Humor Books

In the book Grow Your Own Dope, Plant a Man, the author takes the reader back in time to a splendid sense of peace and laugh out loud joy in a humerous style of living a simple life with a man, willing to let her poke fun at their everyday experiences. It's a perfect gift for Mother's and Father's day, or to youself if you've ever wondered how marriage looks from the inside. Take it to read on a train ride, like I did.

This book is great and a lot of laughs. It will make you forget your troubles for a while.

Ms. Griffin writes a very funny book! Sometimes I think she has been eavesdropping on my life. I hope she has another one coming out soon.

This was an excillent book! It was Laugh Out Loud Funny. A great book for everyone!

This is a delightful read full of funny moments in true life situations. I certainly enjoyed it.

This was by far one of the best and most touching book in the FBOFW collection. I could not stop reading this book. I loved how Lynn brought back a very old character back into the strip, and for all of you FBOFW fans.......you will be surprised at who it is and how they are brought back into the strip. I cannot believe how talented Lynn is! This book proves true talent of yours Lynn. I can guarrentee that you will not stop laughing and that you will not stop turning the pages. Before you read this book, you might want to go out and buy something for a stomachache 'cause you will be working that diaphragm of yours. I hafta admit that I cried and was truly touched by some of the book issues. Get out the kleenex, too! There are no words in any language to describe how truly wonderful this book is!

Count me in as an April buster. I think she is one of the biggest brats to hit the funny pages in years. She hogs the bathroom, thus negatively impacting on Liz's time. Poor Liz keeps taking the rap for nasty April's misdeeds. April has tantrums, has a fresh mouth and never once gets punished. She does not own up to her actions and has no sense of responsibility. I agree with the other reviewer that her stunt down by the river cost poor Farley his life. Had he not sacrificed his own life to save the brat, he could have at least died in a warm and comfortable house.

April is very babyish for her age. She wears these stupid overalls and says "gots," which sounds just plain stupid. She never helps around the house and she asks for trouble. Don't forget, it was Bratface April who came up with that mean song about Jeremy. She's no innocent bystander. She is trouble with a capital TROUBLE and, like another reviewer aptly noted, head for the hills and don't look back once she hits the terrible teens. I can't abide April!

This delightful collection of a very high caliber strip does not disappoint. The strip boasts of a delightful cast of characters with the exception of obnoxious April, who is the sole weed growing in the comic's Garden of Eden. This book will not disappoint loyal FBOFW followers, myself included.

Mrs. Lynn Johnston continues to impress us with her very skillful artistic talents and true-to-life storytelling (though she does has an assistant or two in her studio) and all the characters are quite believable and lovable, thus easy to relate to. Especially the funny young Michael! But guess who's the least easy to relate of all. Little Missy Princess April Patterson, of course. That arrogant little kid rules over the whole household with a very sticky fist. She's forever lost in her own little fantasy world and whether she's back in the "reality", she's always throwing temper tantrums, demanding her way, molesting her big sister's personal things, leaving such disgusting messes (including fecal matter in the pet rabbit's litter box), and just plain driving the poor middle-aged mother right out of her mind with her "cutesy" antics. In fact, she even gets involved into two real crisises; one at the riverbank that cost the life of the poor old Farley and the other that left Jeremy Jones with a broken leg in the hospital. But - that's not the worst yet to come...so when she becomes a rebellious teenager - RUN, RUN FOR YOUR DEAR LIVES!

This book has yielded a rich crop of great stories. The cast is certainly a convincing one. They are all folks one can recognize from real life counterparts, from funny, savvy Mr. Jim Patterson to the spoiled, unplesant April. She's the only one I have never been able to like. (I don't know how she gets by with her mouth. I'm surprised nobody ever put their foot down to her and she takes advantage of everybody. April is the weed growing in the garden)! It was good reconnecting with Gordon, who is a sterling success story (from the poor boy who was often picked on and who lived with domestic violence to the successful entrepreneur -- you go, Gordon)! Lawrence, too, was an added treat as his orientation has helped pave the way for acceptance of gays among his "real" counterparts. Love the book! It was great, as I expected it would be.

When my mom came to stay over this summer. She saw this collection and Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1958 Box Set in my book cupboard, and her first reaction was. Why are you buying kids comics... :) It isn't one, like any long time DtM reader knows...

Well this set is marvelous. I buy ONLY the box sets (Peanuts is the other series I'm collecting right now) and this is like any other Fantagraphics box set. The slipcase is what you'd expect.

