Humor Books

The author's clearly had an array of good -- and bad -- dating experiences. The book zeroes in on some universal truths, but her appreciation of men comes through. Let's hope there's a companion book ("Vital Signs: A Man's Guide...") in the works!

hey wait a minute. i think i know some of those guys! ms. crugnola seems to have her finger on the pulse of the dating world.

this is a look at the hilarious realities of dating and relationships. funny yet not so far fetched...

i laughed til my pulse was racing.

A mix of humorous commentary with observations that ring a bell with your own experiences.

I first read "Vital Signs" while doing something that many men spend much time doing...waiting for a woman to get ready, despite the fact that I showed up right on time. I was met with a half-prepared date, who showed me to her TV, gave me the clicker, and expected me to be transfixed for the obligatory half-hour or so of waiting.

However, this Tuesday night there were no good games on, so I picked up "Vital Signs" in order to get an insight into the mind of this woman that entrusted me with her clicker.

My initial reaction was that this would be one of those "Men always let us down, so let's write a book to bond with whom we are, and to bash them for being whom they are". It turned out to be anything but. The author seemed to genuinely like men, for all of our faults, but managed to provide her readers with "age-old" wisdom wrapped in non-preachy witticisms. I decided to get myself a copy the next day.

I found that while I walked dangerously like some of the "trouble" guys mentioned in the book, I admired the writer for telling women like it is in some respects, "if the signs of trouble are there, deal with them head on, and get out if the going looks rocky". I can't tell you how many of my "chick-buddies" I've preached this to, only to have them shut me out, and do what they want anyway. The author avoids my first inclination to preach, and just reminds the reader of the pitfalls of ignoring "vital signs", whether good or bad. I've recommended the book to a number of friends, one of whom immediately left a voicemail to thank me for being so "enlightened".

I don't know what electricity has to do with any of this, but I recommend taking a look at Vital Signs, for a laugh, and friendly advice.

Lisa Crugnola's Vital Signs, is not only hysterically funny, it is also incredibly insightful to the realities of dating in today's world. The book covers everything from what physical postures and gestures can indicate to the everday concerns we encounter. Lisa's illustrations are expressive and comical. This book is a delightful little treasure every woman should have!

After enjoying the first Bathroom Companion so much, I didn't expect to like the second one even more. I'm crazy about this series; it's better than any other out there.

W.C. Privy's, Erin Barrett's and Jack Mingo's Bathroom Companion--any edition--is a bathroom necessity.

I love these kinds of books. The only drawback is that many of them are also loaded with questionably accurate information. Sometimes with "fun facts" books the facts seem to be diluted in order to make them fun. I've noticed this with most other bathroom reader books. I wish they'd do a little more in depth research before printing their information.

What impresses me about this series is the amount of research and intelligent writing that fills its pages. Yet, the book retains its sense of fun.

It's an eclectic mix of general knowledge; the kind that might make you an annoyance at the next party you attend, but also the kind that will make you the winner of your next bar bet. The content ranges from science and history to pop culture subjects--brand names, music and celebrity. The Bathroom Companion is a bathroom necessity.

I'm not THE Erin Barrett, but I wish I were. Great Book series, you guys!

For Christmas, I got this book and W. C. Privy's Bathroom Companion #1. The first book is great, but the authors really hit their stride with this one. Both books are full of great random facts, funny quotes, strange how-to features, and lots of stories behind the things you've always wondered about. They're also full of pictures, which is just one reason why this series is better than other similar ones.

The second Bathroom Companion means a lot less fighting in our house with two books to read. Plus, this new one has more spare sheets of TP in the back!

Love this book. My wife loved this book. My kids fight over this book. Thank god there are two editions.

The big problem with this book is that there aren't enough spare TP sheets in the back. I guess it's a good thing we read it all over the house.

I agree with the previous reviewer. This is a charming tale that beautifully charts those first date nerves. John (the main character) is touchingly vulnerable as he awaits Angie's arrival. It's nice to read a story where a man is allowed to have vulnerabilities, and the story shows that the anticipation can be half the pleasure.
By Sally Quilford, author of Eves of Destruction - Revised Edition

Matters of the heart are usually some of the trickiest things to navigate. One is never certain what to say to get the desired result or to make the proper impression. It is made even worse when youth is in your favor and you are without style and flourish. In the end, the fullness of your intentions carry you over the edge.

