Humor Books

I found this book to be nothing but fabulous; it combines wit, first-hand experience, and seemingly uncanny observations. As a teacher myself, I can confidently say this--but for this reason I'd have to admit that there's nothing really uncanny about it at all! Also, on the most basic level, Ms. Cane's book is simply a pleasure to read. The wider exposure it gets, the better!

Anthony Newkirk, Mexico City

This is one of those books that after you read it you can reflect on it and still learn something. This book is great for all you deadbeets who are always looking for the easy way out of life. I cant wait untill this book comes out in english so that the Americans can read it and get the same kick out of it as I did. This could not be a better book and I am confident that when it comes out in english it will be just as good. But since it is in spanish I think all the spanish speakers in the world should read it and learn something about how to be a "Huevon." This book is truly a must read.

This is the bible for huevones. If you want to live your life in the simplest way possible, and at the same time thrive, just get up that couch and read Sabiduria para Huevones.
I've told my American friends about this book and they can't wait to get a copy of it in English.

This little guide to many of life's conundrums may look tiny, but there is much wisdom and common sense between the covers. Ms. Cane shares her life experiences with wit and compassion. A definate must for those of us (and who isn't?)looking for a wise but no nonsense friend to tell us what's what.

Gracioso pero sobre todo inteligente. Cane es una escritora virtuosa. El libro tiene cualidades muy graciosas que lo hace muy entretenido. La parte más importante y fascinante del libro es la sabiduría. La sabiduría practica de cómo pasar por la vida siendo perezoso pero sin fracasar es magnifica.

I got this as a gift. It has great coverage of a whole lot of the popular characters. Also has step by step drawings for many of the favorites. If you know someone who is into drawing, and enjoys the Simpsons, it is highly recommended.

My husband and I grew up watching the Simpsons, so when this book came out my husband was very interested in it. I got it for Christmas for him. He was very happy to see how many characters they show you how to draw, and how detailed the pictures are.
This is very good buy for a Simpsons fan, or someone interested in learning to draw.

Very well written and illustrated, Very easy to follow the instructions and get first class results. I bought it as a gift for my eight year old nephew and now he's ready to start illustrating for the TV show ... well not quite But he's enjoying it. Five Star Product

Great book. So much fun for the weekend drawer. Could have more information/fun facts. But still, great book.

This is a really good book! If you love the art of The Simpsons, ever wondered how they are made? This book is for you. It is that very well made that it even seems easy to draw them!

Perfect gift not only for Pug lover but for all dog lovers. This is a sweet tale of pure love...the kind only dogs know and give and the kind we only aspire to share. There is a message in this simple story to implore the heart to cherish innocence and see the world through "dog eyes."

Nancy Levine never ceases to amaze me with her awesome photographs of the pugs (and a new "guest" dog) and her great stories. This book is perfect for any pug or other dog lover, adult and child alike. It is rare that books come out to satisfy both the adult and the child and this is one of those exceptional books.

I highly recommend this book and the other books in the "Wilson the Pug" series.

Wilson and Nancy write wonderful books. Lots of love and time go into each one that they have written. My Little Luci Lu says Puggy paws up for The Ugly Pugling and the other books, too! **Smiles** We are looking forward to reading your next book and thank you for keeping Puggy smiles on our faces.

This book tells a poignant story about unrequited love that is appropriate for both adults and kids alike. I gave this book to several children as a holiday gift and their moms all concur that the kids just adore it and want to have it read to them over and over.
The humor is infectious and the photography superb, as always. We'll be keeping our eyes out for the next adventure!
P.S. Wilson the Pug is the only author my pugs will read....

This reviewer recently adopted a Basset-mix puppy (that's him on my profile page) from a shelter/rescue (and encourages all of you reading this to consider giving a rescue/shelter dog a home, too!) It appears that my puppy is a Basset/Coonhound mix. Which brought to mind the question - how, logistically, could a Basset and Coonhound mix? You will be pleased to know that this fun photo story does NOT answer that question.

Once upon a time, Wilson the Pug, descendant of Pug-tzu, "author" and star of The Tao of Pug, fell in love with Hedy, who was "unlike the other pugs I'd met before. With her big floppy ears, prominent muzzle and huge paws, she was a vision of lovliness." Time passed. And Wilson saw his love no more. He went to her house. And " "a huge dog, the biggest I'd ever seen!" appears at the door. Oh My! A Mastiff! But gazing into her big brown eyes, "I got a whiff of her sweetly biscuited breath." It's Hedy stuff! She isn't a homely pug - but a marvelous mastiff!