The image implies the book is larger than it actually is. This may well be because of the close up shot, so do pay attention to the book dimensions, if that is a consideration for you. However, each page contains one panel, in a very easy to read size. The book also comes with a fabric book mark. You need it, because you can't read through all of it in one go... and one misses bookmarks in huge collections like The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set).

The dust cover / sleeves on is uncoated paper unlike in the Peanuts collection, so a bit of care needs to be taken when removing and handling the books. The binding is stitched, so you can expect longevity over multiple readings.

On the whole it is a recommended purchase.

Anyone that loved Dennis the menace as a kid will still enjoy his logical thinking and mischevious ways. Hardcover books presented as a box set. A must for fans.

Hank Ketcham's Creation: "Dennis The Menace" is considered by many Critics of the Comics Genre to be the very Best new comic introduced in the 1950's. Along with "Peanuts" by the Great Charles Schultz, this little One Panel Gem would help to Modernise the Comics into the Cold War/Baby Booming Times. It struck a Note with Families of it's day as an Anti-Dr. Spock, narrative of a Realistic Child (Dennis} and his Stressed-Out, Parents {Henry & Alice Mitchell} and their Neighbors {George & Martha Wilson}.

Dennis is a Five Year Old, Ball of Fire, that is the Star of these tales of Family Life of the 1950's. And he shows a broad range of emotions as any small boy can. He was an Adventurer, armed only with a Slingshot for protection and a Scruffy Dog named "Ruff" by his side. He loved to play in the mud and was not fond of the Bathtub. He went to Church, got Haircuts at the Barber Shop and liked to climb trees. And I wanted into his World because it looked like Quite a Cool place to hang out in!

The Style of Hank Ketcham's, Pen Lines are Amazing. His Art look's so Simple in it's approach, but it is very Complex in form with lot's of Dark and Light mixed together so perfectly. Ketcham was an Master Draftsman, and the Success of Dennis the Menace, owes as much to his Graphics as it does to his excellent writing abilities. This was the first Comic that reeled me in as a Small Boy in the early Sixties, and it is still a Favorite of mine Today. Along with: "Peanuts", this Wonderful Comic DID change the entire Medium of Comics into what it is Today.

Most People remember the TV Show and the Movies that are based on Dennis Mitchell. For those of you that grew up with these Fantasic One Panel Gems, it will spark some Great Memories to see these Comics once again. And for you Folks that have not, you have missed out on a Wonderful Graphic Masterpiece. This is One of the Best and most important Comics of the Last 50 Years, and that's it in an Nutshell. Don't miss out this Time around, here they are in all their Glory...The Cartoons of: "Dennis The Menace"...FIVE STARS !!!

A great book. Everytime I open the pages of this book, it makes me laugh out loud. All parents will enjoy the book, however parents with small children can easily relate to it.

This is a total great set to read. if you like dennis the menace get this why you can. its a great set to have and for the price it a great deal.

I had, and loved, this book as a child. I just bought it to give to my god-daughter. Hadn't seen it in years. Sweet and heartwarming. Brought a smile to my face.

I;ve followed the Peanuts gang ever since they first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. This book brings back happy memories of the gang & I'd recommend it to any Peanuts reader as a "must have".

I thank whoever reproduced these little gems!!! I owned this in elementary school and saw it featured in a woman's magazine and flipped! This book is still as great today as it was then. I bought one for my neighbor's grandaughter and she loves it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I too loved this book as a child. The simple repetetive text helps the reader find simple pleasures in everyday life. I am a teacher now and I have been searching for this book to use with my kindergarteners. I searched in the local libraries to no avail. Of the numerous books I possessed as a child, only two stand out in my memory. One is Happiness is a Warm Puppy and the other, Never Tease a Weasel. For a children's book to make such a lasting impression on so many people is remarkable. It is a shame it can't be put back in print for another generation to enjoy.

It's great to have this book again. I had the first editions of all the small "square hardbacks" in the 60's, but lost them somewhere along the line.

They reflect the simplicity and warmth of PEANUTS in their very format.

Happiness Is a Book By Charles Schulz!

What a joy of a book. Not just the great grafics but very interestng information about the Great Hirschfeld

I really enjoyed looking through this book. I am absolutely in love with theater and I love seeing how he depicts all of my favorite shows and actors. He's been through the "Golden Age" of theater and has also done so much work for modern entertainment. I also have tons of fun looking for all the hidden "Nina"s. Just in case you might not know what I'm talking about, let me explain. After his daughter was born, Hirschfield began hiding her name in his drawings. The number by his "signiture" indicates the number of "Nina"s in the drawing. "Nina" is also written all in caps. Because of this, this book is not going to be just some ordinary coffee table book that only his fans might check out. It could also be a great deal of amusement for those who like to play the kind of "Where's Waldo" games.

