Humor Books

This is an appropriately titled tome with some of the best of Bloom County. A must for any BC fan.

If you remember the eighties, this book, the second collection from the "Bloom County" syndicated comic strip will be hysterically funny. If you do not remember the eighties, then it will just be funny. No one captured the moods, social movements and absurdity of their combination as well as Breathed did. His exaggerated characters and references to the anxieties of the moment were a dose of reality encased in the fiction of a cartoon strip. I never missed it and neither should you.

That's really all I can say. It's not my favorite comic strip (that honor belongs to CALVIN AND HOBBES) but it is the laugh-out-loud funniest. BILL THE CAT LIVES!

The beloved characters all appear. Milo remains well-supplied with nightmares from his anxiety clost, Steve Dallas remains un-supplied with tact or charm, and Opus displays his huge supply of innocent bafflement. Winsome Yaz Pistachios appears a few times, as does Bill the Cat (the anti-Garfield) and Oliver Wendell Jones, computer geek extraordinaire.

The humor is still there, but some of the freshness rubbed off during the quarter-century since these first appeared. Some grey heads will remember Phyllis Schlafly and all the other Reagan-era targets of the Bloom County barbs. The problem with topical humor is that topics change in the real world, but remain frozen on the printed page, becoming gradually more antiquated over time.

No matter. You'll find plenty of timeless humor and maybe a bit of nostalgia between these covers, as well as a reminder of how the early 80s looked to one cartoonist of the era.

-- wiredweird

These strips aren't just funny. They're laugh out loud, roll on the floor, tears streaming down my face, people coming into the room to see "WHAT-are-you-laughing-at?!" funny.

Berkeley Breathed has created a perfect 'toon universe populated by funny and poignant humans, along with funny and poignant penguins, groundhogs, Bill the Cat and purple critters that hide in your closet of anxieties waiting to grab you as soon as you sleep. Breathed was an absolute genius at seeing some topical issue of the day (circa 1984 for this voume) holding it up to the light so that we could see it just the way that he did, then skewering the thing with what would be the humor equivalent of cupid's arrow.

The basic version, by Ambrose Bierce, is a classic. The annotated version expands on both the content and the usefulness of the volume. A copy should be on everyone's bookshelf.

If poetry and sarcasm had a wild affair, and the more feminine of the two (poetry, I suppose) had a love child nine months later, it would take form in this book. Bitter Bierce defines everything from Saints ("a dead sinner revised and edited") to Egotists("a person of low taste, more interested in himself than me") with a snarl of disgust, appreciating only the flaws in our pitiful species.
*(this is where the disclaimer should go) Not recommended for anyone of the Judeo-Christian religion, Politicians, or anyone with an ounce of optimism left in their lives.

Also known as "The Cynic's Workbook" this collection is classic and belongs in any library. Ambrose Bierce, like Mark Twain and few other of his contempories, had a biting wit that always left a mark.
Here is just a taste of his humor.

Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Eulogy. Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.

Good good stuff.

Still haven't found any real competitor for the Devils Dictionary.

Sheer honesty abounds. The insurance agent that came by my place rapidly deflated when I showed him the entry for "insurance" while (to his credit) acknowledged its veracity...

"an ingenious modern game of chance in which the player is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is beating the man who keeps the table."

(followed by a vicious, fictitious and brilliant dialogue between an agent and perspective mark wherein said agent tries to overcome the mark's observation that by the agent's own actuarial tables a home owner without insurance would most likely save the full value of the house in premiums well before any loss... )

And that's just one of hundreds of essays. One of my intellectual heroes.

This is a great book. The sarcasm and the definitions are the best. If you know someone who is a book lover or just enjoys quick wit-this book is for them. I bought two more just for gifts. It's one of those books that you can always pick up and find a smile...

I loved this book so much, it was a nice different angle on the Uncle John series. Anyone who loves Uncle John will love this book.

This is a really great book, and a great read, starts off great and its hard to put down until close to the end where the information isn't quite as interesting.

I bought my husband & my sister in law this book. It made it's way to every family member. So many intresting facts. A great read!!! (even if you're not in the bathroom! LOL) Just put 2 more of Uncle John's book in cart for this Christmas!

I'm so glad I bought this book. It's the perfect book to read while on the can.

This is a great bathroom book! I have learned so much from my trips to the bathroom now. Everyone that comes over and has to use my bathroom now has to know where to find this book because they have to have it. It's great for all that "everything you ever needed to know but never thought about" kind of stuff.