Waiting for Angie is some such story of great expectations and desire.
Mr. Waugh has touched on a bit of all of us, at some point in our lives when our hearts were inclined to wait for love.

If you can't understand, remember, or even know exactly how it feels to be hopelessly and stumbling-blind in love then please read this story.

If you remember very well how it feels then please this story.

In other words please read this wonderful, sweet and touching story of how we should all feel at least once in our lives. Its very clear that Anthony Waugh understands the heart and how it works, how it hurts, how it triumphs.

This is a wonderful and touching little story. I am glad I've had the opportunity to read it. Anthony Waugh certainly displays his ability to weave a really entertaining tale. Five stars!

This situation has played itself out time and again throughout countless generations. Guy adores girl from a distance only to find out she had been doing likewise. It's an everyman dream, and its realization is an essence that is matched only by a few prima facie life moments - first kiss, marriage, the birth of a child, to name a couple. Anthony Waugh has chosen a topic of impact for his story Waiting for Angie.

From its nervous start, to the much anticipated meeting, one can nod in absolute agreement and vicarious remembrances, yet the story doesn't let the reader off that quickly or easily. For Waugh has incorporated some subtle plot twists that generate a level of humor which tweaks at first, causing the reader to think that the protagonist may have unwittingly stepped into a steaming pile of embarrassment. However, the effect, though somewhat uncomfortable, resolves itself splendidly with a sense of good natured relief.

Give Waiting for Angie and try, and see if you don't find yourself recollecting similar moments of your own life.

IT WILL ROCK YA! FROM HIS SEXUALITY TO HIS CARREER YOU GET TO KNOW WHY DENNIS DOES WHAT HE DOES! ALL I CAN SAY IS READ IT!!!!!!

I am a Rodman fan but I found that his first book was very brash and not too informative. His second book is far more interesting and provides an insight into why Rodman does what he does. He explains why he hangs out in "off beat" locales and gives an insight into his life in the NBA. I think the most intesting point in his book is his relationship with his young daughter which seems to be very strong. Is Rodman really a softie at heart?

I opened the cover of the book in hope of a good read. Now, I am not really your general type of book reading person. But I could not put the book down. Some of Rodmans quotes throughout the book are excellent. The book is mind blowing read that does not stop until you reach the back cover. I can't wait until I can get hold of the next title "As Bad As I Wanna Be"

Walk on the Wild Side is just as awesome as the first book. When you finish it, you feel as if you'd been inside Dennis Rodman's soul. I love it because it's cool and it's much sexier than Bad As I Wanna Be!!!!

Dennis Rodman's Walk on the Wild Side is such a good book to read. While his first book was the all about him growing up and making it to the NBA, Walk On the Wild Side is his life after making it to the NBA and all the crazy things he's done and been through. A DEFINITE must read.

Ah, the good old days. There was a day when humor did not have to be filthy, with expletives filling the dialogue. Wayne and Shuster wrote and performed intelligent, literate comedy. The skits on this CD were all written for and performed on radio

My favorite skit from this CD is "Shakespearean Baseball". I am amazed by how many lines from several Shakespeare plays are so artfully worked into this skit.

For the actors out there, we can learn alot about ensemble acting from these guys. Their timing is incredibly crisp, and they really react to one another. They each create several characters in the skits, and must create these characters only through the voice. These are very talented men, who are obviously comfortable working with one another. Like Lewis and Martin, Burns and Allen, Abbott and Costello (to name a few), they are a magical duo.

Highly recommended.

I am more than pleased with the CD. It includes the best works from these two wonderful Canadian comedians.

Canadians, Wayne and Shuster are the two most talented comedians of all time. Too bad more of their work is not available in the U.S. Great CD!

Well what can I say - it's Wayne and Shuster. With radio skits in the same vein as the goons you always get a giggle. I think that you have to have a particular taste to enjoy these sorts of shows and let me tell you - my brother doesn't.

Rinse the Blood of my Toga and Frontier Psychiatrist are my too favourite skits on this CD and they are hilarious.

