Humor Books

I love this book!! The squirrel is adorable and I love how he has his own art exhibit in the end!! Great art appreciation! I also love the great use of vocabulary in the text! I had to grab a dictionary on a word and that was great to show my children that even adults are always learning!!!
My 2 1/2 year old and 6 year old fell in love with Micawber as well!! Well written and CF Payne does wonderful illustrations! A perfect gift for a budding artist! I just bought 2!!

My nine year old daughter thinks this was a really good book which was easy to read and very creative. Loved the pictures!!! Great childrens book!!! I completely agree with her. This was a very cute book with a nice message!

It's a cute story, but I'm a little unsure about the morals behind a squirrell using someone's paints without permission. It's kind of...um..stealing. It's cute for a young reader who may not yet have the concept of property.

Might be a little confusing for kids because of the big words (I had to look a few up!) but it is so much fun to read. I really liked that my son questioned a lot of the words he hadn't heard before so he learned some vocabulary too. At first I thought it wasn't a "kid's" book but now I think it's awesome.

With no intended offense to Mr. Lithgow, I've not watched many episodes of "Third Rock from the Sun". I've never seen him on Broadway. Chances are, I'll miss his new show that's slated for TV's fall season. But without a doubt, I am one of his biggest fans, and so are our twins.

Mr. Lithgow's affinity for cadence, rhyme and the wonder of under-used words is nothing shy of invigorating. Mr. Lithgow doesn't shy from vocabulary that may be naively viewed as "daunting" to child readers/listeners. Instead, he embraces the intricacies and beauty of language. How excited I was to be asked to define "peregrination" to my listening audience! Not since Judy Sierra's "Wild About Books" have I discovered a book I so look forward to reading aloud repeatedly; our 5-year-old twins feel the same about hearing it.

Our duo received this book as a birthday gift from great friends, and it's been read almost daily since. For a museum-minded family such as ours, the heroic squirrel (of the title) embodies all our creative and curatorial cravings.

C.F. Payne's inimitable talent, and familiarity with the styles of great masters, facilitates illustrations that visually companion the text pluperfectly.

After enjoying Micawber, I dare you not to rush out and purchase The Remarkable Farkle McBride !

Jim Tooney, is certifiable. This was excellent. The characters are all so memorable and completely well rounded. Thx.

I bought this book for my Dad as a birthday present because he loved this comic. I read it before I gave it to him, but I had to stop several times because I was paralyzed with laughter! This is definitely the funniest book I have ever read. After I read it, I immediately went out and bought the first book Ate That, What's Next. I was quite dissappointed in it. Then, I reread it about a month later and was in tears again! The simple reason: it's a great book, but this one is absolutely the best and I was expecting too much. Ate That was hysterical too, though just not as funny as Poodle: The Other White Meat. You should probably read Ate That first. Both books are great, and I can't wait to read the new third one, The Illustrated Guide to Shark Ettiquette!

My wife's favorite current comic strip, Sherman's Lagoon, has another anthology collection out, and this is it. We get to see Sherman visit Venice, disguise himself as a human to rescue a friend, and deal with a military drill. No sidesplitters but definitely entertaining.

This book by J.P. Tommey is very witty and very funny. I reccomend this book to people who like to laugh.

This second collection offers us another look at the adventures of the funniest sea-dwellers known to man. There are several hilarious storylines here, including invasion from Navy Seals, Hawthorne's adventures off-island, Fillmore's trip, once again, to Ascension Island, the gang raising a baby sea turtle they call Clayton, the return of sun-loving polar bear Thornton, Sherman and Ernest's trip to Atlantis and, of course, Sherman's attempts to impress his girlfriend Megan. This is a great work of art and writing that anyone can enjoy, not just fans. It is always funny, often hilarious, and I am proud to own it. I'm sure you would be too. Thanks for another great book, Mr. Toomey!

Although this short, little book is MUCH better than many books bigger and more expensive it still had several disappointing aspects to it. I bought both this book and the tile that matches the title and they would make a great gift for a gal facing forty or any other life milestone once she was out of her twenties and early thirties. My reasoning behind that comment is all the stories of people making BAD decisions--including the author being honest herself--and then needing to dig themselves out of the pit they originally threw themselves into. We all make mistakes. But rather than a look back, why not a more insightful anticipation of making good decisions! Experience may be the best teacher, but I prefer my experiences teach me how to love, wear big diamonds and be happy. Instead of repairing my battered self and self-esteem after too many relationship mis-steps, bad job decisions, etc. Good book but a little sad at how foolish so many people can be at building their lives.

