Satire Books

Among the lighter and more overlooked sorrows of living in a post-terroristic era of conflict is all of the fun that could once be had, but no more, like - arguably - everything that takes place in this engrossing and extremely, extremely funny book, but one in particular: cleaning out one's refrigerator by mailing everything rotten (there's a way to do this with no postage, though you'll have to read this book to find out, and if you were to try it now, you'd have 10 SWAT teams on your doorstep in 36 hours or less) to everyone who might have ever annoyed you in some way.

Sigh...

Read this book, and I promise you'll never forget it.

-David Alston

This is the ultimate prankster handbook, an inspirational guide to mischief and mayhem. It is one of those books you can read bit by bit as there is a lot of material to absorb (not that you couldn't read it all at once, but it's like a rich cheesecake, you will want to savour each bite instead of gorging). The interviews are of varied allurement, some yielding more elation than others, but then you can't please everyone all of the time. Some of the stories told seem almost too wild to be real, until you see the accompanying photographs or news clippings and realize that some people have far better stories to tell than you or I ever will. And they aren't kidding, either.
Definitely makes my top 5 must-have "non-fiction or reference" books.

I lost my first copy of this in Nags Head in 1993. That's OK, it should be shared with as many people as possible because the pages are filled with shocking, playful, silly pranks from a host of prank 'generes.' A guy blows himself up at a high school reunion, another paints american flags on snails and on and on and. The books seems to capture a pre-PC time also: the 1980s.

What fun! This book is packed with great interviews with people who like to make trouble. All are amusing and all are inspiring. My personal favorites are the Henry Rollins and the Earth First! interviews. The Rollins interview makes me laugh just thinking about it, and the Earth First! interview is exciting to read. It makes me itch to go out and prank away. An excellent and informative read.

I love this book. I thought I was the only weirdo out there, but this book inspires me to be weirder. Great interviews with Dead Kennedy singer Jello Biafra, Abbie Hoffman and Henry Rollins. One of the few books I pick up weekly, even though I've read it from cover to cover many times. Still cracks me up.

This is so great! I love that it stands up on it's own, that way I can turn it to reflect my thoughts of the day! Women, you need this! It will make you laugh and it always makes me feel stronger just to look at it!

A DEFINITE MUST HAVE! How can you not laugh at this book?! (One MUST HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!) I read it when I'm not feeling so "hot". It doesn't matter how many times I've read it, I am always LMAOROTF! "I am only as strong as the coffee I drink and the hairspray I use!" Buy it, you will be glad you did!

Cousin sent this to me for xmas- Immediately passed it to my daughters' stocking from me (just way too perfect for her attitude at 25)She's been looking for xtras to send to her buddies-- I just emailed her the page from Amazon. Really funny stuff. The whole family from Dad to the 6 yr. old (who didn't really know why he was laughing but had to join in cause everyone else was roaring)cracked up reading them aloud at the table. Way too many familiar thoughts that applied to our womenfolk & their buddies. Recommend Highly as a fun treat for all Women of Attitude.

Very funny photos and sayings. I bought "You Say I'm a bitch like It's a Bad Thing. I then saw this and ordered it too. They both have vintage photos and very funny sayings with them. Each book has different pictures and verses. Both a must have. Great for a girlfriend gift.

Irreverent and hilarious! A must have for the female with a quirky sense of humor! Things like "I have no idea what I'm doing out of bed" warn your fellow co-workers what mood you're in on a certain morning! Not all of the "sayings" are for public consumption, but they are very funny. I also own the first booklet that they published called "You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing". It is just as funny and irreverent!
Highly recommended if you like this kind of humor!

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.

Mafalda's an icon...Through her words, we see a sense of humanity and realism that was hard to find when she was born...She speaks volumes about human nature, without saying much...that's her magic, that's why, 40 years on, she's still so fresh...It's a latin american classic, but her message is universal.

