Humor Books

You go left; they go right...any mom knows what the daily challenges of raising children entail. Figure that a super mom will slice 10 years off her life trying to force youngsters on that super perfect path. However, any mom who wants to drop the sledgehammer; you know the one that you've been using to force your round-hole kid into a square-hole world, should read Patricia D'Ascoli's, "Diary of a Mediocre Mom: Why I Hate Water Parks and Other Mid-Life Musings."

Beginning with meeting her boyfriend, quickly turned husband, Patricia shares a plethora of personal anecdotes that is sweet, heartfelt and hilarious. Moms will not only laugh at Patricia's unblushingly candid view of motherhood, but also emit a sigh of relief, knowing that it is okay not to be part of the super mom league. After all, gaining a membership in the Mediocre Mom Club is not a bad thing, but a universally human condition! In her book, by exposing her own vulnerabilities, Patricia sets moms free to be whoever they were meant to be; and there just isn't anything mediocre about that idea. Bravo for a delightful read!

Nothing mediocre here! D'Ascoli's warm and witty musings on motherhood tickled my heart and made me laugh out loud. A great read!

I was once told that writing is either making the (a) extraordinary seem ordinary or the (b)ordinary seem extraordinary. Patricia (never Pat) D'Acoli leans to the side of showing how extraordinary the never quite ordinary role of motherhood really is.

Choosing hubby at Radio Shack (batteries included), she chose the title "Diary of a Mediocre Mom" ("My Three Sons" was taken) owing something, I think, to another great alliterater, Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol, and in her book, elected to generate a series of warm and entertaining insights into the noble tradition of motherhood.

Ultimately Author D'Ascoli takes that common bad-tasting crises that all parents have experienced, but never quite observed, and distills them into a bubbly elixir that's rather therapeutic.

This humorous collection of essays is a must read for the married with children set! D'Ascoli infuses tidbits of wisdom, frank reality and witty repartee to highlight the joys and pitfalls of parenting in a modern world. "Diary of a Mediocre Mom" is nothing short of a comic delight that captured me right from the start with hilarious stories of romance à la cellophane, vegetable stand-offs, along with the dread and drudgery of filling a child's entertainment void during those long summer vacations and surprise Snowdays! It is easy to appreciate D'Ascoli's balance of laugh out loud humor and joyful reflections of motherhood and modern moms are sure to see themselves in the pages of this book!

I'm not a Mom, but that doesn't mean I couldn't relate to Patricia's tenderly and wittily described DWI experiences--I, too, am guilty of driving while infuriated, indecent and inundated. And the chapter on family deaths, well, who can't identify with the discombobulation that follows, the desire for a guidebook on how to classify and coexist with all those pesky feelings that rear up? Diary of a Mediocre Mom is a terrific read for any woman making her way across today's harried landscape.

Seriously, unless you have retreated into a dark cave to live the rest of your life, you've heard the news about the financial meltdown. Who's to blame? It's a tangled web, but assuming our government had something to do with it, you should buy this book. While seemingly a satirical poke at the goobers running our country, there are some good ideas which should be considered.

In all seriousness, maybe it's time we all did our part.

Check it out. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And you can actually read the Constitution (not in that crazy script handwriting they used back then) with all its Amendments, in case you never have. Very enlightening.

Thomas Jefferson recommended that every nineteen or twenty years, the constitution should be repaired so as to adjust to the new generation. The sacrosanct nature of the constitutional amendments thus has no basis in the wishes of the founding fathers. Nathaniel Whitten runs with this. In a half deadly serious, half humorous, tone, he suggests various amendments to the United States constitution, some of them brilliant, and a few facetious, yet also brilliant. If you've never considered the constitution - and how many of us have - now is you chance to familiarize yourself with the most important document in the history of the United States.

Nat Whitten does it again. A book like this is needed now more than ever. Highly recommended to anyone who likes to think.

This book provokes the kind of thinking we need -- with a sense of humor. We should need one now. Bravo to Nat Whitten, a man who knows how to think and write!

Written by the ingenious, iconoclastic and, at times, brilliantly inspired Nat Whitten, this is a great chapbook - with a bunch of solid laughs (and some interesting ideas) provided along the way. Here Whitten encourages every American to exercise their God-given (or, at least, Founding-Father-granted) right to petition the government for change - via the Constitutionally provided mechanism for proposing new amendments for that document.

