Humor Books

The joy in this strip comes from knowing that it's all accurate. The cartoons in this collection are on-target in their ability to make the reader realize how the things that made us mad when we experienced them with our own children are very funny when they happen to someone else!

You'll be laughing out loud at this collection.

Material is as funny as the first book years ago. Our whole family enjoys Baby Blues. I'm proud to support comics in the "wholesome, clean, safe for the family" category, like Peanuts started by Charles Schulze so long ago.

I first picked up a copy of Baby Blues when I was on my honeymoon in US. Never saw it before in my life, but after flipping through a few pages of this, I was hooked. Todate, I've ended up with the entire set in my house, all read over and over again.

The strips simply mirror my life as a parent, although I don't quite have Wanda's benefit of being a SAHM. I personally have 2 kids who are have a very close age gap of only 14 months. Wanda and Darryl's misadventures and experiences couldn't be more realistic for parents or parents-to-be.

I've introduced it to my friends, who have become hooked as well and some of them have the whole collection as well.

Buy a copy. You won't go wrong!

Here is a whole collection of "Baby Blues", a clever, brutally honest comedy satire all about child-rearing from a couple of good ol' "been-there" daddies! Features a well-meaning but know-nothing dork of a dad, a disgruntled, long-suffering mommy who smiles graciously through clenched teeth, and - the big stars of the strip - Zoe, the precicous but spoiled rotten brat in perky red pigtails and Ham, the pin-headed baby of the whole family with a personality to match his name! A very generous helping of really crazy domestic misadventures for the new parents to find comfort and reassurance in as well as for the happily childless to gloat outrageously over!

You already know which comic strips you like, right? But newspapers don't carry every comic strip, so it's possible you aren't familiar with Baby Blues. It's also possible you like the strip but wondered what happens "behind the scenes." You might even be looking for a "housewarming" type gift in the $10-20 range.

I've been introduced to some of my favorite comic strips over the years. So this is my recommendation to the people who haven't heard of Baby Blues. My tastes range from Dilbert, The Far Side, and Calvin & Hobbes to the more obscure Overboard, Robotman and Fusco Brothers to the gentleness of For Better or Worse and Peanuts. Basically, I don't like a lot of "syrup," but my comics must have sensitive human observation. Baby Blues has a raw warmth, with more energy than "For Better" and more realistic characters than "Peanuts."

I enjoyed Baby Blues before my child was born, but it really "hits home" now. It's amusing with or without your own children. But if you're one of the "withs," the book doubles as a mirror!

I always find the lives of the artist and what goes into their drawings interesting from a perspective standpoint. (I liked "The PreHistory of the Far Side.") "10 Years and Still in Diapers" gives this perspective during the early chapters and in a friendly, mildly self-deprecating way.

Instead of yet another bottle of wine, why not bring this book to your next casual get together? Instead of yet another outfit, why not make this a baby shower gift? Besides being "painfully" entertaining, it's attractive enough for the coffee table.

Goats on a printed page. who wouldve thunk it? For long time fans, and people who have never even heard of goats, if you think you have a twisted sense of humor, then goats is for you.

please, please, please... read this book.

As I am somewhat of a Goat-head (not in the pagan sense), I am a bit bias to this book. However, a scant 6 months ago, I did not have any idea about Goats. I spend 3 weeks reading the archive (which I recommend to anyone - great stuff out there). The Book, the fourth in a series of one, is a great primer, and will give people hours and hours of enjoyment. Check out the site!...! You'll thank me later.

Jon Rosenberg's Goats can't fail to raise a smile from these jaded lips when I read it online, so a book with hundreds of those self-same strips is just the thing to see you through the long ,dark winter. Pert, pertinent character comedy, surrealism and pure sexy fun make this a must-have. If you liked Bloom County, this is for you. If you like Fred Bassett, it might just take the top of your head off. Superb.

The cover of this book alone cracks me up as does much of the content inside. "Goats" is a non-syndicated web comic strip done by Jonathan Rosenberg. This strip came to my attention when Jonathan first started it and asked me to throw him a link (my site being all about comic strips). "Goats" is a surreal strip about two male best friends Jon and Philip, their talking pet goat Toothgnip, and their evil talking pet chicken Diablo. There are also aliens, beer, women, beer, dwarves, beer, zombies, beer, and more beer.

