Humor Books

Very interesting facts that actually help you to be a winner with this game!

I had to read through this book a few times, as it is quite complicated - I never really knew there was so much to RPS. I always assumed rock beats everything, but after my second or third reading I started to understand the intricacies of the game. I now choose paper everytime, and my winning rate has increased almost 1%

I bought this as a gift for my wife. Whenever it's time to clean the cat boxes or change a dirty diaper or do anything else unpleasant, She always wants to RPS for it. Now, we at least play by the rules and the decision is made fairly.

You think Rock Paper Scissors is a game of chance? think again! This book offersgood information on the game, its history, strategies, and much more.

this guide has really helped my game!

The accompaniments are easy to play, and the music is so much fun to sing. definately reccomended if you're auditioning for the show, or just need a fun piece to perform.

I am in this play at a Performing Arts Group that I am in, and I think that this is one of the most hillarious plays I have ever done. This book is hightly recommened.

When I purchased the vocal selections for this show I received exactly what I expected. The songs were not difficult to play at all, yet it had almost every song from the show. If trying out for the show or just want some simple music to play...this is the book to buy.

I was the pianist for my high school's performance of this musical, and when I heard the music (the 1997 CD), I fell in love immediately. As the rehearsal pianist, I played through this book three hours a day for two months, but the original appeal has not faded! In fact, since I have to return the book (it's a rental), I plan on purchasing it as soon as the show's over.

We all know the story of the Princess and the Pea, right? Well, this musical and its music book give it some well needed humor! Origianlly starring Carol Burnett, MATTRESS went on to make 2 TV movies and eventually star Ms. Sarah Jessica Parker, a now Emmy award winning actress. MATTRESS entered my life 12 months ago, and it is still here! For me, MATTRESS seems to have started my acting career. Buy this book if you need to learn songs for a role, or if you just want to add it to your Broadway collection!

I love him. It's hardly a 'comedy' album -- it's just life, which is intrinsically funny if it's done honestly. Note that Rick Reynolds now has a website (google for "church of rick"), and he's selling DVD's of his two shows for much cheaper than the used CD prices.

I was introduced to Rick Reynold's via his Showtime special in the 90's and have loved him ever since. Gah-gah over Rick much? I am. I've begged Showtime to play his show again, to sell it on DVD, just make it available! Please. So even if this is just audio and a little pricey, it's worth having in your library.

Listening to Rick Reynold's unique brand of comedy, I'm always reminded of Peter O'Toole's character in the Earl of Gurney in The Ruling Class. (Wait for it.) He rode around the bedroom on a tricycle believing he was Jesus Christ (which may, BTW, be where the saying 'Jesus Christ on a trike'came from...but I digress) as his bride begged him to show some dignity. The Earl answers, "Dignity has nothing to do with divinity!"

That's Rick Reynolds. Not the guy on the trike, but definitely a divine being who thumbs his nose at traditional standards of dignity. He points out the flaws in both of those D words and somehow manages to gain your respect, even if you might be a bit offended. He puts all his bumps, cuts, bruises and warts right out there for you, wrapped in his most excellent intelligence and sense of humor to prove that yes, only the truth is funny. Reynolds mocks the worst of human behavior and melts the heart with his appreciation of the frailty and goodness he sees beneath it all. He questions and studies everything and doesn't leave you wondering about his analysis of life. Reynolds is wonderfully and hilariously irreverent and thankfully unapologetic for it. His brave, unabashed approach to holding up the microscope and the mirror is still as fresh and vivid as ever. Rick Reynolds is truly divine and the only comic I've ever had the great pleasure of being obsessed with. :sigh: If you're not obsessed yet, you are missing out!

You're right, makada, Rick Reynolds is an excellent performer whose work was both intensely meaningful and hilarious. Few shows I've seen use personal autobiography, pathos and humor together to such startling and dramatic effect.

I too was turned on to Reynolds 15 years ago when his 90-minute TV special came out, a magnificent program. I have the whole show on videocasette and through the years have shared it with old friends and new friends time and time again, because it's that orginal and that entertaining. It's truly unlike any comedy performance you will see or hear today. And it's a shame the video of this performance is not generally available, and that Reynolds is not enjoying popularity right now on a wide scale. I hope he does regain the spotlight; this is truly comedy at its finest (and I, like Reynolds, try not to exaggerate!). Find this concert if you can, and enjoy.