And, just in case you might feel daunted by this awesome and legalistic-sounding task, the author provides the reader with a number (actually 26) of his own suggestions for amending this sacred, but too-little-changed, text. Some of these are pure tomfoolery (for instance, "Proposed Amendment XXXVI: Ensuring Strom Thurmond Doesn't Run Again - Even Though He's Dead"), but others caused me to take a serious pause and think about the advisability of the suggestion at hand. For instance, there was "Proposed Amendment XXXVIII: No Voter? No Motor." - which ensure greater participation in our democratic process by denying the renewal of your motor vehicle license unless you are certified as having voted in the last election. And a true favorite for was "Proposed Amendment XXXII: Right to Bear Arms, So Long as They're Muskets." Talk about reframing the discussion based on `the Founder's original intentions"!

Finally, to put the cap of seriousness on this whole enterprise, the book includes a copy of the original Constitution as passed by Congress in 1787 (isn't it interesting to read the painful circumlocutions used so that the word - but the facts of - slavery never appear in the document or the use of the word `militia' here - which can be so critical to certain readings of the 2nd Amendment) which is followed by each of the 27 amendments that have so far been passed and accepted for that document. I found this part of the reading sobering and impressive - leading me to wonder if Proposed Amendment LII (Requirement of All Citizens to Read the Constitution) might not have more merit than just trying to elicit a laugh out of me.

How could anyone with any kind of political sensitivity (and funny bone) NOT enjoy and be moved by this charming and witty book?

I am in no way affiliated with the author or publisher of this book. I was just in the middle of recommending it to a friend and looked it up on Amazon, at which point, I figured I should add my own "two cents". Anyone who drinks,ever, regardless of how often,should be in possession of the knowledge contained in this manual. Not only does it eliminate hangovers, it stops the damage done by drinking. My high regard for this book is obvious; do yourself a favor and buy this book!

I do drink more than I should but I have no intention of quitting. I have been taking my vitamins like advised in this book. I can't say I feel any better or worse. I think the point is to NOT get sick, that would be the only way to know if it's working.
As for the person who said they have a drinking problem and need to abstain, the authur makes no qualms about the fact the book isn't suppossed to address these kind of problems. It is only to help you to drink as healthy as you can, if you choose to drink.
i'm glad I bought this book.

No, we aren't talking fairy tales. This is more a situation where someone a long time ago said something was true and its been repeated for so long that everyone believes it. Beyerlein explodes a few of these old wives tales along the way. Helpful charts tell you how long to wait after eating to begin drinking, what foods are okay to eat while drinking, what are liver killers and other helpful information. This book is intended to be a guide for drinkers. It isn't intended to help people who don't drink or want to quit, although some of the information on supplements would be good info for anyone. Loompanics has a real wide variety of books that they publish. Check out their site or call 8003802230.

The most informative book you can own if you drink. I drink often, so sometimes I over drink, the "life-force nutrients" (available at drugstores or health food stores) mentioned in this book can help you protect your health. This is not a book for those who need to stop drinking. If you are able to continue to drink, but still occasionally over-drink, this book can help your `day-afters'! I tell all my friends about this book. I enjoy wine, sometimes a little, sometime a lot, either way, I no longer loose a day because I had too much to drink the night before.

This book highlights that drinking can done in a safe manner, if you know how to do it. Let's face it, for all the "demonization" that occurs regarding alcohol, the medical community is increasingly admitting the positive health benefits of drinking (it reduces dangerous blood clots and thins the blood, thus preventing heart attacks and heart disease).

But I think it is funny how the medical community in the U.S. states that the maximum you should drink a day is two drinks if you are a man, and 1 if you are a woman. At the same time, the same medical community admits that alcohol has tremendous heart benefits, but that those heart benefits only kick in "at two drinks, minimum". So, according to the medical community, the minimum for health effects is two, which is - shazam ! - simultaneously the maximum you can allow yourself. Pardon me if That results in me not really believing them, and I think the author does a good job at highlighting the way they play with the statistics and data and conclusions.