This book is exactly what I wanted. I gave it to my dad as a gift and he loves it! The information is so interesting!

I love this book. Right when I got it in the mail I started to read it right away. I actually read this book more at night than in the bathroom. The history series in the Uncle John's bathroom readers are really interesting articles because they tell you information that you always wanted to know.

At this point I think I have all of their books...great for trivia buffs; folks who want to read for a bit, put it down, and read later without following a storyline/plot; history fans, etc.
And as the titles say, they are great for those "Moments of Solitude" on the throne!

This book is quite an eye-opener! Not only is it entertaining (and sometimes hilarious) it is amazingly educational. There is no question that the greatest history buff will get something out of this book, and the presentation is priceless!

The history starts B.C. and moves into modern times, teaching you stuff you never heard from your history teachers. The History of Underwear is one of my particular favorites.

This is a fabulous, fun read!

I'm not, by nature, overly impressed with trivia books. I enjoy them at times, but I rarely consider them "page-turners", which is why they are often considered great choices for bathroom reading material. This collection is a welcome exception! History is a fascinating field, something more people need to realize but few can grasp after years of stale high school history lessons. This book has a lot of fascinating material in it, and offers the reader a wealth of hilarious and/or startling trivia. This book is well worth the cost!

This book is the Best bathroom book I've ever read. It has a wealth of knowledge that is humorous at times, revealing at other times and is hard to put down.

Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader is just what the title says. Oh, you can read it anywhere you want. That part of the title is open to debate. There's something here for everybody in this masterpiece of literature! There's history, humor, science and tons more. It's just plain awesome.

More than 500 pages also includes popular culture and lots of fascinating trivia, including the origins of slang. You're sure to come away from this reading experience "talking like a book" -- that's a 19th century slang for speaking eloquently. Like the Japanese, you might start eating Kit-Kat candy bars for good fortune. (At any rate, that's what they say, and ANY excuse to eat that works for me!)

Buy this book, gentle readers. It's not to be missed!

I bought 3 more of these books for my husband for Christmas. He loves them and has learned many things from them, even things he was able to use in his work. I also bought 2 of them for one of my brother's who is recuperating from surgery and I think he will find many things in them for use in his work, just as my husband has.

This book has a variety of different topics to entertain just about anybody while using the bathroom. I purchased it for the main bathroom used by guests, family and friends. I get a lot of good comments on it.

We gave one of these to our son-in-law for Christmas a few years ago and now it's become a tradition. You can pick any page and enjoy/learn something. And no, it doesn't have to be in the bathroom. :)

This book is the greatest thing since Freezie Freakies. But that's why it doesn't get 5 stars. There is no mention of freezie freakies anywhere in the book. So 4 out of 5.

Other than that it's flawless.

Definitely recommended

Underrated (probably the only book of its kind) is very funny, nostolgic and informative. While on a recent plane trip, I found myself laughing outloud. It was thoroughly entertaining to reminisce about TV shows, food,actors and topics I haven't thought about in a long time, especially in a way the writers portray it with their clever and intelligent sense of humor. I, subsequently, went to rent "Carlito's Way", ate meatloaf for dinner and craved a chipwich (which I will try to locate in my neighborhood). It's about time for this type of book....loved it and recommend it for any age to find something you can relate to....

It's quite amazing the breadth of knowledge these authors have on the subject matter. They tune our attention to those items lost in our memory banks that, when we dust them off, make us wonder why we let them go in the first place. Inevitably, you leave impressed with the detail in which you recall those days where you unabashedly crammed Big League Chew into your mouth. After reading this book, you'll have the urge to revisit some memories that fell by the wayside, and to experience those you never had before.

The YPR guys hit a lot of veins in Underrated. It covers a wide range of topics and this is good -- just when I was getting disgusted at myself for agreeing or disagreeing with ratings of Diet Dr. Pepper and Chipwich, I come across an entry for the Indian Ocean and Neptune(the planet)and I think "oooh, these guys are tricky."

I rank the book 4 of 5 stars -- I withold a star simply because of page 95 entry about Snoopy being underrated. This actually made me mad. "He doesn't even speak English!" Neither did Lassie, Marmaduke and a lot of other celebrity dogs, animated dogs and real dogs.

I hope they follow up this book with an "overrated" version soon.

I found myself saying "Oh yeah, I remember that!" throughout this witty, fun book! I was thrilled that others feel the love for Diet Dr Pepper, Chipwiches and My So Called Life. A very entertaining read. Word.