Our hero and heroine may be parted by humans - unless the dogs come up with a Taoist plan! The words and photos along the way will charm children and dogs of all ages.

My original quandry remains unanswered after the Afterward by Wilson: "Fortunately, I was a neutered pug, because Hedy and I felt strongly that the world did not need a new breed of mastug or pugstiff."
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

For trivia fans, 1988 stands as a landmark year. 1988 was the year "Uncle John" and the Bathroom Readers' Institute published the first BATHROOM READER volume containing interesting and oddball facts. That first book ran to 224 pages and cost $9.95. And now, praise be, here we are celebrating the 20th anniversary with this whooping 597-opus sure to delight all lovers of knowledge.

Edition 20 is the usual, entertaining collection of isolated facts, short two-four page articles on various topics and extended, multi-part articles on subjects like Music industry lawsuits, the history of bread, etc. along with the Word Origins, Court Transquips, Urban Legends, Strange Lawsuits, Bathroom Lore and other sections that have been a regular feature of the series. The series also retains its punny sense of humor as witness the following sections: Gnome Gnews is Good Gnews, The Ig Nobel Prizes and I Walk the Lawn.

Included in Edition 20 are articles on Historical Blunders, Animal Heroes, The Aloha Shirt, Weird Canada, Farts in the News, Odd Buildings, Car Name Origins, Weird Game Shows, Food Origins, Underwear in the News, The World's Oldest Calculator, Weird Wrestlers, Cockney Slang, Dumb Crooks, Comic Phrases and much, MUCH more! And all for $18.95...such a bargain!

You can't go wrong with this latest Uncle John Reader or any of the BR series ("Plunges Into," "For Kids," etc.). Total sales for the whole ball of wax is something like 7 million books so Uncle John & Co. must be doing something right. Pick up a copy of Edition 20, read and enjoy! Here's hoping we have another 20 years of Bathroom readers to look forward to!

A wonderful book for those who don't want to commit to reading some long novel. Plus, I learned so many new and unusual facts! Like, did you know that the word "calculus" means "pebble" in Latin? Learn that and so much more!

If you like trivia, Uncle Johns Bathroom readers are the best. We now own three, and the entire family enjoys reading them.

This is a great book. Full of lots of great facts and information. Not just for the 'John." I recommend this book greatly.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who can't go to the restroom without something to read.

This book is a bit of a contradiction, insofar as it is very entertaining reading, yet you learn a great deal almost by accident. I also intuitively feel I'd like the author; whether as an instructor or just a nice guy to share a cold beer with. If you are interested in how to make humor "click," this is the place to look. Highly recommended.

Produce winning comedic screenplays using fiction and nonfiction alike with Brad Schreiber's What Are You Laughing At?: How To Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, & More. Included are over 70 excerpts from top screenwriters and pairing them with writing exercises and details on the differences between writing comedy for TV versus stage. There are eleven modes of comedic dialogue, 13 common problems screenwriters encounter and valuable insights into the rhythm and sound of words in What Are You Laughing At? Brad is himself a L.A. screenwriter, so his tips come from an insider's hand.

This book is funny -- even if you don't feel like learning anything from it, you'll laugh. Writers will recognize themselves in the examples for sure. I like that the book is about *writing funny* as opposed to writing screenplays or columns or novels or [insert genre here]. Schreiber breaks down the principles of humor writing and gives you guidance on applying them to any type of project.

This is a wry, dry, witty and comprehensive piece of work which is excellent reading in itself as well as being essential for the aspiring writer. Schreiber draws on his experience as TV development executive, teacher, script consultant and actor to hand on a wealth of useful information on everything from Aphorisms to Yiddish Sound Theory and from the Author's Voice to Vulgarity - and for the really keen student there are 'Do This Now' exercises at the end of every section. This is a high quality publication by Michael Wise Productions. It has a useful index and an excellent introduction by Christopher Vogler. I enoyed it hugely.

So someone once asked me, "Pamela, do you write comedy?". "Not on purpose", I replied.

But now, with the help of a really funny guy who wrote a really helpful book, I can make a good go at it.

Like Brad Schreiber himself, this book is intelligent, witty, accessible, inspiring, and fun.

It offers overviews of various forms of humor, theories of humor, examples of humor, excerpts from humorists, practical advice on writing funny, and even provocative exercises that guarantee at least a giggle, most often a guffaw.

As a story consultant myself, I recommend Brad's book to my writing clients.