If you have been waiting to find that one book that will help you pull your life together, your lucky day has arrived. Put On Your Big Girl Panties and Deal With It is that book--one that you will hold close to your heart--my copy is dog-eared and yellow highlighted page after page. Roz Van Meter offers solid advice on how to face life as a grown-up based upon her years of experience as a life coach--and she does it with grace, charm, and a wicked sense of humor. Warning: you will laugh out loud more times than you can count. Simply put, Roz is warm, wise, and the girlfriend you have always wanted. Buy this book for yourself, give copies to your daughter and to your sisters (both bio and chosen) because this is advice you will want to share and talk over with people you really care about.

Have you ever had a girlfriend who just got you and could make you see that you were overreacting but would also make you feel completely at ease with your idiosyncrasies? Aren't they the best? Roz Van Meter offers her psychologically qualified yet girlfriend-friendly advice in her book, "Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It..." and it's just like having that special girlfriend by your side or a life coach with a fantastic sense of humor on speed dial.

It's a no-nonsense guide to getting what you want, but it's also a little book of inspiration to getting what you need. Roz shares her own stories to relay some messages and also those of people she knows. It's the latest thoughts on self help psychology, marriage, relationship and sex therapy, and life coaching, but it is done in such a light hearted and easy going tone that you don't realize you're getting a bigger message until it has already sunk in. The book is made light and fun by the analogy of knickers in every form and relating them to what you want in life. For instance, figuratively (or literally) putting on those practical, comfortable, business like panties to get a goal attained, or sliding into that risqué g-string when the lights go down in the city for some fun. Humor aside, the book offers advice on everything from how to say no and mean it to how to say yes and feel free enough to enjoy it. It explores ways in which you can reconnect with your inner child and nourish her and also take control and know when to get that kid out from behind the driver's wheel. This book is about organizing your life, one drawer at a time, learning to laugh at yourself, being a friend, and charging head on into passion for life.

Roz Van Meter is a psychotherapist, but she writes like that best friend who spells it all out for you in a fun and endearing way. Buy a copy of "Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It..." for yourself, one for your husband (who just might learn a thing about the female persuasion), and one for every close girlfriend you have. You'll be looking at yourself and your underwear drawer in a whole new light.

A positively refreshing read!!!! Great gift for your girlfriends. I bought over a dozen copies for my "big girls" and they all loved it! Roz knows how to get us to celebrate and cherish ourselves. Roz Rocks!!!

Mo

I'm a guy, and I can truthfully say that this book is so full of great ideas and is so entertaining that it deserves a very large audience of women AND men. Beautifully written, it's is wise and very, very witty. I can't imagine that anyone who buys it won't feel that they've discovered a goldmine of strategies for improving their life, presented in a fun and accessible way. Five stars, and two thumbs WAY up.

I just picked up the hardcover edition yesterday at the bargain section of my local bookstore. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It's in chronological order of R. Crumb's work broken into chapters. Each chapter starts with a write up by him telling about what was going on in his life at that time, and how some of the drawings came to be. I find him to be a fascinating artist. He bares his soul in his work, not really caring how he appears or what people think.

I have the hardcover edition. I collect Robert Crumb's works and this is a favorite of everyone looking at my collection. It you are an art student this along with his Gotta Have'Em Portraits of Women by R.Crumb is good resource material. I'd give The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book in (hardcover) ten stars if I could. I have not had the opportunity to look at the soft cover version but I would bet it is well done.

Just about every huge page (this book is big!) is filled with inspired color drawings from the legendary underground artist. Crumb gets very personal in this book, it's incredibly honest and, at times, deep. He takes the reader on a nostalgic journey through his childhood, life, and career. It's about growing up, finding the artist within, and adjusting to the insanity of the world. Or, you can simply read it for the edgy, often sexual comics. Either way, this is a big heavy book that is hard to pick up, but harder to put down.

This book is the ultimate Crumb. You won't be disappointed if you love his work.

A generation ago, American poets such as Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, John Berryman, and Anne Sexton gave birth to a genre that's come to be known as "confessional poetry." Their verse revealed intimate facts about their lives that simply weren't spoken of in polite company: fears, phobias, sexual hang-ups, pettiness, depression, suicidal tendencies. Some of their work wound up being rather pathetic, more confessional than poetic. But when it was good, it invited readers to face their own demons.

