Humor Books

Lamb Chops...What do lamb chops have to do with this story, well everything! Lamb Chops is the vaudeville routine that brought fame to this comedic duo in the late 1920's. I have the link to a You Tube movie short that was filmed in 1929 for this popular routine here. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFcsdgkg54 ) In this clip and others that I've seen with Burns and Allen, I think Gracie is the reason that they had so much success. She was so natural in her role as the "ditzy dame". She was good if not one of the best funnymen to a straightman role. This book takes the reader back to the waning days of vaudeville and the beginnings of film, radio and television as the new media for bringing entertainment to its audiances. George Burns takes us back down memory lane with a personnal love story that lasted nearly 40 years. His memories include many places and friends that I as a reader enjoyed visiting. I don't read love stories usually, but this love story is one that I enjoyed and won't soon forget.

In our disposable transient society of today, it is a refreshing change to see a love and a marriage that lasted so long. As time goes on, it is becoming an even rarer event.

In this book, Mr. Burns fondly remembers his wife, Gracie Allen. The stories that he tells about her, how they met, and how they managed to stay together so long were interesting to read and entertaining.

I would recommend this book to all ages. It is easy reading and also tells somewhat of the history of vaudeville, radio, television, and movies.

If you love old Hollywood, read this book. If you loved George & Gracie, read this book. If you want to read a true life love story, READ THIS BOOK. I just love the inside scoop on the old Hollywood that George dishes out. I never knew Cary Grant sold neck ties before becoming a screen idol. Harpo Marx (the quiet one) wanted one child in every window to wave goodbye or hello when he pulled up in the drive. George wasn't all that impressed with Marilyn Monroe.

This book is an easy read and so hard to put down.

Growing up, I really only knew Goerge Burns for the occasional television special he would host. Other than that, and his "Oh, God" movie (which came out when I was very young), I was relatively unfamiliar with him.

In the mid 80's, when I was about 10 years old, I found that a local radio station would run old time radio comedies from 8-10pm, and as such, I used to fall asleep nightly listening to the like of Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, and, of course Burns and Allen.

I finally just purchased this book from and Amazon bookseller about two months ago, and honestly, it's as good a $2.95 as I've spent in a while.

As other reviewers have said, many times bigraqphies can be a bit on the dull side, but George really did well with this. It is an easy read... a page turner. It's very interesting to get more insight on what a great performer she was, and how natural it came to her. One always got the feeling that even though she was delivering her "dizzy" Gracie charater, that underneath that was a very smart, clever person. This book certianly backs that up, and it backs it up with all the warmth and affection George Burns had for his wife.

I thoroughly enjoyed this not only for the story of Gracie, but also as a way to look inside the life of an entertainer at that time. I neverquite understood before what it was to work the vaudeville circuit, but there is a ton of insight in this book.

This is a must read for even the most casual fan of old time radio and the celebrities of that era.

I glanced at the reviews here to see if my opinion of this book was just a fluke, but they pretty much bear me out. I didn't expect this book to be nearly as good as it is. On second thought, though, it's not that surprising. This pair was magic and it was seen in everything they touched, the prime and lasting example being the without parallel Burns and Allen Show.

Burns and Allen successfully weathered many storms, making the transition from Vaudeville and stand-up comedy to radio and later to television. The earliest TV shows are the only ones available on DVD, but in later seasons they really hit their stride. In this hilarious and ground- breaking show, George would turn on the TV in the den to see what Gracie was doing, and regularly chat with viewers about events in progress. Gracie would walk in the wrong side of the set and regale viewers (or listeners) with non-stop comedic patter, malapropisms and surrealistic humour (ala Ernie Kovaks) with George as the straightman and pinnacle of style puffing his ever-present cigar.

Even as an octagenarian he could still act (Oh God, You Devil) but as a nonogenarian (92) he could still write. This marvelous memoir is not only the most delightful reading I've had in a long time, but makes me all the more want the Burns and Allen show on DVD. This book was a bestseller in hardback, but is now unaccountably out of print. Yet many readers would love this book, and would enjoy making the acquaintance of the remarkable Gracie Allen.