This book is the first "Goats" book despite the fact that it is called "Volume 4". However, Jonathan has promised to follow George Lucas's footsteps and release the prequels soon ("Volume 3" will be out soon). This book covers strips from January 2000 to December 2000. The significant event of this book is that Jon (who is a loser when it comes to women) finally gets a girlfriend named Megan. She's a hottie and totally with it that makes you wonder if it isn't pity love. Ah, but if it weren't for pity, many of us would be in a world of hurt!

Bottom line, this is a pretty funny comic strip but it is NOT for the kids (in my opinion). The humor and content can often shift into the "R" range so you've been warned. Otherwise, get this book and help a web cartoonist!

Fantastic. Magnificent. Compelling, original and satyrical, a must have for any Gen-Xer's Ikea mail-ordered coffee table or the floor of the bohemian studio apartment in the parent's basement. Bringing together issues of single-life, animal rights, alien invasions, sexual dysfunction, and sado-masochism this hilarious book filled with wit and slapstick compiles the Goats comic strip for the year 2000. Not only are the comics a poignant commentary on everyday-life, through trips into the surreal they speak volumes on social issues of the day. Through the innocence of some characters and the wickedness of others, the entire gamut of human emotion is displayed among the denziens of a specific New York pub. This book makes a fantastic gift for those who've never heard of Goats and enjoy quality, edgy humor.

I grew up with Mike in rural Michigan. We were both two young carefree lads exploring both the countryside and our emerging sexuality together. It was during the summer of 1952, cuddled up in my grandfathers old barn, that I first told Mike about the Internet and the humor that lied within. He promised me he would never tell anyone about our secret. And with that, he sealed his promise with a kiss. Mike not only stole my virginity that year, he stole my idea for The Best of Dot Com Humor.

Today I am a broken man because of this. Alone, afraid to love, afraid to laugh.

Michael L Turnbull's approach to humor and its value in our lives is second to none! This is a must have book for the young at heart who enjoy a good chuckle. I am sending it to all of my friends.

I will never forget it. I was dumbfounded. There I stood in line at my local bookstore, holding in my hands a volume authored by the rather overestimated Greek poet Silius Italicus (clearly not the book for which I had come) when who should stride through the front door but a person wishing to return Michael L. Turnbull's THE BEST OF DOTCOM HUMOR.

I was flummoxed.

The very idea that someone, after having gotten his hands on such a rare gem, would want to return this comprehensive tome for a quantity so ephemeral as Store Credit was beyond my comprehension.

As is typically the case in scenarios such as these, the man who didn't like Michael L. Turnbull's opus was exceedingly ugly. Hideous, in fact. I have made lengthy study of people who return Great Works, and my results are uncanny: the greater the genius behind the manuscript, the more unsightly the chap who failed to obtain satisfaction from it. It is rumored that the only person ever to have returned Mark Twain had three perfectly formed fingers protruding from his left collarbone. Well this fellow must have made that one look like Lorenzo Lamas. With his pest-ridden mop mashed down over asymmetric eyebrows, he aimed his cloudy pupils in disparate directions as he dragged his clubbed foot up to the counter. The woman next to me started to make gagging sounds when all of us got a view of his nostrils, which were grossly disproportionate in size. Meanwhile he wheeled around in my direction, came to a halt in front of me, parted his moist mouth, and exhaled, reminding me of the time in my life when I lived next door to a yeast factory. The old bird next to me dropped to the floor like a sack of canned hams, creating just the diversion I needed to pinch the book, race to the opposite end of the store, and purchase it at the alternate register.

I can assure you that I have been laughing ever since. BUY THIS BOOK!

I will never forget it. I was dumbfounded. There I stood in line at my local bookstore, holding in my hands a volume authored by the rather overestimated Greek poet Silius Italicus (clearly not the book for which I had come) when who should stride through the front door but a person wishing to return Michael L. Turnbull's THE BEST OF DOTCOM HUMOR.

