Humor Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mix ingredients with plenty of ice and orange wedges.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PBF, Cape Town, South Africa

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

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

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

Highly recommended.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I highly recommend this album.

This book is great. It is silly, but very funny, and a good way to get an easy, clean laugh. The surprising bonus are the two short stories at the end of the book. These short stories are some of the best I've read and that includes Hemingway, who spent his summers in Horton Bay.

Hello, I am 21 years old and attend University Of Wisconsin, Madison and have found this book to be delightful in every aspect. The Author of this book, who I would love to meet, uses creativity in his writings rather well. I can relate to this book because I have been to Horton Bay, Michigan. For all of you who have not visited Michigan and who have not read this book, please do, you will find it outstanding.

Teddy's at his best with the high jinx of the Horton Bay crowd. A must read for those who like lite,ironic humor. An ernest Hemingway in his own mind. tom erber

a heartwarming and "fun loving" book; however, the two additional great bonus stories ("The Last Frontier," and "Once a Man, Twice a Child," had me crying all the way to the end. They were good tears though, the kind that cleanse the soul and make you feel all better when the reading is done and the book is closed.

Author Ted Walker seems to have picked up where Ernest Hemingway tales of the area left off. This is "must read" for those who enjoy Northern Michigan's colorful and charming personalities.

For any of you traveling this summer to Horton Bay (yes, it is a real place) stop in the Horton Bay General Store and hear about Ernest and Ted first hand from the locals who have been known, to "chew the fat" with strangers. If you plan to visit in the fall, catch the annual Ernest Hemingway Festival. Information on this can be found by writing the Chamber of Commerce Petoskey, Michigan 49770.

P.S. In the current issue of National Geographic Traveler, I understand their is an excellent interview with Ted Walker regarding Horton Bay and his unforgettable book, "We Eat Our RoadKill."

I met the author at a signing in Boyne City. Ted, do you go anywhere else for signings? We wouldn't want you getting too worldly now, we need Volume II and don't want you getting ruined in the outside world. It's a funny book, and every word is true. He is NOT exaggerating! If you read this book and don't think it's funny, it can only be because you are FROM northern Michigan. Otherwise, I think you'll get a big chuckle.

I've never read a book with so much substance, creativity, imagination, innocence and passion; so much so that I found my self re-reading some passages because I had to, to absorb it all -- the passion, the leaps of imagination, the super creativity of a genius grade brain, and the innovation of metaphors. The photographs play the same role as a nice bottle of wine accompanying a wonderful cuisine, it make it all flow even smoother.

I could not believe how good and hilarious was I was reading. Kalpanik made me not only feel, but also think and smile. Kalpanik has a curious mix of making complex concepts simple and make us live his life and experiences, make us laugh and yet be inspirational.

This book is a collection of three stories, accompanied with lot of professional grade photographs and covers three places--Davis (a small town near Sacramento), San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. it also covers three different phases in his life.

He is able to sprinkle the description of these places and phases with a lot of humor, making you smile, laugh, guffaw, chuckle, snicker, giggle and crackup.

The First part is at University of California at Davis, which captures the unique experiences of a young man first time in a new country where he is a foreigner and falls in love, written when the author was 21.

The second part is fast forward to 12-15 years later by which time the author has firmly established in the Technology industry and is a Vice President of Technology in a Silicon Valley startup .He is lot more confident and self assured by then. The story humorously covers the life of a technology leader leading a team working at the cutting edge of innovation.

The third part is another 5-8 years later when the author has moved to San Diego and covers his family, including two lovely daughters. They get caught in the infamous wild fires of San Diego.

In all three parts, the author skillfully combines the colorful, vivid words with equally vivid photographs.

His journey is one of hopes and ambitions, of hard work and courage required to realizing those ambitions and tremendous power and insight. It is thoughtful, and yet he is able to infuse it with his humor very naturally!

A good read! Extremely well written and very thoughtful.

Kalpanik's style is fresh, unique, funny (in a dignified way), vivid and clever. For example, the author successfully anthropomorphizes the state of California! While I have not read another of his other books - I look forward to discovering them in the near future

Being an immigrant myself, I read it with the occasional tear in the eye and several bouts of goosebumps. Words are not enough to describe the feelings of transcendence, enlightenment and plain joy I experienced read this narrative.

Definitely a Must Read!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R333AIEHUTY4IO Writer is a risk taker, who is able to overcome being a foreign born, accented and is still able to assimilate at different places and befriend natives.