This is such a great book for any Moms or Moms-to-be. The pictures are so funny and it lets you have a good laugh about some of the trials of pregnancy and motherhood. I bought a bunch of them to give to all of my friends who are new moms.

Cute, clever, creative, and (for lack of an applicable c-word) hilarious. Stick this in the Christmas stocking of your favorite hip mama.

This book made me laugh soo hard. I recommend it for any fellow new moms who need some levity!

Perfect gift book for a new mom, experienced mom, or first pregnancy, though it's definitly funnier after you've already had kids than before.

I love love love Sloane Tanen. I have every single one of her books including the ones for children. Sloane is a great author. Her books make excellent gifts for the women and children in your life family as she also writes some children books. Sloane as promised, here is my review! Thanks for signing my books!

Reading "It Takes One to Catch One" by Steven A. Knutson, was like being in the high Sierras near the John Muir trail under stars spread across the bowl of night like a crowded field full of blooming flowers sitting around a camp fire chased by wisps of smoke swapping stories with friends now gone. I've done that and more. But I haven't hunted and fished like this author has. I haven't been close to a grizzly with two cubs--so close that Knutson felt the touch of death as he tensed waiting for the claws and teeth to slash and bite.

The author of "Catch One" will tell you that this is fiction. It's not fiction. It's captured memories that are like a wild beast, and the story meanders as the author travels back through the years. Sure, there are flaws, but those flaws make this work perfect in the way it captures a wild, dying world most of us will never experience as we are tamed and conditioned to fool ourselves that we are free in noisy, crowded, smelly cities shared with graffiti, gangs and gray CO2 skies. What most of us breathe is not the pure air of Knutson's world.

Every sentence; every fragment and every run-on or intended, misspelled word along with happy or unhappy faces in places of periods, sculpt a unique image of the author and the world he grew and lived in--a place most of us will never see as corporations and greed pave nature and turn it into a parking lots surrounded by condos, casinos and strip malls.

Knutson's style is like `sitting around a wilderness campfire' with bears, moose, dear and bobcat lurking nearby in the brush waiting. As you read, you might find yourself wondering what kind of rifle or pistol you have or should have and is it ready. If you want the rivers and mountains and forests of this world to stay wild, don't tame this book. If you love to fish, Knutson's stories will send you places you may only dreamed about.

To tame this precious beast that Knutson calls "It Takes One To Catch One" would be a crime. I'm sure some editor or grammar maven with a corn cob stuck up his `you know what' would do it because of short sighted stupidity. If you are one of those `stuck in the mud' editorial types, you might not like what a home-spun, wilderness artist does with the written word. To bad, your loss--our gain. Before I go any further, I want to point out that I taught English grammar and literature for thirty years. I also edit my wife's novels (printed and sold in more than thirty languages and countries) before her manuscripts go to her publisher. I feel strongly that a style that goes with the character and voice of the artist are more important than a missing comma or quotation mark; fragment or run-on sentence.

I love to read books that take me places I have not been. "It Takes One to Catch One" was one of those books. I watched Knutson fish and trap not only wild animals for food and fur along with criminal types that would ruin what's left of nature for a profit but also the car of a neighbor trying to run down another neighbor's dog.

If you are a Bambi lover (a person that doesn`t know what living in the real world means), someone that thinks squirrels and bears and deer are cuddly and cute creatures created by a Disney cartoon, this book is not for you. It will probably give Bambi lovers nightmares. On the other hand, if you miss being out in the wilderness and understand that `wild' means danger of another type and you embrace that danger, don't miss out on the adventures in "It Takes One To Catch One". There are two-hundred-and-seventy-eight pages of laughter and `seat-of-the-pants' adventure waiting.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for [...] 5/08
I love this book! Throughout It Takes One To Catch On,e I found myself trying to separate fact from fiction. I've always heard that "life is stranger than fiction," so I suspect there is a lot of truth in this narrative. Steven Knutson writes from a personal perspective. He shares memories of his younger years from a "seasoned" perspective.
Knutson's personality shines through in his book. He easily laughs at himself and invites the reader to join in. I do want to make one tiny suggestion. Please removed the smiley faces. You do not need them, and they distract from the story. Reading It Takes One To Catch One is like sitting on the front porch with a dear friend while listening to him reminisce. Mr. Knutson, please tell me another story. For a lighthearted look at life, rush out and buy It Takes One To Catch One.