Humorous and easy to read, this book is true. It's cute and a little naive, all the information is important to take seriously though. I gave it to my boyfriend just to help him have an idea what kind of person he should not be like. He was reading and laughing. Hopefully he took it seriously enough to believe it.

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

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

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

i laughed til my pulse was racing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vicky Decoster appears to be an up and coming Erma Brombeck. You will enjoy her stories of life and the funny times we encounter growing up.

Vicky hits a chord with many women, and with people who may know a women, in a style one might expect if she were the love-child of Erma Bombeck and Dave Berry. Like these writers, you get the sense that her everyday experiences are not that ordinary - but yet common to all. I hope to see more works by Vicky, unless her life has slowed down and become boring. Let's hope not.

Vicky DeCoster's book, The Wacky World of Womanhood, really hits home! The humor is real and keeps the reader engrossed throughout the entire book. (I've even wondered at times if she somehow tapped into my head...) A breath of fresh air, and a must read for ALL women!

The book was great. So much reminded me of my own experiences but Vicki made you see the fun and joy in it all. I was in tears I laughed so hard and both my husband and I enjoyed the laughter it brought to our day.

Vicky has quite a way with words and makes everything funny! I would highly recommend this book to women of all ages!

This book made me laugh until I cried. Clearly the author has "been there." Forget about the recipes; it's the commentary that matters. I particularly liked the cookies sent to the child at boarding school with "love from Mummy" written in the cook's handwriting.

10/24/03 The book is entertaining with much levity since it comes across absurd(e,g recipe for Green Leaf Salad: Boston lettuce,red oak leaf lettuce,Newman's Own Salad Dressing)...or.. "Mary's Knees" :orange juice,lemon juice,lime juice,lemon vodka(Absolut Citron),Grand Marnier liquer).The book does not come across "as believable",based on books and other mediums(TV,Magazines) for biographies and autobiographies which have exposed the "life styles" of the "low keyed" bluebloods(The Paparazzi have shown their radicals such as the Spencer Family(Princess Diana),Kelly Family (Princess Grace).The rich's conservatism with their cash have made them able to be philanthropists and "powers behind the throne" of most politicans(who do take them seriously!)..The products mentioned (in the many foods not made from scratch e.g. for "Barn Parties:"Spring Chicken Potpies( ingredients incuded 4 cans of chunk white chicken(5-oz ea.)..4 cans creamy potato soup(10 oz ea.)...6 pkg. of pie crust mix (10 oz. ea)) as well as the events,categorized by season(e.g. Winter:Debutante Ball Cocktails(Pg 90) appear to show a faction not "atypical" of the sterotypes which have been depicted.(Possibly because the book shows "only leisure time"(before graduation from school,at lunches,brunches,showers,weddings,egg hunts,fox hunts);not inside the corporate board rooms or an actual easedropping of the "cigar guys" in their private clubs..

Alexandra Wentworth should receive the Nobelprice for collecting these recipies. Also the comments were great fun to read.

SAMPLE REVIEW, (ONE OF 3) FROM THE COVER OF THIS BOOK: 'A very funny, nostalgic trip through WASPland. Chock-full of sociological information".....Letitia Baldridge

If you are a person who pronounces the word as "QU-LIN-AIR-Y', and NOT as "cull-in-ary'; if you admire and aspire to the "WASP" (White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant) lifestyle, love books such as "Elegance", by Genvieve Darieux, and "Faro's Daughter" by Georgette Heyer, (which....I herein must admit, in shameless self-promotion, that I have also reviewed for Amazon), and all other exquisitely written regency novels...would die to become a debutante, or a debutante's glamourous escort, if you read the "Style" sections assiduously, and agonize, daily, with your sense of fair play, and political correctness coming into conflict with your love of the good life and material success....THIS IS YOUR COOKBOOK!

It helps to have a wry sense of humour, as well, in reading this book. For the authoress, ALEXANDRA WENTWORTH, is not only a genuine, top-drawer WASP, but is also an accomplished comedienne, having appeared on "IN LIVING COLOUR", and other entertainment vehicles. (Ms. Wentworth seems to have found THE answer in how to assuage a guilty conscience and STILL enjoy the "good life": simply to SHARE the wisdom and wealth, of that good life, with others! She did so in the TV programme, "IN LIVING COLOUR", and does so, as well -- and with obvious glee and relish, (no pun intended -- by me, at least), in this book.