The book starts as a sweet story of a foreign born student who is struggling to adapt to a new culture, missing home and trying to find a balance between the demands of his academic life, and who falls in love. This part of the book shows us Kalpanik as a vulnerable foreign born student, a young person. This beginning provides a good background, and serves as a contrast to the rest of the book, wher we see Kalpanik as an confident executive with a carefree attitude.

Kalpanik is an amazing writer with extraordinarily talent for combining simplicity with complexity and sophistication, writing thoughtful and meaningful material into a book which still comes out as light reading!

What Dads Can't Do is the perfect Father's Day gift. We first got this book as a gift for our preschooler from his teacher. My husband read it, loved it, and kept it! So I ordered another one for my kids. The story reminds us what it really means to love our kids.

I love these What ?? Can't Do books and so does my 18 month old. He actually brings them to me to read to him.

The illustrations are great and the words are so true and endearing. I have almost all the books in the series.

If you think of your kids thinking of you like this... it's a whole new relationship.

I so enjoy the humor in each of these books! Your children will like the pictures of the "goofy" characters. You will enjoy the subtle adult humor when reading to your children.

What Dads Can't Do is written from a preschooler's admiring perspective of a dad's helpful habits. Any father will be delighted to think that perhaps some of that self-sacrifice is perceived in positive ways by the tykester set. This book would make a wonderful gift from a preschooler to her or his father for Father's Day. The humorous, warm watercolors of Stegosaurus-type dinosaurs make the messages tickle your laughter button even more than would usually occur with these dry one-liners.

"There are lots of things/ that regular people can do/ but dads can't."

" . . . can't cross the street without holding hands."

"Dads can push, but they can't swing."

"Dads can't pitch a baseball very hard or hit one very far."

"When dads play hide-and-seek they always get found, but they have a hard time finding you."

"They aren't very good wrestlers."

"Dads lose at checkers/ and cards/ and almost every other game."

"Dads aren't good at sleeping late. They can't comb their hair or shave by themselves."

"Dads like to go camping but they need lots of help setting up the tent." "And cooking."

As you can see, the manly virtues being praised here are inclusiveness and helpfulness. When dad operates like mom, then he "can't" do something . . . but that's really all right.

My favorites in the book include:

"Dads seem to have trouble holding on to their money." This is combined with an illustration of a dad buying a child a toy in a store.

"Dads like to go fishing, but they don't like to go alone. And they need extra practice baiting the hook."

"Dads can't read a book by themselves."

"Sometimes they leave a night-light on because they're a little scared of the dark."

"And most of all, whatever happens, a dad never ever stops loving you."

The book is written in such a way that this book can be seen as being about a dad who's married to a wonderful mom, one who's divorced and whose children are visiting, or to a single dad who's raising children by himself. I liked that feature very much.

The book is also appealing because it will make a dad feel good whenever he does one of these things. He knows that his son or daughter will appreciate his consideration from having read this book. So having this book available in your house is a little bit like making every day Father's Day!

After you finish the book, dad, you can develop even more closeness by asking your wee ones what else dad can't do. I'm sure they'll come up with some dillies to amuse one and all.

Find more ways to help . . . because you never stand higher in the world's estimation than when you stoop to aid another.

Lots of fun at a friend's birthday party! Really took us back to our high school days!

I was one of those 1980s teenagers who watched MTV when it used to play music videos 24 hours daily, and this book has a lot of the music artists who performed on MTV, including the song titles in the book. It even has a picture of Ronald Reagan, the Rubik's Cube, and other 1980s nostalgia that I remember so well. Oh yeah, it also made me remember seeing Courtney Cox on that Bruce Springsteen music video doing that swinging dance on his stage when I read about Bruce in this book...also that old Madonna look complete with the Boy Toy belt and wedding dress. :) If you want to remember the great music artists of the 1980s, their songs, and the memories, get this book!

"Who Can It Be Now?," named after the Men at Work song, is just over 200 pages of music and pop culture trivia taken from the '80s. Most of the book is devoted to just one-liners (not the entire song), with the lyric on one side of the page and the song title, band/artist, and bits of trivia on the opposite side. Some of the sections in the book feature one-hit wonders (like Kajagoogoo {"Too Shy"} and Toni Basil {"Mickey"}), actors-turned-singers (like Patrick Swayze {"She's Like the Wind" in 'Dirty Dancing'} and Rick Springfield), as well as bits of movie, TV, and celebrity trivia, but only if it pertains to a certain '80s song. There are also lots of black-and-white photos (pretty much on every page) of singers/performers/actors, like Debbie (Deborah now) Gibson, Michael and Janet Jackson, Mr. T, Weird Al, and the Brat Pack, just to name a few.

