Humor Books

Ms. Chast should be able to retire now based on the amount of money I've spent just buying copies of this wonderfully witty book. It's good, clean humor that anyone would love. In fact, one of my friends has permanently borrowed MY copy . . .

I've always loved Roz Chasts cartoons, so having the collection in one book is a real treat. Recommed this to anybody with a sense of humour!

Roz Chast is hands down my favorite cartoonist, and I grew up reading her cartoons in The New Yorker. They were among the funniest and hands-down the most accessible in the magazine. In fact, as a teen, hers were often the only ones I COULD understand! Her humorous outlook on family and life in today's world are as distinctive as her drawing style.

The only issues I have with this book are far too minor for me to subtract any stars. For one thing, there are no page numbers, so in order to find your favorite cartoon, you just have to flip through the entire book, which is colorful and fun but inconvenient. Then there's one New Yorker cover included, from 1990. However, she does not include the title of the illustration (which normally appears inside the magazine, not on the cover) and since it's from 17 years ago, finding the title will prove difficult. Not knowing the title doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the art, but it would be nice to know it!

If you're like me, The New Yorker is the only place you've been exposed to Roz Chast's work. Apparently she does cartoons for a number of publications, and many of them are included here. Therefore, I hadn't previously seen most of the cartoons in this book, which made it a fun new treat for me. I'd recommend this book to people who've never heard of Roz Chast (What better way to be introduced than this?) and to people who are already fans. most of the cartoons are hilarious. I actually bought this as a gift for my aunt, but I couldn't resist reading it myself first. I don't regret either decision for a minute. It's a great book and it'll make my aunt very happy. Make someone you know -- or yourself! -- happy today, and check this one out!

Favorites in the New Yorker, these cartoons' self-effacing, on-point humor will tickle you. The battles of the sexes, the generations and things (guilt, social angst) we maybe didn't realize till Chast shows us. A middle age travel book that's perceptive, well-drawn, unselfconscious and funny best of all.

Since her first cartoons in the New Yorker I have found Ms Chast to be absolutely in line with my own sense of the absurdities we find around us. Maybe it's generational, I find the same with Matt Groening and both the Simpsons and his other cartoons. A great book with an excellent chronological collection of some of her best.

I'll be honest. When I got this book, I mostly expected it to be a compilation of funny stories about poop void of any substance or usefulness (much like feces itself).

Alas, I found myself continually intrigued by Praeger's unique research, and in the end I found that I was surprised that I had learned so much regarding the subject. To say it changed my life might be overstating the fact, but it certainly did change the way I considered one constant aspect of it.

The book was also well written, educational and thoughtful without being dry or stuffy. And the humor in the book is well balanced, managing to be clever without being over-the-top.

Poop Culture is a fun, quick read, and you will learn more than you ever thought you would about crap. And that's a good thing.

This is a very funny, well written book about a bizarre subject. I found myself laughing out loud......

This book will change the way you feel about poop. Not only informative, but very funny. I purchased multiple copies to give to my relatives.

Although this book contains a lot of humor, it also provides lessons on history, art, literature and environmental science. This is an enjoyable read, especially if you want to learn something. If you are looking for poop jokes, it's got some of those too, but that is not the book's primary focus. Some of the chapters read more like a college term paper, and sometimes the book is a little preachy when it comes to the environment, but overall, it's a good read.

Once you pick it up and stick your nose in it, you will be permanently stained... with knowledge and insight!

This book is both entertaining and informative, and scientifically argues why no one else will touch the subject matter.

This makes the ideal gift: I handed my Poop Culture over to my mom, and she loved it.

---I'm sorry to do thid to you, but the previous review was actually meant for a book of the same title. (Pose File volume 1). I do not own this particular book you are researching, but If I get a copy, I will be sure to get back to you on this.--I am not saying that this book is good or bad, just that I cannot speak for it personally...

Cobalt

This book has one unusual strength: most poses are shown from many angles, up to about two dozen in some cases. This gives extra insight into unusual foreshortening and into how the figure articulates.