I minused one star because (IMO) it wasn't long enough.

Having gone through the sixties (and subsequent) decades, one of my favorite comedy teams was - and still is - "Firesign Theater". Wayne and Shuster's brand of zany plays is very much like theirs.

This album contains the very best routines that Wayne and Shuster did. Having been a fan on William Shakespear for as long as I can remember, and a baseball fan for just as long, I mainly bought this album for "Shakespearean Baseball", which presents a baseball game as The Bard might have in one of his plays. Anyone who is remotely familiar with Shakespear's plays will find "Shakespearean Baseball" riotously funny.

Also worth hearing is their version of the investigation into the murder of Julius Ceaser, told ala "Dragnet".

Worth noting is the conspicuous lack of profanity, which totally ruins much of today's comedy routines. Wayne and Shuster realized that being funny does not depend on how many times you use "the F-word", or use Jesus Christ's name as an invective.

I highly recommend this album.

I bought When you're Hot, You're Hot and loved it!!!
Made me laugh a lot!

Hysterical! Truely an enjoyable voice regarding an unenjoyable time in a woman's life. I could relate to Jan and laugh with other women in the world. She brings us together with humor and love. A real gift!

With such a large population of baby boomers now in their menopausal years, Jan King's book is very timely. As I read this book I was able to laugh with her about what I have, and am going through. I also learned more about the whys of what is happening to me. The author's courage to reveal things that she has gone through with her illness was very educational, as well as a reminder to get to know and be aware of changes in your own body. Every man and woman, regardless of their age should read this book so as to better understand what their friends and relatives are living through...
It is a real eye opener to remind us of how precious life is.
Don't miss reading this book....it is the best book yet that this author has written!!!!!

This is hilarious. Women laughing at ourselves --- creates a sense of comraderie that makes this stage almost enjoyable. The author is warm, witty and honest! Boy could I relate to those anecdotes.

Reading Jan Kingýs, When Youýre Hot Youýre Hot How I Laughed My Way Through Menopause, is a little like watching some of the well- known female comedians such as Margaret Cho, Rosanne, Bette Midler, Carol Leifer, Bonnie Hammer, Dawn French or Ellen Degeneres parade on stage and perform their various shticks.
Only this time the shtick is about menopause performed by King, who asserts, ýIým officially out of the egg business.ý

King is a former high school biology teacher turned author who tackles the subject matter of menopause with a great deal of wit and humor. The facts are all there, however it is the way they are presented that makes them memorable, and very often hilarious.

According to King the term menopause is derived from the Latin- Meno=ýmaný and Pause-ýterminate.ý In other words it all boils down to the literal translation, ýyou are the weakest link-good-bye!ý King goes onto explain that as the woman can no longer become pregnant, men now become useless. As a result, the womanýs sexual interest in men comes to a ýscreeching halt.ý There are two remaining functions for these men, lawn maintenance and auto repair.

King definitely has seen the light when it comes to menopause related topics, and without holding anything back, she tells it like it is while at the same time keeping her readers in stitches.
King has authored 23 humor books for women and six have even been translated into 8 languages. I guess there is something to be said about womenýs humor that seems to be universal.

The topics dealt with in the book run the gamut from the malfunctioning of womenýs thermostats to various kinds of cosmetic surgeries, different kinds of female medical examinations, sexual satisfaction (King describes hers after menopause-my libido ended up in limbo), relationships with men, even male menopause, if there is such an animal.

King is breast cancer survivor, and she also includes many thoughtful insights sprinkled with humor pertaining to this dreadful disease. Her assertion at the end of the book that nobody appreciates his or her life more than a cancer survivor is probably the impetus that makes Kingýs writing so verbally comical that is constantly tickling our funny bones.
The cumulative effect of the book is optimistic or at least somewhat calming and balanced, and will even provide some answers to such questions as- is there life during and after menopause?

This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site.

you've got to get this book and check out page 97 - tell me what you think.

If you're even a remotely Addams family or cartoon fan, you wouldn't have to read these reviews. Just buy it!

If you are a fan of black humor, then these cartoons are for you. This book contains many of his "Addams Family" cartoons, but there is MUCH more in there as well. A collection of classic cartoons that will have you rolling read after read!