Was sharing with a friend that this book is a great read in these economic times, if for no other reason that to show that a person with an adventuresome spirit can survive and enjoy the process.

Be it Minnesota, Montana, Washington State, Alaska or parts of Canada, the stories make you feel as if you are with the author.

And in some ways they also reminded me of the TV show Northern Exposure, as well as some great songs from Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Alas its fiction, and I rarely ever read fiction.But its great fiction.

My husband, Brian and I have long known Steve and through those years he shared snippets of his vast and colorful past. Those stories and tales were always telling in his unique sense and style of humor. His stature and demeanor places one in awe and wonder as to how this guy survived his youth of sometime deliberate acts in his quest for adventure and his lust for life. I read the manuscript first and all who know Brian knows he has no sense of humor; but I'd hear gut-busting laughter from down the hallway and knew he was reading It Takes One to Catch One. Steve will take you on a journey into his world of adventure from his early youth into his (almost grown-up years). He grew up during a time of not so much plenty but turned it into a time of growth and change for himself. He could have easily turned out to be the original and true Real Bandit, but his lessons of life revered him to become the man we all came to know and admire. By no means should you allow yourself to think he's old as he would have you believe. That zest for life burns bright this day and I cannot wait to get my hands on his sequel. I purchased his paperback for our Alaskan library and recommend it HIGHLY. It's filled with his humorous tales and stories of life lived to its fullest....sometimes on razor's edge (that's the prepetural kid in him) yet always focused. How else could he have survived it all?

This book is a must read for anyone who ever dreamed of Alaska. Knutson is the consumate Alaskan sportsman. From law enforcement, to hunting, trapping and fishing, Steve does it all and tells his tall tales like he is sitting around a campfire. If you want to hunt sheep or bears, or snowmobile at night in subzero weather, or catch big fish in remote lakes this book is for you. Outdoorsman the world over will love these adventures. It is a great contribution to Alaska's back country lore.

Cindy Guidry lives in Neverland. Living and working in Los Angeles is difficult enough; try dating there. Guidry is a smart, funny, sexy woman who is trying to get in touch with her own power as she approaches 40. She's knows it's in there, somewhere. But it's hard to feel powerful when you live in a town where everyone is judged by appearances, and most of those are plastic.

I really enjoyed Cindy's voice. This is a book written by a clever woman who realizes that most of the men she meets are bombarded with too many choices on a daily basis. They can no longer make a decision about anything, especially the most important one of all, the decision of commit to a mate.

Guidry takes her readers on an enjoyable ride through Hollywood as she starts to put the pieces of her life together (accompanied by a Dave Matthews soundtrack) all the while feeling like she's the Last Single Woman in America.

She may get stuck with the easy "chick-lit" label, but Cindy Guidry has written a book filled with enormous humor, wit and poignancy -- and a well-earned understanding of relationships between men and women. Her trenchant observations -- on her own life, the men in it, her career, her family -- take no prisoners, including herself. More importantly, I loved her voice: the one of that smart, way-funny girlfriend who always tells the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, and god bless her. Men will be pleasantly surprised by their un-chick-lit treatment here, if they ever read it (mine have, and responded overwhelmingly positively -- "She gets it!"). Definitely a worthy read.

I have never found a book in which the writer (and narrator in this instance) seemingly gave forth so many of my own thoughts. I always considered myself to be a little too jaded, cynical, or critical, and am now glad to see there is a whole generation of us. Cindy Guidry shows there is really nothing too depressing about not knowing what you want to be when you grow up and, guess what?, there are lots of us out there. To heck with Generation X, it's Generation Cindy Guidry all the way!!!