The weakness of this book is that, in order to show so many different views on a page, each figure photo is relatively small. This is especially disappointing because the models are all Japanese, where most pose books show only European features and figures. This book never meant to document details of faces, though, so I really can't complain,

From moderate shadow to deep chiascuro effects this is a beautiful addition to the Pose File series. The other books excellently describe the figure, in proportion, motion and moving through space, but mostly in an even tonal scale. This volume emphasizes the extremes of that scale, making it a necessary addition to the set.

---You may be wary of the idea of buying a japanese book, where 99% of the text is in Kanjii. Rest assured that this book is as useful in the states as it is in Japan, because the main body of these books are beautiful photographs of female models taking every pose one could imagine in any studio.--Being a fellow who works in cartooning and graphic novels more than any fine art. I find this series endlessly useful as an excersise in my spare time.--Just pick a page and draw all it's figures until your arm is sore, and you will be all the better than trying to glean useful practice from old Playboy Magazines.--Pose File books are for, and will always be about fine artists who have a passion for the ultimate machine.

Cobalt

PS. THIS is the right review for the right book Sorry about any confusion

I'm trying to learn how to draw, and the books in this and similar series would be really helpful--if I could afford any of them. I found this book in a store where I live and decided to buy it until I checked the price tag that the store had stuck onto it. because I lived in Japan for a while, I'm used to the printed price that appears on all books, so I had just looked there. I have decided to wait until Christmas when I can buy it myself for a decent price. Blah.

light read thats totally funny and brings you back to college days. and believe it or not you learn quite a bit! sooo many songs and bands were referenced in this book....i totally heard their music in a different way. 311 fans a must read

This is the definitive guide to what Pot brought to Pop Culture and it is really amazing how ingrained it is in our society. We all know Pot won't kill you, but leave it to Halperin and Bloom to show us how pot has enhanced our lives. Like it or not, we would be lost without weed and this entertaining, enlightening and thorough look at how Pot has ingrained our society is a great read. I wish I had this when I was 15, but I had to learn all the tricks on my own. Now I just have to hide my copy from my kids....I want them to figure it out the hard way.

well written, funny, and in-depth, this book covers it all from stoner slang, to films, to recipes etc... really nice packaging is a bonus and this would look fantastic on any coffee table.

Saw this book up in Martha's Vineyard this past weekend... couldn't wait to order it from Amazon (used of course) Fantastic book ... well written, valuable advice and great pictures. couldn't wait for 420 to roll around (or was it 7:14?)

I picked up this book as a gift for a friend. Now I'm not what one would call a "stoner". In fact, I can't remember the last time I smoked pot. I thumbed through it and got caught up in a really great read. I can only imagine how much better it would have been if I was a smoker, but it is a great fascinating and fun read for just about anyone. Loved it!

What a funny read...Very well written and witty. Highly recommended from a mom who RARELY reads parenting books because they seem so boring.... This one is original, supportive and well worth the time. You'll feel a little less crazy, neurotic and guilty as a parent after you read this one.

No, I don't have kids but I am a day care teacher and I am a Goddess to many children. I am about half way through this book and am really liking it. I keep laughing out making my sister think I'm insane though since she works with 3 year old too I'll be passing this along to her next and she can laugh out loud too.

5 stars and if you don't like it you can't come to my birthday next September!

What a funny funny look at being the mother of a three year old. She has done a great job capturing the phases and stages that leark in dark corners just when you think the terrible twos are over! Although I think Shelton is a little down on Motherhood sometimes the book is non-the-less a great read. Easy to pick up and put down, with some out loud laughing involved. It would make a great gift for the three year old birthday boy or girl's mom!

This book entertained me non-stop through an 800-mile train-and-bus trip, and I don't even have children. I really couldn't put it down. It's as funny as Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and as engagingly written. Someone should make a TV series from it, or a movie. This one's a winner.