Despite some of the catty remarks and photo alterations (see Mary Lou Retton and Lionel Richie), this book will certainly make you laugh and reminisce if you're a child of the '80s. It's hard to digest all of the info in this book in one sitting (flipping back and forth between the lyrics and answers does lose its appeal after awhile), but halfway into it, you'll be dusting off your old CDs/cassettes/vinyls and playing them while reading this book. The only gripe I have is that there's no index or table of contents to find certain pages quicker; other than that, "Who Can It Be Now?" is a fun and nostalgic trip back to the '80s. Worth reading if you're an '80s fanatic like I am.

This book brought back memories of some great times. I love the many references to "Proctor" from the Police Academy movies. I forgot what bumbling idiots those Police Academy characters were!!!

If my review title makes you scratch your head and say to yourself, "hmmm, where do I know that from?", you should really buy this book. (It's from Styx.) Anyway, this book is a little tongue in cheek, obviously, but it does more than just make fun of Tommy Tutone, Bananarama, The Human League, songs like 867-5309 Jenny, etc. It has dozens of little quizzes, where you see the lines from songs on one page, and then when you flip to the next page you find out the names of the groups that sang them. Interspersed throughout the book are tons of little articles (blurbs, really) about various groups, which tell you, in all likelihood, more than any human would ever want to know about, say, Spandau Ballet. But it's still a good book. I recommend the living daylights out of this one, it's hilarious, especially at parties.

Treat yourself to this charming little jeu d'esprit. It will do wonders for lifting your sagging Latin spirits when struggling with some of the heavy-duty stuff.

I'm so lucky that my high school Latin teacher, in the early 80s, had us read this alongside Virgil, Horace, Ovid, etc. I had never read "Winnie The Pooh" before! -- and read it only after reading both "Winnie Ille Pu" then, much later, "The Tao of Pooh." You don't need to be as weird or backward as I am, though, to love this. The book is terrific. To all Latin teachers: bring this to class, please. It's wonderful. The students in my class loved it, finding it all very familiar to them as we reached each part. It wasn't easy to translate--I don't know how the newer ones compare ("Harry Potter" in Latin, etc.)--but in 3rd or 4th year high school Latin, it was at our level and a lot of fun. The students who knew Winnie the Pooh found translating it easier than I did, as in: "Oh, this is the part when...", thus were able to extrapolate through its accessibility. For them it was a break from difficult or unfamilar Latin writing, rendering it Useful through familiarity with its English version. For me, I got to know Pooh through Latin, and I've loved Pooh and the gang ever since.

The top line is the original English.
The second line is the latin.
The third line is an attempted translation.
(Here I have added additional comments.)

...in which we are introduced to
Quo in capite nobis ostentantur
By which in our heads they are shown
(to show a person into someone elses head
means to introduce)
(nobis our, capite heads, word order in latin
is not the same as in English

Winnie the pooh and some bees.
Winnie ille Pu ataque apues nonnullae
Winne that Pooh, also bees notnone.
(translate nonnullae as some)

And so our stories begin.
et incipient fabulae.
And they begin the stories.
(Latin unlike English had no word "the". To
translate into English this word must be inserted
when this would make sense to do so.)

HERE is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now,
Ecce Eduardus Ursus, scalis nunc.
Look/behold Edward bear. On the staircase now.
(scalis is literally a ladder)

bump, bump,bump,
tump-tump-tump

on the back of his head,
occipite gradus pulsante
back of the head on the grade (stairs) he hits (pulses)
(Occipital region is the back of the head. Think of hits
or pulsations while on a down grade).

behind Christopher Robin.
post Christophorum Robin descendens.
after Christopher Robin he climbs down (descends).

It is, as far as he knows,
Est quod sciat,
It is which he-thinks

the only way of coming downstairs,
unus et solus modus gradibus descendendi,
the-one and only manner of the stairs descending,

But sometimes
Nonnunquam autem
Not-atnotime(sometimes) but (however)
(sometimes however)

he feels that there really is another way,
sentit etiam alterum modum exstare,
he perceives also there-is-one manner to stand apart
(he senses yet another mode exists)

if only he could stop bumping
dummodo pulstationibus desinere (possit)
Provided that the-bumping- to-give-up (it is possible)

for a moment and think of it.
Et de eo modo meditari possit.
And about I go about manner consider it is possible
(de Eo modo the manner you go about something ie method )
( and it is possible to think about the method.)