Having been a former lover and devout follower of the series "Sex in the City" and having had to settle for vacuous attempts to fill that time slot or reruns on TBS ever since, I am looking forward to seeing this book and the idea behind it coming to life on HBO.

You get it all here..answers to the dating Universe and some.. I laughed, i cried and i was shocked at the honesty..very refreshing indeed!
.. highly recommended from this Goddess (and not just a chick read guys).

If you're a guy and you cringe that this might be another MEN SUCK book written for only women to read and rally together around the flagpole of self inflicted injustice, this is the book for you. Although she has her complaints about men, this is a refreshingly fair-handed, often sympathetic book about both men and women and their attempts to find and understand each other in this isolating cyber-world. While there are bestsellers as well as entire television networks dedicated to the proposition that MEN SUCK, Guidry offers the possibility of individual empowerment and an unflagging belief in Love, all the while making you laugh out loud about waxing and nail polish and cats and other things men don't generally care about. Men really do want to know what women think, and Guidry tells us in a way both entertaining and enlightening.

Thoroughly enjoyable! The daily grind and politics of work-life are portrayed here in a very well-written and fun fashion.

Management By Vice is full of razor-sharp, satiric humor. You'll find no boring, longwinded analyses of the characters and the fictitious Company's history, though there is enough exposure of human nature to fill a work psychology manual! I like the way the book stays focused on a series of sprightly, humorous episodes, which show various aspects of interactions between managers and technical staff. I have seen and experienced them in the workplace for many years, so I fully agree that Management By Vice is in every way a true-to-life rendition of what takes place in many companies. The writing style is appealing too with witty, short verses that relect the content of each episode. Management By Vice is head and shoulders above the 1st grade reading primer level of many unrealistic, silly humor books about management and the workplace. The repartee between the characters, such as the managers and technical staff, is also very real and entertaining. What can be done about the less-than-satisfactory management described in The Company? Any bright reader will see this type of management must be replaced for the sake of The Company's survival. In fact, the

Most of the satiritical episodes in CB Don's book entitled " Management by Vice" are quite familiar scenes in both commercial and government settings. "Gettting ahead" at the expense of one's integrity as well as colleagues' future is the only means for some people. Greed often blinds ambitious management. A quick promotion and fat bonouses are the driving forces for these managers. Hence, short-term goals, say 3 to 5 years, are all thay care about at present, regardless of the future of the organization. Cooperation mergers are too common a way to survive and getting ahead than collisons on the highway, and lay-off is only a part of the evolutionary process, in the commercial world, where survival of those who are most vocal, but are deficient in both technical skills and vision, seems to be the rule. I thoroughly enjoyed reading CB Don's book. It is humorous, yet candid. I highly recommend it to the current managers and those who are old enough to drink....

Mr. R. K. MSc., Supervisory Civil Engineer, from Michigan, USA.
I find this to be a most delightful book. If you have ever worked in an office, design or R&D outfit, you can really relate to the adventures portrayed therein. I spent 35 years in the egg-laying part of the duck and found the barbed lampoons a titillating reflection of my own adventures. There's also a pleasant sprinkling of cartoons and verse the summarize each fo the 11 episodes. The heroine survives a cliffhanger for those of you that relish a bit of adventure. It's one of those "once you pick it up, you can't put it down" pieces that are a fast read and leave you satisfied like a good pastrami sandwich. For you managers, the Scots have an appropriate saying, "would some power the great giver give us to see ourselves as others see us". Give it a go!!

Its a sarcastic view of management from the point of R&D scientists. From the point of view of the R&D scientists you get to see some of the underhanded and self serving behavior of incompetent management at the fictional company and how it is tolerated by senior members of management. Unfortunately the book does not explore how "The Company" which was once an R&D powerhouse, got to be in this dysfunctional state. Also the book offers very little hope for dealing with a company in this type of state, short of the company being acquired or getting lucky and having unintended benefits during a passive/aggressive power struggle amongst management. If you were attracted to reading this book by the title "Management by Vice" I would recommend skipping this one and instead read The Below-the-Belt Manager by Eric Broder which I found to be more Humorous than this book.