As a reader, I recommend Brad's book to anyone -- writer, speaker, performer -- who wants to lighten their life and the presentation of their message with humor.

This is the best book in the series. I really started to like Yorick in this book. And the story begins moving forward after being drifting in the Midwest for a long time. It is well worth the read if you get the opportunity.

Ever since the first issue of the Safeword arc, "Y: The Last Man" has been a non-stop ride of awesome issue after awesome issue after awesome issue. Fans will be especially pleased with this book, the fifth collection of the series, as it is by far the longest one yet. It collects eight issue, and is composed of the two-issue "Tongues of Flame" arc, the one-shot "Hero's Journey," and the five-issue arc, "Ring of Truth," which this trade paperback is named for.

Until this point, Brian K. Vaughan has been building the story quite nicely, leaving us asking question after question, but always satisfying us with each twist of the plot. But things start to change here. New developments are made, yes, but as Yorick, 355, and Dr. Mann finally reach the destination they've been aiming for since the first volume, answered to those burning questions are heaped upon us like food on a Thanksgiving Day plate.

+ What was up with that Toyota lady from One Small Step?

+ Who were those cloaked women who assassinated Agent 711 in Safeword?

+ Why did Yorick's mother work with the Russians in One Small Step?

+ What made Hero so bad? (Hero actually gets her own one-shot in this issue, which is composed entirely of flash-backs. I was apprehensive when I saw it coming up, because I found the "side story" at the end of One Small Step to be frustrating. But my weariness for another tale that deviated from the main story line of Y were blown away by "Hero's Journey." It's one of the best comics I've read and gives us invaluable insight into one of the series's most interesting characters.)

+ Also, most importantly, we finally hear Dr. Mann's theory on why Yorick survived the plague.

With humor, drama, and some of the best action you'll find in comics, wrier Brian K. Vaughan and penciller Pia Guerra (who illustrates all eight issues this time around) continue to blow me away with Yorick's epic story. I'm sure fans and critics alike will agree that this, as the cover boasts, is "top-notch."

9/10

Volume 5 was incredibly exciting, and answered the one question Y readers have been asking since the series began; "What caused all the men to die?" This volume also shows how complex Hero is, and how she tries to fight the demons within herself. If you read the first 4 volumes, this one will not disappoint.

This is one of my favorite collections in the Y: THE LAST MAN series. I've been reading/rereading the books in the series in anticipation/celebration that the entire epic story is finally coming to an end. This is the volume that shows the end of Yorick, Agent 355, Dr. Mann, and Ampersand's cross country journey come to an end. They finally reach Dr. Mann's laboratory where she is able to determine that Yorick was shockingly not the key to the survival of malekind, but Ampersand. The next stage in the series is set into motion when Ampersand is kidnapped by the mysterious ninja who had been until now looking for Yorick.

There are a lot of fun things in this book, from Yorick's hook up with another blonde named Beth to Hero's emergence as something of a hero to the culmination of the Culper Ring story. And for the first time since the initial issues Beth returns as a character (the old Beth, not just the new one).

Some readers did not like the preceding issues. I did, very much. But I'll grant that these issues are among the highpoints in the series. They not only sum up everything that the series had been leading up to before but also provide a transition to all that would occur next.

Yorick and his allies have finally made it to California. Dr. Mann now as access to the information and tools she needs to try and work out exactly why Yorick is alive and all the other males on the planet are dead.

The female of the species also demonstrates that they are equally capable of war and crime when given the opportunity.

If someone said 'ninja monkeynapper' to you generally, you would probably laugh. Here, it is no laughing matter.

Very funny! Hilarious pictures, funny context. Whoever this man is, he is one hilarious, nuttyguy! This is a funny view of the Y2K problem, that everyone who panicks about it should definitely get. Bill Gates, watch out for Brad H. Olsen-Ecker! He can surely make anything funny, especially referring to Lady of the Water. Great Book!

That Olsen-Ecker guy is a real crazy kook. The book really puts this whole Y2K thing in a perspective we can all laugh about and silence the hysteria. Olsen-Ecker is one of the great creative minds of the 20th century. It is not just a book but a survival manual for the next millenium. Save those cheese doodles, take the stairs, and cancel that flight to Hawaii. The Y2K hysteria is upon us people! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!

Fear and loathing on the road to Y2K! A surreal journey in context, in type design, in photos. It's riveting. It's by my bedside. It's a must buy.