Caught Reynold's show on Showtime several years ago ...
Have been trying to track it down ever since.
It was so compelling, sharp, funny, insightful, moving. Have begged SHOWTIME to re-release it, air it again, etc. Have repeatedly searched for any news items or links to Reynolds (no, am not a stalker) indicating he would be performing somewhere.
Have been unable to even get ahold of the recording - until recently when I finally found/bought a used copy. Pure bliss listening to him again. Ten years later AGAIN laughed out loud, choked up, and immediately passed it on to others who would instantly understand and appreciate his appeal.
Worth the effort - FIND this album. Share it with friends. It withstands the test of time.
Where is Rick Reynolds? Please come back.

I have no luck with this item. Rick Reynolds did this monoloque on HBO and I thought it was one of the most unique that I've ever heard. He tells you flat out about the most awful real-life experiences and has you crying and laughing at the same time. The Eyeball joke/test is worth the price.

I ordered the audio casette a couple of years ago and while it had a patch of static on it, it was still good. I lost it, however (or maybe loaned it to someone and then forgot.) I tried to order it again from Amazon and it kept getting delayed so I cancelled it. I tried to order the CD from B&N and they twice sent me a musical cd by Roger Reynolds. So, I came back to Amazon and now ordered the audio download through Audible.com. The quality of this is absolutely horrible. It is tinny with a high level of distortion. Charging 8.95 for this is a travesty. I can hardly understand what Rick is saying. Amazon and Audible ought to be ashamed of themselves for taking money under false pretenses.

Miss Read's novels capture the best aspects of the small town provincial novel--the sense of connection, the wry Austenisms--while leaving the sentimentality and pollyanna-ism sometimes afflicting the genre to her lesser imitators. A Peaceful Retirement brings us another step--perhaps a final step--nearer to the end of this series. I recommend this series, and this book within the series, to anyone who wishes that a novel might have both a 20th C. awareness and a somewhat 19th C. sense of perspective....Most people have not discovered Miss Read, and one somehow wonders if "most people" really ought to. But I am certainly glad that I did....

Miss Read has written over 40 titles, with this final tome describing how her headmistress heroine copes with her new-found life of leisure.

In an afterword, the author says she is laying down her pen "with a thankful heart". It is all the more surprising therefore that these final tales show no sign of staleness. In fact, "A Peaceful Retirement" is quite playful in tone as Miss Read copes valiantly with a series of unlooked-for marriage proposals.

Given that the school year is so regular the author manages to describe events such as Christmas celebrations and harvest festivals with no sense of repetition, and as ever captures the tensions between town and country living, children's and adult worlds and men and women beautifully.

With this book Dora Saint, the real-life Miss Read, can take her own retirement from authorship knowing that she has served her readers well.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

I enjoyed this book just as much as I have all the other books written by Miss Read. The reason that I enjoyed this book so much was that it was like catching up with old friends and being transported back to the Village and all the surrounding scenery which captures my imagination. I recommend that you read not only this book but all those that Miss Read (Dora Saint) has written for anyone that enjoys people and a very descriptive story which includes the lovely countryside that one can only imagine. I will miss my friends very much. Thank You Dora Saint for giving me many hours of pleasure.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

Having encountered Mr. Blehert's writings serveral times past in smaller scale situations, I was not sure what to expect from this extensive and even "Fat" compendium of his labors. So I looked inside....THEN I started laughing. Still laughing, I read more....and more..... and then I began to be REALLY impressed. Mr. Blehert has done ALL his homework, and even iinvented lots of extra-credit assignments. A Doctorate of Letters ultimately inevitable, once a few scholastics with a combination of humor and intelligence get to know this most Wonderfully and Creatively written thesis on "Everything you wanted to know about Poetry...... I hope that it becomes a standard text, a sort of very intelligent sweet and sour sauce to go with a survey of historical poetry, a masterful display of chameleon Style facility. Read it and laugh! Read it and be impressed! Buy it and Read it.

If you've been out of school for a while you might be a little rusty on all the literary references that populate this book. Chock full o' parodies, Dean Blehert has more than a way with words -- he has a way with other people's words.