My husband and I are reading this book out loud to each other each night after we tuck our kids in bed. We usually end up laughing so hard we almost fall off of the couch. It's good medicine, that book. Sandi takes situations that you may never have thought of as being funny and opens your eyes to just how hilarious it all really is. The fact that she's been through the preschool stage three times herself gives her vast experience to draw from and write about.

Mostly, I feel like I am reading a comic strip about our own family life because the things she describes are the very things we experience over and over again and never even thought to ask anybody about. It does wonders for my attitude.

I think anyone who is in the process of raising a preschooler NEEDS to read this book. It's like the glass of wine at the end of the day, and perspective for the days to come.

I bought it as a gift for my doctor thinking he'd be able to appreciate it, but my quick skim turned into a full-read. I laughed so hard I thought I'd really need to see my doctor!

I don't care what the cover says, this book is not just for healthcare professionals...Can be enjoyed by everyone. I highly recommend!

Very, very funny!! I also sent a copy to my cousin who's doing her residency in Ohio - she can't stop talking about it! If there were any issues I had with the book it's that they should have more nursing topics. Also why don't they update their website more often?? Otherwise, highly recommended if you or someone you know is in the medical field.

This book is awesome! I'm a third year medical student and have been following Qfever for the past couple of years. They used to have a lot of issues but now it's like three or four a year. Sigh. The book keeps me company during those long nights on Surgery. I also gave it as a gift to some friends and they love it! Crazy stuff. Get it!

To describe Qfever is to tell you that it is better than AWESOME! This book is exactly what people need to spark their lives and bring some humor and levity to it.

Hilarious! I can't stop laughing! Q Fever has a big following on the web, now it's finally in a book form to be enjoyed. GET IT!

This is a really super book about squirrels - you should get all of this guys publications - or invite him to tea and have him write you your own book!

I gave this book to my daughter's college boyfriend for Christmas, not knowing what reaction I'd get. Well, he LOVED it! He thought the little vignettes were very cute and he didn't look at me like I was crazy. You might love this little book, too.

Author of: Bad Girls Club

this is a good squirrel book. keep it near your
books about the Cosmos. I'd say keep it about 3
feet from those other books. if i wrote it i'd give it
5 stars. i guess i'm stingy that way.

This outwardly appears to be a humor or children's book, and while it is that, it is also a lesson about actually paying attention to the world around us. Squirrels are everywhere, but we often don't think about their lives, even though they often share space with us. This is why there is a notes section at end -- the author is encouraging us to take notes on squirrels.

I have bought two copies of this book, one for me and one for a friend. This will be my third.

This book makes me smile every time I open it, and also when I think of it.

I recently joined the National Caricaturist Network ([...]) and among the many many talented individuals who make up the membership, Joe Blum stands out as one of the absolute best. Joe combines awesome artistic ability with a twisted knack for nailing the individuals who sit for him.

A good caricature is well drawn combining a likeness with humor and sometimes warmth. A great caricature includes a spark that leaves a little bit of that individual and their life in the caricature.

The caricatures in Rejects are unmistakably art, not just "funny drawings". The monologue shares a lot of insight and advice about retail caricaturing as well as human nature and life.

A great coffee table book to enjoy over and over again.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever laughed out loud and would like to do so again!

Joe Bluhm's new book entitled "Rejects - the extreme art of retail caricature" is a must have for anyone who loves caricature...every page a gem!!

Although a majority of these drawings were rejected by their subjects (sitters had absolutely no clue what they were walking away from) they are the finest examples of the best retail caricaturist working in the world today.

Give yourself a gift and make sure you pick up a copy, you certainly will not be disappointed!!!

I recently got in to caricature and had heard whispers of Joe Bluhm on a couple of forums. They were saying he was the guy who could push the envelope to the utmost extreme while staying within salable reason. And, as you will see in the book, he does just that... most of the time.