I was flummoxed.

The very idea that someone, after having gotten his hands on such a rare gem, would want to return this comprehensive tome for a quantity so ephemeral as Store Credit was beyond my comprehension.

As is typically the case in scenarios such as these, the man who didn't like Michael L. Turnbull's opus was exceedingly ugly. Hideous, in fact. I have made lengthy study of people who return Great Works, and my results are uncanny: the greater the genius behind the manuscript, the more unsightly the chap who failed to obtain satisfaction from it. It is rumored that the only person ever to have returned Mark Twain had three perfectly formed fingers protruding from his left collarbone. Well, this fellow must have made that one look like Lorenzo Lamas. With his pest-ridden mop mashed down over assymetric eyebrows, he aimed his eyes in disparate directions as he dragged his clubbed foot up to the counter. The woman to my right started to make gagging sounds when all of us got a view of his nostrils, which were grossly disproportionate in size. Meanwhile he wheeled around in my direction, came to a halt in front of me, parted his moist mouth, and exhaled, reminding me of the time in my life when I lived next door to a yeast factory. The old bird next to me dropped to the floor like a sack of canned hams, creating just the diversion I needed to pinch the book, race to the opposite end of the store, and purchase it at the alternate register.

I can assure you that I have been laughing ever since. BUY THIS BOOK!

WHEN ONE THINKS OF GREAT LITERATURE, SOME MAY THINK SHAKESPEARE, WHILE OTHERS DREAM OF HEMINGWAY. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT MICHAEL L. TURNBULL'S ''THE BEST OF DOT COM HUMOR" TOWERS OVER THEM ALL. I FIRST RECEIVED A COPY OF MICHAEL'S BOOK WHILE SERVING TEN YEARS AT RIKER'S ISLAND FOR PETTY LARCENCY AND INDECENT EXPOSURE. I WOULD PASS THE TIME BETWEEN WEEKLY STABBINGS AND BRUTAL SHOWER ATTACKS BY LAUGHING MY HEAD OFF TO THE INSANITY THAT IS MICHAEL L. TURNBULL'S "THE BEST OF DOT COM HUMOR. DOES IT GET ANY BETTER? I SURE HOPE NOT, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING FUNNIER THAN MICHAEL L. TURNBULL'S "THE BEST OF DOT COM", MY BOWELS JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT.

Before there was Monty Python, there was Myles. He was by far the crankiest, most learned and original comic genius of 20th-century English prose; there's simply nothing else like him. (Well, maybe there are 3 or 4 moments in "Duck Soup" that are like him.) And when you realize that this is the same guy who, under a different name, wrote "At Swim-Two-Birds" (one of the five or so funny novels for whose sake the Lord does not destroy the Earth)-- well, it's time to just surrender and enjoy.

Plus, the current Dalkey Archive edition (the publisher's name is itself a Myles reference) is handsomely made... good-quality paper and so on, don't you know. It makes a difference.

Mise, le mas, ....

A friend lent me his copy (an Irish edition) of this book five or more years ago, and I've been searching for my own copy ever since. I'm delighted to find it's been reprinted and I just placed my order.

I envy anyone who has not yet read this book of collected columns and essays -- the outrageous details of the Ventriloquists' War, the intricacies of the Catechism of Cliche, and the wisdom of the Brother all await your delighted discovery.

Have a blast.

Good humour is something everybody likes and I yearn for. For quite a long time I thought that there could hardly be anything better, or at least as good as Ephraim Kishon's short satires or Douglas Adams' space phantasmagories. It was hard even to imagine something like that because I was sure my stomach would disintegrate after something like that. And than I ran into Flann O'Brien's The Best of Myles. Indeed, that was the first time for me to get familiar with him and certainly the best possible. His columns are far than hillarious, obviously because he plays with things we consider as common, everyday problems, and maybe not even problems. All the wild thoughts one could get in moments of being very bored O'Brien would write down and bring to their final reductio ad absurdum. He wouldn't wait to be stopped, he would just carry on scribbling complete nonsense, dipping even into some other languages like Latin or Gaelic in a wild rage of an admirable inspiration.
Yes, one more thing that admire him for. He would deal with Gaelic and even write in it, he would mock with politics and politicians, with history and society and even so, he managed to stay completely non-political. At least he left his columns that way. The Best of Myles is best to read before his longer and more ambitious works like The Third Policeman or At Swim-Two-Birds. And also after them.