An entire chapter of Please Lord is devoted to how famous poets -- living and dead -- would write "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." These writers include Sylvia Plath, Lyn Lifshin, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and Blake.

Tongue-in-cheek, the book intersperses Blehert's own poetry with instructive "how-to" advice-poems on such topics as "how poetry is done" and "How To Be A Prestigious Mainstream Twentieth-Century Academic Poet." For example, in the chapter on the first subject, Blehert writes:

You can make any sentence poetical
by mentioning blood or bone.
For example, instead of "Yesterday
I went to the store," say "Yesterday
I went to the blood and bone store."
Instead of "The moon rose," say
"The blood moon rose" or "A bone
of moon rose" or, best, "A bone
of blood moon rose."

There is so much in this book, it will take many many readings to catch just half of its humor. Brush up on your "dead white male" poets if you want to get the rest of it.

Fireworks, Roman candles, fizzgigs...they're always going off in Dean Blehert's mind, all the time. When you pick up a copy of Please, Lord, Make Me a Famous Poet or At Least Less Fat, you get 402 pages of peerless wit and erudition. Blehert knows just about everything there is to know about poetry in the English language, and nearly all of his knowledge is displayed in this book, in his characteristic melange of parody, punning and reasoned discourse. Some people may dismiss Blehert as a show-off, or as merely clever. But most, I think, will respond to his expansive good humor, and to the book's undercurrent of serious, even moral, commentary on what poetry should be and do.

Picked up "Please, Lord..." and am reading fervently. I think I'm learning more about literature by laughing at it than I did in those vacuuous, slumber-inducing lectures in college. So I am appreciative of the fresh look at this thing called poetry which ranks up there with ice cream in my list of favorite things in the world.

Next time you want entertainment, forget the movies and TV. Get thee to a bookstore or Amazon. Skip past the so-called humor books, and go directly to the...gasp...poetry section. Don't be afraid. You may have a difficult time finding it, but once there, the name Dean Blehert will be prominently displayed on the bindings of several unique and hilarious books. Pick any one(s) you want, but be certain to include his latest in your trove. "Please, Lord,et.al." is not only a poet's primer, but very tasty brain candy for those who simply like to laugh. But please have a care: Blehert's books can be addicting, with no known antidote! Consider yourself warned!!!

Why only two books so far? As of this date, I'm still eagerly awaiting a third & fourth collection of Gilligan's daily strip: Pooch Cafe.
I'm pretty sure he's been cranking them out for two years since "No Collar, No Service" but where's the book?
Pooch Cafe is fresh, witty and well-drawn with just the right amount of detail. It's a strip you can fall in love with, much like Calvin & Hobbes. The way the various dogs think and act like dogs while still being cynical, English-speaking characters is hilarious.
Bring us more books!

pooch cafe is by far the funniest comic i have even read. its better than garfield and calvin&hobbes

I was glued to the book, reading it from beginning to end in one hilarious sitting. Poncho and friends diabolical plans to rid his house of the evil cat invaders were hysterical! Paul Gilligan needs to write another Pooch Cafe book!! We need more...MORE!

Poncho is a dog's dog. He daydreams of meat, stuffs himself with kibble, and hangs out at the Pooch Cafe where dogs can be dogs and "cat" is a four-letter word. (Plus, he loves Jackie Chan and hates mushrooms -- a dog after my own heart!) I had never read the Pooch Cafe comics before purchasing this book, but was attracted by the subject matter and the artwork, which is both cool and quirky. The humor is subtle and smart. Whatever you're a dog person, a fan of comics, or both, Paul Gilligan has produced a very stylish work that is worth adding to your collection.

Actually, I'm not sure what kind of pooch Poncho is but he is without a doubt the greatest cartoon character since Calvin.

This book is loaded with great writing, unique art and the funniest punchlines since Larson.

Grab this collection -- it's a winner!

This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and shared it with at least three other people. I bought it because I am a new mom and I relate to it. I read it, laughed, and now I am going to give it as a gift for a pregnant friend. Yes it's as funny as it looks.

I bought one copy for myself and several copies to give as gifts at baby showers. This book is so funny, I don't know when something made me laugh this hard. I can't wait to share it with all of my fellow mom friends.