Robert Crumb, whom the art critic Robert Hughes has called the "Breughel of the 20th century," is a confessional artist whose chosen genre is comics. For 50-odd years (with the emphasis on "odd"!), R. Crumb has explored his many identities and personae in thousands of sketches, drawings, and paintings. The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book is actually an autobiography put together from a handful of the work Crumb has produced over the years. It's interspersed with essays by Crumb on his childhood, school days, the hippie scene in San Francisco, his marriages, his "personal obsession with big women," his spiritual yearnings, and his love of old music. Taken together, it's a fascinating portrait of a man who's dared to explore some of his deepest and darkest places, and to do so (at least sometimes) publicly.

Crumb believes that the pivotal moment in his personal and artistic life was the period in the mid-60s to the early 70s when he dropped acid on a regular basis. Although he sometimes worries that he might've fried his brain, he also thinks that the LSD trips liberated his psyche and helped him break through to new and deeper levels of creativity. The LSD was, he tells us, his "road to Damascus."

Perhaps. It's true that Crumb's work has changed over the years--it's become more brutally honest, more introspective, darker and at the same time funnier. Perhaps the LSD had something to do with it (although, personally, I quite dislike some of the work that comes from that period, finding it rather flat and silly). But I suspect that the single greatest influence on Crumb was his childhood and his family, especially his brother Charlie, who seems to have been just as much a genius as Robert. Crumb the man really is the child of Crumb the boy. The LSD may've helped Crumb get in touch with the raw energy generated from those days.

Crumb has become notorious for the sexuality of some of his comics, and has taken his share of political correct knocks. But The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book makes clear that the bottom line of much of his art is his existential need to explore and expose the shallowness and absurdity of much of modern life. Above all, as he tells us (p. 247), he wants to tell the truth, not only about himself but about us as well. Whether it's in the pages of "Zap" or "Weirdo" comics, or in panels featuring Shuman the Human or Mr. Natural, Crumb continuously questions racial, sexual, cultural, and artistic conventions, pushing the envelope as far as it can go and frequently causing readers discomfort. There's also a longing on Crumb's part for deep meaning in a universe that appears crazy. This most often reveals itself as nostalgia for bygone days (his love of "old" music, for example), but also more explicitly as a yearning for a god that he can no longer fully believe in and frequently mocks.

Reading R. Crumb is an intense experience. Like all good art, his stuff can make one laugh with joy or send shivers down the spine. The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book is a good place to start if you're just discovering Crumb, and an equally good collection to help long-time admirers get some idea of the big picture of Crumb's work and to better appreciate its depth. It's also a good catalyst for getting in touch with one's own multiple identities.

This book is easy and fun to read. There is great advice about a wide range of annoying canine behaviors. I laughed out loud many times while reading very relevant, humorous descriptions of doggy misbehavior and recommended remedies. I recommend this book for everybody who loves dogs, for beginners and experienced dog owners, for reluctant readers and scholars.

With an engaging writing style, hysterical anecdotes and illustrations, Darlene Arden educates owners on solutions for dog behavior problems. From basic training to serious behavior challenges, this comprehensive book presents complex information in an easily understood way. The book's layout also greatly facilitates use as a reference. As a professional trainer and behavior consultant, I'm always looking for ways to make training fun for my clients. While there are many dog training books on the market, it is a true rarity to find one that is entertaining as well as informative. What a great resource this will be for my clients!

Darlene Arden, who usually specializes in giving advice about small dogs, has described some general problems for the average dog owner whose dog hasn't tried to kill the mail carrier, but sometimes may be not so well behaved. She does this with wit and a deep empathy for our quadrupedal friends and their sometimes frazzled owners. This is a small, inexpensive book that should be on dog owners' shelves.

Dogs, like children, each have their own personalities. Consequently, much to their owner's chagrin, they can "act up" unexpectedly and usually when they have an "audience". Fortunately, I happen to have an unusually well behaved dog, I can't always say the same for my children! The title of this book caught my eye, however, and I wasn't disappointed. It is extremely well written, funny and at the same time, offers expert advice. (I'm thinking of trying some on my kids!)I now also have a new appreciation for my Kaos. She comes off as the canine Emily Post in comparison to the dogs in this book! Thank you Ms. Arden!