My only caveat to this book is that I have done a lot of reading on milkthistle and other herbs that supposedly "protect the liver". From what I have read, for instance, such things as milkthistle are, at best, only moderately supported by evidence as to their "liver detox", or "liver-protecting" qualities. The studies that show that milkthistle protects the liver, are mostly very old, European studies that are not designed well. Also, stuff like licorice and artichoke is, as far as I have read, unproven in its liver-promoting qualities. (note: I have read one doctor who is a liver specialist say that dandelion, far from protecting the liver, can perhaps even hurt the liver !). [note that recent studies have shown one substance to really be protective of the liver, and that is coffee. There is now a lot of hard science that shows clearly that drinking 2+ cups of coffee a day protects the liver from cihrosis and liver cancer, and the more you drink [up to 4 cups], the more it protects !!].


Other than that caveat, I think that the idea of drinking water and taking vitamins are good ideas, and the book is full of a lot of good ideas. Also, the author has a lot of other good ideas about having "drink-free days", and treating the liver like a muscle in the sense that when you "overwork it", you have to "give it a rest". I think most doctors who are liver specialists would support that idea. My advice is read this book, but don't also try to pick up a book written by a doctor who is a liver specialist.

Ah, St. Mary's College. The name conjures up myriad images of my school days, spent in academic splendor amongst the tree-lined avenue, the goose-lined lake, and (in winter months, or late at night) the majestic underground steam tunnels. Those steam tunnels have long since been sealed off forever from students. But readers can revisit the St. Mary's of a decade ago in Mary Beth Ellis's book Drink to the Lasses: Notes From a Women's College Womb (Cold Tree Press).

Make no mistake: Drink to the Lasses is no misty-eyed nostalgia. Neither is it a collection of spring break stories that would horrify even the most hardened of college-student parents, nor a treatise on the relationship between St. Mary's and its famous green-wearing "brother" school. The Leprechaun and his ilk do come up as Mary Beth narrates her personal tale of campus life from freshman year to graduation. She does not shy away from describing her struggles with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but this is not a how-I overcame-my-disease story.

Instead, Drink to the Lasses is an unrelentingly funny read that skillfully combines all of the above. Mary Beth Ellis honed her comedic skills in her years working on the St. Mary's/Notre Dame/Holy Cross newspaper The Observer. Since then, she's further refined her humor with her blog [...]. In Drink to the Lasses she focuses her comedy beam on subjects such as going to dances with various blind dates, the dangers of room selection, and the dissection of a fetal pig.

Current and former SMC Chicks and Domers will enjoy this book, as will their parents, and members of the extended St. Mary's and Notre Dame family. So will anyone who's about to go off to college for the first time; read this book and be warned. Drink to the Lasses is also recommended for anyone who wants to laugh along with a witty peek into the lives of college women.

Mary Beth Ellis grabs the gold ring on this one. If you want to laugh, go for the "...Lasses..." This girl's got talent. Whether you went to SMC, ND or just need to split a side or two, get it!

Drink to the Lasses was hilarious! There were points where I was doubled over laughing, and narrowly escaped killing myself on a treadmill because of it. The book is even better than her brilliantly funny blog and highly entertaining MSNBC articles.
I easily fell into Ellis' college world, probably faster than most because I also attend a woman's college in Indiana. The similarities between SMC and SMWC are almost freaky, and Ellis' experiences can easily be identified with. This is an awesome and totally un-boring college memoir!

As a SMC chick myself (1990) I really had a great time reading this book. The SYR dances, the tunnels, roommates, etc. really brought me back to those days of college. Fun, fun book about college life!

Mary Beth Ellis' witty writing style made this a 2-day read for me--it's the first book I've finished in 9 months (since my 1st child was born!). I didn't want to put the book down! I made my husband read it too, and he was laughing out loud! It's a well-written and hysterically honest look at college life that I think anyone who has ever been to college, or wants to go, would enjoy. I loved it!

All I have to say is that this series is by far the best manga/graphic novel I've ever read... This is not the plotless violence that you see in many manga series', Eden's story line is one of the better plots that I've read in quite some time. This series is absolutely incredible and a 'must-read' for everyone who loves... well... anything.

