine yourself with the cigar and Scotch. It is wonderful, in the true, fundamental sense of that word.

A Must Read But NOT on Kindle, November 20, 2010
Through this autobiography I am coming to gain even greater respect for this person I have admired for most of my own 74 years. A marvelous account of his life.

However, because of poor eyesight I am reading the ebook version on my iPad using the Kindle reader. About 30% of the book is composed of clarifications and annotations by editors of the work. Unfortunately, those notes are in a separate section of the book and reference Twain's commentary by page number. However, the ebook version for the Kindle eliminates ALL traces of page numbering in favor of a digital code for each line. Thus there is no possible way to find the information that is being referred to in the editors comments. If possible stick to the hard copy or find a different digital ebook which retains the page references....I will for volumes 2 and 3.

To Potential Readers and Gifters, December 1, 2010
It really should be made clear just what this book is and isn't. It is a completist's edition of a project Twain talked about for years but never actually sat down and wrote. In this scholarly volume, roughly one-third of the massive book details the process of its compilation, by Twain and by the editors (his contemporaries as well as the present ones), and includes what might today be called "outtakes" (several of which are quite interesting and enjoyable), pieces determined not to be intended as part of the Autobiography. One reader commented that "the book needs an editor". That misses the point; the scholarly editing is masterful. It COULD not credibly be edited in the sense of cutting it down as one might a contemporary manuscript to make it suitable for publication.
Another one-third of the tome consists of scholarly notes explaining many of the references in the text. Many of these are clarifications of people (some major, some insignificant)to whom Twain refers, or locations. In many cases these are extraneous to all but the most scholarly or the compulsive who needs to know who EVERYbody is and cannot determine it by context. In some cases, they correct lapses in Twain's memory (he clearly didn't research or check many of his facts)
Only one-third of this volume is the Autobiography itself, and it is only mildly interesting. It is certainly not a chronological narrative, much of it was dictated by an aging and bitter man(part of its sardonic charm), and much of it--- amazingly--- is drawn from a biography of Twain written, as a child, by his beloved daughter, which Twain explicates, albeit through the filter of the subsequent and ongoing grief Twain suffered since her youthful death.
My eyesight is lousy but I was untroubled by the type. I read it in book form, but I can see where it might be problematic on kindle; one has to skip back and forth between the text and the notes, and kindle may not lend itself to that (I wouldn't know). The sheer bulk of the book is indeed troublesome, and one will need two bookmarks, one for text and one for notes (as I often use in reading History).
Lastly, what remains as the "Autobiography"--- the reason, I think, most people would read this edition---is not terribly interesting nor funny. Fortunately, there is so much of Twain that is, and that is in print and easily available, and if one wants to read of Twain's earlier life, I would suggest reading or rereading Life on the Mississippi or his other (in a sense and ironically) more "autobiographical" works. The Library of America volume including Life... (as well as Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer) contains copious but manageable notes and biographical information. My opinion is that it would make a better gift than this to all but academics and (pardon me) twainiacs.

THE literary event of THREE centuries, October 19, 2010
Publication of the unabridged, uncensored autobiography of America's greatest writer is not only the American literary event of the century, it is the American literary event of THREE centuries: the 19th, during which most of the events occurred; the 20th, during the first decade of which Twain actually wrote it; and the 21st, during which it is finally seeing the light of day.

Having previously read the excerpts from the autobiography published in Twain's lifetime, I can honestly say that IMO they rank in the top tier of Twain's work in terms of quality of writing, insight, humor, provocation, emotional power, and just pure verbal delight.

Typical of Twain's relentless thrusting off the shackles of tradition and convention even while exploring his past, Twain intentionally wrote (actually, dictated) his autobiography in a sort of stream of consciousness manner, rather than telling the story chronologically. Brilliantly done. At any given moment in the writing (dictation), he talked about what interested him the most and what most vividly came to his mind, resulting in a most powerful, fascinating addition to one's Twain library.

I do, however, share the criticism of some other reviewers about the font (typeface) size. It is quite small, small enough to be daunting to readers not already as enthusiastic about Twain as someone like myself. Oddly, the over 200 pages of explanatory notes and appendices are the same size font as Twain's manuscript - that material could've been printed in reduced typeface to permit more pages and more readable font for Twain's words!

Mark Twain's last book....his autobiography, November 4, 2010
We know of Samuel Clemens as Mark Twain and his legacy as an author has endured with high esteem in the hundred years that have followed Clemens's death in 1910. What an extraordinary book this is...the first of three volumes about Samuel Clemens. At long last, the public is allowed to witness this remarkable man in his own words and it is an undeniable treat of the first order.

Clemens is introduced by editor Harriet Elinor Smith, who explains the process of how Clemens wanted to be remembered. It would not be an autobiography beginning at birth and proceeding sequentially throughout his life, but rather one that was prompted by reminiscenses that sprang to mind. In this way, his thoughts became more collective and certainly more jubilant.

The anecdotes that Clemens tells are an outright riot! Many of them are "laugh out loud" remembrances as he fiddles with the German language, suffers with memories of the conniving Countess in Florence, plays practical jokes (the one with President Cleveland's wife at the White House is one of my favorites) and sneers at wealthy men of his era. Along the way he comments on famous people whom he knows, including General Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. Clemens is an astute observer of his peers...his descriptions, both physical and psychological...are uncanny and hilarious. When his friend, the Reverend Joseph Twichell, inadvertently dies his hair green and must appear before his congregation on Sundays trying to suppress the deed, well....you can imagine the reaction from his flock.

It is this personal humor that makes the autobiography shine. We often think of the Victorian era (even in the United States) as a rather staid time, devoid of laughter and full of polemics and retributions. But Clemens refutes any notion to the contrary. His life bursts with energy and although his narrative is presented to the reader in the jargon of the day, it nonetheless carries the day with vibrancy, color and wit. I highly recommend this autobiography's first volume and await the remaining ones. It is one of the best treasures of the year.

A new view of Mark Twain, October 21, 2010
"WOW! This volume is a wonder. For one thing, it provides something like a mystery novel perspective on the archeology of Samuel Clemens'/Mark Twain's autobiography. He wrote fragments to be part of this document over a period of four decades. Simply getting a sense of the architecture for this work desired by Twain is a contribution of this work.

Also, Twain notes that he is unable to be consistently honest about his life. Nice candor! He demanded that his version not be published until 100 years after his death. Figuring out exactly what his version was represents a major effort by the editor and others involved in this project.

The book is divided into several sections. First, a sixty page introduction, where we learn of the origins of the autobiography and how it developed. Also, the assumptions underlying this version. Next, "preliminary manuscripts and dictations, 1870-1905." The raw material of Twain's autobiography. Then, the first volume of the autobiography.

But it is the end result presented by the editor, Harriet Elinor Smith, that makes this volume so important. Twain comes across as cantankerous, humorous, politically savvy. . . . Early on, he makes comments about slavery. His acerbic commentaries on friends and family show a real edge to his writing. Even the photo on the dust jacket suggests that this work is about a real person and is not just a "feel good" work.

This is not a strictly chronological sequence. Twain moves back and forth in time. As he notes (Page 220): ". . .I hit upon the right way to do an Autobiography: start it at no particular time of your life; wander at your free will all over your life; talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment; drop it the moment its interest threatens to pale, and talk about the new and more interesting thing that has intruded itself into your mind meantime."

This volume ends with a letter from Helen Keller, suggesting how untraditional this work is. It can almost be described as "pastiche," where Twain brings in bits and pieces of material to make the points that he wishes to make. After the autobiographical portion, we read the explanatory notes (which flesh things out).

I find this a remarkable work, providing a view of Twain that is hardly candy coated, but yet seemingly gives us insights into his nature, life, and his genius. I find this work almost overwhelming. Well worth looking at. . . . Clearly a major work.

Privilege and deep pleasure, November 7, 2010
What a privilege to be alive for the release of this first volume of Twain's autobiography. How sad that some readers are unable to find their way around the apparatus of the volume; there is a table of contents, yes? Ah, what would Twain say? One can but imagine.

I found the explanation of the recording and assembling of the "Auto" extremely interesting. The business of book publishing hasn't changed much, the complications of assembling and tracking manuscript sections, the copyright dilemmas--all germaine to anyone who writes. And the images of the places and circumstances in which Twain dictated-- The reader perches on the porch stair in Dublin NH, or drinks a second coffee while Twain in his heavy silk nightshirt, leans back against his bedpillows, and speaks.

The book is lively, agile, brilliant. Twain's voice seems cleaer and stronger, or richer, than in other works. What hilarious story telling, fierce opinions, indignation, humanity and wit. I have been laughing out loud while reading, and still burst into giggles picturing the 14-year-old Twain stark naked, dancing like a bear, not knowing he's being watched. What writer hasn't wanted to remonstrate, line by line, against fatuous editing? And with such cutting, snarky wit. I'm scarcely 200 pages into Twain's actual work, and I'm reading more and more slowly, dreading the end of the volume and all the while thinking of people to whom to give the book when Christmas comes.

I often despair about the world at the beginning of the 21st century--but Twain's new work released this year brightens the atmosphere significantly--

Tremendous Book, October 28, 2010
Other reviews have said what can be said about the content of this book. It is an immensely enjoyable read. having been a fan of Mark Twain's non-fiction writing for many, many years, I've thoroughly enjoyed this. This is a five-star book, I shall not rate the content on the choices of the publisher.

On that, while the print is small, the book itself is enormous for a book of less than 800 pages. The weight of the paper contributes heavily to that. While I appreciate the need to relate the weight of the work in physical form, I believe better choices could have been made to use larger print on thinner paper in the same spacial volume.

But I bought this book for its content, not its presentation. And the content is exceptional. I cannot wait for the other volumes.

An amazing and unique piece of work!, November 3, 2010
Whether you are a fan of Mark Twain or not this book is a history buffs dream come true. the bits and pieces and anecdotes are about the real world Sam Clemens lived in. An added bonus are the many pieces that give great insight into many, many important characters who lived in that period and who were friends, and sometimes not of Mark Twain. You will see quite clearly how Clemens perfected and kept the 'Mark Twain' persona distinct from himself. Not the most brilliant man in history, but one of the most astute students of the human psyche that has ever lived. Modern day psychologists are a joke when set against him.

One caveat on reading the book. The first 200 pages are really only for the academic bibliophile and those retentive types concerned with the provenance of the sources. GO directly to page 200 or so and dive in...you won't regret it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

By the author of the modern classic The Black Swan, this collection of aphorisms and meditations expresses his major ideas in ways you least expect.

The Bed of Procrustes takes its title from Greek mythology: the story of a man who made his visitors fit his bed to perfection by either stretching them or cutting their limbs. It represents Taleb’s view of modern civilization’s hubristic side effects—modifying humans to satisfy technology, blaming reality for not fitting economic models, inventing diseases to sell drugs, defining intelligence as what can be tested in a classroom, and convincing people that employment is not slavery.

Playful and irreverent, these aphorisms will surprise you by exposing self-delusions you have been living with but never recognized.

With a rare combination of pointed wit and potent wisdom, Taleb plows through human illusions, contrasting the classical values of courage, elegance, and erudition against the modern diseases of nerdiness, philistinism, and phoniness. ... Read more

Reviews

What's the rush? Slow down and think .....

An intriguing book based on an interesting thesis, well presented, in saying "we humans, facing limits of knowledge, and things we do not observe, the unseen and the unknown, resolve the tension by squeezing life and the world into crisp commoditized ideas ..."

"The person you are most afraid to contradict is yourself," Taleb begins, and shortly after continues, "to bankrupt a fool, give him information."

Okay, I declare bankruptcy. These aphorisms are an eloquent Luddite protest against the madcap technological excesses and follies of the modern world. I agree. Every new technology blossoms into excess, then retreats into practical use as newer ideas develop. Obsidian was once a new idea in cutting; but, anything this good soon evolved into ornaments and other impractical uses.

It's the inevitable fate of all new technology and all new ideas. All good ideas become complicated into absurdity, until wiser people ask, "Just what are we trying to accomplish here?"

Taleb is a wise man asking such questions, and this book is one of questions and relevant observations. It's the same question anyone with a cell phone and the choice of 250,000 apps might ask, like Taleb, "Why?" and the answer is "I dunno."

In brief, this is an eloquent plea to slow down and think.

What's missing is a recognition of human curiosity which creates all technology, from obsidian blades to Blackberrys. It's a book devoid of curiosity, of Rudyard Kipling's Five Faithful Serving Men and the journalist's eternal questions, "Who? What? Why? When? How?"

Of course, I'm not aware of the Luddites having many answers. But, Taleb, like those who sit and refuse to budge do serve to remind the rest of us that scurrying about accomplishes little. More power to him, and to those who ask, "Is this trip necessary?"

Now it is proven that you don't need to be dead to have people enjoy your aphorisms
I love this book. If you are a thinking businessman or academic, I think you will like it. The style is harsh, masculine, thoughtful, to the point, non-religious and timeless. The style reminds me a bit of Livingstone (Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now and Never Stop Dancing) even though he writes prose. The title of the book alludes to Greek mythology, but you don't need to know who Zeus was to enjoy the book. However, some people dislike the style of both Taleb and Livingstone, so the book is not for everyone. Finally, since the book is published this year (2010), you can utter some of the aphorisms out loud, causing the belief that you are a witty person :)

Potently distilled Taleb
I'm among those people who will read pretty much anything Nassim Nicholas Taleb writes, so I preordered this book without needing to know anything about its specifics. I just finished my first pass and am not disappointed (and will need to read the book again, probably many times).

We shouldn't make the mistake of getting so impressed that we're in danger of worshipping Taleb, and indeed some of his points may be exaggerated, inconsistent, partially wrong, or even completely wrong (I think he might even agree with that), but he's also genuinely and uniquely brilliant, and my sense is that he's right about most things and thus a source of valuable real-world insights.

Others have suggested that one shouldn't try to summarize Taleb, but we can surely say that his work revolves around the realization that we humans, both individually and collectively, are unknowingly prone to many kinds of errors and biases, so we need to develop practical tools to help compensate and especially to avoid disastrous consequences.