I bought this book as a gift for my husband, and I fell in love with with the book myself. I recently visited the Delaware River Museum and saw my first in-person Hirschfeld line drawing of George C. Scott housed in the museum. Mr. Hirschfeld captures a personality with the stroke of a few lines. This book is wonderful. It has inspired my husband, a professional artist, to study Mr. Hirschfeld's style, and I found my husband doing line drawings yesterday. Packed with 400 drawings and photographs, this is a "must have" book for any Hirschfeld follower.

Here is the indispensible Hirschfeld book - a must for any fan of his work, or of line in general. From his earliest pieces, all the way through his long career with New York theatre, his work is showcased - and done so through his eyes. Each piece is described by this great artist - his inspirations, methods, and thoughts. I cannot imagine a better way to present his wonderful drawings, and I am so very, very thankful that this collection was printed before his death. Although, yes, the work would show just as beautifully without, his commentary alongside each piece just opens up an entirely new viewpoint. This is a truly timeless book, and I highly recommend it.

Al Hirschfeld rose above titles like "cartoonist" and "illustrator", and every other tag specifically applied to visual artists who inject design and humor into their work. His intelligent blend of the caricaturist's eye and the designer's sense of the beauty in flat forms add up to an entirely unique contribution to twentieth century popular culture- and a highly influential one. His recent passing at age 99 marks the end of the century that he witnessed and commented upon so wittily and so stylishly. His legions of admirers (and imitators) will be well served by this 1999 book, assembled by the artist himself, with an excellent selection from his career, his invaluable commentary, and a fairly satisying selection of his amazing (and less celebrated) color work. The reproductions are fine here, and the volume is designed and presented well. It can only be hoped that more comprehensive releases and reissues of earlier books are in the near future.

This is an awesome book! Any person who appreciates quilting will have fun reading this book! Every new quilter MUST READ this book before they run to the fabric store. I only wish that I'd read it years ago. I laughed so hard at Ami Simms' vivid descriptions of "How NOT to Make a Prize-Winning Quilt" that I could hardly contain myself. She verbalized every thought new quilters may have had about their own quilting experiences. I am NOT a great quilter and after reading her book, I've come to appreciate my first (utility) quilt because I had quilted it for the love of it and not it's technique. Now she's given me inspiration to work on my technique.

If you're a beginner you won't really understand this book but buy it anyway!! After you've made around 10 quilts then read it!! Then you'll "get it"!! Very funny!! Ami Simms' humor keeps you reading from start to finish!!!

This book was cute and as a beginner quilter, I understand it perfectly. Its an adventure to say the least! From misinterpreting patterns to taking up the diningroom with a quilt stretcher is all things we can relate to.

This is a great book for begining and experienced quilters. As soon as I started reading I was sure that Ami Simms wrote this book for me! She writes about all of the little mistakes quilters make and how they do things to save time, but instead diminsh quality. I laughed throughout the whole book, and recommend it to anyone who knows too well the problems of being a beginning quilter!

This author is just flat out funny while throughly communicating how to avoid common pitfalls in quilting, how to do it right--or what to do after you run out of beds. She clearly has passion and deep knowledge of her craft. This is not the only book you'll need to get started, but I think it's probably a must have for someone in the beginner to intermediate range. Or someone who wants to compare nuggets of advice with another quilting nut.

I have read many many books in the self help/new age category.
I would rate this one in the top 10. Mr. Friedman is a long time student of Gurdjieff. This background undoubtedly helped him to write this wonderful collection of 30 philosophical/psychological rules for non-living to ponder. Wake up and buy this book!

The book is a delightful take on the American way. Written with insight and humour, the author takes you into misery as a way of life and offers clever ways of maintaining your miserable status. I read it in one evening and thoroughly enjoyed the wacky humor and uncanny knowledge of how we make ourselves sick with unecessary worry and self doubt. Read it with a sense of humor and you can't help but love it the way I did.

This is a peculiarly funny book. Funny because I found myself laughing at myself; peculiar because, after reading it, a strange awareness settled upon me. Was I, I wondered, an unhappy creationist who saw the world through grumbling eyes? "How to Be Totally Unhappy in a Peaceful World" is a self help book that, in spite of itself, really works!

This is a great book to have on your living room coffee table or bedside, so that you can pick it up often, open to any page, and laugh at how ludicrious we can be on a regular basis. I have taught social dance classes for over 20 years, and my goal is to provide an arena in which people have the freedom to laugh at themselves while learning about something new. Gil's book provides me and others with that freedom. I highly recommend it!