And then he feels that perhaps there isn't.
Dende censet alios modos non esse.
Then he feels the-other manners to not be.
(so sometimes he thinks there are no other methods).

Anyhow, here he is at the bottom
En, nunc ipse in imo est.
Behold, now himself at the bottom
(note imus form of inferus is used here)

, and ready to be introduced to you.
vobis ostentari paratus
to you to be shown prepared (prepared to be shown to you)

Winnie-the-Pooh.

(OK, so you get the picture. DONT miss this book. Pooh is about to roll in the mud next then take up flying. Do you really wanna miss that?

If you would have had trouble translating that level of Latin on your own, get a copy in English as well. Also get Latin translation software so that you can quickly look up any unknown word. You can plug in words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, into the software for immediate translation. I use QuickLatin for this purpose but there are others. Search for Latin translation software on the net. )

Most people who only know a little Latin should hopefully be able to understand Winnie Ille Pu. The ending has a 'notes' section where unusual phrases such as 'scire velim' are listed under their respective chapters for easy reference.

There is something a bit more elegant about the Latin of Winnie Ille Pu compared to Fabulae Mirabiles, but that is caused by the differing genres of the writings. However, Fabulae Mirabliles would be my choice for the Latin beginner.

I sing of a boy and a bear...
Perhaps Vergil would have opted for Pu (Pooh) rather than Aeneid had he the choice, and begun his tome not in the journey from Troy, but rather the journey around the forest.

I have this sitting next to books of equally interesting exercise, such as a translation of modern poetry into Old English. Likewise, Henry Beard's translations of various ordinary statements and phrases in Latin (and cat behaviours in to French) also sit next to this honoured tome.

When I returned from Britain and began to think in theological-training terms, I had to re-acquaint myself with Latin; for an exam I had to memorise one biblical passage, one passage from the Aeneid, and one passage of my choice. I chose Winnie Ille Pu, and, as it had not been excluded from the list, I was permitted this indulgence (I believe that the exam list now has a section of excluded works, including this one, more's the pity).

Do not be frightened off by the fact that this is a book in Latin. It is very accessible, and quite fun to read with the English version of Winnie-the-Pooh at its side. The Latin version has kept many of the original illustrations as well as the page layout forms, for example:

In English:
And then he got up, and said: 'And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it.' So he began to climb the tree.

He
climbed
and he
climbed
and he
climbed,
and as he
climbed
he
sang
a little
song
to himself.
It went

like this:

Isn't it funny
How a bear likes honey
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
I wonder why he does?

In Latin:

Et nisus est
et
nisus est
et
nisus est
et
nisus est
et nitens carmen sic coepit canere:

Cur ursus clamat?
Cur adeo mel amat?
Burr, burr, burr
Quid est causae cur?

Statements sound much more grand in Latin: 'Ior mi,' dixit sollemniter, 'egomet, Winnie ille Pu, caudam tuam reperiam.' which means, 'Eeyore,' he said solemnly, 'I, Winnie-the-Pooh, will find your tail for you.'

This is a delightful romp through a language study. I have recommended this to friends who want an introduction to Latin, together with the Lingua Latina series, which uses a natural language method for instruction.

Alexander Lenard, the translator, obviously did a great labour of love here, and I agree with the Chicago Tribune's statement that this book 'does more to attract interest in Latin than Cicero, Caesar, and Virgil combined.' One wonders if the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet will be translated into Latin to make them seem 'more philosophical; or indeed, will Winnie ille Pu be likewise translated into Sanskrit and other such languages? It is not uncommon that the entertaining use of language does more for language enrichment and interest than any academic or official push of the tongue. It is no mistake that the Welsh language effort incorporated cartoons from the beginning -- it is natural for people to respond to fun and lively things, and this kind of treatment can be rather tricky, in that the average reader might not be so consciously aware that education is going on...

Winnie-the-Pooh in Akkadian? Hmmm, I feel a Ph.D. dissertation topic coming on...

