Parodies Books

Reading The Onion 'newspaper' as it comes out should be a part of the regular education of anyone who can read English, as it is consistently and outrageously funny. The Onion has issued a series of what are mostly reprints in book form, of which this is one. It's not quite as good the second time around, especially if you remember the stories from when you first read them - but if a friend of yours has never seen them in the original, this is a great gift or coffee table book or whatever to shove their way.

The book is technically broken down by chapters, each of which has a lead-in article or editorial by the centenarian 'editor' Zweibel, which for reasons unknown are basically very, very lame attempts at humor, by far the weakest part (and only original part) of the book. Oh well.

The rest of the articles are a jumble of stuff, much of it hysterically funny, some of it not so much, depending on your taste. If you like the Onion but only see it once in a while, you should have this book. Maybe leave it in your bathroom or at bedside or something; best read one or two pages at a time, after that the recommended adult dosage may be exceeded.

I enjoyed this book. It was funny, not their best but still good.

This is yet another great example of brilliant and witty writing on the part of the Onion's writers. From GM introducing "new, instant-win airbags" to Saddam Hussein stepping down because of a sex scandal and a local child destroying an ant colony, the writing is better than ever. The writers' ribald and vulgar sense of humor is sharper than ever, too, as Monica Lewinsky gets subpoenaed to "re-blow Clinton on Senate floor." It's tough to pick a favorite Onion book, but this one is right up there. Even the offensive ones are somehow funny. Get it, read it, and laugh again and again. Makes a great coffee table book.

I stumbled upon the Onion while in New York where I came upon a bunch of free copies. It was hilarious. This was the first book from the Onion that I got. The articles aren't in chronological order but are instead bits and pieces from many different issues; a "best of" collection I guess. Anyway, as for "The Onion," there's nothing really like it in the world today. It is a satirical newspaper that has humorous headlines such as "Richard Simmons Fighting for Life in Estrogen Tent" as well as community voices with titles like "Those Motherf*cking Robins are on Thin Ice" in which an old man tells about how robins have caused him so much trouble (It's funnier if you read the article I guess). Some other funny stories include how Civil War enthusiasts march on Atlanta and emancipate the NFL Falcons team as well as an article entitled "Tibet Freedom Fighters Seize Yak. 'Whatever' say Chinese." Like I said, if you appreciate political humor and satire, this is definitely for you. There is some bad language, but if you can handle this, you will be crying by time you are finished because it is so funny.

I discovered The Onion (its website) by accident, one day while searching on the Internet. And I was instantly hooked. The site is incredibly funny, and satirical and points the right amount of fun and directed political commentary at the key issues making the headlines. This is is simply important reading. While it is important to keep abreast of the serious journals and commnetary, its important to remember that satire and comedy are often as illustrative and explanatory than the serious stuff. Highly recommended.

Ms. Bower knows the Bible VERY well, and she is absolutely ruthless in pointing out its millions of contradictions and hypocrisies.

What Richard Dawkins ("The God Delusion") and Christopher Hitchens ("God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything") did to religion using meticulous research and ultra-sharp minds, Betty does with wit and humor.

God is exposed to ridicule and put in its place in a hilarious way.

Also recommended: "Da Gospel According to Ali G".

Think of this fine book as the "cheese" that would go very well with your wine and crackers during Holy Communion.
Although no book could ever take the place of the Bible, this book is a fantastic accompaniment to the Word of God.
Mrs. Betty Bowers truly is America's Best Christian, and her "What Would Betty Do?" book totally blows "Gone With The Wind" out of the water.
God Bless Betty Bowers, God Bless Landover Baptist, and God Bless America!

I read this book from cover to cover in one night! Yes, it was that funny that I neither wanted, nor could put it down! Seriously....enjoy!

Neither God nor the Devil would DARE mess with Ms. Bowers! Guaranteed, not a politically correct syllable to be found anywhere between the covers. If you have had it up to here with puerile religion-mongering and blatant attacks on the U.S. Constitution over the last 6 years by the willfully ignorant and superstitious you will love this book. And as with some of the believers who have commented, if you have the ability to laugh at yourself you will love it just because it's funny. Don't pass up the chance to be counted amongst Betty's unworthy!

My pastor and I immediately identified Betties traits among three women in the congregation. Her traits are unfortunately too common in the main stream Christian Churches, as well as among Betty's Southern Baptists. You will meet her kind in every church you go to. Smile, and think of Betty

I found this book by accident and ended up reading it in a couple of days. I loved it so much I'm passing it on to others to read. This author is hilarious and I wish he'd write another edition.