Using its densely aphoristic format, the book richly and wittily fleshes out this general idea by providing more specific insights on a wide array of "philosophical and practical" topics spanning much of the human condition. And I'll add that while Taleb seems ambivalent about Wittgenstein, I think his ideas are closer to those of the later Wittgenstein than he may realize (which I intend to be a compliment, while agreeing that Wittgenstein can sometimes be rather opaque).

If you're willing to take a serious look at yourself and the social world in which you're embedded, at risk of undermining some cherished illusions, this is a book not to be missed. Others have made many of the same points as Taleb but, to my knowledge, no one else writing today has done so with the same level of broad erudition and artistically powerful flair (hence his outlier level of readership and influence).

Excellent Book!
If you've read Nassim Nicholas Taleb's other books ("Fooled By Randomness" and "The Black Swan") then you have an idea of the power and magnificence contained in his writing. In my humble opinion, "The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms" is excellent; it's a must read. I have been anticipating this book's release for quite some time. Several months ago Taleb was testing out many of these aphorisms on Twitter, so it's interesting to see how the book came together. I certainly enjoy witty aphorisms and this book contains some of the best I've ever read.

"My best definition of a nerd: someone who asks you to explain an aphorism."

As Taleb says, aphorisms lose their charm whenever explained so I'll refrain from demonstrating my foolishness and ignorance by trying to interpret any of them in this forum.

Excellent-Nassim Nicholas Taleb at his best
My copy arrived today, and I was anxious to read Taleb's book of aphorisms after following his progress at his website. He does not disappoint; he will make many laugh, many angry, and most think. His wit and insight spares no one; particularly academics, economists, and bankers (politicians, too).

The chapter I most anticipated was Robustness and Fragility, given Taleb's continuing dialogue at Facebook concerning anti-fragility.

This slim volume is highly recommended if you enjoyed Fooled By Randomness and The Black Swan. Highest recommendation.

Sam Kinison of contemporary philosophy
Taleb is the Sam Kinison of contemporary philosophy: He shrieks mischievously about how we delude ourselves and allow others (e.g., consultants and intellectuals) to delude us. "The Bed of Procrutes" tells where not to look for answers and seems grounded in a profound respect for the ever-elusive: human dignity and courage. Unlike his seminal "The Black Swan," which overflowed with examples and explanations (and which should have been proofread more carefully) this book is spare and copy-edited. It is compulsory reading for the aspiring fl�neur.

Great encouragement to think more!
I'm a big Taleb fan, but this review is not biased. I enjoyed this book a lot. It's a quick read, but is intended to make the reader think. Highly recommend it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Fantastic book, July 10, 2009
This is an excellent book full of great material. It was published in 1901 and has mostly English authors, plus a few from the Continent and America. The earliest author I found was Chaucer, and Shakespeare is quoted most frequently. There's no table of contents, but the quotes are printed alphabetically by topic- Abashed, Abbots, Abdication, so you can search for a topic you're interested in. You're told exactly where each quote comes from- e.g. Milton: Par. Lost, Bk. viii., line 561. The back of the book has an Index to Authors and an Index to Quotations. There are 2138 quotes in the book. And you can get this wonderful book for the price of... free!!!

you get what you pay for., June 12, 2010
I didn't care for this book. I expected to get quotes that I had heard before or made sense to me. I didn't feel I got either. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Lots of good stories, July 10, 2009
There is loads of enjoyable reading in this book. Few of these stories are "funny" so you probably won't laugh very much- they're tales of people who have done something virtuous, so the word "heartwarming" is a good description. There's no intro to tell you where the anecdotes come from or when they were collected. The table of contents is active by topic- Affection, Artists, Begging...

Too old to be worth it, July 16, 2010
I downloaded this book thinking I could share some amusing anecdotes with people. Some stories are timeless however, these are not.

For me, while the themes never go out of style (there is one section of people complaining about doctors, for example) the people are often very obscure. The humor is lost or would require some knowledge of the context of the period. Many of the "historical" anecdotes likewise are of people that were well known in there day but didn't do enough to assure their place in the history books.

Probably worth the read if you know a lot about this time period, but otherwise, Id skip it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Wish description would have said "Synopsis", March 2, 2009
I thought it was too good to be true to be getting all these novels for free, until I realized that I was getting "Cliff Notes" versions. I went back to the product I ordered to see if I missed anything, but there was nothing there calling these books out as a synopsis. It's a good idea for those people who are looking for quick hits of the story, but if you are actually looking to read the books listed in the contents, look elsewhere.

Merely a Synopsis, March 2, 2009
Just downloaded this. At least this volume (volume 1) seems to be nothing but a synopsis of authors lives and their work--not the works themselves. This might of some value, except the Table of Contents does not work. Makes it nearly worthless. I deleted it. Guess I got what I paid for.

Not ready for prime time, March 13, 2009
The Kindle holds great promise not only for its ability to deliver books purchased through Amazon.com in just seconds, but also for its ability to make available freely thousands of books having fallen out of copyright, including classics such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Ulysses. This compendium seems to be the first significant attempt to make those books available through Amazon's delivery system, and I applaud the creators for it. However these volumes are fraught with problems, most notably formatting and editorial issues, not to mention the plain fact they do not contain the advertised material.

I do hope those responsible for this product do make a second attempt because I see great promise in it, however this particular version just isn't ready.

With a bit of doing you can load hundreds of e-books to your Kindle though. For a glimpse of what's available, check out the Gutenberg project's library at [...]

An excellent introduction, June 23, 2009
This series is a summary of great classics of literature. There are brief biographies of the author and then an abbreviated version of the story is told by selecting key passages from the work in the author's own words. There is sufficient information to tell if you will enjoy the theme of the book and the author's writing style. For those books that you enjoy, I would recommend getting the full work because much is left out in the abbreviated version. Still, this is a wonderful introduction to many great works of literature.

Useless., March 11, 2009
Expecting an introduction to some great fiction I downloaded this ebook to my kindle and was unhappily suprised. The book is merely a list of authors and very little of their writing. A waste of time unless you are researching about the authors that are included.

World's Greatest Books II, March 22, 2009
I should have known it was too good to be true. No table of contents, no content. It is a great concept. I hope Kindle does it again, and does it correctly. I'm going to delete and hope for something better in the future.

A complete waste of time, April 6, 2009
This is a list of books. I thought, wrongly, it was like some of the Acrobat CD's handed out long ago that had non-copyrighted great works, now just to read on the Kindle. But no, this is just a list. A complete waste. If I weren't such a trusting individual, I'd say Amazon is purposely misleading us to make us believe this is a set of old books, something we can start reading before spending more money buying books.

Good in its own way but one great problem, February 20, 2010
This book summaries included in this publication are good, and worthwhile in helping one decide whether to purchase the whole book. But there is not table of contents, which makes it impossible to know what books are included in this publication without taking the time to click all the way through. That seems ridiculous to me, for whoever prepared the publication could certainly have found time to include a tables of contents! The book becomes almost useless without it.

Where're the books?, March 9, 2009
Wish I had read the review before I downloaded this bargain book of book lists. Delete now, read originals later.

OVER BUTTON, June 3, 2010
if you dont want to click all the way through then press the over button. the little spuare in between the menu and back button. try it. it works. really good. it lets you go the the next chapter or previous chapter. just try it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Part voyeuristic entertainment, part group therapy, Passive Aggressive Notes offers a fascinating look at the all-too-familiar frustrations of embattled office drones, apartment dwellers, parents, and pet owners everywhere.

This curated collection combines dozens of outrageous, never-before-seen notes as well as favorites from Passiveaggressivenotes.coma 2008 Webby Award Winner and the official "Best Blog" of the South by Southwest Interactive festival.

Reviews

Laugh out loud!, November 5, 2008
Kerry Miller's book Passive-Aggressive Notes,etc. reads hilariously for all ages. My group consists of women in their 80's and we all laughed hysterically at the notes but were a little taken aback by some of the language. No one wanted to put it down. Each person wanted to read something aloud. Well worth the money for a good laugh--or two or three.

A quick way to improve your mood, November 7, 2008
I read Passive Aggressive Notes on the train home after a long day and went from tired and stressed out to laughing so hard that I shed a tear or two. It's a collection of real notes and photos of the outrageous things people can't find a way to say directly to their roommates and coworkers. Anyone who works in an office, shares an apartment, or dislikes confrontation will so love that this book exists.

The notes in this book are hilarious!, November 16, 2008
I'm a big fan of the passive-aggressive notes website, and I'm excited to now share these hilarious notes with friends away from the computer, too! As someone who has lived with lots of different roommates and works in an office that witnesses its fair share of passive-aggressive notes, I can definitely relate to a number of the notes in this book. I also bought a copy for my coworker because I knew she'd appreciate it given all of the notes we've seen around our office.

Hilarious--a great gift idea!, November 4, 2008
It's the beginning of November and I already have my office Secret Santa gift taken care of--might be perfect for a few former roommates as well!!!
This is a great collection of notes ranging from the creative to the ridiculous that will have you laughing with each turn of the page(I personally love the flow-chart for office coffee mug cleaning and the pad-locked microwave). I would strongly recommend this for anyone with a sense of humor, or as a gift for anyone you think might have one!

Funny, funny stuff, November 5, 2008
I always LOL at the PAN site, so I was thrilled to check out notes that didn't make it to the web. This book didn't disappoint. Somehow, the new stuff in the book is even more hilarious than what I've seen on the site. I'm just in awe of all the crazy people out there that write these notes! I've already passed the book to one of my co-workers who shares my distaste for people who'd rather write a note than make a verbal request. This is the perfect gift for your roommate or cube-mate (but read it yourself, first!).

Delightfully Entertaining, November 5, 2008
I have been a fan of passiveaggressivenotes.com since it started and its nice to have a print version! Having lived with some passive aggressive note-writers in my own life, I certainly can appreciate this collection. I think its a fabulous gift idea because its witty and fun. It is good for the people in your life with a great sense of humor and even better for those who need to do a little self reflection about their own passive-aggressive nature. This book is a must-have for any coffee table!!!

Bit of a disappointment, February 11, 2009
From the listing and reviews, I was expecting belly laughs! The book does show the humor in passive aggressive note-writing - I've even written some myself over the years. But this was just okay. Maybe a slightly amusing way to spend an hour, but that's about it. Can't recommend it.

Read this REVIEW!!!!!!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!, November 4, 2008
This is a great collection of PAN notes from goddess of an equally great website. For your Amish or Shiftless Mennonite friends this book is a perfect gift. This is the only thing that gets me through dark days in the cubicle farm. Recommended reading for all cohabitators it is Misheerific! Just ask Casey in HR.

Great gift!, December 3, 2008
A friend gave this to me for my birthday and it's hilarious! The intro had me laughing out loud (particularly the part about babies in bars). This is a great gift for anyone who's ever had a roommate or coworker leave them a note (I had several flashbacks to freshman year of college while reading this).

Funny stuff, February 27, 2010
And I might add, I have been guilty of doing the same thing, as has my wife. Sometimes it is a requirement, because the behavior being questioned is not exactly world shaking, but annoying and there's too much 'pissed off' seething anger behind the request for something small but ongoing for a long time.

All in all, a reminder to me that I'm not alone in doing this, but my requests ("turn off the light") are much more reasonable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Digest of Classic Novels, March 2, 2009
These volumes contain digests of the great books. The following is from the introduction of Volume 1:

"In THE WORLD'S GREATEST BOOKS an attempt has been made to effect a compendium of the world's best literature in a form that shall be at once accessible to every one and still faithful to its originals; or, in other words, it has been sought to allow the original author to tell his own story over again in his own language, but in the shortest possible space.

An important additional feature of the work is the brief, yet highly critical biographical and bibliographical note which accompanies every author "

These volumes might be called the "Cliff Notes" collection.

Volume 02

FICTION
BORROW, GEORGE
Lavengro
Romany Rye

BRADDON, M.E.
Lady Audley's Secret

BRADLEY, EDWARD ("COTHBERT BEDE")
Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green

BRONT�, CHARLOTTE
Jane Eyre
Shirley
Villette

BRONT�, EMILY
Wuthering Heights

BUCHANAN, ROBERT
Shadow of the Sword

BUNYAN, JOHN
Holy War
Pilgrim's Progress

BURNEY, FANNY
Evelina

CARLETON, WILLIAM
The Black Prophet

CARROLL, LEWIS
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

CERVANTES
Don Quixote

CHAMISSO, ADALBERT VON
Peter Schlemihl, the Shadowless Man

CHATEAUBRIAND, FRAN�OIS REN� DE
Atala

CHERBULIEZ, CHARLES VICTOR
Samuel Brohl & Co.

COLLINS, WILKIE
No Name
The Woman in White

CONWAY, HUGH
Called Back

COOPER, FENIMORE
Last of the Mohicans
The Spy

CRAIK, MRS.
John Halifax, Gentleman

CROLY, GEORGE
Salathiel, or Tarry Thou Till I Come

DANA, RICHARD HENRY
Two Years before the Mast

Awesome., March 11, 2009
Can't believe some of the reviewers thought these volumes would contain all of the greastest books in their entirety, but these little samples are exactly what I wanted. If I like the sample, I can read the book...

Long titles need editing for Kindle, June 1, 2009
I have several of this series and the titles all look identical on the Kindle Home Page. Have added my own notes to distinguish them, but some title editing by the publisher would be appreciated. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Lots of mistakes in the lyrics - sloppy transcriptions taken from the internet, November 4, 2010
Unfortunately, I bought this book before I read the article by Slate magazine (available to read online, the article is called "Fact-Check the Rhyme") which mentions that there are lots of mistakes in the transcriptions and goes through a number of big ones which jumped out at the writer. These mistakes range from getting names wrong, to not understanding the slang being used, to simply getting certain words wrong.