The author Bradley Olsen-ecker did a great job creating characters that really had personality. Giving the Y2K situation a very real identity. The story mad a lot of sense, and gave the readers an idea of how crazy Y2K will really be.

Buy this, read it, keep it on your desk. Any time you read in the "real" press that Y2K is going to bring disaster, open this book at random; remind yourself that *this* is what the pundits are predicting. They're nuts. (Well, the author is clearly nuts also, but I mean that in the nicest way.)

And, it's cheap enough that you can buy a batch and have them handy to hand to people who whine about Y2K preparedness. I did.

Simolke, Duane. "The Acorn Stories", iUniverse, 2003.

Living in a Small Town

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Acorn, Texas--population 21. 001 is the setting for Duane Simolke's wonderful "The Acorn Stories". The town of Acorn is full of stories and if you have lived in a small town you know exactly what I mean. Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. As you read each story, you seem to make new friends and when I closed the book I felt as if I actually knew many in the town. Just as the stories are all separate, they eventually tie together. There is just the right amount of detail to let the reader feel he knows the people of Acorn.
Even more interesting is that Simolke wrote this book in a very difficult style of writing--the stream of consciousness. This allows the reader to feel as if he is one of the characters and as the stories come together, we get a picture of Acorn, Texas in quite a unique way. The 16 stories in the book, although separate, are all related and this is not an easy way to write. As the characters merge, the imaginary (at least I think it is imaginary0 town seems to be very real.
The residents of Acorn are very real people--or so they seemed to me as I met them. And as the stores come together the town of Acorn is laid bare reminding me of what is left of a turkey after Thanksgiving dinner. As we meet the townsfolk, we dig below the outside appearance and go deep into the characters. The characters are quite a menagerie of folk all of whom have challenges and problem (just like we all do). It is the personalities and actions of the members of Acorn that make the stories live. In fact, I am not really sure that this is a collection of short stories because of the interactions between the stories and when they all come together it is like reading a novel.
Acorn is located in west Texas and there, under the Texas sun and the majestic oak trees (so unlike Texas) is a mixture of Hispanics and Anglos as well as a few Afro-Americans. Some were born in Acorn and some are hiding in Acorn. Newlyweds Becky and Kyle are very much in love and they are starting a life together. We meet the [...] art dealer and gallery owner who is being blackmailed by the [....] mayor of the town. There is also a famous writer hiding in Acorn because he stages his own fake suicide. There is the high school teacher who favors sports over academics and the young kid who is keeping a secret, a young man looking for a sugar momma to pay his rent, a widow ad her cat, Regina, an overbearing sister, a widow, Mae, who remembers how life was once and so on.
I must say that I loved this book and have reread several of the stories. It is a rare treat and one that will have you laughing, crying, commiserating and identifying. I have not had this much fun in a long time.

Duane Simolke's, "The Acorn Stories," is set in the fictional West Texas town of Acorn, so named because it's the only town in the entire region that has trees, thanks to the foresight of its founders. The stories are a compilation of vignettes that give the reader a glimpse into the everyday happenings of a group of residents whose lives, we learn as the chapters unfold, interconnect in fascinating and unexpected ways. With each new story, or chapter, the reader is introduced to a new character. The stories and lives of the citizens of Acorn interweave, turning "The Acorn Stories" into what is essentially a novel...quite a feat for the author to accomplish in a relatively short book.

Simolke allows the reader peeks into the thoughts of diverse characters, from a policeman's recollection of his abusive childhood, to the befuddled thoughts of a senile old man. We see events from the points of view of a deaf man who manages to do a good job as the high school's English teacher, an esteemed best selling author desperately trying to escape life's travails, and a young couple who find love and, like it or not, become parents at a most unexpected time and place...the opening of an Art Gallery that happens to be owned by the teacher's boyfriend. A small example of how the stories go around.

"The Acorn Stories" allows the reader an understanding of the human condition. We learn what makes each individual's personality tick. Simolke's characters are male and female, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight, handicapped and gifted, happy and sad, satisfied and searching, hypocritical and fair-minded. The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character's breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer.

I dislike giving ratings to books...they are too subjective...but The Acorn Stories deserves 5 stars as a very intelligently written book. Don't miss it.

Duane Simolke's offering of his sixteen short stories, many with overlapping characters and plot-lines, all set within or around the fictitious west-Texas small town of Acorn, provides its readers an insightful and literate look at what goes on in the hinderlands beyond the boundaries of this country's big cities.