Seriously, I'm going to stock up on this book to give to any friends of mine that are new moms! HYSTERICAL and TRUE!!!

This is a cute and fun book that any new mom will enjoy. As a new grandma, I appreciated this little gem and recommend it highly. It's a great book that provides excellent suggestions for new dads!

Being a new mom must be tough. I don't have kids but I have several friends who do and they all go through the same stage after birth. The look tired, have messy hair, no makeup, and are a little spaced-out (part bliss, part exhaustion) so I can see why this book resonates with new and experienced moms. The scenarios address all those things that would bug a new mom; not enough sleep, no time to take proper care of ones self, a need to be pampered, and the need for a partner who cares. Not to say that men don't care or help, but this is PORN after all and the situations are the best case scenarios. Cute guys doing altruistic paternal things is hot.
The book is a cute item to tuck into a baby shower bag, or as a pick-me-up during the first few weeks. Experienced moms will think it is a hoot, too since they know how hard good help is to find. :)

I'm going to meet this guy some day and laugh as loud with him as I did when I read his book. Yet, it's almost satire. Penetrating, poignant and schizophrenic. I loved it.

Seldom does a theological work that is full of depth in its scholarship bring gut wrenching guffaws that cause my husband to actually ask me why I'm laughing so loud. Rathbun's work is as easy to read as it is poignant in its message. This is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered, "What's up with that whole Christian thing?" A Christian reader will never again be so steady nor so sure nor so quick with all the answers. This is a book that reminds us of the core of Jesus' message, "Love as you are loved."

I guess this book has been out for awhile and I'm probably behind the times (or maybe the author was ahead of his time). I underlined a lot in this book. Here's one of my favorites:

"After all, what takes more faith - to believe that God can save you and offer personal fulfillment and comfort, or to believe that God can reorient the whole world from one of hate, greed, fear and personal gain, to one ruled by peace and justice? A world where there is Good News for the poor, releases for the captives, the recovery of sight for the blind - where the oppressed are free, and all live according to God's good favor. What takes more faith - to believe that God can save you or that God is going to save the whole world and wants you to help?" - pg. 86, Rev. Lamblove (aka russell rathbun)

The best line is on page 110, but don't skip ahead. You gotta read the whole thing, then the punchline will blow you away.

I hope it's not too late - I want to join the revolution!

Russell Rathbun has just raised the bar for Christian fiction. Post-Rapture Radio is fiction - forget for a moment the adjective Christian - at its very best. It is inventive, humorous, shocking, provocative, philosophical and at times quite depressing. It's almost existential. Rathbun has a message, to be sure, and it's directed at Christians. However, unlike most "Christian novels with a message," the message does not weigh the writing down.

In the book, the narrator discovers a box containing various writings of "unknown crazy preacher" Richard Lamblove. The writings include sermons, journal entries & miscellaneous scribbled notes by this man, whose only proof of existence appears to be the documents in the box. Most of the book consists of these various writings, interspersed with notes by the narrator, who is trying to make some sense of the writings. Lamblove is at odds with what he perceives as the "Contemporary Christian Church Conspiracy" that surrounds him and it's either driving him crazy, or driving him sane. Or perhaps both.

There will be a number of people who simply "don't get" the book, which to me only shows how brilliant the book is (all great books are not understood by the masses). Some will hate it because it pushed various buttons, and we all hate when our buttons get pushed. Many will love the book, just because it's so well-written and relevant. My reaction, however, was that I began to identify so closely with Rev. Lamblove that I experienced moments of near despair (a near existential moment - another sign of a great book).

The only shortcoming of the book, in my opinion, was that the Lamblove character is a pastor. The way the book resolved (I won't give the ending away) was fine for Lamblove, but what about the majority of people in the church? What options are open to those trapped in their own Contemporary Christian Church Conspiracy, but without the resources and opportunities of the leadership (not that he gave any specific answers there, either)? I need to ask Rathbun ... perhaps he'll write a sequel.

Ouch!! Once I got his literary device, his satirical critique hit home with both humorous and distressing poignancy! The sad truth is that many leaders in desperate need of updating of their methods and models will fall victim to a wholesale exchange of contemporary style for contextual substance. Russell Rathbun's critique of ultra-modern Christianity is a must read poking fun at our attempts to contemporize ministry without the accompanying and necessary spiritual depth, character, and authentic (and ancient) substance of the gospel. Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!