The mistakes listed there are the EXACT same mistakes in the online site - "Original Hip Hop Lyric Archive" which has been going for years and is riddled with mistakes as it relies on listeners to add lyrics.
Having exactly the same mistakes suggests that the transcriptions for the Anthology were pulled directly from that site, mistakes and all.

In the comments to the Slate article, one of the editors of the book admits there are loads of mistakes in the Anthology and suggests that later print runs of the book will be more accurate, after readers have sent in corrections and it has been updated. So I guess early buyers like me will be guinea pigs, owning a pretty expensive book full of errors lifted from the internet, while later readers will benefit when the "correct version" is finally available.

One of the reasons I ordered the official, Yale anthology is because I thought it would be scrupulously checked, otherwise I could have stuck to reading the lyrics on the internet at that archive. You might expect a very small number of minor mistakes, but not loads of glaringly obvious ones which change the meaning of the lyrics.
I did not expect it to just be a printed-out version of the erroneous online stuff.

Seeing as this anthology will most likely be used on courses, studying HipHop prose, then it's sad that in a lot of cases students will be studying mis-transcribed lyrics.
It's a slight to the rappers in many cases (albeit unintentionally) because they've used clever references or devices of language which have been rendered as just random gibberish.

This reflects badly on Yale, as they have an academic standard to adhere to. The anthology lists a long line of people on their rap "advisory board," though it seems none of them knew enough about HipHop or cared enough to check over the Anthology to correct the many obvious mistakes in the text.

It's best to wait until they bring out a thoroughly corrected version of this, as you don't want to be stuck with this version with all the mistakes from the internet in it.

Lazy Transcription = Wait for the revised edition, December 4, 2010
Lazy and inaccurate transcriptions on quite a few songs. Great concept for a book, but the authors should do a little more homework before sending it to press. I await the revised edition.

A fresh and valuable contribution to world literature, November 20, 2010
Reading rap lyrics on the page in The Antholoy of Rap makes the striking depth and intelligence of rap artists accessible, whether you start out as a fan or not. Sam Anderson's review in New York Magazine basically sums up my own thoughts.

This is the first book in a long time that my teenage son and I have both enjoyed, and which has given us something to talk about. I was struck by the obvious care of transcriptions--especially when referencing different speakers within a song. A close study of these transcriptions reveals that they result of rigorous, original work that is not available anywhere else.

This first-of-its-kind book now holds a prominent place in my own library. It also makes a fresh and valuable contribution to world literature. Fellow lovers of the written word, hip hop fans, and parents of rap fans: get your copy and prepare to be amazed!

A Must-Read Landmark for Anyone Interested in American Culture, October 28, 2010
This may seem like a very strange recommendation in my ongoing reviews of books and films on religion, spirituality and diversity--but this book is precisely the kind of important collection that anyone concerned about those subjects should buy and read and have available on the shelf. Particularly if you are a teacher, preacher, student, community leader, artist, communicator or the leader of one of the millions of small discussion groups coast to coast--this is the kind of broad and authoritative look at rap culture that you should explore.

Why pay attention to rap? No question, rap is notorious for sexism and flat-out hatred in various forms, not to mention the R-rated language that peppers nearly every page. In the introduction, this anthology makes it clear that "aggression" is the "default tone" of rap. Well, one answer is provided in the foreword by the esteemed scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who connects rap with centuries of African-American culture and, before that, with African storytelling and music. So, it's true that rap is now an important part of American history and global cultural history. But that's the sort of answer that convinces librarians to place this volume on the shelf.

I spent a long time exploring these pages and must admit that the rage, lust, greed and hot-and-cold-running fury is tough to take. But much like "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather" are widely acknowledged now as masterpieces capturing essential elements of 20th century culture--rap itself is a high-octane part of 20th century life and self expression that the larger world needs to understand. Just as we all are coming to terms with the legacy of Vietnam (as in "Apocalypse") and the legacy of America's long-marginalized immigrant groups (as in "Godfather")--we need to come to terms with urban rage.

Here are a few helpful things you need to know about this volume: First, it's an R-rated collection of transcribed rap lyrics from a huge range of rap artists, including the household names everyone knows such as Eminem. Second, there's no music here, no audio CD--so you're experiencing rap here in a strangely disconnected form. These are just the lyrics with some brief biographical material and historical annotations along the way.

Even if you think you know what rap is all about--you'll find surprises here. My own favorite "find" is "Sunshine," a surprisingly hopeful anthem of thanksgiving for surviving another day under tough circumstances. That little gem is by two rappers I'd never encountered before this book, called Slug and Ant. Their "Sunshine" is in the great tradition of Johnny Cash's classic of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down."

This isn't for the timid. It's not for kids. But this is an amazing exploration of a huge chapter in American culture.

I've never seen a flame war started over a book before!, November 30, 2010
I'm shocked at how many people have ganged up against this book, far beyond any realistic or even rational criticism. I'm guessing the book review in Slate magazine started a particularly nasty argument in the Fray which has since spilled over onto Amazon. I can only guess a large enough portion of people who read that review and participated in that flame war didn't let off enough steam, so they came over to Amazon to do a "hatchet job" on the book's rating.

Nearly all of the criticisms levelled at this book are accusing it of being "rife with errors". Allow me to put things in a bit more realistic of a perspective: There are 26 well-documented errors out of almost a thousand entries. I don't know about you, but my definition of "rife with errors" requires a little more than that.


But I digress. Let's talk about the book.

Bradley and DuBois have gone to great lengths to frame rap itself in a literary and historical context within American culture. Through hundreds of examples, they have managed to effectively create a chronological history of the evolution of rap as a lyrical medium since the very first rappers started rhyming over disco beats.

It's telling that all of the negative reviews of this book come down to nitpicking over transcription of lyrics. I can only take this as proof that hip hop culture has aged enough to where people can become so emotionally involved over the slightest variation in words. I would argue that this makes the case that much stronger for a need to give rap the thorough historical documentation and academic study it deserves. In that way, I doubt you'll find anywhere a more thorough and insightful book on rap lyrics that this.

Full of errors in the lyrics, November 2, 2010
I had previously given this a better review, but then I checked out what another reviewer has said about this book (about the Slate magazine article, `Fact-Check the Rhyme'), and found out the same info --
There are a lot of mistakes in this book because the editors plagiarized the fan's transcriptions from the online Original Hip Hop Lyrics Archive (OHHLA) site.

One of the editors of the book on the Slate article website also says there are loads more mistakes to be found in the Anthology as he expects readers to send in corrections so that eventually we will get "the perfectly-transcribed anthology we all want." So I have a book with a bunch of mistakes from a website then, no wonder some of these references didn't make any sense to me!

A hiphop site posted up this, which sums up my thoughts to a degree:

"...yes, they did just lazily cut & paste OHHLA's transcriptions. There's a rather damning article posted about this book on Slate that not only spots some more errors... but the problem is that those errors are all duplicates of OHHLA errors.
For example, both OHHLA and The Anthology write this line from Ghostface Killah's "Daytona 5000:" "voice be metal like Von Harper." The actual line is "voice be mellow like Vaughan Harper." The Anthology reproduced the same, bizarre alternate word and spelling choices printed on OHHLA's website. And it's not just this Ghostface quote, their other errors also seem to be carry-overs from OHHLA.

What does that mean? Apparently, instead of doing their own research or transcriptions, they just copied OHHLA's work and made some alterations. That's sorta like, ya know... plagiarism. Every transcriber is credited on OHHLA for the work they submitted on the actual page of the transcription. But I don't see those credits carried over anywhere in the book."

So I too would suggest waiting until they bring out a much later edition of this book, as you don't want to be left with a book full of errors as I have been.
I was hoping to study some of the references in mine, but that is pointless if they have been wrongly transcribed... I now own an expensive, error filled book.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other good hiphop books out there, I'd recommend -
Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies
How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC
There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs
Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists

Provocative Scholarly Feat!, November 30, 2010
I applaud the work of Bradley and DuBois in bringing this anthology to life - it was needed! I'm fascinated by its polarizing nature - people absolutely love it or hate it.

Most of the criticism is focused on accuracy of transcriptions, which the editors address in the anthology. The text is not perfect, nor should we expect it to be if we recognize the breadth of this work. This should not be seen as a final statement of fact, but an evolving window into an under-appreciated culture.

When you move beyond the letter and fully grasp the spirit of the anthology, you see an accessible toolkit for understanding rap. Importantly, it pays homage to many rappers that have faded from consciousness. Indeed, I would say that some of the rappers whose lyrics have been debated over accuracy have benefited greatly. At its core, this anthology is homage. Similarly, those artists that have not been included have been the focus of renewed interest.

I'm grateful for this collection - it's been a wonderful trip down memory lane, giddily recalling when I first heard many of the records.

And for those that didn't grow up with this poetry, I'm happy to see the interest in rap the anthology is generating.

Wait for them to fix this, November 30, 2010
This is a cool idea, but not executed well.

As others have mentioned, a huge amount of evidence has been levelled at this anthology from various magazines and newspapers, along with questions like: why did the editors say rappers had vetted their lyrics when they didn't, why are the errors the same bizarre wordings as online sites (some could be genuinely misheard the same, but lots are way too random for any two people to have come to the same bizarre mis-wording), and why did they create an advisory board and then not consult them and have them feel like their names were included only to add credibility (as they say in the Slate article)?

Why have the editors and publisher then just flatly denied things that are irrefutable? Grandmaster Caz went through and found many mistakes but he is listed as having checked his lyrics. It's a bit of an insult for the editors and publisher to then turn around and say everything is fine, as if Grandmaster Caz would lie about that, or that any of the advisory board would lie about the level of their involvement.

This book needs to be corrected, thoroughly, and the editors and publisher need to acknowledge the things they did wrong with this book, otherwise they just look like liars on top of all the other mistakes they made.

Teacher and Poet Reviews, December 11, 2010
I purchased this book to prep for a Rap as Poetry course at Wayne State. It's invaluable, and lets folks trace various hooks and lines throughout rap's short and lively history. Indispensable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

It's Not Required But It's Worth Extra Credit, October 11, 2010
The pieces in Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010 are fiction and nonfiction, articles, stories, lists, and comics, chosen from online blogs and publications as well as print magazines. The front section consists of the short items, mostly lists, mostly funny, some just silly. Among the funny is a short blog post - Best American Woman Comedy Piece Written By a Woman by Wendy Molyneux.

The larger second part of the book is an unsorted group of stories and essays. Without much context (such as Best American Short Stories or Best American Travel Writing) it was not always clear which pieces were fiction and which were nonfiction. I found this uncertainty rather invigorating. Is Sherman Alexie telling stories or is this a moment of truth? I vote truth. Did Evan Ratliff really Vanish? Truth, I think. Is Bryan Furuness really the Man of Steel? Fiction, probably. I hope the tent city of George Saunders' journalistic piece is fiction, but I'm afraid it's fact.

The Photographer is a combination of photojournalism and comic about a Doctors Without Borders mission in an Afghanistan war zone. The photos are from the 1980s, when the Soviet Union was fighting the Mujahideen. Coincidentally, I found out about the artist, Emmanuel Guibert, a few days ago when I was listening to a podcast about his inspiration for a previous book, Alan's War, about a US soldier who settled in France after he fought there during World War II.

The "nonrequired" in the title of the book appealed to me, probably because I have read so many reviews lately that insist that "this book should be required reading." Imagine someone shoving a book in your face and instructing "You have to read this book!" Even if it's your best friend and you were planning on reading that book anyway, your reaction is to lose enthusiasm. Now that it's an assignment, you no longer look forward to it. Your well-meaning friend has ruined it for you. So a sarcastic thanks to Publisher's Weekly for their quoted review for this very book "...nonrequired reading that should be required."

Perfect!, November 4, 2010

Somewhat offbeat takes on current events and human conditions, November 9, 2010

Mind Candy, November 3, 2010

This one goes straight to the bathroom!, November 15, 2010

Have a driveway moment in your bathroom, November 10, 2010

Editorial Review

From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century—1951—in the middle of the United States—Des Moines, Iowa—in the middle of the largest generation in American history—the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)—in his head—as "The Thunderbolt Kid."

Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality—a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. It was, he reminds us, a happy time, when automobiles and televisions and appliances (not to mention nuclear weapons) grew larger and more numerous with each passing year, and DDT, cigarettes, and the fallout from atmospheric testing were considered harmless or even good for you. He brings us into the life of his loving but eccentric family, including affectionate portraits of his father, a gifted sportswriter for the local paper and dedicated practitioner of isometric exercises, and OF his mother, whose job as the home furnishing editor for the same paper left her little time for practicing the domestic arts at home. The many readers of Bill Bryson’s earlier classic, A Walk in the Woods, will greet the reappearance in these pages of the immortal Stephen Katz, seen hijacking literally boxcar loads of beer. He is joined in the Bryson gallery of immortal characters by the demonically clever Willoughby brothers, who apply their scientific skills and can-do attitude to gleefully destructive ends.

Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, and full of his inimitable, pitch-perfect observations, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is as wondrous a book as Bill Bryson has ever written.It will enchant anyone who has ever been young. ... Read more

Reviews

I was literally sent downstairs for laughing too loud.
Seriously. I was up past bedtime, and I was reading Bryson's description of lame 1950's toys. I won't give it away, but imagine what he can do with the topic of "electric football". After a particularly vigorous episode of chortling, my wife trudged out of bed to decree that, if I insisted on continuing to read, I'd have to take it downstairs.

And that's what this book is, a laugh-out-loud remembrance of a simpler, sillier time. Bryson's travelogues are what made him famous, and he never would have made it without a fantastic memory for detail and an ability to convey a vivid mental picture of the topics he chooses. His descriptions of 1950's Des Moines are consistently evocative. It's like a travelogue unearthed from a 50 year old time capsule. I feel like I have visited there.

Still, readers of Bryson known that what truly sets him apart is his uncanny ability to attract and describe morons, as well as all manner of idiotic situations (generally self-inflicted). For a man who can do this on, say, a simple trip to Australia, imagine how much comedy gold can be mined from a childhood in the Midwest of the 50's. It is, as they say, a target-rich environment. His remembrances include family, friends, school, Des Moines, lame childhood toys, nuclear bombs, and more. Even things like TV dinners, which we have all heard mocked before, are skewered in new and amusing ways.