What makes this first volume great is that it doesn't start with Popeye's first appearance but weeks before. Really neat to see Thimble Theatre without Popeye in it. Makes me wanna see volumes of all pre-Popeye Thimble Theatre strips.
Segar showed himself a grade-A cartoonist even before the famous Sailor Man entered the picture :)

As much as I respect the old Fleicher Studios for producing some wonderful Popeye cartoons that became an integral part of establishing him as a worldwide phenomenon I think they did him no favor in moving him into an urban environment. Popeye is at his very best, as a sailor, adventuring on the open seas. Nobody wrote or drew Popeye like Elzie Segar. Unfortunately, Mr. Segar passed away at the very young age of 43 having created Popeye a mere 9 years earlier. So what we have here is over a year and a half of Popeye's absolute best run ever.

This is not the Popeye most people are used to. This is the Popeye that existed prior to being significantly toned down at the behest of William Randolph Hearst in response to the characters growing popularity. This Popeye is a violent, foul mouthed sailor with a serious gambling addiction. Few able bodied males outside of the diminutive Castor Oyl manage to get through the book without receiving one of Popeye's famous haymakers and I have to give credit to Elzie Segar for his skill in drawing the most thunderous, teeth rattling punches in the history of comics. In the opening introduction there is a group drawing by Segar of a menagerie of characters from Thimble Theater including a most mild-mannered looking fellow named Johnny Doodle. I thought surely Mr. Doodle would be safe from Popeye's fists but sure as the sun rises in the east, before the book was through Johnny Doodle was left horizontal.

In one particularly funny sequence Popeye punches out a man for no apparent reason. When asked why, Popeye answers, "I don't need a reason... I socks `em where I sees `em, I leaves `em where I socks `em". Queried further Popeye responds, "I jus wanted to see which way he'd fall" and finally adds, "I likes to smack tall swabs on account of they fold up so nice" Later it turned out the man he socked was a crook but when it gets right down to it the humor of Popeye revolves around his burning desire to punch everyone he meets and Castor Oyl's vain attempt to control it. Popeye is a man who kills a horse with a single crushing blow. In volume one Popeye is arrested multiple times on assault charges and proudly proclaims, "I hits cops too - I hit's `em jus' like they was somebody else" In a sense the original Popeye seems almost like a parody of his future self.

I absolutely loved this book. A few reviewers complained about size of the images saying they caused eyestrain but I didn't have any problems at all. My biggest complaint is with the gigantic dimensions of the book. I would have preferred something similar to what was produced for the Dick Tracy or Peanuts collections. I also have to confess that the covers are absolutely bewildering. I'm not sure what the publisher was going for but I don't think it worked. I guess I also have to take issue with the introduction which really didn't do anything for me. In the end it's the brilliance of Elzie Segar's drawings and writing that makes this volume. I've already purchased volume 2 and intend to continue buying them as they are released.

Popeye shows up as a natural man. A flawed, older man who has lived a hard life. He is profligate and has low impulse control. He shoots craps whenever he has excess cash. He lies when convenient; but, deep down he is a decent guy who will give the shirt off his back to anyone that neds it. No wonder he was popular. Read these comics and reaqlize that people haven't changed all that much.

Simply one of the finest books I've purchased in recent memory. I own many of the earlier Fantagraphics-published Popeye books ("The Complete E.C. Segar Popeye" series) and this book is a far better product and value. I particularly applaud the removal of the sydicate-added titles and by-lines above the daily strips that were included in the above-mentioned books. Their omission makes for a smooth read. Much praise, also, for the far superior production and design on the book. And the fact that I can get all the material in six volumes including all the color Sundays as opposed to what was previously published in well over a dozen volumes almost twenty years ago? Sweet news, indeed.

I won't go into the brilliance and relevance of the book's content, others better qualified have and will do so here and elsewhere. This book and its forthcoming volumes are essential. I'm so pleased they finally did the material real justice.

Be sure to eat not only spinach but lots of carrots before tackling this one.