The book is divided, firstly, into the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season has several subsections, (such as "Annual Family Meeting Tea", in 'Spring') Each subsection contains one or more receipies....many with pithy, and insightful comments showing the good, (and yes, the bad) sides, of real WASP life. For instance, in "Annual Family Meeting Tea", there are two receipies, prefaced by a delightfully humourous, and very knowing introduction. Herewith, the introduction, and one receipie, (together with the comments given)

.........A N N U A L....F A M I L Y....M E E T I N G....T E A.........

The annual family meeting used to be a time when the extended family gathered to discuss property, financial accounts, and the name of a good doctor who can declare Grandpa legally incompetent. Alas, as WASPs have, over the years, lost much of their estate and holdings, owing to n'er-do-well offspring, the annual family meeting has become more of a de facto reunion. If you have married into such a family and are of a different background, I suggest you feign the flu or a slipped disk and stay home.
As WASPs can't cook an elaborate meal, family meetings have mercifully taken on a tealike quality.

.......................M A R Y ' S.....K N E E S.......................

Serves 15-20. An important drink for calming nerves and provoking hearty laughs, (ie: add extra vodka).

6 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
4 cups Absolut citron (lemon vodka)
2 cups Grand Marnier liqueur

Mix ingredients with plenty of ice and orange wedges.

Seven other topics, (making a total of eight topics) each including several recipies, are given for "Spring", (many with similarly pithy insights), These include one or more receipes for "Easter Supper", "Bridal Tea" and "Baby Shower Bruch" -- amongst receipies for other crucial Spring events in the WASP Calendar. In "Summer" are shown receipes for ten events, including: "June Graduation Supper", "Fourth of July Cookout", and "Wimbledon Fancy", (amongst others). "Autumn" gives receipes for six events, including "Prep School Send-Off", "A Middleburg Foxhunt" and "A Racquetball Lunch", and other important events. And "Winter" again gives culinary musts for six events, including "Debutante Ball Cocktails", "Boxing Day Lunch", and "Vail Weekend".

(This reviewer notes the fact that several receipies are given for both "Fourth of July Cookout", and for "Boxing Day Lunch". This shows this book to be a genuinely AMERICAN WASP cookbook.....as, by and large, both American WASPS -- and WASP Admirers -- find absolutely no contradiction in being proud to be American, and being an unashamed Anglopile, at one and the same time. Or, at least, we try very, very hard to find no contradiction in liking, and being proud of, our interest in both. I mean, after all, it HAS been over 200 years since the American Revolution, and, with the "Special relationship" between the U.S. and the U.K. And, after all, Boxing Day DOES involve giving presents to the "help" -- which is a good, democratic idea...or is it a condescending one???? Well, it appears that, though WASP wanna-bes, like me, struggle mightily to join our sometimes conflicting admirations, real WASPS, such as Ms. Wentworth, have absolutely NO compuction of combining their seemingly conflicting admirations. At least, no apologies of any kind for admiring things English is given in THE WASP COOKBOOK. And, after all, why should there be -- as a WASP, Ms. Wentworth, and others like her, are only admiring their own genetic heritage. Oh....why can't everyone be lucky!?

I noticed, by comparing similar receipies in "The WASP Cookbook", and "The Jewish Cookbook", (by Mildred Bellin....which, yes indeed, I have also reviewed for Amazon), that the WASP recipes use FEWER INGREDIENTS. Thus, to "Waspisize" any receipie, it MIGHT be an idea to simply take away some ingredients....preferably those with the most calories or fat. However, for GENUINE Wasp receipes....along with eye-opening, very true, very humourous, and often self-depricating comments, this slim volume with 110 numbered pages, a WONDERFUL velveteen cover, (with golden printing on the cover!), and lovely pale-blue endpapers, can't be missed! It is a very true, and very real, treasure-trove, both for WASPs, and for anyone who wants to eat like one!

This is a great book. I bought it for myself - and I'm now buying them for my WASP girlfriends for their birthdays - a very funny book with some good (not great) recipes.

This is a replacement of a LP i bought in the in the 1950's when still a student at Law School with a good grounding in Latin and all things Roman.

The "Rinse the blood off my toga" sketch is after all these years still a classic and brought tears to my eyes on listening to it now as the poor LP I owned disappeared many years ago.

Indeed all the sketches on the disc are all gems and should be compulsory listening for all students of literature and classic history!

PBF, Cape Town, South Africa

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

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

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

Highly recommended.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I highly recommend this album.