Eden is simply an amazing graphic novel set in a world ravaged by a killer virus, that wipes out the majority of the population. We start with three survivors on an island. A dying man confined to a wheelchair and two children. From this simple begining we delve into complex subject matter. The concept of sin, sexual desire, explore the meaning of life, question the existence of god and man's role in the natural order. Heady stuff to say the least and then there are the mecha robots, cyborgs, mercenaries and global conspiracies. Breathtaking in it's scope and imagination, Hiroki Endo has created a tribute to the cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic survival genre.

Having read the first three volumes so far, I'm blown away. I haven't found a manga this engaging since Akira. At first glance, what appeared to be a typical "post-apocalytic" story is actually deeply fascinating on multiple levels, most especially characterization. The technological elements are as well done as anything by Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), perhaps even better, as they are more clearly explained and shown to be a logical extension of present-day technologies. The future the author has created here is totally coherent and convincing. Like the best sci-fi, you feel like you are simply glimpsing one aspect of an enormous world.

The visual storytelling is extremely well done. The battle scenes are clearly sequenced and paced in a way that is very cinematic. I found myself racing from panel to panel, my eyes frequently bugging out at dramatic and gory moments that are perfectly presented in service to the larger narrative and the emotional content.

The characters are quite convincing and engaging.

This is a fantastic piece of entertainment!

A worldwide plague has struck Earth, and there's no cure in sight. The disease is particularly nasty because your skin hardens into rock-like consistency and then your internal organs liquefy and drain out through your orifices! So you have all these statues of people laying around like so many victims of Medusa. A bio-dome named Eden is constructed under UN control to quarantine uninfected humans from the pandemic sweeping the world. Many years later, all that's left of the once hopeful experiment are two adolescents named Enoah and Hannah, who have genetic resistance, and their dying guardian Layne, who is rapidly succumbing to the sickness. The rest of this first volume fills you in on how Eden, which was once a bastion of Man's hopes, has now become an empty shell of its former self. We're also introduced to Cherubim, a military robot which Eden's now dead inhabitants blamed for their destruction. The second half of the book takes up a different thread, 20 years later as a young boy named Elijah, accompanied by Cherubim, fights to survive in the ruins of civilization.

This first volume of Eden had it all: Sci-fi, Violence, love, human fears, religious symbolism, and realism. The characters at times feel like mythological, if not Biblical, figures given human shape, but they retain our sympathies. They are protagonists trying to live in a world that has been destroyed by forces on a different level than themselves. As in all times of chaos, factions arise to take advantage of the situation and take control. It's difficult to see how these characters are going to fit into the scheme of things. The little violence in this book is graphic but necessary to tell the story. Death isn't pretty. The art in Eden is some of the best I've ever seen in a manga and is reminescent of a more refined Ghost in the Shell style-wise. Video Girl Ai is another series that is similar in art. This is a gripping and thought provoking first volume in what looks to be a great series.

Eden is an awesome manga. If any manga has achieved a literary state it has to be this one. For example, it doesn't exactly present characters the way other manga do, by showing what they look like, and having them act out in a way that would be characteristic. What Eden did in this volume was present the setting first, and have the characters interact with that setting. Being a post-apocalyptic tale, the setting is key, and having certain people react a certain way to the setting will reveal a lot about that character. Personally, I thought this was brilliantly done, and I felt that I knew Elijah, the main character, well enough to like him, even though he was only in three short chapters of this volume.

The story in Eden--in this volume at least--begins with two teenagers, Enoah and Hannah, as they care for their guardian Layne, who's dying of a disease that hardens the skin and turns the insides of a human to mush. While caring for Layne, these kids learn of their responsibility to human-kind, as well as the tragic past that aided in bringing about the apocalypse in which they are living in. Later, the story moves to young Elijah, a boy whose only companion is a robot named Cherubim, as he goes about the everyday job of survival, including scavenging and hunting, as well as dreaming of girls.

Though admittedly the story is slow, and very little is given away as to what direction Eden is heading in, I can't knock it for the simple brilliance in which it is unfolding. Hiroki Endo put an emphasis on presenting the stark setting and conditions of living in the volume, and also made it clear that it is an intelligent plot no matter how slow it is. The back cover states that Eden is "a brilliant love song to post-apocalyptic survival genre" and I would have to agree on that. Eden is a smart story rivaling even Akira, and one I highly recommend for fans of darker, smarter manga.