For all of that, though, the memoir is not mean spirited. I think that the ridicule works so well because it is easy to sense Bryson's real affection for his subjects (well, at least the ones who aren't carbonized by the x-ray vision of the Thunderbolt Kid). He's poking fun, but in a way that family and friends might poke fun at each other over old childhood foibles at a Thanksgiving dinner. It's the humor that you get when your wife knows that you're ridiculous, but loves you just the same. This book belongs with such classic tributes to youth as The Wonder Years, Stand By Me, and A Christmas Story. Buy it, and enjoy it. Just try not to read it next to someone's bedroom.

The FUNNIEST book I have read in years!!!
This is a wonderful, funny, and ultimately very human book, which reminds us all, no matter who we are or where we live (I'm Australian) of the total joys of a happy childhood.

Bill Bryson is the first to confess that his was a normal, uneventful and by the standards of today, relatively bland childhood. But thankfully this has been rendered into a book that will have you laughing aloud, as we hear of his evolution into the fearless Thunderbolt Kid, complete with super hero talents; the list of alien (now commonplace) foods that never graced the family table, and the unique and gruesome ways he managed to hurt himself whilst playing (I was particularly fond of the tale where he hit his head on a rock and his friends bought pieces of his "brain" to his house - kids can be so thoughtful).

This is a ray of sunshine in the literary world. It is truly the most delightful thing that I have read in a very long time, and I am a voracious devourer of books. I enjoy Bill's travel books, as he is a talented and observant writer, but this is a cut above - I think his very best to date.

Do yourselves a favour. Buy yourself a couple of hours of happiness and read this book. Buy it for your friends and relatives, and relive your happy and normal childhood all over again. You will all treasure that moment where you remembered how you were a super-hero/alien/king or queen, and then get back to your normal, uneventful, adult lives.

Made in America's Heartland
"Getting into the strippers' tent would become the principal preoccupation of my pubescent years." - Bill Bryson in THUNDERBOLT KID

"Essentially matinees were an invitation to four thousand children to riot for four hours in a large darkened space." - Bill Bryson in THUNDERBOLT KID

As I mature gracefully, reading the coming-of-age reminiscences of others that grew up about the same time I did - the 1950s - becomes an absorbing leisure activity. Perhaps I just need to supplement my failing memory with theirs. In any case, several fine volumes of the genre come to mind: Blooming: A Small-Town Girlhood by Susan Allen Toth, Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham, When All the World Was Young: A Memoir by Barbara Holland, and Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin. As you may have noticed, all four of these are by female authors who are recalling their girlhood. On the other hand, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID, by Bill Bryson, is all about boyhood. And, as I think you'll agree, boys are an entirely different species from girls. I should know as I used to be one of the former. For example, boys have a propensity for shenanigans that would elicit an "Eeeuw!" from the gentler sex, as the following passage on Lincoln Logs, of which I myself had a set, illustrates:

"What Buddy Doberman and I discovered was that if you peed on Lincoln Logs you bleached them white. As a result we created, over a period of weeks, the world's first albino Lincoln Log cabin, which we took to school as part of a project on Abraham Lincoln's early years."

Or this regarding the elementary school's space heaters:

"The most infamous radiator-based activity was of course to pee on the radiator in one of the boys' bathrooms. This created an enormous sour stink that permeated whole wings of the school for days on end and could not be got rid of through any amount of scrubbing or airing."

I'm virtually certain that Susan, Laura, Barbara and Doris never did either.

Bill's recollections otherwise ran the gamut of those of any kid of either sex from that era: family vacations, the first televisions, favorite TV shows, the nature of contemporary comic books, toys, soda pop and candies, parents' occupations and eccentricities, Mom's cooking, the specter of The Bomb and Godless Communism, drop and cover drills, Saturday afternoons at the movie matinees, the National Pastime (major league baseball), the State Fair, Dick and Jane books, visits to Grandpa's farm, paper routes, strange relatives, and Best Friends. Oddly, there's no mention anywhere of a family pet. Is it that he never had one? How is this possible?

Then, of course, there's the budding fascination with sex that includes the discovery of Ol' Dad's secret stash of girlie mags and the unfulfilled, feverish desire to see play pal Mary O'Leary nekkid.

As in the author's other books, his ability to tell the story with a wry and self-deprecating wit is unmatched by any contemporary writer that I've read with the exception of Barbara Holland. Both are national treasures.

Bryson's young adventures took place in Des Moines, Iowa, a much different environment than the Southern California in which I had mine. But, there's a degree of similarity that transcends region so long as that region lies in the U.S. of A. One of Bill's nostalgias in particular that I wouldn't have recalled in a million years but is oh, so true was:

"Of all the tragic losses since the 1950s, mimeograph paper may be the greatest. With its rapturously fragrant, sweetly aromatic pale blue ink, mimeograph paper was literally intoxicating."

It's in the nature of the aging human to recall previous times as so much better. Nowadays, as we're inundated with rampant political correctness, discredited heroes, and the pathetic likes of Paris, Britney and Lindsay, I can look back and say about many things, as Bill does:

"... I saw the last of something really special. It's something I seem to say a lot these days."

Laugh out loud funny
Any Baby Boomer who thinks fondly on a childhood in the 1950s will enjoy this book immensely. Born in 1951 and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Bryson had what we might consider the average middle-class life in the geographic center of America. As such, it's easy for us to nod in agreement at many of the details he recalls: spider-web-like strands of airplane glue that stuck to everything except small plastic model pieces; the confusion of having two different actors play the Lone Ranger on TV; the stilted and unrealistic conversations we read in our Dick and Jane textbooks; and the fact that we all spent our free time outside, making up our own games. Bryson additionally got into a few unusual scrapes with some of his neighborhood buddies, and the distance of time makes each one of their escapades a real hoot. Those post-war days were indeed the best of times and the worst of times. The nation grew wealthy and happier and stronger, and technological advances like television made us feel more powerful. Simultaneously the Cold War intensified, and we grew ever more fearful of a nuclear attack from Russia. It was a unique and great time to be a kid.

"Happily," Bryson writes, "we were indestructible. We didn't need seat belts, air bags, smoke detectors, bottled water, or the Heimlich maneuver. We didn't require child-safety caps on our medicines. We didn't need helmets when we rode our bikes or pads for our knees and elbows when we went skating. We knew without a written reminder that bleach was not a refreshing drink and that gasoline when exposed to a match had a tendency to combust. We didn't have to worry about what we ate because nearly all foods were good for us: sugar gave us energy, red meat made us strong, ice cream gave us healthy bones, coffee kept us alert and purring productively." (pages 69-70)

To his own experiences, Bryson adds historical tidbits that now seem unbelievable, except that we suddenly remember when they were true. Everyone smoked. TV dinners were invented and enjoyed, even though each of the food components had an aluminum taste. The civil rights movement hadn't yet taken full form. No one knew or cared about the dangers of DDT or witnessing a nuclear test from a ridge a hundred miles away. And yet, most of us survived the decade.

Reading this memoir will make you wistful for those days of atomic toilets, comic book Kiddie Corrals, unrated movies, and grape Nehi bubbles up your nose. It'll also have you laughing right out of your chaise longue and Capri pants.

Amazing that this wild child grew up to be Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson was born in 1951 in Des Moines, Iowa. Talk about lucky! "I can't imagine there has ever been a more gratifying time or place to be alive than America in the 1950s," he writes. "We became the richest country in the world without needing the rest of the world."

And Billy Bryson --- white, Protestant, son of a brilliant sportswriter and the home furnishings editor of the Des Moines Register --- was in just the right place to take full advantage.

As many of you know, Bryson grew up to live in England and write first class travel books --- A Walk in the Woods, his account of walking the Appalachian Trail with his out-of-shape friend, Steve Katz, is both informative and hilarious --- and serious studies of language, like Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words. But as a kid, he was a pure doofus. He had no interest in school, his city's cultural institutions or its many opportunities for youth athletics.

By the testimony of this memoir, Billy Bryson had only one childhood obsession: trouble. Namely, how much damage to property and civility could one fresh-faced boy --- and, of course, his posse of equally privileged homies --- do each and every day.

And because kids roamed free in those days and time stretched to the horizon, Billy had all of Des Moines as his target.

Exhibit A: He liked to hide on the top floor of an office building with a central atrium. Seven stories below was a restaurant: "A peanut M&M that falls seventy feet into a bowl of tomato soup makes one heck of a splash, I can tell you."

Exhibit B: He delighted in using a magnifying glass to focus a beam of sunlight on the bald head of his napping Uncle Dick to see what would happen: "What happened was that you burned an amazingly swift, deep hole that would leave Dick and a team of specialists at Iowa Lutheran Hospital puzzled for weeks."

Exhibit C: He once peed on brown Lincoln Logs to turn them white --- and then watched, deadpan, as a teacher licked the toy logs to prove they'd been bleached with lemon juice.

Weird characters abound. Like Bill's mother, who wrote about the home, but was derelict in the domestic arts: "As a rule you knew it was time to eat when you could hear potatoes exploding in the oven." Like Bill's father, who was so cheap that when the Brysons finally drove out to Disneyland, Bill asked his mother, "Have I got leukemia?" Like another kid's dad, doing a swan dive from the high board, changing his mind in mid-air and landing flat: "At such a speed water effectively becomes a solid." And like Uncle Dee, who had a surgically-made hole in his neck: "Whatever he ate turned into a light spray from his throat hole."

Are you laughing yet? Methinks you should be. There is funny, and then there is Bill Bryson, who makes you howl with laughter and fight for breath. "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" is not a book for the seriously ill, the commuter who uses public transportation or even the easily grossed-out. But for everyone over 50 who grew up in a house and had parents who owned a car, health and circumstances matter not --- this is the story of at least part of your youth.

It was a time of flattop haircuts ("landing spots for some very small experimental aircraft"). Cigarettes. Cocktails. Cars with no seat belts, drinks thick with sugar, medicine with no child-proofing. Televisions everywhere. Electric football games. Misbehave, and you get sent to "the cloakroom." Paper routes.

Every once in a while, Bryson sprinkles the pages with seriousness that is all the more powerful for its scarcity. Did you know that Lewis Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, started his career as a shoe salesman? Did you know that, at the peak of the Red Scare, "thirty-two of the forty-eight states had loyalty oaths"? Did you know about Lamar Smith, an African American, who successfully voted in Mississippi --- only to be shot dead on the courthouse steps?

Books that are nostalgic and funny and have seriousness just under the surface tend to have sad, "those were the days" endings. The first mall is built, and right there we know the central business district is doomed. Graduation is like a break shot in pool --- the old gang scatters and never reunites. And so on.

Bryson avoids the gooey emotions by saving his best crimes and his zaniest characters --- Steve Katz, co-star of "A Walk in the Woods" --- for last. Fake drivers' licenses. Beer robberies. And nobility, for in Des Moines, at least, there was, for one gang of kids, honor among thieves.

"I was," Bryson says, "enormously stupid." Yes. He was, and this book is the proof.

But he also says that his book is "about not very much, about being small and getting larger slowly." Wrong. "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" is about being wide-awake and seeing everything and getting every last weird detail down exactly right.

And that makes his memoir almost surely the most enjoyable book you'll read this year.

Vintage Bryson
This is classic Bryson. Full of the trademark gentle humour, charming observations, quirky asides and laugh out loud moments.
I'm a convert to Bryson and so pleased that I discovered this wonderful writer. It started after I read 'Shakespeare My B*tt!' by the UK based author John Donoghue who was described in a review as 'Bill Bryson with a bayonet' (see his work at www.marsupialelvis.com).....curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try the 'real thing'. What a discovery!
As a result I now have the full library of Bryson books and love each one. And this one is just as funny as all those that came before. He manages to capture some of all our childhoods in his writing.If you like Bryson, you'll love this. Vintage Bryson

A wonderful memoir for baby boomers
I always enjoy Bill Bryson's travel books (NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, A WALK IN THE WOODS) and his books on language (THE MOTHER TONGUE).

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID is a memoir, and since Bryson and I grew up in the same decades, I found a lot to like in this book. His writing is always funniest when it's personal and self-deprecating, and his stories of himself as a child are vastly entertaining.

But this book is more than memoir or a string of funny stories about his childhood. Bryson captures the time and place -- 50's small-town America -- and serves those "simpler times" up with affection. In those pre-minivan days a bicycle was a kid's ticket to ride; the movies were a gateway to the world; and a costume, whether the Thunderbolt Kid or Annie Oakley (am I saying too much?), was the passport to bravery and adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE THUNDERBOLT KID, and probably would have enjoyed it no matter which decades were mine. Maybe it's a book of particular interest to the first wave of Baby Boomers, but the humor and whimsy of its presentation are wonderful counterpoint to its well-researched social context.

You're bound to laugh out loud at this book. If you like laughing out loud, then by all means read THE THUNDERBOLT KID.

High school freshmen in 2006 or 1956, you'll love this!
I've read Bill Bryson before and usually I'm left wanting after a couple of chapters. Not this time! I was laughing so much my jaded 14-year-old stopped reading Stephen King, and actually took the book out of my hands. She laughed too, because she has an 8-year-old brother. I don't usually buy books for friends and family at the holidays -- tastes are too subjective -- but this one I probably will.

One warning: it is a TV-14 book, with an occasional f-bomb and some graphic descriptions of body parts (as told from a boy's perspective) so, although I recommend it, keep in mind that fundamentalist relatives and 10-year-olds are not the intended audience.

Both informative and entertaining
I have read two other books by Bryson and enjoyed them but wasn't sure I'd like this, probably because it was about being a child in the fifties (my childhood experiences were in the seventies) in Iowa America (I'm in Yorkshire, England) however I shouldn't have doubted his talent for relating life experiences to just about everyone.