Gustavo Arellano's "Ask a Mexican" is a brilliant book. What's obvious when reading a book's length worth of his answers is how well-researched they are. It's a nice balance of referenced scholarship, combined with the observations of a street-savvy guy. First-time readers beware though: Arellano's work is culled from columns that appear in alternative weeklies, and it's got the language to prove it. It can be jarring and off-putting at times. However, most times it works, because the questions match in tone.

Arellano's main role here is as myth debunker and as one who tries to put Mexican immigration in a historical context for his readers. I've selected this passage from p. 40 as emblematic of his approach. A reader writes "Why don't Mexicans want to assimilate and accept our way of life?" The Mexican answers (in part) that "(i)n the case of reverence for one's roots, it boils down thusly: gabachos long-removed from Ellis Island can love their ancestors without shame because they're the descendants of immigrants, and immigrants made this nation great; Mexicans can't because they _are_ immigrants, and immigrants are turning America into the Third World."

Like that opinion or not, you have to give Arellano credit for superbly crafted sentences like that. The book is rife with them. It makes for a great read.

Oh my God , This dude is so funny.
I LOVE THIS BOOK

Mike,
Whittier, CA.

Gustavo Arellano is a good Mexican to ask questions about Mexicans.
About this book: Read it, have fun and do not take life too seriously.
I like it and had quite a good laugh at too many of the explanations of why Mexicans.......?

By the way, not all Mexicans call our neighbors to the north Gabachos, I knew them as Gringos while growing up in Tijuana, from there San Diego was "tierra de Gringos" (land of the Gringos). But Gabacho is a very Mexican word, we love our "CH" sound.

One of the funnest books of the Mexican language and what we thought words meant. Like I said - hilarious!

Very very hilarious for the offbeat humor. Best used as a surprise slipped into the seat-pocket of your traveling mate and watch as they thumb through it unknowingly. lol...really. We could barely catch our breath, tears in the eye laughter (while trying not to disturb fellow-passengers). No luck though, so we ended up passing it around and enjoyed the mirth speading through the cabin. Best if you fly Southwest, of course....that crowd gets it. Here's a thought...slip it into the seat pocket of a perfect stranger and watch him/her come unglued...
NOTE To Authors...eliminate the few off-color ads and we would keep it on the coffee table where younger eyes could enjoy.

I bought this for my grandpa. He was disappointed with the book, as was I. The jokes were not very creative. It's new home is the bathroom, next to the enquirer.

This book is very clever and a cute little gift for the holidays. You can't help but laugh at the pictures

These guys are just plain funny. A few of the products in this catalog have entered my girlfriend's and my vernacular. It would be funny to leave this on a plane and watch some unsuspecting reader's reaction to it, but it would be hard to part with it, plus it's not free like the real ones on the plane. I wish the layout were a little denser to make it look even more like the real catalogs, but maybe that's just a subtle way of wishing there was even more funny stuff in here to read. This is a good thing to get if SkyMall catalogs have a special relevance for you, or if you are a die-hard fan of Roy & Gil and the other fellows that brought you the indie comedy classic Fishing With Gandhi.

The surrealist comedy troupe Kasper Hauser puts their unique spin on airborne shopping with this wonderful spoof of the utterly ludicrous offerings of SkyMall catalogs. I was especially entertained by the narrative of "A Message From SkyMaul's CEO..." extolling how shopping saved his life (in Las Vegas, of course) and kept his family ("lovely wife, Pfepfer," "two children, Horace and Candy," and "Labrador buddy, Melchus") together. With that premise firmly ingrained, the catalog moves from the twisted and bizarre, to the surreal and other-worldly.

It's impossible for me to pick my favorite product in the catalog, though I think the Llamacycle would be near the top of the list. I also loved the concept of the "'Cut Above' Electronic Hair-Salon-Naming Computer," ("Hairly Legal," "Shave Me, I'm Drowning," "Banged 'n' Feathered," "From Hair to Eternity," etc.), which with additional modules can also help name your scone cart, coffee shop, or crepe restaurant. The scientific part of my brain loved the "Air Straightener," while the animal lover in me liked the "'Moby Dick' Hamster Coffin." Perhaps my favorite concept in the book is the collection of "motivational posters" from "Probletunity Knocks." I utterly loathe motivational posters, so mocking them was a certain hit with me. For the extremely deranged there's the "Hitler-Turning-into-Werewolf Nightlight," sure to be useful because it's "new monitor function allows the wolf's eyes to follow you or your baby around the room and emits a 'safety growl' anytime someone moves toward it."