Even so, you'll likely need a magnifying glass to read these strips. Who's bright idea was it to cram six strips onto a 10.5 x 14-inch page? It made for some serious squinting when I checked this out at my local comic book store.

And at 10.5 x 14-plus inches, this book hardly makes for cozy reading material.

Bad book design and layout have made what could have been more accessible material a real chore. I like the dimensions of Tony Millionaires' Maakies books: one strip per page, and look ma! no squinting!

I finished reading this book over the weekend and it is now marked up, underlined and dog eared. Roz cuts to the heart of the matter without a lot of fluff and fru fru to wade through. It has made me look deep into some things I have avoided and with her insight and way of saying things it is all so much more clear. I have a list of friends I am going to buy copies for. I have never been one to keep a good thing to myself.. and this is one book that needs to be read by anyone and everyone. I told my boss and good friend about the book and while he can not bring himself to write out panties in a message he does write PYBGONADWI...but today he sent a reply to a "gripe message" I had sent with this DGYBGPIAW. I will let you figure it out. Read this book and put it into action. You will be oh so glad you did!

Put Your Big Girl Panties on and Deal with it---provides women with a no excuse framework that frees them up to live life authenicly and outrageously. Roz's stories are powerful and potent. They highlight the key messages in her book about how to get what you want in your life! It's about designing your life so you end up where you want to be. A great book for women of all ages!

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

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

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

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

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

"Right Ho Jeeves" was first published in 1934 in the UK, though was first published in the US under the name "Brinkley Court". The book is set in England and features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

The book opens with Bertie's return from Cannes, having spent two months on holiday with his Aunt Dahlia, his cousin Angela and Madeline Basset - Angela's best friend. Arriving back at his flat, Bertie is surprised to learn that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been a frequent caller in his absence. Gussie, an old school-friend of Bertie's, is something of a reclusive character : he doesn't drink, looks rather like a fish, prefers country life to the city and is a noted newt-fancier. Gussie has apparently fallen in love, and has - wisely - taken to visiting Jeeves for his advice on how to win the young lady's heart. However, following a disagreement with Jeeves about a white mess jacket purchased in Cannes, Bertie decides to take over Gussie's case.

By sheer coincidence, the object of Gussie's desires is none other than Madeline Basset - who, after the trip to Cannes, has returned to Brinkley Court (Aunt Dahlia's stately home). Bertie sends Gussie off to the stately home in question - though his motives aren't entirely noble. As well as spending time with Madeline, Gussie will also be delivering a speech at the local grammar school's prizegiving day - a job Aunt Dahlia had intended for Bertie. However, when word comes through that Angela has brokern off her engagement with Tuppy Glossop, Bertie and Jeeves race off to the countryside to offer their support. Naturally, Bertie's attempts to ease smooth things over land everyone in a great deal of bother.

A very easy and enjoyable read.

If there's one thing Bertie Wooster should never do, it's make elaborate plans to bring estranged lovebirds back together.

And he demonstrates just why in the second full-length Jeeves novel, a screwball disaster saga that sees Bertie confidently trying to fix people's lives. Of course, things go horribly wrong, and Wodehouse's arch, nutty look at what happens next is an absolute gem.

When Aunt Dahlia summons him to Brinkley Court for a prizegiving, Bertie sends his newt-fancying friend Gussie instead -- especially since Gussie is enamoured of a girl staying there, the soppy Madeleine Bassett. But when Bertie hears that his cousin Angela has broken off her engagement to Tuppy Glossop -- and his aunt is in need of money -- he rushes down to assist all his relatives and pals by advising them to feign such sorrow that they're unable to eat.

Unfortunately his plan falls through, and they manages to enrage the cook Anatole to the point where he storms out. Even worse, the prize-giving is a disaster and the wrong people end up engaged -- and pursued by homicidally angry exes. Only Jeeves' formidable brain can somehow save the day -- and Bertie's behind.