I laughed out loud at his father's out of character taking the family to Disneyland as well as the motley crew of childhood relatives and friends he describes.
He could actually be describing any of our childhoods, from teenage crushes, the hierarchy of a gang of mates, Saturday morning cinema, comics and school. Which ever western country you grew up in you no doubt learnt to read from a book where 'Father' always wore a suit and 'Mother' a frilly apron and everyone said "look" at the beginning of each sentence!!

As well as being informative about 1950's America, it's a really entertaining read for those who like to look back happily on their childhood.
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Editorial Review

Behind the humor of these pieces, readers will see Twain's serious thoughts on the relationship between God and Man, biblical inconsistencies, Darwinism, science, and the impact of technology on religious beliefs. "A fascinating panoply of wit, satire, farce, fantasy, lyricism, heresy, the sardonic, and the controversial."--Patricia Hassler, Booklist. ... Read more

Reviews

Generally, a good collection, December 24, 1999
In the decades since his death, many of Mark Twain's writings have been reorganized into common themes such as protests, speeches, short stories and sketches, and full works of fiction in larger volumes. A recent welcome addition to these is The Bible According to Mark Twain, which includes diaries of Adam, Eve, and other Old Testament characters, various speculations on what the imaginary Heaven might be like (including Captain Stormfield's), some autobiographical dictations, a few pieces that appear in print for the first time, and, of course, Letters From the Earth.

It also contains too many of the editor's notes that plague most of Twain's posthumous releases. Here, notes take up 50 of the book's first 260 pages (10 more are blank). Why do editors feel compelled to insert their version of Twain's autobiography before every entry? If they must share this information with readers, they can do so at the start or the end of the book, without interrupting Twain's far superior writing. Granted, some of the details are worth knowing: Twain read Paine's Age of Reason while piloting riverboats. This helped shape his views toward Christianity. But other statements are extremely irritating: "...we have omitted the five-and-a-half page attack on the concept of the virgin birth (mistakenly referred to as the immaculate conception) because that discussion is not closely related to the writings in this volume." Yes it is! Claims like this make me wonder what else is missing. The rest of Twain's writings on religion need a book of their own, WITHOUT the gratuitous editorial comments.

I'll let Twain have the last word:

"From the beginning of time, whenever a king has lain dangerously ill, the priesthood and some part of the nation have prayed in unison that the king be spared to his grieving and anxious people (in case they were grieving and anxious, which was not usually the rule) and in no instance was their prayer ever answered. When Mr. Garfield lay near to death, the physicians and surgeons knew that nothing could save him, yet at an appointed signal all the pulpits in the United States broke forth with one simultaneous and supplicating appeal for the President's restoration to health. They did this with the same old innocent confidence with which the primeval savage had prayed to his imaginary devils to spare his perishing chief -- for that day will never come when facts and experience can teach a pulpit anything useful. Of course the President died, just the same."

Indispensable religious satire, October 4, 2002
Mark Twain promptly proves with this volume that he is, indeed, as the title states, "America's Master Satirist." Having grown up in a fundamentalist Presbyterian community, Twain knew his Bible well; and, like any thinking person, his beliefs and attitudes relating to it changed as he grew older, wiser, and more experienced. Although Twain - due to many factors, such as the death of several children and his wife and his failed investments - grew famously bitter towards the end of his life, his vision remained remarkably clear-headed, though clearly suffued with pessimism - indeed, his zest for the truth and absolute intolerance for mankind's accepted irrational beliefs became even more razor-sharp during this period. Although there are writings in this volume from all phases of Mark Twain's career, the majority of them do come from that latter period - a period in which, indeed, the exploration of these themes was the main facet of his writing. Included are such well-known items as the Diaries of Adam and Eve (as well as several other Old Testament characters), Captain Stormfield's Visit To Heaven (published here in full for the first time ever), and, of course, his masterpiece, Letters From The Earth. In these, and the other, oftentimes more obscure pieces, Twain burlesques and satarizes freely, calling mankind on both his steadfast taking to irrational and illogical beliefs, as well as on his sheer stupidity and gullibility. If one is looking for a satire along the lines of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, then this is DEFINITELY not the place to look; however, if you have a fondness, as I do, for the darker, more probing side of Twain, then this is a volume that you must most definitely pick up.

Who says it's not possible to be funny when you're angry?, April 27, 1998
The Bible According to Mark Twain gathers together a group of writings by the famous author that were either published years ago or not at all. The writings all deal with Mark Twain's intense study and understanding of the Bible. The book begins with some humorous ideas of what Adam's and Eve's diaries may have looked like during their first days together and then later after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Twain is unable to comprehend how they could be punished for doing something bad (eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge) when they still had no conception of good and bad until they ate the apple. Later works detail some thoughts on Noah and the flood and the importance of flies. It was important to preserve the disease carriers. When Twain takes a walk through Heaven you discover halos, harps, and wings are just for show. And finally he finishes up with a scathing attack on the stupidity of mankind, pointing out that statements like, Thou Shall Not Kill, and committing genocide do not go together. Or how could man conceive of a Heaven as Heaven and leave out sexual intercourse? If sanity is dangerous to your health, don't read this book.

Mark Twain's Take on Bible Stories, November 28, 2005

In this book Mark Twain aims his satire at favorite stories from the Old Testament. He worked on these essays for most of his life but was afraid their irreverent nature would damage his career, therefore, he just kept re-writing and re-editing them. Most of them were not published until after his death and for some this is their introduction.

Adam and Eve, in their diaries, present bittersweet divergent stories of their dysfunctional relationship. Their accounts could be prototypes from a marriage counsellor's office, or short versions of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus."

Captain Stormfield has a dream about ending up in Heaven when he thought he was going to the other place. "He was deeply religious, by nature and by the training of his mother, and a fluent swearer by the training of his father." In this original and inventive story, we learn all those things about heaven that were left out of the Bible - but would be included in an imaginary book, "How to experience Heaven in six weeks on $10 a day."

An "Etiquette in the Afterlife" excerpt: "Do not try to show off. St. Peter dislikes it. The simpler you are dressed, the better it will please him. Above all things, avoid overdressing. A pair of spurs and a fig-leaf is plenty...leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay outside and the dog would go in."

In the masterpiece, "Letters From The Earth," Satan has been temporarily expelled from heaven and is wandering around the universe. On a lark, he decides to visit earth, an outlying little spot in an outlying galaxy that God had once played around with for a few days. Satan is astounded at what he finds, and writes home:

"This is a strange place, an extraordinary place, and interesting. There is nothing resembling it at home. The people are all insane, the other animals are all insane, the Earth is insane. Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God'...if I may put another strain on you - he thinks he is the Creator's pet. He believes the Creator's proud of him; sits up nights to admire him; yes, and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to Him, and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea? Fills his prayers with crude and bald and florid flatteries of Him, and thinks He sits and purrs over these extravagancies and enjoys them. He prays for help, and favor, and protection, every day; and does it with hopefulness and confidence, too, although no prayer of his has ever been answered...he thinks he's going to heaven! He has salaried teachers who tell him that. They also tell him there is a hell, of everlasting fire, and that he will go there if he doesn't keep the Commandments."

Of course, Noah makes an entertaining appearance, and through it all, Mark Twain has an opportunity to expound about those things in the Old Testament that do not quite make sense to him.

The authors offer scholarly histories about these essays for those who are interested. When they finally let loose with the words of Mark Twain, the reader feels a breath of fresh air. This is a fine collection of satires on religion by perhaps America's premier homespun author; a very definite five stars, and well worth your time.

A heavenly work of devilish mischief, September 2, 2004
"The Bible According to Mark Twain" is one of those serendipitous finds that is as delightful as is it unexpected. Twain shows himself to be a serious thinker about biblical issues, especially as they pertain to the saintly rogues and roguish saints who populated his world. The works in this volume expand on biblical themes, and are as human as they are irreverent. There is no sacrilege or blasphemy intended in Twain's musings -- simply the toil of a man trying to come to terms with the sometimes illogical world inhabited by religious people.

Twain muses on the story of Noah's ark by wondering about the germs that must have been stowed aboard along with Noah and his family. What kind of a God would ensure that such dangerous organisms would survive the "destruction" of life on earth, allowing them to renew their deadly work afterward? Twain's Captain Stormfield, recently deceased and on his way to heaven, shows the author grappling with the recently-discovered enormity of the universe, and with a heaven segregated (not by race and religion as one Earth) by planet and geographical region. "Letters from Earth," authored by Satan before his banishment to eternal fire, makes rather pointed comments about earthlings' desire for a heaven that is both bereft of earthly pleasures (notably sex) and filled with activity that earthlings normally shun (singing, church services, rubbing shoulders with Jews, blacks and heathens).

Few if any of the completed and incomplete works in this volume were published in Twain's lifetime. Yet the writings show him to be a religious man, in the sense of one who wrestles with the great eternal questions. Twain could not have been satisfied with the pious niceties he likely received from the religious worthies of his day. His questions continue to challenge us to enlarge our conceptions of the deity. Not for him was a deity who looked too much like the rascals and fools he encountered on a day's perambulation. Many of his questions (for instance about the historicity of the Bible) were very perceptive and continue to challenge us to this day.

"The Bible According to Mark Twain" may not rock your religious world, but it will set you to thinking about the way that in every age, "God" acts and thinks suspiciously like ourselves!

Without any doubt this book belongs on everyone's bookshelf., February 7, 1996
Marvelous. Compelling. Funny. (How rare to review a new work by Mark Twain!) This book is rare, old scotch with just enough ice. It's a fine, black Connecticut cigar. It's a wide tie with a brave picture on it. It's a moonlit sail on the seas of time, and the distant rasping, drawling voice of God, winking at the human race through his prophet Samuel. Get it. Read it a little at a time. Hope like hell somebody finds some more papers out there in California that nobody has had the chance at, and that the small minded are at lunch and the office boy leaves them in the outbox and they, too, come to print while yet we live. No one can possibly get past the mythic Mark Twain to a deeper understanding of the great writer and his later passions without a thorough reading of the Eden stories, and an enjoyment of his darker humor. As an anthology, this book is a delight. But this work includes previously unpublished writings, and so it must be in any Twain lover's library. The author of this book is Clemens himself. The editors have, with appropriate reverence and irreverence, expanded the horizons of our understanding. Hoorays and war-whoops all round.

Surprisingly non-controversial, July 10, 2001
I am a very religious person, and I was somewhat skeptical about reading this book when I received it as a gift. My husband and I read each other the diaries of Adam and Eve, and by the end we were both so moved we cried. True, it is excellent satire, but it is hardly offensive. Mark Twain manages to weave in sincerity and bits of truth with his masterful parodies.

Not as great as the other works, November 9, 2005
I am a fan of Mark Twain and have read all of his major works: Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Connecticut Yankee, Prince and the Pauper, etc... and so I was excited to discover this book at my local library. After reading it I realized why it is not as well-known as the other works; it is not as entertaining, endearing, humorous, or heart-wrenching. In short, this book is a collection of several writings. These include Twain's writings on the Bible, and commentaries written by others on Twain's writings on the Bible. The former is not one continuous work, but actually several different works written to parallel different parts of the Bible, primarily the Old Testament. The most notable of these is the story that mocks Genesis. Told from both Adam's and Eve's point of view, it retells the Genesis story and the life of the first humans with a touch of wit, dry humor, sarcasm, and ribaldness. Though funny at times, and probably at the edge of decency when they were first published, the humor and points made in these stories are nothing significant in today's world. All in all an alright edition to the canon on Twain.

The quintessential Twain on religion., September 1, 2010
This book is a long needed source for the views that Mark Twain held on religion. It would be best though if you read his 'Letters From the Earth' book before reading this one. You will get the full dose of 'Twain' humor before you delve into his insights and background work for those stories. 'Letters From the Earth' was also published long after Twain's death, around 1962. This book contains a large amount of 'new' material from the Twain Project library at the Univ of Cal Berkeley, and really is a must have book. You will not be disappointed at all, surprised occasionally, but never disappointed.

The truth hurts, December 30, 2007
Its facinating how religious fanatics blindly believe every fairytale putforth in a fiction book written by early man with one hell of an imagination. Even when Mark Twain has ripped their world apart with deductive reasoning they will still hold on to their primitive beliefs with a vengence. Enuf of the soap box, I luv how this author gets deep into some of the Bibles fallicies and reveals it in a straight forward and sometimes comical manner. The story in paticular of God sending Moses to ravage the Midinaites slaughtering innocent men women and children even the livestock and houses and selling the young girls into prostitution has touched me deeply. Would I personally believe in a murderous vengefull God, Not unless I was brainwashed from early childhood and cud seriously overlook these atrocities and blindly believe everything I was force fed.
I wud reccomend this book to every one sitting on a fence wondering and thinking about things that dont make sense. I cant get off that soap box. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction

When three-month-old Lia Lee Arrived at the countyhospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit and fiercely people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee Entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication.

Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness aand healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe, while medical community marks a division between body and soul, and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.
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Reviews

A divine liqueur distilled from a murky cultural clash, April 6, 1998
I was one of the physicians involved in the care of Lia Lee. I'm referred to in the book as the physician that first diagnosed Lia's spells as seizures. Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp, the principal pediatricians in the book, were and are good friends of mine. Having experienced Lia Lee's saga personally, and then having read the book, I can only refer to Anne Fadiman's talent as astounding. Anne walks an incredibly fine, and very well documented, line as she describes what happens when American medical technology meets up with a deep and ancient Eastern culture. My team (Western medicine) failed Lia. Never have I felt so fairly treated in defeat, and never have I felt so much respect for an author's skillful distillation of a tragically murky confrontation of cultures.

ADDENDUM (8/8/09) I wrote the above review almost a decade ago. The experiences that I had during the events described in this book have continued to guide the way that I practice medicine. The Spirit Catches You has become a true classic in the medical and anthropological fields, being read in college, medical school, and nursing classes throughout the United States every year. This speaks to the enduring quality of the work that Anne Fadiman did in a book that remains unique in the skill with which it was written. The story it contains remains fresh and astoundingly relevant to the practice of medicine in particular, and cross-cultural relationships in general.