Although the type of humor in the catalog is occasionally a bit base, the book is funny across the board and is the definitive skewering of the excremental products in the actual SkyMall catalog.

I would probably find this tome quite amusing, if only I could read. I cannot, therefore, my opinions are as useless as a shoe mirror under a nun. Gordon, may your colon be stretched across a waffle iron for writing such a farce.

Has anyone outside of Dallas ever read this book? I have nothing against Buff Tanner. I met him in person and he is a really nice guy. However, I don't think anyone other than people that constantly listen to one radio station in Dallas would enjoy this book. It's amusing at the most. It was a chore getting through it. Gordon Keith (the co author, and reason most of these books were purchased) works for "The Ticket" , a sports radio station in Dallas. He does little voices and characters for the morning show, and sometimes plays a shock jock. In my opinion, the station targets the white american male born and raised in the south. If you are one of those hardcore Ticket listners that go around quoting "drops" in your office and at happy hour then this would be a good purchase for you, otherwise steer clear.

PANIC! I couldn't believe that it was written on such high quality recycled paper.

Good morning to you Muser.

Baby arm.

I bought this book because i listin to the ticket and a friend suggested this book to me but once i read the first chapter of this book i was done i listin to the ticket and am a big fan of Davey Lane but this guy Gordon Keith is just not funny and needs to strongley consider giving up comedy

All I got to say is, "Baby Arm."

Economy of Errors has broken a losing streak for me, and for that reason alone, I highly recommend it. You know how when you give a book to a friend as a present, then you talk to that friend half a year later ask if they liked it, and they have no idea what you're talking about? I had that happen with the last several books I'd given out, but not Economy of Errors. Three times now I've given Marlatt's book as a gift, and three times the recipient has not only read it, but thanked me for it.

The most surprisingly funny feature is/are the images. The book has these great (i.e. funny) charts, but I also loved the captions for the pictures that went with the stories. Speaking of stories, the one where Enron tries to convince everyone it is the nation of Argentina and therefore immune from U.S. laws is classically funny, as is pretty much the whole book.

"Hilarious intellectual humor" is supposed to be an oxymoron, isn't it? But Marlatt somehow pulls it off. I'm sure there will be many books written about the economy of the last 10 years or so, but this will by far be the best remembered because the incredibly dark humor makes it timeless. This is one crazy, whacked-out writer.

My father always used to tell me, "You're too young to be this sarcastic." Well, nobody is old enough to be as sarcastic as Mr. Marlatt. He does an excellent job of poking fun at the business headlines and at corporate life without the doom and gloom that so many others resort to.

I haven't hand-counted, but just glancing through Economy of Errors, I see that Marlatt has managed to make fun of: Big business, small business, high-tech people, low-tech people, parents, children, men, women, Ralph Nader, Bill Gates, cows, classical music, rap music, golf, drugs, chickens, Americans, Europeans, Australians, South Americans, Asians, Middle Easterners, cubists, Princess Diana, and the King of Belgium.

He doesn't do this in one story. It takes a couple hundred pages, and several hundred stories, to get his points across. But the bottom line is, if you have a passing knowledge of business, and anything resembling a sense of humor, this book is a winner.

I have now read a bit about Mr. Marlatt from his Website, SatireWire.com, where I was most surprised to learn that despite his tremendous sense of humour, wonderful timing, and impressive knowledge of the world, he is, nonetheless, an American.

That Economy of Errors is written in "American" English should be a giveaway, and indeed most of the stories in this book make light of business in America. Yet he does not fail to include a wealth of nations in his stories, such as "Enron Admits It's Really Argentina," or "French Strike for Greater Productivity." And pieces such as the dream dates of CEOs, in which, among others, the chief executive of Merrill Lynch fantasizes about skinny-dipping with the head of Viacom, is absolutely Pythonesque.

But one of my favourite examples is a piece entitled "Suspicious America Wonders: Is World Putting U.S. Interests First?" in which President Bush accuses other nations taking a rather myopic economic worldview instead of stepping back and looking at the broader American economic view. The story goes on to note:

"If this troubling trend continues, Bush warned, the United States will be forced to 'take its ball and go home.' Asked exactly what ball he was referring to, Bush replied: 'It's big and blue and we all live on it.'"

Who knew Americans could be so funny? Perhaps he was adopted. Whatever the truth, I couldn't recommend a book more highly.