I keep this book as sort of a reference for "how to stop whining and get on with it." It's funny, insightful, honest, and it has lots of pretty pictures. I have sent this book to friends that are feeling defeated. How To Be Happy Dammit is in my library too. Karen's writing and wit is perfect for the smart*** cynic in all of us (ok, some of us).

I always think I like self-help books until I read one. This book however is just enough hudspah? to make it a worthwile read. I kept it in the bathroom and when in need of a little dose of reality and get up and go, i would open it up. It tells it like it is and with beautiful digital photos. This book is a great read and a great gift for anyone in a bit of a wallow.

Karen Salmenson has her finger on the pulse of what readers not only want but may need to read.

Enough, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide is a fun but meaningful read for people who need to get past the roadblocks of past experiences that programmed them for negativity and failure that they now impose on themselves.

If you recognize yourself in this, you must buy this book. It's one of the best gifts you'll ever get.

I loved this book. The lessons in it, are an owners manual for the success driven mind and a great gift for people of all ages. It's self help with the delight of a great kids book. If Tony Robbins and Pinnochio had a kid, this would be it.
SMN

I bought this book for my 21 yr old son, who is stuck and searching for his path in life. The book presents so many great messages about thinking positive, changing your outlook to change your life, taking personal responsibility for choices, etc. He wouldn't be caught dead with any of the "real" self-help books, so I thought this was a good way to introduce some of the concepts. My one complaint is that it is really written for women; the personal relationship stuff all assumes the reader is female and trying to date men. I just hope that doesn't turn him off because the rest of the messages are gender-nuetral. It's upbeat, catchy, a 10-minute read.

I give this a 5 star just for the pictures. If you want to know about chickens. I highly recommend these 2 books. Living with Chickens and Choosing and keeping Chickens.

My friend Marjorie is a person who is very fond of chickens. She decorated her little rental cottage with a chicken/rooster motif. I sent her this book for her birthday, because I knew she would be the right person to appreciate it. She called and raved about the pictures in the book. She said she did not know there were so many different kinds of chickens. Marjorie was delighted, and I was pleased to have made her so happy. The is not a book for everyone. but in the right hands it is a joy.

As a breeder of rare breeds in the Illawara region of Australia, I enjoyed adding to my poultry library a book as unique as this one. If you enjoy chicken breeds & photos of them I would recommend this book. The author has used a photgraphic studio to capture & highlight features of chickens that would never have been appreciated in previous books. I had purchased his original 'Extraordinary Chickens' & was delighted to add this extra book. The text is succinct & correlates well with other chicken information in other books. I recommend this book to all poultry enthusiasts.

This is a beautiful book with lots of high quality photos. The chickens are not presented the ordinary way (from one side) but let us see more realistic poses like stretching, crowing or flapping. There is not much information about the species, but you really don't need it in this book. Lots of other books gives you that information, but this is the only choise (as I see it) for this kind of chicken portrait photos. The book is a follow-up to Extraordinary chickens, and I think you should buy them both!

This book is full of photographs of chickens. Not your typical chicken pictures mind you. You will see various breeds of chickens (many you have never seen before that are very interesting to look at), and you will also get a brief chicken history in the back of the book. What I especially enjoyed was the fact that the author wrote a small paragraph on each breed (again in the back of the book) featured in the book. I enjoyed the pictures of the various types of jungle fowl (the chickens early ancestor), and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is not a must have, but it sure is an enjoyable one.

well my kids laked you show. But when I told them that you can read garfield they just said you are lieing to us so the next day later i bought it and read it to my kids they loved it I loved it.

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

Garfield is still alive and tickling funny bones. I bought this for my seven year old son, who has just discovered Garfield and loves him. The great thing about this book is that I laugh with my son!

The 5th Garfield Treasury comes recommended from me, but not without a few problems. As most of you know, these more recent treasuries are cutting out the logos and the very first little box. A shame.