Anyone can write a about the niceties of the human/animal bond(ad-nauseum).
Anyone can write a"how-to" book on animal behavior problems,a-la Popular Mechanix--dull and trite.
But it takes a Darlene Arden-- a special, genuine, confident connoisseur to pull off a bold, informed,and humororous book with THAT TITLE. Just like Smuc kers---"It's got to be good". And indeed it is-- better than we could have anticipated. What a joy to have such a valued authority like Darlene--- a certified animal behavior consultant come forth with such an authoritative book dealing with the dark side of human/animal relationships with such taste and gentility, and with such deep and welcome humor.
I have had the good fortune to know Darlene, not only as a friend and admirer, but also, uniquely, as a client. As such, I have had a rare opportunity to witness her profound feeling and compassion for animals, her deep well of knowledge of their traits, normal and aberrant, and her insightful and intelligent manner of dealing with such pathologies. I know her then from two vantage points--- as a devoted reader, and from a close doctor-client relationship. On both levels, she merits and has earned accolades. She is so good at what she does, so forgive me if I wax enthusiastically--- it is deserved. Who else would discourse about inappropriate behaviors so blithely and a productively.
My hat is off to my very dear friend--- I revel in her achievements and the wonderful receptions she has received. At last, I have a point of a reference I can turn to when an embarrassed client comes to me with noisome problems, and I can refer to Darlene's new book with pride and authority.
I look forward to her future efforts with great anticipation---they are not only good reads, but I have learned so much from them, in addition.

Sincerely,

Ray Russo, D.V.M.
Kingston,MA.

Bob Schwartz book is a delight. A joy to read and lots to laugh about. For more short easy-to-read family-related humor check out ParentLaughs: Quips, Quotes, and Anecdotes about Raising Kids. (also available on Amazon.)

Truly brilliant humor!! It doesn't matter whether you have children or not, this book will have you laughing from the beginning to the end. It's truly a must read book.

I have found that a quick fix to relieveing stress or if I just need to laugh out loud is to pick up Bob Schwartz' book and start reading --what a difference it makes... really, just ask my kids (or co-workers)!!

Very funny - been there, done that and it's ok. Get this for all of your friends!

For me the funniest thing I have ever read about becoming a parent was Dave Barry's infamous column on the birth of a child and that special moment when the doctor asks the new father if he would like to view the placenta (Barry suggests that particular experience is something that should be tacked on to criminal penalties). I bring that up that particular comedic reference point because the humor you will find in Bob Schwartz's "Would Somebody Please Send Me to My Room! A Hilarious Look at Family Life" is not like that. This is a kindly, gentler look at the "joys" of parenthood and of adults attempting to co-exist in a household with adolescents, at which point the notion of parenthood no longer seems to be an accurate description of what is going on.

In other words, ultimately the humor here comes more from Schwartz's observations than his jokes. These pieces have been collected from various magazines and newspapers. They are devoted to subjects from eternal concerns such as babies crying ("In the Shrill of the Night") to 21st century concerns such as the Harry Potter books ("The Sorcerer's Stone and My Cover Is Blown"). The pieces are arranged thematically with half of an eye towards the chronological experiences of raising children, so we begin with "'That's the Crib Post Up Ahead, Your Next Stop--The "Newborn Zone!"'" (I think I got the quote marks right on that one) and end in the vicinity of "Tag Teaming Family Life," which involves things like music clubs, food warehouses, and changing the diaper on the newest family arrival. So you can see that this one rally is all about the kids, no matter how much parents want to try and move the agenda to other subjects.

You want to go through these pieces one or two at a time. "Would Somebody Please Send Me to My Room!" is one of those books that probably works best sitting on your nightstand so that you can read a chapter or two each night as a reminder that you really did plan on having children taking over your entire life. You are not the only one who does not remember how to do Algebra, has to clear a driveway of snow over and over again during winter, and who is seriously being dated by their music (and not in a good way). This book reminds you that you are not alone and that most of the time laughing is the superior option to crying. If you know a beleaguered parent or two (they tend to come in pairs when found in nature), then this could be an appropriate Christmas present.

I ended up rounding up on this one because of the illustrations by B.K. Taylor. All too often the illustrations in such books end up being rather inconsequential to the proceedings, but that is not the case her. My favorite (82) shows a smiling father comforting his crying daughter over the horrifically mislaid eye thingamajig of her favorite doll, but I also like the father and son confronting the wall of blue jeans (152), the Halloween candy thief (250), and, of course, Freud at the marshmallow roast (258). I also appreciate the fact that Taylor does a drawing for every single one of these 49 pieces, because on some of these there is no obvious visual joke to draw up.