this compilation contains, without qualification, THE funniest writing of the twentieth century, so it seems churlish to list complaints. Some of these are unavoidably the nature of the material - Myles na Gopaleen wrote a regular column for an Irish newspaper for a quarter of a century, so the very local concerns discussed in some of the pieces render them impenetrable to all but Irish historians.

The biggest problem is with the editing, or lack thereof. There are no explanatory notes offering historical, social or political context; there are no translatoins of the many German, Latin, Irish etc. interpellations. One could argue that this leaves us in the same position as those first newspaper readers, but Myles' predominantly middle-class audience could boast a sound classical education and a greater familiarity with the allusions so liberally scattered here than we do today.

Finally, the decision not to print the pieces chronologically (none of them are dated), but by subject, distorts the work, handicaps its versatility and can lead to repetition and tedium.

That 'the Best of Myles' remains one of the last century's few genuinely important books is entirely due to the indestructible persona(e) of Myles himself, hypercultured, alcoholic, visionary verbal contortionist with pretensions to aristocratic heritage. His phlegmatic invective at local problems such as sewage systems and the civil service are less valuable than his assault on language as it had (has?) degenerated into cliche and received opinion in the culturally sterile Ireland of the 1940s and 50s; and in his post-modern project of demolishing hierarchies of linguistic and artistic endeavour. Reading Myles has a bracing effect - he forces you out of habitual mental laziness; forces you to think HARDER.

Flann O'Brian is absolutely one of the greatest practitioners of language. This collection of his work, "The Best Of Myles", is some of the finest writing I have ever had the pleasure to read. Gaelic, English, French, German, and Latin, are 5 languages he writes fluently. He is the personification of all that is famous of Irish Wit. There appear to be few topics he did not comment upon or release a withering appraisal with pinpoint precision.

Mr. O'Brian wrote for a daily newspaper until his death in 1966. The volume and quality of the written material he produced is amazing. This 400-page book is one of five that are available and that I intend to read. There is virtually nothing about his personal history in this volume, so hopefully there is a biography in print documenting the time he spent learning and practicing his craft. The only downside to this book is that some is in Gaelic with no translation, and there are many articles that will seem to exist in isolation if the reader does not have some knowledge of Irish History. Even if these commentaries were removed, the balance of the work would still be a remarkable literary performance.

Some of the best pieces were his comments on the affectation in so many facets of daily life. And his specific attacks on, "bores", and all the pretensions of the world of modern art, and those who would pretend to posses knowledge of which they are bereft. He creates institutes and foundations and companies dedicated to servicing frauds and exposing the truth. Much is for pure fun, but like all humor contains truth. He offers the services of a company that will come to the home of any illiterate with a library, and his people will either rummage through your books for a pittance, or for a more substantial sum, will dog-ear pages, write brilliant marginalia, and leave tickets and programs to various cultural events as though they were misplaced bookmarks. And for those who have the funds, books will receive forged inscriptions from their authors, and letters of thanks to the book's owner for their help with a particularly difficult passage.

This book came at the end of 2001 for me. I hate lists of the best of the year; however nothing I have read this year surpasses this book, absolutely nothing!

Like the first 'Zits' treasury, this book will provide you with a lot of laughs, and you will probably want to return to reread the strips again in the future. I enjoyed this book immensely and plowed right through it in two sittings, even though I had planned to stretch it out over a week.

My one quibble with the book is that several of the strips are exact duplicates of strips from the first treasury.

If you have or have had teenagers, you need to red Zits. The adventures of all the characters will keep you laughing. They even manage to capture the angst of both parents and teens.

I evaluate funnies by the drawings, and, of course, is it funny or not? With that said, here we go.