This is a great book to have on your living room coffee table or next to your bed. Pick it up, open to any page, and see how truly ludicrious we are at times, especially about taking life way too seriously. I'm a social dance instructor, and one of my goals in life is to get people to relax, laugh at themselves, and play more. Anyone interested in doing so would enjoy reading Gil's book.

I really enjoyed this book and it's what I turn to whenever I'm having a "blah" moment. The drawings are easy to follow, the writing is short and brief and there are tons of little extras throughout the book (stickers, punch outs, etc). It's more of an activity book than a drawing book and even if you have no interest in drawing, you'll enjoy the wit and whimsy of the words and illustrations. A great buy at the original price, but a fabulous bargin at anything less!

How to Draw a Radish: And Other Fun Things to Do at Work
How to Draw a Cup of Coffee and Other Fun Ideas for Home & Garden
How to Draw a Clam: A Wonderful Vacation Planner
All three books, by Joy Sikorski

I have owned these three wonderful books since the late nineties & have re-visited them many times.

In the field of what I would like to term as 'deliberate doodling', I consider these three books to be the best in the genre. Unlike the common doodles, which seem whimsical, 'deliberate doodling' involves some form of structure & purpose. I am very impressed by what the author has done in the three fun books of hers.

All three fun books are spiral bound, each with almost two hundred pages of inspirational doodling techniques, on top of various other discovery games & paper crafts for professional & personal entertainment. Each is sturdily constructed with two pockets for special projects, organised with ten card-board dividers & yet small enough to fit into your briefcase.

From my personal perspective, they are wonderful toys for grow-ups: playful, instructive & absolutely worthwhile!

The author has actually written another similar book, entitled 'Squeaky Chalk : And Other Fun Things to Draw (And Do) When There's Nothing to Do!' but for some strange reasons, I did not lay my hands on it.

For the benefit of readers, let me share this personal experience of mine: I have combined the 'deliberate doodling' techniques from Joy with the 'rapid viz' techniques from Kurt Hanks, & integrated them into the 'private writing' processes as formulated by Mark Levy in his wonderful book, 'Accidental Genius: Revolutionize Your Thinking Through Private Writing .'

I use what I often like to term as my 'scratch pad', the type artists use, foolscape size, spiral-bound, 100 pages per pad, 100 gms weight, in conjuction with a multi-colour/multi-utility pen from Rotring. At one point in time, (for about 3 years) I used the Bienfang spring-bound note/sketch pads until the only local supplier went out of business unexpectedly.

On many occasions, I have astonished myself by being able to wrestle with the valuable business & life insights from my own seemingly disparate "private writing"/'deliberate doodling'/'rapid viz' pages. The doodles & illustrations often add a perceptive visual dimension to my seemingly random thoughts on paper. My scratch pad is always a visual smorgasbord of relatively heavy text, mystical doodles & logical illustrations (thanks & no thanks to my engineering training!). I have translated many of my valuable insights into pragmatic projects. One of the sideline projects is writing reviews on amazon website.

To all readers: If you really want to use both sides of your powerful brain to generate valuable insights, I can guarantee that these three books can drive your imagination engine into hyper-speed mode.

I simply love this little book. I found it on clearance and thought "Hey, what can it hurt?" It didn't hurt at all, obviously. I love the whimsical flow and little extras like the herb labels and "postcards." It's also very informative, teaching you how to doodle things like cups of coffee, mice and peanuts, and the ever-honorable peccary. This would make an excellent gift for those who like a little silliness in their everyday life.

A delightfully silly and surreal book. I enjoyed the drawing lessons most.

If you are looking for a fun gift look no further! this book is an exellent peice of work from people of all ages! It is fun and creative and never boring! Read it and give it a try!

How to Draw a Radish: And Other Fun Things to Do at Work
How to Draw a Cup of Coffee and Other Fun Ideas for Home & Garden
How to Draw a Clam: A Wonderful Vacation Planner
All three books, by Joy Sikorski

I have owned these three wonderful books since the late nineties & have re-visited them many times.

In the field of what I would like to term as 'deliberate doodling', I consider these three books to be the best in the genre. Unlike the common doodles, which seem whimsical, 'deliberate doodling' involves some form of structure & purpose. I am very impressed by what the author has done in the three fun books of hers.

All three fun books are spiral bound, each with almost two hundred pages of inspirational doodling techniques, on top of various other discovery games & paper crafts for professional & personal entertainment. Each is sturdily constructed with two pockets for special projects, organised with ten card-board dividers & yet small enough to fit into your briefcase.