P.G. Wodehouse made a pretty good living off of spoofing the upper crust of England, and the subtlely intlligent servants who bail them out. "Right Ho Jeeves" is a prime example of his writing -- some small mistakes rapidly balloon out into a crazy tangled mess, which only an intelligent manservant can rescue Bertie from.

Much of the book's charm comes from its complex plot and series of disasters (such as Tuppy's homicidal rampage). And as usual, poor Bertie finds himself the object of young ladies' affections -- in this case, the appallingly goofy Madeleine thinks he's madly in love with her, when she's not rambling about fairies and bunnies. If there's a flaw, it's that Jeeves' final solution is a bit limp.

But Wodehouse's writing is what really makes the book timeless. It's arch and wry, whether he's describing basic actions ("He leaped like a lamb in springtime"), or goofy dialogue ("But if you were a male newt, Madeline Bassett wouldn't look at you. Not with the eye of love, I mean").

Jeeves and Bertie are the perfect comic team -- Bertie is proud, goofy, and not terribly bright, while the quiet Jeeves is a towering intellect with wry wit. And they're backed by a colourful, small cast of nutty aristocrats, schoolboys, sharp-tongued aunts and cousins, newt-fancying fish-faced men, and a girl who talks about how "every time a fairy sheds a tear, a wee bitty star is born." Yech.

"Right Ho Jeeves" is a hilarious, tangled farce of love, money, jealousy, dinner jackets and the mating rituals of newts. Absolutely priceless, from start to finish.

got the blues? melancholia got you in its grip? the prospect of death got you down? jeeves to the rescue! nothing like a good wodehouse read to cheer one up. problem is, the man wrote just short of a million books, and not all of them are good. so where to start? right here, with this book. of all the wodehouse books i've read, this is my favorite, the most consistently entertaining. just what the doctor ordered to smash you in the funny bone and get a smile going on the old face.

If you love Monty Python, Faulty Towers, and the like, you'll love RHJ. The glowing reviews on this page are spot on. This is timeless stuff. And Cecil's reading (if you incline towards the recorded version) is terrific. Laugh out loud funny. I adored every moment!

It is rare that I derive such pleasure from a book, but Right Ho, Jeeves, gave me a delightful surprise. Not only does Wodehouse make an art of the satirical novel, but in the process wraps the reader up in the witty speech of Bertram Wooster and his strange arrangement of friends, family, and butler. Bertram, or "Bertie," as he is commonly known, stumbles through the entire novel with the idea that he alone must bear the weight of being the sole aid to his friends' problems. Despite several attempts at a kind reprimand from Jeeves, his personal servant, ("I beg your pardon sir... What I intended to say, since you press me, was that the action which you propose does seem to be somewhat injudicious."); Bertie continues to give it his best. Among other things, Wooster implements the best intentions while attempting a match between old friends, but with little success: "All he had to do was propose." "Yes, sir." "Well, didn't he?" "No, sir." "Then what the dickens did he talk about?" "Newts, sir."

Despite the playful banter, colorful characters (such as a sensitive French cook), an inept yet lovable narrative voice found in Wooster, and of course, Jeeves, behind all is an incredibly clever satire on the "upper crust," so to speak. Although, admittedly, many readers cannot associate directly with the early-middle twentieth century, one cannot help but feel the idle, privileged and somewhat clueless lives of the English aristocracy seep from the pages of Jeeves. Wodehouse does a wonderful job of capturing the lives of people who have nothing better to do then dabble about ridiculously in the lives of one another.

Indeed, Wodehouse does much to reflect the over-privileged lives to which Bertie and company cling to so humorously. However, what might have become a novel filled to overflowing with hilarity and drama is brought back down to a more substantial level with the constant subtle humor and patronization brought in by Jeeves. "Jeeves, don't keep saying `Indeed, sir?' No doubt nothing is further from your mind than to convey such a suggestion, but you have a way of stressing the `in' and then coming down with a thud on the `deed' which makes it virtually tantamount to `Oh, yeah?' Correct this, Jeeves." The nature in which Bertie and the rest are virtually ignorant to Jeeves' little jibes such as this shows clearly the statement of Wodehouse, how the aristocracy is too self absorbed to notice even the slightest. In short, this is a wonderfully clever novel, which keeps the pages turning with quick wit and snappy humor. I highly suggest it.