In some ways, I think this comic is influenced by Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most memorable and classic strips. This comic strip is drowned in sarcasm and irony. The drawings have a sort of sketchy quality about them, something that makes them loose and very cool-looking. They have shading and scribbly detail, but are still very clear and easy to understand.

It has more than 4 characters, allowing the cartoonist to come up with many interesting character traits. Exploring these personalities is very fun to read. A boy and a girl never seen not hugging each other, a mom, a dad, a big brother, and a boy with a guitar are just some of the characters. I think this strip has about the right amount of characters.

This book is my first encounter with the comic and it is very appealing. I won't tell you to buy it, because I'm not a salesperson. I'm merely telling you why I like it.

In Big Honkin Zits (hey, it's named after ME when I was 16..or 26) you can clearly see WHY this strip by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman is one of the fastest growing and most popular strips EVER.

The best way to explain it is: it's on the same quality level as Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes at it's funniest, most irony-laced and visually comedic BEST. Once again we have Jeremy...the self-absorbed 15-year-old who is constantly (in his view) humiliated by his parents' mere existance (except when he lowers the posture and briefly show he really cares). The strip shows things from the adult point of view but ALSO does a good job of pointing out how a teen might view the parents (his parents ARE dorky).

There are several reasons why this strip is such great COMEDY, and holds up so well in a treasury form such as this. The artists use a story-line of sorts (akin to the story-line Watterson would use where a given daily strip would stand alone but is part of a group with a theme). The shorter strips work as well as the longer ones. As in Calvin & Hobbes we often see things from the teen or parental view in the form of a fantasy (his father dressed like a clown; Jeremy with huge ears after his girlfriend mentions his ears are big).It's a strip that shows character evolution: his girlfriend finally gets her braces off; he goes to his first real rock concert; sneaks into his first teen porn film etc.

But above all it's the world-class visual comedy, character facial expressions and actual irony-heavy comedy that makes this strip among the best EVER. Since there are tons of strips I'll share one that is my favorite. Jeremy's mother reads an article that says "the average teenage boy thinks about sex once every eight minutes." They look at each other and each says "Wow." She thinks: "That much?" He thinks: "That's all?"

You're going to want to read Big Honkin' Zits again and again and each time you're going to laugh as much as the first time. SUPERB selection of a SUPERB strip that happily continues to quickly grow in circulation, artistically and comedically.

Jeremy returns in his second treasury, combining strips from the books "Don't Roll Your Eyes at Me, Young Man!" and "Are We an Us?" Not much has changed since the first treasury. He still wishes his parents would get off his back, he still doesn't understand women, and he still dreams of making it big in music. But whether he's trying to decide what to do about the upcoming Gingivitis concert, win back Sara from a sophomore, support a friend's mom who has cancer, or sneak over to his girlfriend's babysitting job, he's sure to find the humor in any situation.

Unfortunately, I don't get the strip in my local paper, so I have to wait for these books to enjoy it. But I can certainly see why it has become such a popular strip. Everyone can appreciate the humor in the storylines, which poke fun at everyone equally. The visual gages are some of the best in the papers today and make for some of the best strips in the book as well. And it's easy to like these characters because they really do have good hearts just beneath the surface. My only complaint with this book is that the strips don't appear to be in order. It makes for a little confusion when a character is first introduced after we've already met him or her, but over all, it really is minor.

This is a wonderful collection that should win new fans and satisfy the old. Buy it today and enjoy the laughs.

This book is the coolest thing since sliced bread.

I just love the laid-back style of humour that the authors use, especially in their choice of highly colorful words for the definitions.

Clever and charming, this little book is a must stocking stuffer for your literate friend or relative. I hope they come out with a sequel!

The premise of this book is the following:

Step 1: Make up tons of portmanteaux.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Comedy gold!

I don't know about anyone else, but this seems a weak foundation, and I did not find the execution particularly amusing.

On the other hand, I adore the design and typography. That alone yields three stars, because I am an obsessive æsthete.

Not expecting much, I picked up this little book while waiting in line at my local Barnes & Noble. By the time I reached the cashier I was laughing so hard I had to step aside to catch my breath. Afterward I bought 10 copies to give to my friends and co-workers, who found the book as clever as I did. Even the drawings are great!