While I realize that How To Survive a Robot Uprising is supposed to be a work of comedy I was also expecting some half-serious advice on how to destroy circuits and complex mechanical systems, skills which would be crucial in surviving an actual robot uprising. The author avoids this task and instead just states the obvious for two hundred pages or abuses very tired robot cliches in order to get a cheap laugh (such as the fact that we should avoid robots with glowing red eyes and "zig zag" to avoid being killed by them). This is in contrast to other spoof guides such as the famous Zombie Survival Handbook which actually offer some knowledge on a variety of topics while never taking themselves too seriously. I prefer reading books of this latter quality, wherein I can learn something and score some witty things to banter about.

I did not find the humor remotely enjoyable and was aggravated by a complete lack of actual content - from cover to cover How To Survive a Robot Uprising is just a giant waste of time, more useful as a prop than actual reading material.

This book was absolutely hilarious. I bought it for one of my close friends, and we had a lot of fun going over the facts in the book about various survival techiques. It felt a little like a copy of the Zombie guide, but the book is completely different in design and layout. The pages and colors in the book are beautiful and fun, and the diagrams are cute to go over. Really great for birthday or just because gifts to those paranoid friends! Don't miss out on this book in case of a robot uprising!

I want to start by saying the looks of this book far surpassed my expectations, the robot on the cover and the letters on the back are silver and the pages are heavy and glossy like the best

the illustrations add a bit of flavor and keep with the zest of the book

the information on robotics is plentiful and clear

de downside is that the tone of the book is sometimes more informative than funny. humor is a difficult task for any writter, and this guy just falls short most of the time, he gets to forget the theme of the book and goes on explaining current robotics to get back on track at the end of the chapter by saying something like "it'll be good to keep on mind this when these robots eventually rebell".

of course there are some highlights, but i'd like to see more advise like on "outsmarting your smart house" about having a room devoid of any sensors near the outside with an axe, supplies and an exit plan

all in all a very pretty, entertaining and interesting read, but if you are looking for a "zombie survival guide" hilarious equivalent for robots we'd better convince max brooks to write it

The book's theme is pretty obvious from the title. What makes this book interesting is a robotics expert wrote it, so the book is both funny and educational.

He takes the many cliches in robot disaster movies and shows what robots can and cannot do, by presenting the reality of robots against the fantasy versions.

Because of this, you can learn a lot about the current state of robotics from this book. It's also an engaging read, written in a half-funny, half-serious style where robotics knowledge comes in bite-sized chunks in a survivial guide format.

If you enjoy sci-fi, want to know a bit more about robotics, understand robot's limitations and want a good laugh along the way, this book is a great fast read.

Frankly, what scares me more about robots are (a) the inevitable bugs in the software and (b) hackers who takeover robots to do their bidding. If PCs have taught us anything, both (a) and (b) are inevitable.

They may already be watching these reviews so I'll make it quick. Its risky enough buying it online for they could easily track you down . . . get this book before you don't have a chance to get it. They'll be here before you know it and then you'll wish you had a handy pocket sized guide to

*** Transmission Terminated ***

This book is hysterical! It is a great gift for anyone wanting to learn Yiddish or for anyone who grew up with Yiddish.

This book was soo funny, I gave it as a gift to my daughter. It is DIck and Jane all over again only with Jewsih terminology and Oiy Vey you can Pish in your pants laughing so hard, My daughter loved it and i know it brought back words her grandparents used to use all the time. You have to read it aloud to get the full affect. We laughed out loud all night long. It is a must in every household.

Oy vey. Was this a book! You shouldn't know from it, kinnohurrah. Such a book it was. So much fun and it made it so easy to learn Yiddish.

I must say, we had a real laugh over this hilarious book. Davilman and Weiner have a wry wit, and it was not wasted on our household. We are still laughing about this book, and its funny sequel Yiddish with George and Laura.

we thought we were buying this book for our baby so she can experience some yiddish while we read her a 'classic'...but we found ourselves laughing out loud as we began to read.
our 90 year old mother kept reading the book out loud and commenting on the text.
we had so much fun with it we ended up buying another for a gift for our friend.
it's not alot of substance, but it certainly is a fun read.
probably best if not read to the little ones though as it has some pretty tough topics such as grandma falling down and ending up in hospital etc.