AAAHHHHHH. Now this is an art book. Experience the dark and clever world of Charles Addams in this once-in-a-lifetime treasury of high-quality images. Finally, a masterful collection of his work. Addams' widow, Tee, should be proud of this book, which she assembled, in tribute to good ol' Charlie. God rest his soul.

Charles Addams was the man behind hundreds of delightful and dastardly illustrations for the prestigous New Yorker. Here, in one volume, are 300 of his best pieces. Included are several pictures involving the all together kooky Addams family and the macabre events that to them seem so normal. It is from these illustrations that the popular televison series, The Addams Family, emerged. And if you ever watched and liked the show, you'll love the cartoons it was based on. A great book for the coffee table!

Xen: A Novel from the Future is an intriguing science fiction tale about a scientist, Pawkey Seneschal, who loathes humanity's evils so much that he unveils a means to forever rid all humanity of its hate, prejudice, and xenophobia. The secret lies within the "Ten Books of Xen", which are intertwined in a mythical tale about the repeated rebirth of Mankind - N + 1 times. Partly a puzzle for the reader to solve, partly a vision of an utopian future just within humanity's grasp, and partly a reexamination of all that is familiar in ordinary life, Xen is a triumph expressing a crucial message counter-culture and would-be world-transformers of all walks of life, from humanitarians and pacifists to feminists and libertarians.

If you wonder why people continue to wage war, why history repeats itself and why you just discarded your barely touched beverage before boarding a plane, read this book. You'll love the way this novel makes you think. This book is a five plus.

After reading this book, I finally decided once and for all to become a vegetarian!

Xen takes place in the distant future, but is not a typical science fiction novel. If you're expecting lots of action and weapons, move along and don't bother. Ditto if you anticipate the undead, "creatures," horror, fantasy, dragons, etc. And again don't waste your money if you're looking for a sweet, gentle romp into the future. That world, the Utopia, is there, but you won't get to it until having faced a horrific look at the depravity of our species.

Xen is a polemic, an allegory, a satire. How else could a modern day novel dare to begin with the line, "it was a dark and stormy night," if not put forth as a translation from a future language? Even the copyright page gives the reader a glimpse at the spoof that will be revealed in the coming pages.

The book consists of ten vignettes that are ultimately tied together, but this isn't at all obvious until one reads the last several. Things are initially even more confusing because most of the chapters are written in second person point of view, even when the character changes! The reader won't get to a repeat character until chapter 5, with the return of the scientist, Pawkey Seneschal, in his second of three stories.

The book actually starts off (if one doesn't count the foreword, the "translator's note,") with a bet over the fate of mankind, orchestrated between Wind and Water. They come back again in the book of History. In this chapter, the unspeakable ways in which we treat each other as well as other creatures are relentlessly drilled home to the reader, in second person point of view much of the time, making it entirely personal. This chapter is the longest by far and never seems to run out of steam, perhaps much like the ongoing anguish and misery of the suffering, past, present, and future. It ends with a commercial that can only be imagined in the world of Xen. This is followed by the book of Adolescent, in which the reader meets a contemporary high school senior in the future Utopia, as she reflects upon part of a college placement requirement.

Three of the remaining books deal with the future minister of earth. Outrageously, the reader meets the most powerful person on Earth and all the colonies on which humans now live in space, while she is about to have sex with her husband. But it isn't until the reader has finished experiencing this encounter, again that second person point of view, that one becomes aware of just who she is. It is Minister Esse who must deal with aliens who have come to Earth, centuries after mankind has already been traveling the stars, to confront humanity with the true origins of their transformation from xenophobia to "tolerance and enlightenment at all levels."

The book delightfully and whimsically comes full circle as Wind and Water settle the bet and you know who gets the last word, now don't you?