This work is no small endeavour, but rather a thorough and engaging translation of the entire Pooh story. From the start, when we are introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh, through to the adventures in the Tight Place (in angustias incurrit), when Piglet meets a heffalump (heffalumpum), meeting Kanga and Roo (Canga and Ru), the expedition to the North Pole (Palum Septentrionalem), and finally saying goodbye, the entire story and text is here. One can (as I do) set the Dell Yearling 60th Anniversary Version of Winnie-the-Pooh side-by-side with Winnie-ille-Pu and follow line by line the engaging story, which translates well into this one-time universal language. And why ever not? Surely if there is a story nearly universal appeal, it would be of dear Winnie.

As A.A. Milne was a graduate of the Westminster School (which is housed down the block from my old Parliamentary offices) and of Cambridge, he might consider the translation of his classic work into the classical language a signal honour, and one wonders if, given the fact that Milne studied classical languages himself, if he ever translated any pieces, however small, into those languages that every English schoolboy learns to hate and love.

The story leaves off with Christophorus Robinus heading off to bath (and presumably, bed) ...

Of course, being a person of small importance myself, I identify much more with Porcellus (Piglet) than Pu. I know the struggles against the clerical/hierarchical/academic heffalumpum, and as Pooh has given me a new language of consideration for such conditions, Pu has given me a bilingual command of that language.

Long live the Porcelli amicus!

The good Professor is one funny guy. This book will have you rolling on the floor laughing out loud. And it will do so while educating you on the debacle/scandal that was and is the Clinton Years. From the bimbo eruptions to the servicing intern, it covers it all. If you want to indulge in the lighter side of "historical analysis," this is the book for you. Enjoy!

The good Professor is one funny guy. This book will have you rolling on the floor laughing out loud. And it will do so while educating you on the debacle/scandal that was and is the Clinton Years. From the bimbo eruptions to the servicing intern, it covers it all. If you want to indulge in the lighter side of "historical analysis," this is the book for you. Enjoy!

Think of Dave Barry's humor gone Gonzo and interested in Politics. Mix that with the Impeachment of Bill Clinton and what came out would look an awful lot like this book. This was a truly refreshing and funny read. I laughed so hard a few times that I thought I was going to hurt myself.

The good Professor is one funny guy. This book will have you rolling on the floor laughing out loud. And it will do so while educating you on the debacle/scandal that was and is the Clinton Years. From the bimbo eruptions to the servicing intern, it covers it all. If you want to indulge in the lighter side of "historical analysis," this is the book for you. Enjoy!

Professor Jerry Mander's tounge-in-cheek 'review' of President Clinton's approach to President of The United States is an entertaining and enlightening view of today's politics. Very right-winged, the book is chock full of tidbits from the controversial Starr Report as well as pertinent stories, facts, and related conjecture. Not for the faint-of-heart or liberal minded or those others in opposition to the Vast Right-Winged Conspiracy.

Embossed with golden print on the book spine, with the soft dark linen binding and filled with glossy smudge proof pages, David Malki hands over not just his comics, but additional footnotes and quips. Happy to see that this book is labeled 1, with hopefully more to come. Look forward to page 73, all is reveled there, hopes, dreams, and whys.

Bravo, I say!

Like all of Shelley's poetry, the works in this volume impose something of a pre-postmodernist matrix of assumptions about the nature of incipient reality upon the reader -- assumptions, I might add, not properly appreciable by those unfamiliar with the lovely depredations of absinthe or the glory of beards. As a proud possessor of several sprouted facial whiskers myself, I found myself deeply moved throughout.

If you can't have William Blake croon gentle poetry into your ear, this, then, is the next best thing.

This is a beautiful collection of David Malki ! 's anachonistic webcomic potpourri. Likely to pry a wry grin from the lips of even the most humorless or otherwise sedated reader, Beards of Our Forefathers is a volume I am proud to have on my shelf. Highly recommended for both jocular humans and ursine connoisseurs of whimsical hats.

Even though I have read all of Wondermark's free online material, this purchase was still absolutely worth it. Not only for the bonus material, which went well beyond just extra strips, but because the comic holds up, and it's great to have a portable book for re-reading.

Why, not since Madame Pomphrey's Illustrated Guide to Tuberculosis have I read such an astonishing and informative reference of import. I especially enjoyed the sections covering historical taxonomies of beardography as it related to the Industrial Revolution and the invasion of the Gaxxian Armada in 1789. Any persons not having read this new classic should be stripped of their beard in full view of their childhood sweethearts. Also, they should not be allowed any soda at the box social.