This book is a gem, to be treasured and re-read for years.

Like a bowl of Hershey's kisses, this sweet little book delights with clever verbal bonbons. And they're not fattening.

This is a fun book, more of a browse and skim than a read. That's a good thing. Lots of facts and figures (factoids?) about turning and being age 30. Perfect gift material. Plus, it's a little square of a book, so it sits unobtrusively wherever you want, and the design is great, too.

Sent to my nephew on his 30th birthday. He enjoyed it.

What a fun book! My first 30th birthday party was a hit with this creative book. We couldn't stop passing it around the party. It is an absolute treasure of a book. A perfect gift...so enjoyable and very reasonable...and it makes 30 seem so young. Go out and buy your copy now.

Fantastic book. Makes the perfect birthday gift for anyone turning 30.

Not every famous person is an instant millionaire by 30, nor do they shrivel up and die of old age. This book is filled with hilarious facts about the famous and not-so-famous 30-something crowd. A great read and a sobering reminder that turning 30 isn't the end of the world. My friends and I really enjoyed it.

A friend gave me this book to cheers me up after I had just broken up with my first serious girlfriend.

I thought given the title she was being ironic but after reading it I couldn't stop laughing.

Lent it to a friend, neved got it back!

An exellent book. One of the funniest I've read in a long time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a laugh. All of the people with who I discuss it want to borrow it, but I don't let them. This book puts the Darwin Awards to shame.

Next to David Niven's 'The Moon's a Balloon' this is the funniest book I have ever read. Bought it years ago and lent it to a friend. Never seen since but hope to get another copy. An absolute must for the bookshelves of those with a good sense of humour.

This is my favorite book. I have nearly every story in it memorized and I find myself re-reading the book again and again. It's one of those rare books that you start reading it smiling, then laughing out loud, and soon you're wiping tears from your eyes. Highly recommended.

I read this at a B&B in Wales; then was ecstatic to find it at Half Price Books in the States. I have lent it to many, but make strong demands for its return. You will want to make it part of your permanent collection.

I purchased this book because, as an expat who lives in thailand, it seemed like a great idea. Overall, it's an easy read and certainly has quite a few shares of laughs. However, quite a large portion of the book is devoted to her doomed marriage to a horny jerk- something I really didn't sign up to hear about! Her adventures, although I feel for her, were also not quite as adventurous as I expected- and while I commend her for making a trip to the mall to buy underwear interesting, it's still just that. Same thing goes for eating in reataurnts, taking public transportation, and getting a massage. Her bad experience with the hospitals make me grimace as well- I have had fabulous healthcare in bangkok and would hate for anyone to confuse Pattaya a few years back with modern hospitals in thailand.
All in all, I would love to sit down with her and have a few drinks and relive the quirks of living here, but can't say I would reread the book.

Dodie is my friend and I learned many things I never knew about her.
I knew she was fun, a great story teller and a wonderful person.
Her book made me laugh, it made me cry, but most of all I have an even
deeper appreciation for who she truly is. I read the entire book on a plane flight from coast to coast and believe me the flight went quickly.
I even caught my husband reading it. No one can take a serious situation
and make you enjoy reading about it like Dodie. Thailand was not a place I
wanted to go, but the trip was worth it with Dodie.
Nancy Metty

Nancy Metty

Living abroad in Thailand is not always all it is said to be as author Dodie Cross quickly realized. The result of her near year-long adventure? A "laugh out loud must-read memoir" called A Broad Aboard in Thailand An Expat's Misadventures in the Land of Smiles.

When newly widowed Dodie first met and became involved with Dick, she had no idea what lay in store for her. When Dick is offered an incredible job opportunity in Thailand, there is no question that Dodie wanted to go along. Pushed into a quick marriage, the two soon set off for lands unknown.

Their first experiences in Thailand were luxurious. If only the same could be said for the rest of her stay. Dick and Dodie are soon moved into a new company-owned home and begin to realize very quickly that this wonderful opportunity came with some serious strings attached.