Xen is not a book for everyone. One has to read this volume SLOWLY; it cannot be skimmed. (If you want to know what happens, Water wins the bet...duh!) The sentences are often complex and long; many I had to read more than once. Xen should be read by lovers of words, by those who adore visual imagery and have the patience to read each line very carefully, gratified that they are not able to anticipate the endings of most sentences. A Xen reader is comfortable finding that a single a page can contain multiple words that may require a dictionary followed by four letter words or other vulgarity as well as entirely made up words, e.g. pisseria, igged, ISDs. Xen is pure joy for someone who enjoys alliteration: e.g. ..."she succumbed to the somniferous spell of the local gastronomy"..."the vitriol bubbles out of the beaker and even the dogs hide from the bellicose rantings"...and who doesn't mind not knowing what's going to come next: e.g...."you mentally return to the news and current events. There's a helluva lot of crime over and above the every day publicly sanctioned workings of the government at all levels"..."there is still something wrong with this picture you think, cogitating further about the turd in the punchbowl"..."the answer to that is about as veiled as a nipple in a transparent bra you think"...These latter quotes are all from just a few pages. You get the picture.

Finally, there are numerous amazing metaphors, e.g. ..."on a clock with celestial divisions, even we and our mother earth are not immortal"..."you deconstruct the telomeric clock, one gear and spring at a time, until the blueprint of each piece is traced back to the genetic origins"..."the sun had been crisply frying the heavens and the clouds had been boiled out of their ethereal cauldron..." and epic symbolism: e.g. water, wind, fire.

Xen won't be for everyone in other ways. Pawkey Seneschal is introduced as a quintessential racist, sexist intellectual who really has NOTHING good to say about anything or anyone. His thoughts, which we share in the second person point of view, are vile and reprehensible in the extreme. This IS a book about xenophobia. Seneschal is clearly an equal opportunist here insofar as no religion, race, or any other division or subset of mankind is spared his satire, sarcasm, irony, criticism, lampoon, castigation, or denigration. This diatribe becomes more relentless as the book evolves, which made me eventually wonder if he hates everything. And then it hit me. He hates greed, exploitation and over consumption (his utopia is hardly a luddite existence nor is this a veiled and trite entreaty for anything socialistic, which he hates, too). He hates the subjugation of women, the waste of resources, the hypocrisy of so much of religion and government, the instability of marriage, the barriers of language, nationalism, the use of animals as food or for any other "raw materials." Through Seneschal, the author hates the hate that we intrinsically and genetically harbor. In Xen he begs us to recognize that we have more in common with each other than those things which separate us; hence he implores us to move this knowledge to our first thoughts, no longer to be relegated to after or second thoughts. We do, after all, have free will.

My major criticism of Xen is that it will be perceived as too complicated by some readers. There needs to be an expurgated version in order for the basic story to achieve mass market appeal. I'm not sure how many have the patience for a book like this today.

Since I'm no student of literature, despite being an avid reader, I won't even try to compare Solomon to other authors or Xen to other works. I'll leave that up to others who may review this book.

If you "get it," Xen is a book that you will read again and again. It will join the ranks of your favorites and you will buy copies for friends rather than lend yours out. This book is complex and therefore some readers may not understand or even loathe it. But for those who are up for the trip, it's quite a roller-coaster ride.

This is a book to read over and over. The first time I wasn't impressed at all. I've gone through it now 4 times and get more each time. I wish the words weren't so hard but my vocabulary is now better. :)

I tried for days to solve the cipher since I enjoy a good puzzle. Last Labor Day I sent it to Marilyn vos Savant, figuring she would enjoy a good challenge. I know she must get hundreds if not thousands of queries and guess I wasn't surprised I never heard from her or saw the answer in her weekly column in Parade Magazine, which I devour each Sunday. Last week I contacted Avar Press and was told that they had never been contacted by Marilyn for verification of the answer. Oh well... :(

All I can say is puzzle or no, the book has made me into a better person. I have allowed it to make me question certain values that have been drummed into me by our society. Read Xen and see for yourself.

It's very rare to find myself nodding my head and agreeing with the author throughout an entire book. But that's what was going on while I read this book. I agreed with Jen Singer so much, I almost felt like I wrote this book! It was an easy read, well written, and very fun.

I was at the bookstore with my husband and stumbled upon this book..and I am SOOO glad I did. This book gives you the reassurance that there's nothing wrong with not being perfect. It also gives you a reality check that some of the things that you get caught up in believing are the "best" for your kids, may not be. For example, TV may not be the "ideal" according to the AAP, but for me to be a good mom and not blow a fuse..a 30 minute cartoon may be just what the doctor ordered in the long run!!