Not as salaciously rendered as was Peyton Place (which, if you remember, was a small town taken on by Grace Metalious), Simolke's Acorn, Texas, still turns out to be rife with some of the same angst-ridden problems, thereby, once again, exploding the myth that rural "out there" is actually more idyllic (even Edenesque), as compared to big-city "in here".

From the who-will-have-control-of-this-relationship "dueling" of Regina Thibodeaux and Dirk Palmer in Simolke's lead-off story "Acorn", to the not-always-that-pleasant reminisces of town maven Aragon Carsons in the book's concluding "Acorn Pie", Simolke puts rural America under a microscope to unveil all of its acne, sores, scars, and festering wounds.

THE ACORN STORIES isn't for any reader out to preserve his or her unrealistic nostaligic notion that rural-America is the place "to be" "to get away from it all". On the other hand, for those of us not put off by realism and always interested in a literate writer who can provide us a peek beneath the veneer, Simolke provides some very enjoyable reading moments.

"The Acorn Stories" is BRILLIANT! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Heck, it's right in front of me now. I just finished it. I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT! EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT! I cried reading "Mae", and smiled viciously at "Mirrors: A Blackmail letter". Duane, where is "Acorn Revisited."? :) KUDOS!

The Acorn Stories
Duane Simolke

Review by Mountman

Picture a small town in West Texas. Acorn. The reason it's called Acorn is that it is the only town in West Texas that has a lot of trees. Yes, Acorn is a fictional town but after reading The Acorn Stories, I wanted to visit the place, just to check it out.

" "Welcome to Acorn, population 21,001, the Texas town with a little name and a big heart" - Sign marking city limits of Acorn" (taken from the book.)

Like the branches of the Main Street Oak tree, the town has just as many histories and legends. Each story gives you a glimpse into lives of the people of Acorn. Also how their lives are intertwined.

There are stories about the founding family, newcomers, the rich, the poor and in between. When I first started reading it I felt like I was left hanging. Just then, in Simolke unique clever style, things began to connect. Growing up in a small town I could relate to some of the characters. Duane gives you just enough details that you get a feel for where each of the characters are coming from. There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs. Big cheers for when they do!

Ones that really grabbed me are Survival and Dead Enough. Survival is about a gay, deaf teacher. Dead Enough is about a writer of murder mysteries. I'm not going to give you any details because you will have to find out for yourself.

Whether you are an avid short story reader, or a novel reader this is a must read! So check it out.

How does Joel Osteen do it? Oh yes, the Holy Spirit!

The Bible states "you shall know them by their fruit". With that said, be assured you will thoroughly enjoy each days message from a man who obviously spends time with the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Joel for choosing a life and career that points anyone who is willing to the truth.

Daily, practical application of pure and simple Gospel. In today's world, this is a welcomed approach to drawing closer to our creator whose every move is motivated by His love for us.

Joel Olsteen's day calendar is very inspirational. I gave both of them as gifts abd now may order one for myself! Thanks!

I look forward to reading each day's topic. Some days it seems as though it has come at the perfect time when I really need something. I believe this is a blessing in disguise.

This is an excellent inspiring daily calander. Each day has something positive and thought provoking to apply to daily living.

This book will definitely change your life! Read and reread this one. I have and will continue to, recommend this to everyone I see. Awesome!

"Beguiled by the Wild: The Art of Charley Harper" tickles all my funny bones. He has delighted me with not only his unique art but also whimsical description and insights into the animal kingdom.
I am on a hunt for the proper bookstand to display this book, to be smiled at page by page.
I am charmed.
Karen of Maine

This book is a great value for it's price. Alot of color prints and a wonderful samples of Charley's style. Charley Harper is a huge talent and this book is a wonderful example of that.

If you like animals, or mid century modern, you will love this book. Charley Harper's simplistic art is so wonderful and his play-on-word prose goes perfectly with his arwork. I don't know how anyone couldn't love his art or this book.

Great book. The stories that accompany the images are as wonderful as the artwork. This is the fourth time I have purchased this book; everyone I have given it to has loved it. I love to introduce people to Charley Harper's work-he will be missed.

I purchased this book, largely based upon the reviews on Amazon and the the fact that it was the only book on Charley Harper on the market at the time.

While I L O V E Charley Harper's work, I don't think this book does him justice. There is little to no design to the book and a very limited selection of Charley's work.

Spend a few dollars more and get Todd Oldham's Illustrated Life book...I just received mine and it is beautiful. I don't think it has all of Charley's work, but it must have most of it. There's a great interview of Charley by Todd Oldham, as well.