Dodie is fortunate to find many allies and friends. Faithful Pon, Dodie's live-in housekeeper and friend very quickly earned a place in Dodie's heart, as did the "beautiful orphans" Dodie considered herself fortunate to work with at the Pattaya Orphanage. The ladies from the Pattaya International Ladies' Club (PILC) also played a large part in comforting Dodie and helping her to keep her sanity but at the same time were part of an on-going problem Dodie had with the boss' wife, Mrs. Anorexia or Mrs. A for short (named changed to protect the guilty).

While the area and the friends Dodie made would endear Thailand to her forever, problems followed her almost from the beginning of this fateful journey. The primary problem Dodie faced was Dick. Dick suffered from an addiction and had, at times some extreme issues. This would be a large part of their undoing. Competing with Dick for "problem of the trip" was the insufferable control freak Mrs. A. While not an employee of The Company, Mrs. A issued many rules regarding nearly every aspect of the lives - both public and private - of the employees and their wives. To cross Mrs. A or to break one of her and her husband's rules was to earn an instant trip back to the States. Unfortunately for Dodie, she and Mrs. A were at cross purposes almost constantly. Medical problems, a near fatal accident and probably countless blunders in dealing with the Thai people all plague Dodie as well.

This memoir, though thick, is very difficult to put down. Dodie Cross has achieved a great accomplishment: her readers will feel an almost immediate connection to her. They will feel her anxiety, her stresses, her amusement and most certainly with groan along with her at the mere thought of Mrs. A. Mrs. Cross is to be applauded for this outstanding book.

A Broad Abroad In Thailand: An Expat's Misadventures in the Land of Smiles
Reading this book was like having your best friend return from an extended experience abroad and having her share this period of her life with you. It's fresh and alive, and you feel as if the author is talking to you and only you. As good friends do, she tells you everything, knowing full well that she can trust you and that you will understand, and that you will love her no matter how her story ends. She shares the humor, the anger, the frustration, the disappointment, the health hurdles and the corporate politics involved in her own personal life as well as the sounds, the smells, the language, the culture, and the natural beauty of Thailand. When I finished reading this book, I felt as if I had been there with her. She's a wonderful story-teller! Get her book, put on your jammies and curl up on the couch for a delightful few hours of laughs.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/07)

"A Broad Abroad in Thailand" promised to be a book that I could relate to in several ways. Being an expat myself, I always find what other expats have to say about their new countries fascinating; I've always considered myself a broad and I absolutely adore Thailand. So at a first glance I found it hard to imagine that the book could live up to my expectations...

Having read a fair number of books about expat life and experiences, I mostly found them quite imbalanced and superficial. Granted, most of the authors were rather young, but in the majority of cases I was just not overly impressed by them. Dodie Cross' "A Broad Abroad in Thailand" is definitely an exception. The author never tries to hide the fact that she was no spring chicken when she headed to the Land of Smiles, which certainly gives an interesting spin to her observations. We get to learn more about orphanages and healthcare than we do about beach parties and bars, which in my opinion is a nice improvement. Ms. Cross also nicely balances the funny-to-hilarious misadventures with more serious issues and her `who-could-ever-understand-those-habits' moments with her obvious admiration and respect of Thailand, its culture and its people.

Ms. Cross' memoir begins with a hasty marriage to a golf instructor, which is needed in order for her to be able to accompany him to his new position in Thailand. Although she is not totally certain that marrying Dick (and oh, what an appropriate name for him!) is such a great idea, she decides to go forward with it. Their move to a new country is very eventful - as those moves tend to be... Very soon she is battling not only a badly cracking marriage to a sex addict, but also countless rules and regulations imposed by the wife of Dick's boss, the overpowering Ms. Anorexia. Ms. Cross would rather get to know her new country and meet the people, but all such attempts are considered by Ms. Anorexia as against the rules. Then along comes the near-fatal accident on the infamous Sukhumvit Highway - which truly is at least as bad as described by Ms. Cross as well as a bladder surgery with unexpected results. Dick is not thrilled by Dodie's restored virginity, the boss is not thrilled by Dick and Ms. Anorexia is just generally not thrilled with anything, particularly not with Dodie. Such is the sorry state of affairs overall, which will only lead to more trouble. You will, however, have to read the book for yourself to learn how Dodie resolves the situation.