"Don't put marbles down the garbage disposal" and "the shower curtain goes INSIDE the tub" are just two pieces of advice author Bob Schwartz has to teach his kids. If this resonates with you (you, there, fishing the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich out of the VCR) then this book is for you. The book is a combination humor and parental guidance, mainly reminding parents that children are, well, children. They aren't perfect, they don't reason well and well, *$%@ happens.

Bob's writing is like listening to a friend talk. His family has the same wacky traditions you find in any family-such as "Trombone Standard Time" (an incredibly accelerated time warp characterized by a half an hour of trombone practice that actually takes up only seconds in Standard Time.)

My favorite section is about how the two families (his and his wife's) celebrate Thanksgiving differently. Bob's family serves traditional foods, nothing more exciting than green peas on a plate. When, relates Schwartz, diced carrots were added one holiday to the peas, a family meeting had to be hurriedly arranged to vote on this new and strange addition. By contrast, his wife's family celebrates the holiday with ear-splitting karaoke, wild jello salads, jalapeno quiche and an uncle's rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (one can only imagine this scene in one's head. Schwartz gives the barest of descriptions, I feel, because words fail him here!)

The book is something that most families will enjoy, and will give examples of child behavior and how to handle it with grace and humor that probably will serve to destress the harried parent. Fun book.

One of the funniest books I read all year. Timely, interesting and extremely original. Lord Whimsy is one-of-a-kind!

The human institution known as Lord Whimsy is tooo brave, too refined, too insightful for this epoch. A man of wit/ charm/ taste; Who could have predicted his astonishing insights amongst the garbage heaps peddled by the Amazon Empire? Huzzah! B-b-b-buy it!

the lord brings it home with this tome on tastelessness in america and how to combat it with dignified attire, prose and comportment. a must-read for all those seeking a return to what cannot come back, that is to say, 'civility.'

Wonderful, witty and a perfect guide for any young or young at heart Dandy. A welcome protection from the crass and dreary world of "reality tv", Paris,Britany and Nicole. An elysium

Imagine a book written by an early 19th century country squire and self-appointed dandy, musing on style and grace and the pursuit of butterflies. Imagine an English country version of a risible Proustian sensualist, becoming enchanted and then aroused by a work of art. This is the world of Lord Whimsy and his various and sundry thoughts and writings. An incredbile anachronism, full of humorous opinions on the pursuit of life dedicated to true beauty- - both in ones dress and in ones heart. It seems almost impossible that someone would write such a book in the 20th or 21st centuries. Each chapter is a self-standing essay on art, clothing, style, birds, bees, fantastic bicycles and life in the soporific langour of outer New Jersey pretending to be Dorset or Cornwall. I love this book, but someone said it is satire. I can't tell if it's satire or serious fun, as in "I am never more serious than when I am having fun." I await the opportunity, soon I hope, to meet his Lordship at one of his public readings. That will be something!

I stumbled across a copy of Becoming Human; Being Human at a friends house. I began to perusal this book musing that it was or would be a third rate written release of Muslim propaganda. Saying I was wrong is a mild understatement. I read the first twenty pages standing, another dozen or so more leaning against the door way. An hour later I was aborbed in the moment of the compassionate heroes in this book. I read it in one sitting. I am ready to accept my own responsibility in changing the world by changing how I live my life. This book is more relevant today, then when it was written. Five stars is not enough.

This book is a book that will, without a dout make you think.

If there were seven stars, I would have give this book seven or more...reading this book deeply moved me and caused me to reflect on my life and what I contribute to the world as a citizen. This book brought me tears and smiles, but most of all I am a better person for the experience. I had the privilede to hear Mr. Ali-Salaam speak before tens of thousands while visitng Seattle recently...His sincere conviction and vision for humanity is readily apparent. He was as dynamic in person as his words are on the printed page. A must read!*******

A refreshing and insightful look at the meaning of life through the challenges of others. I found hope and a profound message through Ali-Salaam's provocative essays. The combination of true stories, his prose and voices of reknown from the past culiminate in an essential lesson on the meaning of life. I am recommending this book to all my friends and family. I hope to hear more from this truly inspired person.