But, that aside, this book certainly has its laughs. I laughed a lot and this book (as long as you bring along EVERY other Treasury and the black and white books) is great for long car rides. People think Garfield is only for the little kids, but he's for the adults, too. The whole family can laugh at the fat cat's hilarious mischief and his practical jokes on Jon, his hapless owner. Some of the colored Sunday strips are from "Garfield Rounds Out," which is one of my favorite Garfield books. Having them in color here is a real treat. An especially funny strip in this one i where Garfield pretends to be a bird-bath, and gets more than he bargained for.

The 5th Garfield Treasury is laugh out loud funny! But then again, what Garfield book isn't?

I first saw this book and thought, okay, well, it's about some little Canadian hockey players in the eighties, that's weird. But having never played hockey nor lived in Canada or the eighties, I thought, well, I'll give it a try. And I loved it. Stephen Galloway's first novel is a remarkable story of two boys growing up together with a common love. The characters were wonderfully quirky. I've read this book about 3 or 4 times and I cry every time. It would make a beautiful movie as well.

Finnie Walsh. A book not only fun, but informative as well. This book, written by Steven Galloway is an awesome, book. Unlike the usual canadian books, it just great... If you like Hockey you'll love this book. If you don't like hockey you'll love this book. The book has relationships, between family, friends, and beaus. A wonderful, outstanding read.

Finnie Walsh in my opinion was an eye opening experience it is by far the best book I have ever read and everything about it made me feel more interested. There is not a single bad thing I could say about it! The characters alone made the book, how you understood how they felt at diferent times, how they were perfectly described! This book made me laugh, cry and made me feel emotions that have never occured before in my mind! I couldn't put it down and I will continue to read it over and over again because everytime I am sure that I will recieve more and more happiness sadness and information from the text! I am getting it for everyone for Christmas and I hope that everyone will enjoy this story as much as I did!

I picked up this book mainly because of my job working with high school teachers and students and ended up reading parts of it out loud to my own kids during a car trip. My 12 year old son was hooked, he read the book, then I finished it. It was amazing to have that 'secret book conversation' with my son. I/we both loved the book.

Are you looking for a spanky good read? Look no further than this sly little Canadian book about a couple of kids living in the middle of the province of British Columbia who play hockey. This book is a swift, delicious thing that has a devilish way of not letting you free of it. You'll want to read it until you arrive at the last page--it is, in the classical sense of the hyphenated word, a "page-turner". I loved it. It was touching, heartfelt, and uncommon. A novel with an elegant plot, developed synchronously with its characters' motivations. Galloway is a secret talent ready to explode on the scene.

I always hoped that God had a sense of humor, and this visit into His living room proved me right! Mr. Harpe re-writes the Book of Revelations in his FIRE FELL FROM HEAVEN, and we get to watch His Hallowed Holiness make Godly decisions while playing video games (He doesn't approve of cable TV, by the way).

This is by far the most hilarious thing I have read in a long time. A bit irreverent, you say? Well, just remember that God (and Mr. Harpe) has a sense of humor!

Phil Whitley, author of KEECHIE

In this deightful tale, Mr. Harpe displays a unique sense of humor. Combined with a whimsical bit of irreverence, he gives a comedic version of the end of the world. I will be looking for more to come from this writer.

Zada Connaway, author
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0
Crimes committed, hardships and abuse endured, secrets revealed. Romance, murder and tragedies! Cold showers optional.

E. Don Harpe really did it this time. Such Imagination. The conversations between Father and Son... I'm in awe of how he crafted this story to border on the irreverant and filled it with such a meaningful message. His treatment of the subject matter is humorous but filled with those read between the line messages. His style is unique. No superficiality here. He deserves to be read over and over again, and on the best seller list. Raleigh Pinskey, author of 101 Ways to Promote Yourself.

I don't know where E. Don Harpe has been hiding, but the more I read of his short stories, the more I am impressed. This guy can write!

Fire Fell From Heaven is hilarious, one of the funniest stories I have read in years, and I am sending the link to all of my friends. Thanks for this one, Amazon Shorts.

Oh, thanks for making it a free download as well.

I enjoy reading Harpe's writing, his books, his shorts. But I must say that this time, and this one - FIRE FELL FROM HEAVEN - is absolutely one of the most comedic and creative of his stories. I see this as a movie, I really do. WOW! Don, thank you for a wonderful read. Made my day!

Rebecca