This is an exceptional piece of work!!, November 4, 1997
I don't think I should be writing in here since I am a part of the book. This book was amazing! It took me two days to read it and of course I shed a few tears on the way. My sister, Lia Lee, is doing well although she will never be able to see the bright sunlight or the incredible stars that we see everyday and everynite. She is an incredible child with so much love and affection from her family and the many friends she have encountered during her hardships. I was only 7 when all this happened, but I do recall everything from the door slamming incident to the day the doctors told my family that it was okay for her to come but she will not live pass 7 days. I will never forget that week or those many years of pain my family or the doctors had to go through. This book has given me a better view of what can really happen when two different cultures have their own ways of interpreting medicine or life in general. We must understand that different cultures have different ways of curing a person and doctors have their policy they must follow. To avoid another incident like this, we must work together as a whole and not blame each other for not cooperating with one another. Lets hope this book tells us what can happen in the future if we don't work with this now. Anne did a great job on this book! My family couldn't have ask for more. She has become a great friend of my family and we are greatful for it. Anne-thank you !

AS A HMONG AMERICAN, April 7, 2000
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall is a novel based on the clash of two cultures---the Hmong culture and the American culture. A little Hmong girl is diagnosed with epilepsy which her parents believe is caused by spirits. Because of this belief, they try to cure her illness not with western medication but their own Hmong ways. There is a huge misunderstanding between the parents and the doctors that Anne Fadiman explores. Anne Fadiman provides readers with a vivid, detailed history of the Hmong in Laos to their involvement in the Vietnam War to their struggles in America that explains this clash. On the other hand, she also explains why Americans see and felt the way they did about the Hmong culture particularly the doctors. One shortcoming is that the author implies that Hmong Americans and their experiences are completely homogenous, but the beauty of this book is that she is able to view both sides without judgment. As a Hmong American, it's hard to imagine an American who can achieve this, but the author achieves this so beautifully. It's hard to look at something from a totally different perspective especially because westerners are very rigid about their beliefs and have a sense of superiority in regards to other cultures thus I was shocked that Fadiman was able to communicate and understand the Hmong in such a way. She did a great job of digging beyond the surface and really understanding the Hmong people, their beliefs, and where they are coming from. As a Hmong American, I think she did a great job! She talked of things that I couldn't imagine an American even knowing about until I read this book. It's great to know that an American can look at the Hmong culture without judgment and even come to admire it and see some good in it even though it's very different from her own beliefs. I recommend this book to anyone especially those that are interested in learning more about the Hmong.

A spirit caught me up in this book, January 21, 2000
Anne Fadiman's book is a fascinating account of what happens when a left-brain culture (the American medical establishment) and a right-brain culture (a Hmong refugee family) go on collision course over a very ill little girl.

Lia Lee is epileptic; she has uncontrollable seizures which require medical intervention and treatment. Lia's doctors see her family as negligent and ignorant because their inability to follow a complicated medical regimen makes her condition deteriorate; her family see the doctors as arrogant and insensitive, and insist the medicine they are giving her actually made her sicker. The tragedy is that both the doctors and the family genuinely want to help Lia, but their total lack of communication and inability to understand each other, linguistically and culturally, makes cooperation impossible. Those of us in the 'helping' professions (medicine, nursing, social work) often lose sight of the fact that the relationship between 'helper' and 'helpee' is most effective when each sees the other as an equal partner who deserves equal consideration and respect; instead, the 'helpers' often dole out advice and directions which the 'helpees' are expected to follow without question, and are then labeled backwards, resistant, or even negligent, when they refuse.

The book zeroes in on the dangers of ethnocentric thinking in working with or treating people of different cultures; the Lees may have been illiterate and 'backwards' by American cultural standards, but they knew and loved their child. We end up admiring and respecting the Hmong for their warm family life and their support of each other in times of crisis, as well as respecting the medical personnel who grew as human beings as they came to recognize the Lees' humanity and their incredible strengths as parents. Many, if not most, American families would institutionalize a child such as Lia; but to her family, the sicker she became, the more precious she became. Anne Fadiman has given us an informative, excellently researched, uplifting and yet humbling book about a very special family and a very special child.

Judy Lind

Eye-opening and sobering, July 29, 2000
As a professional educator who works with Hmong students and their families, I relished the opportunity to read this book, hoping to gain some understanding into the culture and values of the Hmong community. What I got was a fist-in- the-gut experience that left me practically breathless. I finished the book in less than a day - a day in which I accomplished little else. Fadiman knows her topic well and writes with refreshing clarity and brutal honesty. The Hmong are resistant to adaptation of western values - a fact that had long frustrated me and left me somewhat skeptical of their willingness to adapt to life in this country. I now realize that the clash of cultures goes well beyond geographic and language issues. Deeply spiritual and devoted to their families and clans, every facet of Hmong life revolves around the spiritual.

Fadiman's book is a cross between a case study and ethnic history. The case is that of a young girl stricken with epilepsy, and her family's struggle against western medicine and medical doctors. The history is a broad ranging but concise history of the Hmong people.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in culture clashes, and especially for anyone who knows a Hmong, or works with them. It will open your eyes.

Very Interesting, Even for a Hmong, January 15, 2004
I am an educated Hmong woman. I was motivated to read this book by my older brother who has a degree in Anthropology. Before reading this book, I thought that I knew enough about my culture and that I didn't need to read a book which tries to explain my own culture to me - yet, I have found the information in this book very interesting. I've learned new things about my own culture that I didn't know before, such as the perception of the Hmong through the American people. One thing that I especially appreciated about Anne Fadiman's work in this book is that she seems to give it as it is. For instance, she would even quote some one when they responded negatively towards the Lee family. Another is that she would talk about how Hmong people would do such weird things and then explain the reasons so that it just doesn't leave the reader wondering. I haven't read other books written about my own culture, but even so, I can rate this book as excellent.

Medical workers, students would benefit from reading`Spirit., April 27, 1998
If only the American doctors who treated Lia Lee's epilepsy had been able to read Anne Fadiman's "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," the scenario might have been different. If only Lia Lee's parents had capable interpreters or cultural brokers to escort them through teh maze of Western culture and medicine, Lia's sould might still be with her family. "the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors and the Collision of Two Cultures" is about cultural ambivalence and miscommunication. Fadiman's book details the wreckage when two cultures are fact-to-face, but can't see eye-to-eye. Lia Lee, the infant daughter of Hmong immigrants, arrives in the Merced, Calif., country hospital in an epileptic seizure which her parents attribute to a slammed door, a spirit catching Lia and soul loss. To the doctors, who know little about the Hmong, Lia's seizures are like short circuits in her brain which can be "Fixed" with powerful drugs. But the doctors are unaware that in Hmong culture, Lia's epilepsy, though considered potentially dangerous, makes Lia distinguished and indicates a possible future as a shaman. The Hmong, like many other small indigenous groups, are circular thinkers who see universal connections in all things. The Hmong, unlike Americans, don't split the mind and body. To the linear Cartesian doctors, medical health is not to be bartered with supplications to spirits and animal sacrifices. The book also touches on the colonial politics which have created Hmong and American personality traits. For centuries, the Chinese Communists and other Asian groups have systematically tried to persecute, manipulate and dominate the Hmong. Resistance has ensured Hmong survival. The Hmong challenge to authority frustrates American doctors who aren't used to having their suthority questioned. The Hmong firmly believe that Lia's medical treatments only make her more ill and refuse to give the medications. The doctors retaliate by removing Lia from her parents' home to foster care. In fact the Lees' fears are somewhat justified _ the prescriptions end up damaging Lia beyond repair. One doctor observes, "It felt as if there was this layer of Saran Wrap or something between us, and they were on one side of it and we were on the other side of it. And we were reaching and reaching and we could kind of get into their area, but we couldn't touch them. So we really couldn't accomplish what we were trying to do, which was to take care of Lia." Fadiman aptly notes the story raised questions about what it means to be a good parent and what it means to be a good doctor. Within their knowledge and capabilities, the Lee parents and the Merced doctors did everything the could to save Lia. Fadiman's book illi\ustrates the need for future cross-cultural studies and anthropological investigations which may prevent tragic encounters such as Lia's. Medical workers who treat non-Western patients should definitely read this book. High school students could also benefit from "The Spirit Catches You" because the text allows the reader to step briefly outside American culture and become Hmong.

Medical Communications Professional, May 10, 2002
This was one of the best books I've read in years. In writing this book, Fadiman beautifully portrays the story of a Hmong family who, like so many of their people, were suddenly transported from their rustic lives in mountains of Laos into a a confusedly modern society that rejected or disclaimed all that they had ever known or believe in. She also reveals some major flaws in our healthcare system, which is governed by rigid treatment protocols that were not designed adapt to individual needs or cross cultural barriers. Not that she characterizes the healthcare system or the professionals who cared for Lia as villians... Fadiman makes it clear that Lia's physicians worked feverishly and devotedly, often against a tide of tremendous resistance and lack of cooperation from her family, to control her disorder. Yet, as much as the practices and behavior of the Hmong hampered the doctor's efforts to manage Lia's disease, the refusal of Lia's treaters to acknowledge and address the motives and reasons for these behaviors undermined her treatment as well. As you read the book, it becomes obviously that Fadamin came to love the Hmong family and the culture she wrote about, and so made me slowly fall in love with them too. Descriptions of their behavior and practices early in the book first struck me as primative and somewhat repugnant, yet as layer after layer of the history, belief systems, and values of the Hmong were revealed, I came to appreciate them as beautiful, intricately complex, and deeply spiritual. From beginning to end, the story of Lia, her family, and the medical staff her cared for her is emotionally riviting... the final pages left me in tears and haunted me for days afterword. I also found myself missing Lia and her family as though I had known them personally... I was reluctant to leave them and their cultural ways behind.

Very good book, but some flaws, May 14, 2003
I think very highly of this book, and use it in one of my classes. But readers should be aware of two things:
1. The events described in this book took place in the 1980s, not long after Hmong refugees first came to the United States. This book describes a Hmong family at that point in time. Today many Hmong are college-educated professionals (some are doctors). Fadiman's book might - unintentionally - promote some stereotypes.
2. The historical background in chapter 2, especially the account of the Hmong in China, is nearly worthless. Fadiman perpetuates the errors in Keith Quincy's _Hmong: History of a People._ (The story of the "Hmong" king Sonom's defeat by China, for example, actually concerns the conquest of the Jinchuan people, who were not Hmong.)
Despite my reservations, Fadiman's book is on the whole a sensitive and compelling account of the clash of two cultures. But it should be read critically.

Hmong American reader here, March 20, 2004
People who are not familiar with Hmong Americans may read this book and assume that all/most Hmong Americans are like the Lee family and other Hmong families presented in the book. The events that took place with the Lee family occured when Hmong first arrived here in the late 70s/early 80s. These days, the majority of Hmong Americans are a lot more Americanized compared to the early 1980s. Although the assimilation has been slow compared to other first generation Americans, things have changed a lot since then. For example, many Hmong no longer practice the traditional Hmong religion and have converted to Christianity. The Lee family was a lot more traditional than most Hmong American families in the early 80s. I just wanted to clear this up.

Having said that, I enjoyed this book because it does the impossible. Fadiman is able to make the reader better understand the traditional Hmong culture, a culture that seems irrational and is opposite of western culture. It doesn't mean that you will agree with the Hmong culture but you will better understand it, including why the family did/did not do certain things to help their daughter who had epilepsy. I also believe that this book is important for those who work with the public because it promotes sensitivity towards other cultures. The doctors and the family had the very best intentions for the daughter who had epilepsy but the cultural barriers were just too much. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Invaluable ready reference, brimming with amusing and insightful quotes, includes hundreds of Twain’s most memorable quips and comments on life, love, history, culture, travel and diverse other topics, among them"He is now fast rising from affluence to poverty"; "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"; and "More than one cigar at a time is excessive smoking."
... Read more

Reviews

Great collection of clever quotes about all aspects of life., January 22, 2005
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, the author of such books as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" among others, was a highly intelligent and incredibly witty man. His keen observations of the world, and the often satirical commentary he made on it, are a delight to read, and this book pulls together some real gems from many of his books, speeches, and personal notebooks. There are some 358 quotations included, divided into categories as follows: (1) on men, women, children, and human nature, (2) on love, marriage, and romance, (3) on virtue, vice, and conduct, (4) on politics and history, (5) on religion, (6) on youth and aging, (7) on truth, honesty, lies, and illusion, (8) on reading, writing, and education, (9) on health and exercise, (10) on money and business, (11) on travel, and (12) on various other subjects. Each quote is attributed to its source for easy reference. This is a very slim and very affordable little volume, only fifty-five pages in length, and in fact my only criticism is that it doesn't include more material. But it is still well worth getting, and at this price it won't break any pocketbooks.

Here is a small selection of what you can expect:

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society" (pg. 3).

"Familiarity breeds contempt -- and children" (pg. 7).

"It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them" (pg. 15).

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself" (pg. 23).

"Heaven for climate, Hell for company" (pg. 28).

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years" (pg. 28).

A good little quote book, December 28, 2005
I have always been a fan of Mark Twain since I first read Huck Finn.

This is a great little book his quotations from his writings and speeches.

It's a nice little stocking stuffer as the book is small.

Some of my favorites:

"Classic." A book which people praise and don't read.

Honesty is the best policy--when there is money in it.

Some people like when they tell the truth. I tell the truth lying.

In God We Trust. I don't belive it would sound any better if it were true.

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

Martyrdom covers a multitude of sins.

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries of life disappear and life stands explained.

Cheer Up with Biting Humor of Mark Twain, November 5, 2004
Enjoy few quotes from this humorous book, then go and buy a copy:

ADVERTISING

During his days as a journalist, the young Mark Twain once edited a small newspaper in Missouri. A subscriber wrote in, saying that he had found a spider in his paper and asked whether this was a sign of good or bad uck. Twain answered:

"Dear Subscriber: Finding a spider in your paper was neither good luck nor bad luck for you. The spider was merely looking over our paper to see which merchant is not advertising so that he can go to that store, spin his web across the door and lead a life of undisturbed peace ever afterward."