A collection of humorist Cuppy's sketches of historical figures is absolutely silly, absurdist delight. Though the book is quite dated (1940s), rather than being a weakness of the book, it turns into a strength for the humorous prose. A wonderful, very uniquely funny look at figures in history. Great if you know the references, hilarious even if you don't. Grade: A-

Not the most well-written work but an interesting read for the novice historian. This book is organized into miniature stories of the demise of individuals commonly found in history textbooks and popluar lore. At times, Cuppy expands on the story we already know with some interesting anecdotes but he also exposes some real shockers and wonderful stories you cannot easily find elsewhere. It would have been nice to see all of the references as this book could have been a great research tool, but it ends up serving as a neat, quick read that is honestly more entertainment than scholarly. This is not necessarily to say I didn't like the book (I did), but it is obvious it was made for a specific niche market. For the average reader it may be less than engaging but for a history buff "Decline" is worth checking out.

is amazing.

please do yourselves a favor and run out and read this book. right now. I'm serious. it's for your own good.

and when you've finished it and love it as much as I do, you can send me flowers and thank you cards, because I did you the great favor of recommending that you read it.

you better be buying it already. right now.

stop reading this and hurry up.

you're welcome.

d <3

I must have read this book twenty times at least, and I never get tired of it. Every time it seems just as funny, as Will Cuppy tells us about the lives of historical characters, from Cheops ( or khufu) through to Catherine the Great, taking in such diverse characters as Cleopatra, Attila the hun, Lady Godiva, henry the eight, John Smith, and miles Standish. His wonderful dry comments are hilarious, as on Charlemagne who was born in the dark ages when people were not very bright. They have been getting brighter and brighter ever since, until finally the are like they are now'Or on the American revolution , started because the colonists had to pay takes to which their consent had not been asked ' today we pay taxes but our consent has been asked, and we have told the government to go ahead and tax us all they want to. We like it'This is a sublime book, the one I'd take with me to a desert island if i had to choose only one.

I wish Will Cuppy had written 100 books. His view on Humanity is hilarious. What he wrote years ago is still true today and he said it in fewer words!
Give this and all his books to everyone you know.

I was at a restaurant tonight and there was a drunk guy at the bar talking very loudly to a woman about classic works of literature. His summaries were unintentionally very similar to the ones in this book. If Monty Python's "Gumby Cherry Orchard" sketch makes you chuckle, you'll probably find plenty to laugh at here.

Did you skip Crime and Punishment, 1984, and Sense and Sensibility? Have you made it your personal goal to never read the Iliad? Then this book is for you. Nagan expertly cuts all the unimportant stuff out of the classics, shortens them so you can read them in only 5 minutes each (10 if you're slow like me), and adds a bit of humor so you actually want to read them. I tested my new familiarity with the classics by discussing The Iliad with a friend who was taking Great Books. She couldn't tell I'd never actually read it! This book allows normal people to learn the classics without actually reading them. The 5 Minute Iliad was hilarious and I feel 1000 times smarter after reading it. Now I can expertly discuss the plot from Dracula, The Old Man and the Sea, Catcher in the Rye and other boring classics. Whether you've completely unfamiliar with these novels or you'd like to just read the funny versions, The 5 Minute Iliad is the perfect book for you. Note: These stories are meant to humor you and offer you a very basic understanding of the classics. The 5 Minute Iliad is Not a substitute for Cliff Notes (or the actual books if you're ambitious)

I found this book while browsing the university bookstore. It caught my eye and I couldn't help but wonder how the heck someone could condense the damn Illiad into about 4-5 pages. Reading the first page, I realized it was supposed to be funny (which by all means is good in my books).

The book except for a few parts is quite witty and sometimes outright hilarious (try to keep yourself from laughing on a crowded train... he makes it hard).

You do have to have read the books he's poking fun of however. Most of the books should have been used in any sensible english course but even if you know the jist of the story, you are good to go. Some things like the chapter on Ulysses are just downright clever (you will know if you read the book =) )

This was the funniest book I have read in...well, ever.

The Iliad was so funny, that I still cannot read certain parts aloud because I can't stop laughing long enough to spit the words out (page 26). Paradise Lost was also a scream, especially the "As If".

I do hope the author skewers a few more classics. Just think of the fun he could have with Madame Bovary!

Why bother reading the classics when you can read Nagan's versions of them? Nagan expertly summarizes all the important things from the books you've never wanted to read. Now you can discuss The Iliad, 1984, Crime and Punishment and a whole slew of other novels without actually reading them! This book is great for the college student who never plans on reading [stuff]written by dead white guys, but doesn't want to feel out of the loop when hearing allusions to these novels. Also, while the stories are quite funny if you've actually read the real versions, they are equally amusing if you have not even glanced at the originals. This is a must read for any person with taste (taste enough to avoid the originals) and a good sense of humor. Enjoy!