This my first introduction to Garrison Keillor and I've since never missed an piece of work by him. How I laughed to "O Captain, My Captain" and "Tomato Butt"!! And of course, the memorable "Casey at Bat". It's wonderful to listen to over and over. You would not go wrong purchasing this item, nor buying any of his works! Highest Recommendations!

Garrison keeler is at his best when he is telling these stories which he is best known for. Radio shows are way before my time and this was sort of an "acquired taste" for me. Now I can't get enough of him. I can listen to this over and over. It is very comforting and, as others have said, excellent on the road!

I love Prarie Home and Garrison, and this is a great collection. However, it is all music and Tales from Lake Wobegon - none of the other sketches or comedy routines I was hoping for. So, no complaints about what's on the four CDs - just complaints about what's not! I will try one of the other anniversary collections!

Color me displeased. I bought this for Julia, Lover's Waltz, Pioneer Waltz and some other items from my cassette and lo and behold they have been removed from this package. I still give it 5 stars overall because it is PHC but this is a warning for others. Ok, I am editing this as I just noticed a change... They added a table of contents... FROM THE TAPE. Removing content from one edition to another and then advertising the earlier more complete edition makes this just plain wrong.

I had this set on cassette long ago and recently replaced it with a set on CD from amazon.com. I enjoy A Prairie Home Companion and enjoyed listening to the rest of the humor and music in this set, but the reason I bought a second set is for a Peter Ostroushko composition called "Pioneer Waltz" which is so beautiful it literally moves me to tears.

The same composition appears on another Peter Ostroushko CD, but this version is significant superior. Incredible music, easily worth the price of this set and then some. I've never heard anything like it. It is a profound work of art.

I am hoping that those of you who enjoy being challenged will the take time to engage this powerhouse of a woman and her words of wit and wisdom. Clearly she must have lived several lives before this one in order to amass this cadre of insight for living a fruitful life. Kimberlie Dykeman has clearly demonstrated a big heart powered by a keen mind.

Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08)

Author Kimberlie Dykeman is a motivator, and "Pure Soapbox" is her platform. In her book, Dykeman uses some of her favorite inspirational quotes as a springboard for a broader discussion. She examines the true meaning of these quotes, including those attributed to Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Frost and the Nike Corporation, and encourages the reader to delve deeper into each one's significance.

Examine the quote "Just Do It." It seems simple and broad at first, but Dykeman asks leading and provocative questions to persuade you to look for the deeper meaning of these three words, and she gives a not-so-gentle nudge to help you find the value of their meaning, and to discover how you can make them resonate in your own life.

There is an exponential wealth of knowledge to be gained reading "Pure Soapbox" and appreciating the words of wisdom it has to offer. This book can be used as a daily devotional without the religious aspects usually associated with such works. The importance of its words is best served one day and one quote at a time. Studying the book in this manner will give readers the best opportunity to understand, comprehend, and figure out how they can use the quotes and Dykeman's motivational words in their every day life. If you are looking to be inspired, or searching for a way to inspire others, I encourage you to pick up a copy of "Pure Soapbox." You will not be disappointed.

Kimberlie's enthusiam for life is infectious and she knows how to push the right motivational buttons. If, after reading this, you're not energized and eager to make some positive changes in your life then you're probably already dead. It's one of those books you'll pull off the shelf again and again whenever you need a kick in the pants.

Kimberlie's take on life's situations, filtered through the insight of these collected words of wisdom, always strike the appropriate chord. The quotes always seem prescient, and Kimberlie distills their essence into nuggets of real-life applicability. She encourages, cajoles, and coaches her readers into a positive outlook through these words. The book is great to pick up in the morning and open randomly - the passage always seems to be the one you need to get your day started on the right note.

What an inspiration! Ms. Dykeman has hit a home run with her new book. A great gift idea. I bought it for all my friends and employees. Clear headed common sense. Challenges the reader to create better balance in their day to day lives. This book also casts a wide net to anyone, so no matter the audience we are all graced with Ms. Dykeman's encouraging perspective. Ohh and it's funny too...