"Becoming Human; Being Human" by Ali-Salaam is an American Muslim perspective on today's issues. The book is a compilation of quotes and stories that examines the worlds' problems and crises through the eyes of the humans living through them. These disasters range from the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, and the civil wars and hunger that plague Africa, to the Palestinian /Israeli conflict. This book although non-fiction reads like a collection of well-told tales, some filled with the horror of war and conquest, others vibrating with the courage of the human spirit.

The first story "Sylvia" details the struggle of one woman against cancer and her prayer for a little more time to get to know the man her son has become. This is a story of a mother and son reconnecting and learning to appreciate each other once more.

In "Trapped In Iraq", we meet a young American Muslim woman living in daily terror in war torn Baghdad. As that ancient city is reduced to ruins around her by missiles and bombs, Sarah Iman fears for her life and the lives of her children. Her one hope is to somehow convince Saddam Hussein to let her take her children to visit their grandparents in the United States. We experience her fear as after many disappointments, she finally sits before Saddam and begins to plead her case.

In the story "a 9/11 hero", we witness the fear of a Pakistani Muslim American family as the authorities question them about the whereabouts of their son Mohammed. While the family struggles to defend their son's loyalty to America he lies dead among the ruins of the World Trade Center, another victim of terrorism like those he tried to rescue.

Other stories like "Children of The Prophets" and "Ta'ayush" paint a picture of Palestine before and after the establishment of modern Israel. The first is a story of a woman remembering a land without borders when Muslim and Jewish friends could travel from Jordan to Palestine to visit each other. The second is the story of a band of Jews, Muslims and Christians working together to restore peace in their homeland.

Other stories such as "Two Prayers", "Rebuilding The Lion Mountain", and "From Sea To Shining Sea" take us into the heart of the civil wars and hunger that plague Africa and the hopes that rebuild it. We also hear the author's admiring thoughts about his Moorish paternal ancestors and experience his anguish at the sufferings of his maternal West African ancestors at the hands of slave dealers.

Throughout the work Interspersed with these stories are the authors many thoughts on what it is to be human or to become human. He fills the pages between stories with observations both mundane and profound

I thought this book inspiring in parts and very well written. However, I did find the perspective sometimes too one sided. It is an American Muslim view, so it should show one dimension to the world's struggles. However, Ali-Salaam attempts to transcend this with many of his fine examples of what it means to be human or to become one. Therefore, I was disappointed to see the author present a more narrow view of certain situations. In "Ta'ayush" he spoke of the harshness, suffering and death the Israeli military assaults inflict on refugee camps. But he did not mention that the Israelis too are a people acting out of fear, the fear that suicide bombers instill in the ordinary people of Israel. They are also struggling to become human in the face of terror and death. The author speaks of himself as a Moorish prince and lists with pride the civilizing of Spain and other parts of Europe by the Moors. I also admire Moorish art, architecture and literature. However, I realize that it was forced upon Spain and other parts of Europe through invasion, conquest and death. We should never romanticize any conquest of other humans whether it took place in the 7th century or the 21st.

However, despite the above comments, I did find this book to be not just a wonderful collection of tales but also a marvelous philosophy of life. It did deserve The Rising Star Award from The Literary Guild.

This book has wonderful information and photos to inspire any amateur gourd crafter to GREATNESS!

I'm a woodturner who likes to decorate the bowls I make. This book has given me several ideas that I've used successfully. I've gotten several copies for members of my woodturning club and one copy for the club library. We're always looking for new ways to enhance the simple wooden bowl and this book provides many useful ideas. Highly recommended.

Extremely good book, very well written and good art descriptions.

The book was in excellent condition and arrived promptly. I was very pleased with the service, price and book.

What a great book! I took a gourd coiling class and the instructor had this book. I couldn't wait to get my own copy! This book is so thorough. From cover to cover it's filled with information, pictures and ideas, you can't help but be inspired. I was, and now I'm "gourding" like crazy!

This issue gives us the first shots of Sally, plus some other developments. The baseball themes are being fleshed out (complete with mass-quitting of CB's team) and the Psychologist's Stand makes its debut.

What's most interesting is watching the beginning of Sally's crush on Linus. While the reprinted strips of before show Sally falling in love and Linus responding with revulsion, the new strips reveal some interesting tacks.

First, early on in the book (in a strip that hadn't seen the light of day in the reprints I had read over the years), Linus actually expresses an interest in Sally, wondering if she would be dateable at 17 (when he would be 22). One gets the idea that Schultz actually wanted to develop a situation where Linus was in love but his object was unrequited.