Joe pushes his drawings right to the tipping point. Think of it like a bucket of water. Most professional caricaturists are able to draw to about a quarter inch below the brim. Maybe even to the brim, but rarely ever do. Joe fills it to the point of no return -- so much so there's a slight arc of the water as it hangs in equilibrium, about to spill. If you were to add a drop more, it would collapse. No other artist that I've seen can get it to that point.

The expressions and likenesses are pushed just ever-so-slightly more than even the most extreme caricaturists would dare. The coloring bold and magnificent. Some of the pictures border on offensive, a couple too damn cute, yet pushed right to the edge of exaggeration, you don't know if you should laugh or wish the kid was your own.

Definitely buy this book. It's absolute hilarity and a bargain at it's price.

Rejects is all it is promised to be. These caricatures really capture the subjects personality and outstanding features whether they like it or not. Most people really don't like their bad features pointed out especially for the world to see, which is why they probably rejected the artist's rendition in the first place. If you are an artist you can appreciate these interpretations.

I worked with Joe for many years drawing caricatures at a theme park in Orlando, and have had the privilege of witnessing him draw first hand. I can honestly say that he has no fear when it comes to his craft. While many of us would back down from drawing that strange looking woman in our chair the way we truly wanted to (for fear of rejection, bodily harm, or perhaps both), Joe would create a grotesque masterpeice with every sketch and display it proudly.

His boldness has paid off. This collection of under-appreciated park sketches is almost as fun and inspiring as watching Joe draw in person.

Great for artists or anyone with a sense of humor!

Great, fun book for Road Rules fanatics

I am obsessed with everything on Road Rules and Real World. To me, this was one of the better MTV books. You should read it if you like learning about how the characters really felt during their adventures. It was great!

I started reading this book and i couldn't put it down. The pictures are so funny, and the entrees are juicy and tell you every thing that you never knew about the casts. I think this is a great book.

As an almost-obsessive fan of both the Real World and Road Rules, this was definitely one of the better books. Even if you have watched every episode of the shows, like I have, you should get this book. It tells what really happened with the romances and fights; what cast members really thought of each other, and it even contains lost missions that were unable to make it onto the show. I would recommend this book to anyone who has seen the show. So order it today!

This book had tons of information. It really made you feel like you were there. It gives you how cast members really felt about what the other cast members were doing. It gives you the FULL story, not the part that Bunim/Murray wants you to hear. You actually find out the reason the cast members were arguing, not just the argument. I hate to read, but I finished this book in just two days. Better than Road Rules: Passport Abroad and In the House: Real World Seattle. If you only plan to get one book about The Real World or Road Rules, this is the one!

First off, this is the BEST shounen ai manga I've ever read and it surpasses the yaoi titles too (and I've read a lot of yaoi-BL manga) it has everything anyone can ask for: beautiful art, wonderful stories and great characters, well except yaoi but this is better off without it because the love each character feels for one another makes up for the lack of sex.

#1 on my yaoi top list.

It was like poetry through art! It was such a beautiful collection of short stories. I fell in love with it on page 1. If you're expecting a long in depth sex-fest, you're going to be dissapointed; however, this book is by no means shallow, pointless, or without depth. Truely a work of art.

my best friend lent it to me and i was aghast at how beautiful the stories were, i'm really picky when it comes to yaoi or shonen ai and this, i must say is one of my favorites.

Same Cell Organism surpassed my expectations. The stories in this manga were sweet and charming. Starting with the first story of Nakagawa and Yokota. The emotion expressed through the breathtaking and clean artwork to the story lines enraptured me from the start. Very good and highly reccommended to Yaoi fans!!

I had never heard of this author before (whom, it seems, writes under several names) but I fell in love with this anthology of short stories and am now a huge fan. The artwork is gorgeous and the storytelling wonderful.
This manga is not, as the cover implies, yaoi. It is Shounen-ai, with only a few kisses,but shounen-ai at it's best. The first story is about two friends who fall in love and it's incredibly heart-warming.
The next story is very bittersweet, but great and there are several more stories.
Overall, this book won't change your life, but it will make it a little bit brighter.