Jen Singer has created a rare book that makes you feel better about what you are already doing as a parent. She isn't preachy, and it reads as though Jen is right there with you, like a good friend, sharing her opinion over a cup of coffee. Her tone finds the perfect middle ground between nostalgia and realism in its attitude to modern parenting and she points out a few home truths (for example, regarding the money you might spend in trying to craft the next Derek Jeter and the money you might, might, might get from a college sports scholarship) along the way.

This is a great book to give as a Mother's Day gift, lots of laughs. Also good to give at a baby shower. Good advice given to mothers.

I picked up this book on a whim one day while looking for some reading material. I had to sit through an all day long compteition for my daughters dance. What a perfect book. It remends us to take some time for ourselves. Which we can forget to do. In that same week, I had to tote my 5 year old to four dance rehearsales, a swim practice and make two sozen stuffed mushrooms for her schools fundraiser. When did things get so carried away? How do you draw the balance between wanting the best for your children, yet not over doing it? This book tells the story of what we, as parents go through when we walk the fine line.

Ever since childhood, my favorite comics were Franco-Belgian. Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke and last but not least Spirou. As a kid, I read all the Spirou books in French and I thought they were amazing.
This book was written by Andre Franquin, the first artist to turn spirou into a major success. This book was drawn in the 60's, and shows the battle between Spirou and Fantasio against a maniacal inventor named Zorglub. This book is considered as one of Franquin's finest by most Spirou fans. It is a must read. I hope that someday more Spirou books will be available to the English reading public, especially those drawn by Franquin and by Tome and Janry.

I've read all Spirou's books 15 years ago and definitely Franquin's ones are unbeatable. Unfortunately you won't find the same imagination and humour inside the other authors'books. Nowadays, you only find Franquin's books in french. Why, if they have the other not so cool books print in english and portuguese, and probably spanish, italian..? I used to find those books in portuguese in Portugal's bookstores back then. Kim Thompson, please do us a favor. Translate all the other Franquin's books to english.I wish my kids will have the same joy of reading Spirou as I had...and Tintin, Asterix, and Blake & Mortimer. Real, flesh and bone heroes, full of humour and wit.

Z is for Zorglub was the 15th Spirou book Franquin made. He then left the comic to focus on his own character Gaston la Gaffe. In Z is for zorglub we'll meet the mad scientist zorglub who wants to dominate the world. However, there is one spirou book even better than this one: Le dictateur et le champignon: In which Spirou and Fantasio must battle Fantasios evil cousin Zantafio (whom is the archvillain of the series)

I have around thirty of the hardcover Spirou and Fantasio graphic novels, in Spanish, from when I vacationed in Spain as a boy. As a college student now, I look back on those days fondly, and these graphic novels have aged extremely well. This French comic series are adventure stories similar to those found in the more famous Tintin books by Herge. However, in my opinion, Spirou and Fantasio are far superior...more whimsical and imaginative (the character Marsupilami originated in the series' pages before being bought by Disney). Spirou and Fantasio travel the world, toppling dictatorships, fighting mad scientists, traveling to the future and the past, and stopping organized crime rings. A few years back, a series called El Pequeno Spirou (or Little Spirou), spinned off of the Spirou and Fantasio comics. Little Spirou stories are one page comic strips (like those that appear in the Sunday paper) full of hilarious lowbrow (and award-winning) humor. The main character is Spirou as a child, and Fantasio, unfortunately, doesn't appear in the stories. These too are worth getting. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have stated, it's hard finding these graphic novels outside of France (and Spain). Hopefully, as with Asterix and Tintin, these books will someday reach avid young readers everywhere.

I read all the Spirou stories as a child when we lived in Belgium, and then afterward when we had moved back to the US. In the 60s, they were serious rivals of Herge's Tintin for the hearts of European kids. For some reason (undoubtedly some financial or distribution reason I'm unaware of) they have yet to catch on in America. Hopefully, the American printing of Z Is For Zorglub, one of the more fantastical, even outlandish, of the Spirou & Fantasio adventures, will kindle an interest. My daughter is a convert and I'm beginning to teach her French so she can read my old Spirous, which I've kept all these years.