Later on in the book, Schultz hits gold: Sally falls, Linus is embarassed. While some of these strips are familiar, the section where Sally's heart breaks is new to my eyes. Towards the end of this book is a comic strip that is worth every penny: Sally sees Linus walk by and responds in a way that everyone has responded to a broken heart. Only Schultz could have reduced it to half a day's strip!

The fifth volume of "The Complete Peanuts" covers the years 1959 and 1960. During this period, the four main characters are Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus Van Pelt, and Snoopy. Schroeder, Violet, and Patti all have fewer appearances in the strip. Although, Schroeder has a clearly defined role which makes his character stand out more than the other two. Similarly, Pig Pen has a specific role while Shermy is a throw in character, despite the fact that both appear rarely. During this period, we have the first new character since the short-lived Charlotte Braun almost five years previously. Sally Brown is born on May 26th of 1959, we find out her name on June 2nd, and she makes her first appearance in the strip on August 23rd. We see her walking for the first time on August 22nd of the following year.

There are some classic firsts which appear in this book. One is the first strip to have Lucy's Psychiatrist stand, in which she offers the classic advice "Snap out of it!" to Charlie Brown, followed by "Five cents please." The Great Pumpkin is also mentioned for the first time in these strips. There are also some wonderful sequences here, including the impending destruction of Snoopy's doghouse to make way for a freeway bypass, Linus' crush on his teacher, Charlie Brown missing a baseball game to push Sally in her stroller, and many more.

As with the previous volumes in this series, the index is an amazing resource. If you want to look up the strips in which "The Mad Punter" appears, all you have to do is check the index. The Foreword in this edition was written by Whoppi Goldberg and she reflects on her interview of Charles M. Schultz, as well s the role "Peanuts" played in her own life. "Peanuts" was my favorite comic strip when I was young, and it is wonderful to read all these classic strips again. There are also many strips here which were never printed before, so it is a great pleasure to experience them for the first time.

The best ever written. It's very difficult not to relate to Charlie Brown. He is Joe Everyman. I can't wait for the rest of the strips to come out. A big mistake for a "Peanuts" fan not to own them.

What is happiness? On April 25, 1960, Charles Schulz, through his character Lucy told us: Happiness is a warm puppy. This immortal sentence is just one of the things that appears in the fifth volume of The Complete Peanuts, which comprises the years 1959 and 1960. As in previous volumes, we see once again why Peanuts is considered by many to be the best comic strip ever.

In some sense, things have not changed from past volumes: Linus still has his blanket, Charlie Brown still can't fly a kite and Lucy is a champion fussbudget. On the other hand, things do move forward, albeit slowly. As original character Shermy (the first to ever speak in a Peanuts strip) becomes less significant, we get a new character with Charlie Brown's sister, Sally. Before she can even talk, she will have her heart broken by Linus, but don't worry, she'll recover fast.

Resiliency is the key to many of these characters, none more so than the strip's centerpiece, Charlie Brown. Constantly luckless and often ridiculed by his "friends" (only Linus, and occasionally Schroeder, are relatively consistent in being nice to him), Charlie Brown, despite his glumness is actually the eternal optimist. He never gives up on flying his kit or playing baseball or even his belief that one day, Lucy will actually allow him to kick that football.

Behind the deceptively simple drawing and the child characters (by this point in the strip, even the adult voices are gone), lies an often deep and sophisticated art, filled with wit and humanity. And like any piece of art that is great and immortal, it is timeless and as good now as ever, whether you're an adult or a child.

Eric Paddon said in his review that Whoopi Goldberg's "specialty is foul-mouthed hate diatribes toward anyone who isn't a raving leftist like her."

He also says Charles Schulz used lessons from the bible in his comic strip.

Please don't believe Mr. Paddon, a professor at a Christian college. Ms. Goldberg didn't put any hate in her introduction to this book. She loves the Peanuts.

You never had to believe in the New Testament or the Republican Party to enjoy the Peanuts. You don't now. I know a Muslim and a Buddhist who both enjoyed Mr. Schulz's comic strip for decades. Do Christian faculty members know that the cartoonist named Woodstock after that anti - family music festival ?

Please plunge in this wonderful collection of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang. They are timeless. Maybe they can inspire today's children who show promise in cartoon art.