From my personal perspective, they are wonderful toys for grow-ups: playful, instructive & absolutely worthwhile!

The author has actually written another similar book, entitled 'Squeaky Chalk : And Other Fun Things to Draw (And Do) When There's Nothing to Do!' but for some strange reasons, I did not lay my hands on it.

For the benefit of readers, let me share this personal experience of mine: I have combined the 'deliberate doodling' techniques from Joy with the 'rapid viz' techniques from Kurt Hanks, & integrated them into the 'private writing' processes as formulated by Mark Levy in his wonderful book, 'Accidental Genius: Revolutionize Your Thinking Through Private Writing .'

I use what I often like to term as my 'scratch pad', the type artists use, foolscape size, spiral-bound, 100 pages per pad, 100 gms weight, in conjuction with a multi-colour/multi-utility pen from Rotring. At one point in time, (for about 3 years) I used the Bienfang spring-bound note/sketch pads until the only local supplier went out of business unexpectedly.

On many occasions, I have astonished myself by being able to wrestle with the valuable business & life insights from my own seemingly disparate "private writing"/'deliberate doodling'/'rapid viz' pages. The doodles & illustrations often add a perceptive visual dimension to my seemingly random thoughts on paper. My scratch pad is always a visual smorgasbord of relatively heavy text, mystical doodles & logical illustrations (thanks & no thanks to my engineering training!). I have translated many of my valuable insights into pragmatic projects. One of the sideline projects is writing reviews on amazon website.

To all readers: If you really want to use both sides of your powerful brain to generate valuable insights, I can guarantee that these three books can drive your imagination engine into hyper-speed mode.

I bought this book 5 yrs ago.I just love it.This book has a very easy instruction and pictures to follow,it is especially easy for a child to follow the step by step pictures. I use it myself and now I gave it to my daughter, she is 3 yrs old,I love to see her face everytime she draws a picture, her eyes just says it all.She loves it so much that we both draw and paint together with the guide of this book. I have showed it to friends and care takers in the family center, all have agreed that it is a must to buy book.this book is not only for children,but also a coffee table book.You will not regret!!!

I received this book in a "Secret Santa" and just LOVED it!
What a great little treasure to teach the unbelievably talentless how to draw!
Joy breaks down radishes, butterflies, flowers, etc into easy to draw pieces that all add up together.
I can now doodle with the best of them!
Pick up two - one for your Secret Santa and one for yourself!

i go to a lot of meetings at work, and i don't have to do a lot of talking, so i do a lot of doodling. unfortunately, i can't draw at all. but this book has simple instructions (for more than just doodles, too), and has really expanded my 'meeting doodle' abilities.

This was just the most adorable little book I ever picked up. I just wanted to buy millions of copies to send them to friends who have boring jobs. I loved the little rabbit eating on the grass. It's a great doo-dad book that everyone should have to keep them entertained. I rarely laugh outloud at a book, but I couldn't help myself.

I'm not a father, but I really enjoyed reading this book. Like its predecessor "How to Iron your Own Damn Shirt", this book made me laugh out loud. I highly recommend it!

For anyone who is a father, Boreth's journey from his wife's pregnancy through the early stages of fatherhood will make you laugh out loud at yourself and your gender while recalling all the wonderful events, big and small, that make fatherhood an amazing experience. For anyone who is not yet a father, this book will teach you all you need to know about how to survive fatherhood: stop to smell the roses, and don't take yourself too seriously!

I got this book as a present for a recent dad and ended up keeping it for myself! I thought it was a cute idea and concept and would make a great present, but I didn't expect that it would end up in my permanent collection. Boreth offers a clever and highly entertaining look (from a man's perspective) at the whole pregnancy/infant care universe. What I really liked was that he doesn't just make a few jokes about the process of becoming a new father, he also gives you a lot of useful tips and techniques - strategies you might actually use...All in all, a fun and informative little book.

...and I should know. I have been reading Craig's books, essays and letters for more than thirty years. His essay in elementary school, "Who Is This Craig Boreth Kid?" is particularly memorable. All his books are "must reads," but I alone have been privileged to read just about everything he has ever written, and I feel very special. That's right - I'm his Dad, and as he says in his book, I did a damn fine job.

I'm not a dad and heretofore the idea of being one has frightened me to no end. Ah, but after reading Craig Boreth's witty and insightful tome I now have hope that I might someday be able to pull it off. I highly recommend "Manly in a Minivan" ... one of the breeziest and best reads I've had all year.
-Dan Dunn