ADVICE

It is beter to give than receive - especially advice. Mark Twain was always willing to donate free advice to the needy and the unsuspecting. "It's notble to be good", he said, "and it's nobler to teach others to be good, and less trouble."

Whenever you find that you are on the side of majority, it is time to reform (- or pause and reflect).

BELIEFS

If the man doesn't believe as we do, we say he is a crank, and that settles it. I mean, it does nowadays, because now we can't burn him.

SURGERY

Mark Twain offered this advice on the proper state of mind for undergoing surgery: "Console yourself with the reflection that you are giving the doctor pleasure, and that he is getting paid for it."

INSULTS

When Mark Twain disapproved of someone, he was not likely o keep it a secret. A remark he made on hearing of the death of an annoying person is typical:

"He has done a thing for me which I wouldn't even have done for myself. If he will only stay dead now I will call the account square and drop the grudge I bear him."

The Wit and Wisom of Mark Twain, September 8, 2001
A hilarious book of qoutes, sayings, and one-liners only Mark Twain could have the genious to create.

A qoute from Adam, the first of many: Adam was but human - this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent.

From Adam, the wit and humor only becomes more hysterical, more riveting, more evident; and we soon discover the true intelligence of Mark Twain. He was not an ordinary man; for no mere ordinary man could have thought, and often dared, to utter such words as Mark Twain, in the era in which he lived.

The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain contains some of his most outrageous qoutes, either written within his books, or his journals, and spanning more than four decades. A great read, which you don't have to start at the beginning, and work your way to the end. And a perfect way to escape the drollery of prime time television.

Amusing and Timeless Reading, May 21, 2000
Mark Twain captures human nature at it's best and worst in this book. The collection of quotes by Twain "alphabetically" comment honestly on topics ranging from adultery to government to money to youth. Such insight into humanity rarely comes along in a lifetime (or several lifetimes!) His words in truly reflect society during his lifespan and, as I have reread this book several times, the passages reflect society today. This book is an "easy read" as it contains memorable quotes as well as portions of a variety of speeches, papers and books/stories Mr. Twian wrote. You can read the entire book at one sitting or glance through it if you have a few minutes to spare and still feel the impact of his writings , thus finding yourself highly amused by his insight. You can pick up the book again at a later time and enjoy it as much as before. The "authors"/collectors/writers of this book are to be applauded.

Funny and wise, July 5, 2005
Mark Twain was one of the funniest human beings that ever visited this planet. He was also a very decent one . He was skeptically wise and had the ability to a sentence or two put the most pretentious of all creatures , the human one, in its place.
This is the man who upon the premature publication of an obituary about him, replied " The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".
One special reason I have a particular love for his work, is the fact that he of all the great writers, showed the most sympathy and insight into the life and situation of the Jews.
He is one of the few writers who it seems to me never has to try to be funny, because he simply is.
This collection of some of his most famous quips and remarks is a real treat.

a recommended collection...., May 27, 2000
...of spicy quotations by the master of words and wit. Gives sources too. Very enjoyable reading.

Honesty: the best of all the lost arts, March 24, 2007
And so it goes, page after page. You'll find your favorites.

"Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time." Pudd'nhead Wilson 1894, ch 6.

There's how Mr. Ayres presents them from a variety of sources, Twain's books as well as speeches, his notebook and essays and a few from letters and some listed as attributed to him. I have a nice collection of books on my favorite subjects but this simple one, nothing fancy, is one I go back to time and again. I find myself quoting him in various contexts and glad that I know the quotes. the art of Mr. Ayres is to cull out the various quotes from so many sources. Twain said them, Ayres found them and put them together very sensibly by catagories such as Heroism, Music andd Right and Wrong. It's an A to Z compendium. You'll find plenty of lively, homespun quotes that often feel like the very heart of the American character. Can't go wrong with this book.

Always funny, May 17, 2009
This is a great little pick me up kind of gift to give someone who might need a smile. He was definitely witty and blunt!

GOOD book!, April 14, 2009
Mark Twain has a lot off beautiful and uplifting words of wisdom.
I recommend it to all.


Author: Bogdan Alexandru
Thoughts across Time
... Read more

Editorial Review

I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!) is Stephen Colbert's attempt to wedge his brain between hardback covers.In plain conversational language, not to mention the occasional grunt and/or whistle, Stephen explains his take on the most pressing concerns of our culture:Faith, Family, Politics...Hygiene.
... Read more

Reviews

Side-splitting, laugh-out-loud hysterical..., November 5, 2007
I read many books in the course of a year, and I tend to rotate between histories, biographies, fiction and mysteries. But every once in a while, I'll read a book that is pure entertainment. Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You) is side-splitting, laugh-out-loud hysterical!

Colbert is best known for his TV satire on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report. Cobert plays a clueless right-wing pundit who has an opinion on everything--which is never based on fact. The book is divided into three sections, which are then divided into chapters. The chapters cover such hot topics as Sports, Sex & Dating, Homosexuals, Higher Education, Race, The Media, and Science. Cobert gives us his irreverent and uneducated opinion on all things America. "See, at one time, America was pure. Men were men, women were women, and gays were confirmed bachelors." On movies, "once fantastic dreamscapes where cowboys fought Indians and gay men kissed Elizabeth Taylor, became squalid nightmares where cowboys turned tricks and hillbillies kissed Ned Beatty." Colbert includes a whole glassary on science. For Geology, "The last thing I need is a bunch of dust-covered fossil sweepers telling me that the Earth is four billion years old." Also, the author used to be "pro-Fahrenheit" until he found out it was named for a Dutchman. "I don't want my thermometer taking orders from some Amsterdam stoner who got bonged out of his mind one night and started messing around with mercury."

There are also fun things in I Am America. There are two sets of stickers, games, interviews, and the first edition even has a red ribbon bookmark. There are also funny margin notes and footnotes on each page, although I'll "whine" and complain that the print on these could be larger. As a special bonus, he reprints his White House Correspondent's Dinner speech.

Although Colbert plays a dim TV talking head, in real life, he is brilliant, creative and downright funny. If you like The Colbert Report, you'll love I Am America. Even if you don't watch the show, you'll find it a hoot.

Quirky--But exactly what one would expect from Stephen Colbert, February 10, 2008
If you know about Stephen Colbert, you'll get a buzz out of this. If you don't, you may be outraged, confused, or God knows what. I got this as a Christmas present, and have found this book hilarious. No sacred cows for Colbert! And that will delight some and anger others.

Hey, I'm a college professor/administrator, and he takes shots at me and my ilk! And I love it! On page 119, he says: "If there's a bigger contributor to left-wing elitist brainwashing than colleges and universities, I'd like to see it. There's an old saying, 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.' Which means a lot of knowledge must be a really dangerous thing." On the next page, he notes one of the horrors of college (page 120): "The more you know, the sadder you get."

As he points out at the outset (page vii), "Well, like a lot of other dictators, there is one man's opinion I value above all others. Mine."

His segment on families is outrageous--and funny. He begins by noting that "I'm against children" (page 10). Then, he goes on to lay out a number of laws/tips regarding child raising, among which are items that parents will chuckle over.

What about the elderly? No sacred cow here. He notes that (page 23) "After criminals and babies, seniors are the most coddled segment of the population."

On religion and religious freedom (page 48): "Since the Pilgrims were victims of persecution, some assume they were tolerant. That's just liberal propaganda. Sure they were against persecution...of Pilgrims."

And he reflects on the Olympics, on sports generally, on the media (look at his comments on the major networks on page 154), and science (hilarious).

He concludes by noting (among other things) (page 213): "But make no mistake--my book isn't a monologue; it's a dialogue--a dialogue between me and my opinions, and you've been welcomed to eavesdrop on us."

A funny book. People who accept Colbert's humor will like it. Those who don't? They won't. . . .

Behold! The power of Colbert!, September 9, 2007
Over the three day weekend I happened to find myself in an old-growth national forest looking for tree-huggers to punch in the gullet when I found myself face to face with a towering, black (or so I was told later - I don't see color) Godless Killing Machine.

Of course I would have fought it, had I not injured one of my wrists in a thrilling arm wrestling match with speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi, but as it was, I was left defenseless - except for my copy of "I Am America (And So Can You!)"

Thinking quickly I took the book from my pack and threw it at the charging bear. The throw was strong, my aim was true, and the book hit the beast right on the bean, giving him pause long enough to get distracted from his pursuit by the glowing image of Colbert's face on the cover.

It was in that moment that Stephen and the Bear locked eyes that the full power of truthiness rose from the book and covered the entire forest with a warm tingly sensation, similar to that felt while using "Herbal Essences."

The bear, under the hypnotic spell of Colbert's book, decided then to give up his life as a godless killing machine, to shed his fur, and follow the path of righteousness. From that day forward, this creature would no longer be known as "bear," but now... as "Sean Hannity."

And that's the word.

Best in Bits, November 18, 2007
My wife and I having a running debate over which show is better: The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. We both like both shows; however, she's a bigger fan of Colbert whereas I think he was funnier on The Daily Show. (How I miss him on "This Week in God.")

That's not to say Colbert isn't still funny. He is. Very funny. But the conceit of his new show leaves him less space to maneuver and that is reflected in his book.

Essentially, I Am America (and So Can You!) reads like a combination of a book-length "Word" segment from his show (complete with margin comments) and the kind of narcissistic, pseudo-biography/position statement produced ad naseum by politician and TV pundits. The key words here being "book-length."

Reading long passages from this book in one sitting becomes quite tedious, as if the entire half-hour of The Colbert Report had been taken up with one long "Word" segment. However, if you take the book a chapter at a time, it's much easier to be caught up in the funny moments. And there are plenty of them here, including a reprint of Colbert's speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Don't feel you're doing Stephen disrespect if you take him in chunks. It would be more disrespectful if you gave up on what's here because you got sucked into the vortex of the conceit through which it's written. Stick with it. It's worth the journey.

A Much-Needed Dose of Colbert for Desperate Times, November 27, 2007
I picked up a copy of Colbert's book shortly after his show went off the air due to the writers' strike. It's a hilarious read that is almost as entertaining as the show itself. For anyone who is suffering from serious truthiness withdrawal while awaiting Colbert's triumphant return to the airwaves, this book will help dull the pain.

Colbert Continues to Command, June 26, 2008
As long as Stephen Colbert has been performing, he's been writing. This is a brilliant man in full command of a comedic sensibility that has been delighting me for many years. When I discovered that a book would be released written in the tone of the right-wing blow-hard character that he has created for The Colbert Report, I was thrilled. When I finally got my hands on a copy (not easy to do at first, since I live in the UK), I was not disappointed in the least.

Colbert loses none of the bombastic style of his alter ego, and the observations made are riotously funny. The section where he describes all one needs to know to have a college education is perfection. I also loved his chapter on the dominance over animals (love to Gipper!)

I have heard from many, many people that Stephen Colbert, in real life, is a mild-mannered, kind man who is polite and decent. To read the rants of the egomaniacal jerk he's created to lampoon the screaming heads on television (whoever yells the loudest wins, apparently) is a bit surreal, but never unsatisfying.

I look eagerly forward to more from Stephen Colbert, in whatever media he uses to share it. No matter how I get to experience his humor, I know I'll be in for a treat.

Wish I Could Give It More Stars..., October 9, 2007
If you only read one book in your life, make it this one. Best book ever. Serious hilarity on every page.

Disappointing, December 17, 2007
I like Stephen Colbert, and when in the US I always try to catch the Colbert Report. I am sorry to say that I did not like this book.

Simply stated, things that work as performace art do not often translate well into the written word. This book is full of full-page photographs, sidebars and other tricks that seem to be designed to stretch the contents into book-length.

Perhaps this would be better as an audio book. In print form, I am disappointed.

Like Eve, Newton offended God with an Apple, December 17, 2007
A clever and thoughtful indictment of the American psyche. Stephen Colbert exudes the flippant and self-serving biases found in the Americn ethos today and takes it to the soapbox to mock the crowd laughing at him? Bravo for the title Colbert, "I am America" I get it.

It's comedic irony at its finest, and it is an American original. The wit is sardonic, it's irresistably funny and at the same time, it has didactical value. The delivery has all the polish you would find in the finest news circles, but it is also genuinely funny, in a maniacal sort of way.

In this book, Colbert examines much of what drives the political thought process as the average American is manipulated by a sophistic political machine. We are made to believe that nationalism and religious fidelity are one construct, Immigration and other issues have simple answers. Colbert does the work for us, he puts on the hat and plays out the part and maybe by laughing at the shear stupidity underlying the elevator pitch once fully articulated, we realize the extent to which critical thinking has been replaced with an apetite for entertainment. This is an antidote to the Fox television channel.

At first you might be under the impression that this book is one long running monologue and that this was a cunning way to profitably recycle material never executed publicly. At least my initial cynicism said so. It's a tempting idea, but the fact is that Colbert is actually showcasing a very well-developed sense of humor, subtle but definately there. How else would this man have the ability to expose the hipocrisy of this countries leadership and elicit their laughter simultaneously? It's effecting change in a positive way without hurting anyone in the process. Sheer genius, and I admire the approach.

You can't help but laugh from dust cover to dust cover. Complete with stickers, games, visual aids and comments in the margin, you can't help but enjoy the cogent lunacy. I actually laughed outloud in a number of places.

Must buy!!!, October 10, 2007
I have been a watcher (and fan) of The Colbert Report since day 1. I am so glad to see a fellow South Carolinian make it big, and promote what is really important - his points of view, and patriotism, which are one in the same. While I could have devoured this book in one sitting, I have been rationing it out as my nightly reading before bed. I love it!! This book is so clever and funny, I can't wait for a sequel. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

interesting stories, August 25, 2009
It's a quaint little book with some old stories in it, not a bad read, although it isn't Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tales.

Includes the following stories:
Little Rudy:The life story of little Rudy, who was kissed (read: nearly killed) by the ice-maiden when just a child. She tries to get Rudy back, Rudy tries to live his life in happiness.