Simply put, Robert Rummel-Hudson's Schuyler's Monster is a must read for every parent and educator. With raw emotion, he tells the story of his family's journey through the maze of parenting a child who appears perfect and yet somehow, something is not quite right. Rummel-Hudson doesn't hold back, he writes honestly about his wife's and his own efforts and reactions, as well as those of all the professionals that they encounter along the way. In doing so, he has created an accurate picture of the limitations of the medical and educational services available to some. Unfortunately, many people don't even have that.

As a special education teacher for 27 years, I hate to admitted that 30 years after PL 94-142 was passed, we don't have more to offer. Public education will always be a work in progress. Perhaps Schuyler's story will help move that work in the right direction. Which is why you need to read it.

You say your not a nonfiction reader? Never fear, this book reads like a novel. Rummel-Hudson keeps the story moving, making it interesting, entertaining and humorous. Warning! You may just become a dedicated blog reader, so you can keep up with Schuyler's journey.

I couldn't put this book down. I'm pretty picky about what I read and this was a beautifully written story, worth every minute I spent with it.

I found this book in the Black Oak bookstore on a recent day trip to Berkeley with my youngest daughter (the one who was never 100% neurotypical), and it's turned out to be the best possible souvenir of a wonderful day. Unfortunately, thanks to Robert Rummel-Hudson and his improbably funny, engaging style (how many books about neurological disorders and fights with special education administrators can lay claim to having many laugh-out-loud moments??), I've gotten no housework, homework, cooking, cleaning or other reading done in the three days since I acquired the book--and I got a lot of funny looks from the other parents at the neighborhood water park today, as I sat, happily oblivious to the periodic spray of water cannons, laughing wildly like Schuyler over my book while my kids played nearby. Thank goodness the author keeps a blog, so now that I've finished the book I don't really have to say a final goodbye to him or to Schuyler--I can just keep tabs on them periodically, and make sure they're doing okay and continuing to thrive in Plano.

This is a beautifully written story I would recommend to anyone. It had personal meaning to me as I have a child with special needs.

This is a story of tragedy, love and the humorous foibles of life. It is also expertly written, easily approachable and best of all, thoroughly enjoyable.

I initially wondered whether I'd walk away from it more forlorn than uplifted, but that wasn't the case. Schuyler, by simply being her beautiful, innocent self, proves that life does indeed go on, and that although pain might exist, so does joy, gratitude and hope.

Highly, highly recommended.

I have to give Pearls Before Swine a high rating. No other comic makes me laugh as hard. A true original. The personality profiles of the various characters are amazing. Nor sure what else there is to say or add.

I've been a Pearls Before Swine fan for a while, and I love this book! The comics are funny and realistic (rather), though a bit dark. But it's still worthwhile. I like how Stephan Pastis puts little comments under some comics. It's nice to see some insight from the author. The beginning is good as well, with Pastis telling how he got into the comic business. Overall, I highly recommend this book to Pearls Before Swine fans, and to anyone looking for a funny (but not always happy) comic.

I always start my mornings out with a nice healthy strip of Pearls. This first Pearls treasury is a must for all fans! It contains all the strips from the first two books (BLTs Taste So Darn Good, This Little Piggy Stayed Home), but the Sundays are in color and Pastis even includes some personal comments for select strips. The comments offer a different way to look at the strip, giving insight to what the author was thinking or how the audience reacted to the strip.

This book is fantastic. I am a Pearls reader, but anyone with a dry, sardonic sense of humor will like it. For Pearls fans, it has an introduction and bonus comments by the author, which are illuminating and very interesting. I laughed out loud at least fifty times while reading it, then I bought it for my brother, too. Highest recommendation!

The first Pearls comic I've ever saw was the strip where Pig made Fidel Castro cry and I've been hooked ever since. I've had this collection for about a year and it still makes me laugh. A great gift for friends or yourself, an instant classic.