Having seen that Ms. Cross has also lived in New Orleans among other places, I will definitely keep an eye out for a book about those experiences. According to the little addendum, she is already working on one about her life in Iran, so I can only hope that the New Orleans one will be next. As for "A Broad Abroad in Thailand," I found it well written and very enjoyable. If you need something to brighten your day, just read one of the funnier chapters, maybe the one about mastering the use of Thai toilets or the joys of buying underwear in a strange country. You will feel so grateful that you do not have to deal with any of this that your day will immediately improve. Great read for expats, expats-to-be, wanna-be- expats, travelers and just about anybody else with a sense of humor.

Yes, this is a great book for every child to read or for a parent to read to a child. But don't stop there...every parent and teacher should also readBully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying This is by far the best book on bullying currently in the marketplace. Not only is it comprehensive in defining the problem and its participants including the victim, bully and bystander but goes into detail on cyberbullying. What makes this book outstanding is its detailed approach to solving the problem in schools and preventing it before it happens. The author, an educator and counselor who specializes in this vary topic,and a parent sets forth step-by-step lesson plans for teachers and parents; stories for parents to read and discuss with their children;steps to take to be proactive in creating a bully-free environment in the home, classroom and school as well as how to intervene to stop it...A ++ rating

No child should feel helpless when it comes to the jungle of a playground. This book encourages dialogue and an internal sense of courage. The book is very kid-friendly. The language is perfect for those grade 3-6. The format and cartoon characters make the whole book and subject very approachable for kids. Whether bullied or not, this raises awareness to help all kids help themselves.

This book has been a valuable part of my classroom read aloud program for 3 years now. It is valuable in that it really speaks to the students on their level. It is straight-forward about the problems and realities of bullies and teasing. This book often provided a great springboard into valuable classroom discussions. Students become empowered to stick up for themselves and to understand the thought process of a typical bully.

I would recommend this book for any classroom library.

Bullying can range from the insidious, verbal cruelty and exclusion which girls are notorious for to full scale violence, which occurs among both sexes.

This book is a tool of empowerment for parents, educators and anybody involved with children on any level. One thing that is VITAL to keep in mind is NEVER make light of bullies and their cruelty. That will only make the child being bullied feel that the bullying behavior is being sanctioned and that recourse is out of the question. Making excuses for bullies also compromises respect; children are hard put to feel respect for an adult who exercises such poor judgment and appears to be taken in by bullies.

Condoning bullying behavior and mouthing platitudes to the bullied, such as "can't you take a joke/s/he's only kidding/work it out for yourself/you're too sensitive" is just as harmful as the bullying behavior. Platitudes of that ilk send out a "blame the victim" message and suggest that the bullying is not a serious matter when in fact it is. Recent events and relevant studies have shown that many school shooters were bullied.

Turning the other cheek means, I believe not responding to cruelty with cruelty. Self defense is an entirely different matter. Bullies will step up their abuse if they are not kept in check. They will continue to harass their targeted victims until they get the desired response. That is why telling children to ignore bullies does not work. Bullies don't let that one work.

Trevor Romain is a genius who clearly understands a myriad of dynamics among children. His clever cartoon pictures and his question and answer section open the doors to discourse and problem solving. I like the way he encourages readers to think of what they would do if they were being bullied and also to see if they are acting as bullies towards anyone else.

An excellent book to read with children and one they are sure to come back to enjoy.

As an elementary principal, this book was loved by students and always checked out from the library. Trevor has a wonderful grasp on bullies and helps students in a sincere, motivating way. The dvd is super if you haven't checked into owning it. It's priced well and the animation/music is highly engaging. The material is solid and right-on with what I saw as an elementary principal and in dealing with bullying issues. If you are a teacher or can arrange author visits, go to trevorromain.com and look into a school/author visit. Trevor is inspirational for students, as well as adults, and will raise the bar for school-wide expectations with his "double-dog dare!" Trevor has visited our campus twice in two years and the students can't get enough!