The Butterfly: A very short tale of a butterfly who wishes to marry a flower.

The Psyche: Another short story, this time of an artist who is so overcome by a maiden's beauty that he makes her a work of art.

The Snail and the Rose-Tree: Short yet again, this one is a philosophical musing upon the life of a snail versus that of a rose-tree.

If you're looking for HC Andersen's fairy tales, you should check out Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, which has more of them than you've ever dreamed. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Irreverent, charming, eminently quotable, this handbook-an eccentric etiquette guide for the human race-contains sixty-nine aphorisms, anecdotes, whimsical suggestions, maxims, and cautionary tales from Mark Twain's private and published writings. It dispenses advice and reflections on family life and public manners; opinions on topics such as dress, health, food, and childrearing and safety; and more specialized tips, such as those for dealing with annoying salesmen and burglars. Culled from Twain's personal letters, autobiographical writings, speeches, novels, and sketches, these pieces are delightfully fresh, witty, startlingly relevant, and bursting with Twain's characteristic ebullience for life. They also remind us exactly how Mark Twain came to be the most distinctive and well-known American literary voice in the world. These texts, some of them new or out of print for decades, have been selected and meticulously prepared by the editors at the Mark Twain Project.Illustrations: 36 b/w photographs ... Read more

Reviews

A Treasure, February 10, 2007
Here are some useful living tips, advice and observations from that quintessential American literary figure Mark Twain, real name Samuel L. Clemens. This compilation contains a delightful mix of humorous writings on the mundane and sometimes very unusual occurrences that reflected his many gifts as a writer/humorist. Many of these snippets are from some of his more famous works, while others are from personal sketches and writings not as well known. The tarantulas escape, a borrowed overcoat, a lecture to a youth group, the use of foul language, a note to a burglar, and so many other little anecdotes, observations, and etc will elicit periods of laughter from the reader, as it did for me. A wonderful little treasure.

Clever humor from our past, May 2, 2009
First, it's Mark Twain - the very pseudonym a poke in the ribs - and it's full of essays on his views of life, letters to editors, milkmen and burglars. He never pokes fun at his family, much, but sees the world as a tiresome place in which to try to exist, and his fellowman as more tiresome still. It's a glimpse at a time gone by, when a note on the front door telling any future robbers that the previous pair have already taken the silverware but they're welcome to the two candlesticks in the parlor might have even made sense since the doors weren't locked.

"Etiquette requires us to respect the human race", February 22, 2006
Mark Twain in his writing very often surprises us and makes us laugh. His greatest gift is his humor. And the wisdom he provides on various aspects of daily living however sarcastic and cynical it may seem at times is grounded in a sane realistic view of humanity.

Yes, Yes! and Yes !, February 15, 2009

If you are a blue-blooded "Twain-ist", or if you are a Pragmatist to the Nth, or even simply a light-hearted person who can laugh at the Human Race... "Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living" will not only entertain you from cover to cover but also provide ample material (albeit of debatable propriety) for the management of your daily Life. Two Thumbs Up !

Somewhere Between Emily Post and Amy Sedaris, May 4, 2010
Mark Twain weighs in on everything, even the social graces. His critique of "American versus European Food" makes Martha Stewart sound like Alice Kramden. (It will also make your mouth water.) Not sure what to do in case of emergency? Twain covers everything from apparitions to earthquakes. These helpful hints will improve your parenting skills, raise your I.Q. score, and prepare you for a career in foreign diplomacy.

As usual for Twain, funny, January 23, 2009
While not as good as some of his works, this book is funny and well worth buying. I recommend it.

Mark Twain Sampler, March 20, 2009
I really enjoyed the assortment of stories and quotes in this book. It gives you a flavor of Mark Twains writing beyon Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer that many of us have read.

Mark Twain has a great depth and is humor. This book will give you a flavor of his writting and perhaps make you want to read more of his writing.

Delightful Book, November 11, 2008
This book is an easy read, easy to pick up for short read and return later. The humor is classic Mark Twain and enjoyable. I recommend it.

Twain at his best., January 9, 2007
Great book with lots of his famous quotes that still apply today. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

always stimulating and sometimes personally inspiring, April 24, 2009
I am not qualified to comment on the quality of translation or scholarship. I can tell you that I greatly enjoyed reading this collection. Some seemed mechanical / like the long list of begots / lots of entertaining stories with lessons on multiple levels. It is a little old and at times does not reach this reader. I give it a B plus for personal lessons / readability / enjoyment ... I recommend this for anyone who wishes to grasp or better comprehend the foundational thoughts of most of today/s monotheistic religions. ... Read more

Editorial Review

If you were lucky enough to have caught a performance on David Sedaris's most recent sold-out, 34-city tour, you already know that David Sedaris Live For Your Listening Pleasure is a must-have album! If you didn't hear it live and in person, then you're in for a treat-hilarious brand-new recordings from performances in Denver, New York, Durham, LA, and Atlanta, in one convenient audiobook collection, on sale November 24 for only $17.98.



From the bold feral rabbits of his French backyard to the eating habits of a carnivorous bird Down Under, Live For Your Listening Pleasure takes listeners on a veritable tour of natural wonders, beginning with a fable, "Cat and Baboon," and moving on to the peculiarly American habitat of the "big-box" store.



"Sedaris's sparkling essays always shimmer more brightly when read aloud by the author. And his expert timing, mimicry and droll asides are never more polished than during live performances in front of an audience." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review - When You Are Engulfed in Flames



Track Listing:



1: Cat and Baboon (Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado)

2-5: Author, Author (Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City)

6-8: Innocence Abroad (Durham Performing Arts Center, in Durham, North Carolina)

9-13 Laugh, Kookaburra (Royce Hall, UCLAin Los Angeles, California)

14-16: Diary Entries (Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia)

(2010) ... Read more

Reviews

I loved it!, November 26, 2009
I listened to this cd this morning by myself, and found myself laughing out loud many times. David is in fine form, and is as hilarious as ever. Reading his books is one thing, but listening to him read them takes it to a whole new level of funny! I can't say enough good things about this cd. If you're a fan, I predict you'll love this album.

After years of waiting: nee ha RAH gua!, December 23, 2009
I heard David Sedaris speak in San Diego a couple of years ago and he read Innocents Abroad, which covers tracks 6 through 8 on this CD. As soon as we got home that night I looked on the web, and to my horror it was not available. I looked through American Lives archives in case they'd gotten a clue and recorded him reading this; I searched YouTube; I wrote his agency; I did everything but stalk Mr. Sedaris to try and locate this hilarious story about pretentious accents, to no avail. I received the CD tonight and listened to the story again, and now my holiday is complete. I don't care what happens for the rest of the year. Thank you, Mr. Sedaris and the Barclay Agency, for finally providing this!!!

Sedaris Relief, January 18, 2010
Perfect timing,having been a David fan for years, The CD Live For Your Listening Pleasure arrived just before I was 'snowbound' for the holidays. It's always a comforting pleasure to hear David's voice and appreciate his keen sense of humor. I'll never be able to look at flight attendants without thinking of 'crop dusting' Thank you David Sedaris from David Caris

I laughed and laughed and laughed, December 28, 2009
David Sedaris is a treasure. If you have ever seen him live or heard him on the radio you should check out this recording. The first piece is his version of a conversation between a cat and a baboon. He really camps it up.

Then he has a digression about his experiences on book tour. He goes to a Costco with his brother-in-law and puts a giant box of condoms in their cart. He feels like people are staring at the two guys with the huge box of rubbers. He asks his brother-in-law to put more stuff in the cart to cover up the condoms. The brother-in-law picks out a big container of strawberries and a huge bottle of olive oil. Hahaha..hysterical as described by Sedaris.

The funniest segment is the last one, he reads from some of his diary entries. David Sedaris is so precious. We are lucky to have him.

Sedaris: live, May 26, 2010
I bought my sister and I tickets to see this particular tour. We were both excited, giddy to see Mr. Sedaris but the initial looming doubt was there, the "what if he bombs?" or "what if he just stinks?"... Luckily for us, everyone else there and I'm sure for Mr. Sedaris too, he did not. Listening to this CD brings it all back with delightful and sometimes naughty glee. Yes. I said glee. Whether or not you have seen him live, do yourself a favor and own this CD. Great for dinner parties, days alone w/ chores, road trips and holidays if you happen to need an excuse to get away from your lovely relatives and maintain your sanity.

Sedaris for King, May 25, 2010
If this country had a King, it should be David Sedaris! Funny, sardonic, witty, urbane, and even tragic at times, this is a marvelous collection of his work read by the author live! I can't recommend it enough!!!!

Sedaris is a a master of timing and droll asides making his performance memorable., April 7, 2010
Heard DAVID SEDARIS: LIVE FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE, written and read

by the author.

I've read some of his essays in the past, but listening to them was even more fun . . . he's
a master of timing and droll asides, plus the reaction of the live audience made
his performance even more memorable.

The whole thing is little more than an hour . . . it contains three short, funny stories; "Laugh,
Kookaburra," which is longer and more serious (and delightful); and some brief diary entries,
all recorded live at locales throughout the country.

Included was this one digression about his experiences on book tour: He goes to a Costco
with his brother-in-law and puts a giant box of condoms in their cart. He feels like people are
staring at the two guys with the huge box of rubbers, so he asks his brother-in-law to put more
stuff in the cart to cover up the condoms. The brother-in-law picks out a big container of
strawberries and a huge bottle of olive oil. I'm still laughing at the thought of that scene!

Another hit by David Sedaris, February 7, 2010
It's funny. It makes me laugh. I can't remember the troubles of the day when I'm laughing. If you like David Sedaris' past musings, you'll like this one too.

Sedaris - No Equal, January 17, 2010
Love this man, always will. He has that unique ability to take our simple, ordinary, yes mostly boring everyday lives and turn them into perfect opportunities for flights of fancy and vivid releases of imagination ... not to mention the essential flashes of humor.

To be sure, I prefer David in writing to the audio version, but that's only becaused the audio CDs of necessity must eliminate many of the small comments and asides that make his overall narration so delightfully funny. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Readers met and fell in love with Zsadist and Bella in J. R. Ward's third New York Times bestselling novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood" series, Lover Awakened. As a former blood slave, Zsadist bore the scars from a past filled with suffering and degradation until Bella came along and helped heal his emotional wounds. Now, though, with the birth of their child, the demons of his past have been resurrected, called forth by the innocent eyes of his beloved daughter, Nalla. Unless Bella and Nalla can bring him back with their love, he may be lost to them forever." ... Read more

Reviews

WOW!!!!!!, October 28, 2008
I loved this short story about Z, Bella, and their baby girl. Z is such a tortured soul, but very lovable and heart wrenching... I love Bella; she loves Z inside and out. J.R. Ward continues to be on my auto-buy list. If you haven't read the Black Brotherhood series yet, especially the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, you are in for a treat. Memo to Ward: Can we get a short story about Wrath and Beth?

What a Splendid Treat!, August 12, 2009
This was a great teaser. Zsadist has always been my favorite from the brothers. Z has been to hell and back. He faced his demons and was rewarded with Bella and Nalla waiting for him on the other side. He is so courageous and strong but at the same time can be tender and vulnerable. This novella delves into Nalla's birth, Bella's kidnapping, Z's past existence as a sex-slave and also Z, Bella and Nalla's life as a family. If you are a Z and Bella fan or a BDB fan this short story should not be missed! If this is your first exposure to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series I strongly suggest you read the series in order Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound, Lover Enshrined, Lover Avenged and due out 4/2010 Lover Mine. I highly recommend the entire series to dark urban fantasy readers. IMO, the first three books in the series classify or closely classify as hybrids between dark paranormal romance and dark urban fantasy and the rest are dark urban fantasy peppered with a bit of romance. But whatever the classification, the series is phenomenal!

I also recommend:
Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)
Angels' Pawn: A Companion Novella to Angels- Blood
Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1)
Hotter Than Hell
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)

More of Zsadist and Bella Doesn't Disappoint, June 26, 2009
I was looking for a book to download to my Kindle when I ran across this extra story on my favorite characters from this author - Zsadist and Bella. All I can say is that I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised by just how much plot and dialogue we got in this continuation of one of my favorite couples.

The story covers the difficulties for Zsadist and Bella when they had their first child. I really like how it explores just the pocket of time when fatherhood was pretty new for Zsadist - and how the couple worked through it. It really just gives us 15 minutes more with our favorite JR Ward characters!

So if their story was your favorite book in the series, then I recommend that you read this story. You will enjoy it.

Ok, I'm a dork for Zsadist and Bella's story, July 6, 2009
First things first, I am admittedly a sucker for the tortured soul redeemed by love. So if that sort of thing makes your stomach roll along with your eyes, well this book isn't for you.
This short story fills in the blanks between the end of Lover Awakened and the epilogue for the same book.
To see Zsadist come to terms with his fate, and make peace with his past through the love of his daughter and his wife is just amazingly sweet.
The scene in the doctor's office and Zsadist's conversation with Mary just brought tears to my eyes.
Since this was my favorite story of the BDB, it was nice to read a little more about this family.
If you loved Lover Awakened, you simply have to read this. It's a little shining gem of win.

Enjoyable.., March 22, 2010
It would have been more enjoyable if it was a longer book. I felt like I wanted to read more of their life and it seemed like it was an after thought by the author. But, still a good story....

AMAZINGLY captivating!!!, February 5, 2010
It's refreshing to read this book! Ms. Ward's books have been a really engaging fantasy & my favorite escape.....but it really touches my heart that she writes stories about these amazing characters not only about romance and hot scenes but also real life topics such as what happens to "life" when u start having children. I'm forever ur loyal fan......thank you so much for taking time in weaving these wonderful escapes. With love & pls give us more :)

This is a short story only - Not 496 pages in length, January 3, 2010
I purchased this thinking it was the entire book = 496 pages - It is NOT - it is only the Father Mine short story. The story is good - but don't believe the book details listed. The Kindle price of $3 is a good value for the story. ... Read more