I read these comics back then when I was little girl.
In the 70's Mafalda was one of the most popular comics in the major newspapers in South America. Even now it is still humorous for the whole family, my children enjoy also the DVD.

This book is good, but I bought it thinking it was the complete collection of comics as you can find in little books (12 issues). This is not the complete collection, therefore, I think that "Todo Mafalda" is better.

I grew up reading Mafalda, and it is amazing to see how the political and social criticism that made us laugh 20 years ago still as valid today as it was back then. I was expecting the complete collection of stories, this volume provide you only with a sample of the best of them. But still a great collectors edition item.

Just wanted to say that this is not only a book that tell you about the situation in Argentina in those days (in a very sutil way). This book is going to make you LAUGH. It is a briliant, smart and a sarcastic book. Its characters come to life after reading a couple of pages, and after reading the first one, you just can't stop reading the others.
I had all the book but lost them, and know I want to get them again. The problem is that the shiping lasts to long...
I don't know if I would recomend these books from people who are not spanish speakers.

Even if you're not single, there is remarkable charm and understanding in this little book about being a woman in what is STILL a remarkably marriage-obsessed society. It is a pleasure and a comfort to take part in poking fun of this reality. As ever, Author Rachel Carpenter's intellectual, dry wit comes through even in the context of the whimsical simplicity of the book. Anyone--male or female--who has ever actively looked for a life partner and consistently failed at doing so (in other words, everyone, right?) will gobble up these modern words of wisdom.

Whether you are happily married (like me) or still looking (like many of my girlfriends), this book is a good way to laugh at yourself. Even if you never looked for a partner you know someone who has offered you the perfect advice for finding a mate. I took the book to work and everyone enjoyed it and subsequently shared stories from their own experiences. Even the men loved it! They said it was fun to see us poke fun at ourselves.

A friend of mine had this book sitting on her coffee table and I opened it up and couldn't put it down. This is one of the funniest parodies I've seen in years. I was laughing out loud from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had the whole thing figured out, Carpenter would come up with another unexpected and delightfully amusing twist. I've bought four and am giving them as Valentine's gifts. Even my mother (married for 50 years!) loves it. Does anyone know who Rachel Carpenter is? Has she written other stuff? I searched her name on amazon and couldn't find other books but I'd sure love to read a novel if she's got one. Wow!

My husband brought this book to work today to show to his coworkers. It is kind of cute that he is responding so well to a pink chick book...So its clearly not just for girls.

Hilarious! A chick looking for her husband, from ballroom dance classes to AA meetings with amusing results. Does she find him? I don't want to ruin the surprise! Suffice to say, along the journey, she realizes that whether or not she finds The Man, she can lead a fulfilling, rich life.

It is difficult to say anything about this book that has not been said already. Be sure to check out the 1st book in the series too: The Bad Catholic's Guide to Good Living

1) It is irreverent... but FULL OF LOVE for the Church and Her history.

2) It is funny and campy, but proclaims the truth.

3) It has great drinking songs that gently poke fun at protestants...

4) And best of all, great drink recipes and party ideas.

All in all... AWESOME BOOK.

I am amazed by this book. The book is organized, alphabetically, by the alcoholic beverage being discussed. In the course of discussing a wine or other potent potable, one learns European and US History, the history of the Church. One learns about Saints, about economics, about conspiracies, about theology. All done in a delightful way.

There is nothing a good Catholic need wince at here.

Each article is just about the right length for a short reading, perhaps after dinner, or perhaps by yourself while waiting for a ride to the ABC store.

Having marinated in a WASP stew for a few hundred years, too many English-speaking Catholics, especially Catholics who really believe in their wild and wonderful Church, have adopted many of the Puritan excesses and general love-of-drudgery that manna-lovers since at least Webber have credited with economic efficiency and well-being.

To that, these authors provide a well-deserved razzberry, accompanied by two-handed ear-wagging. A celebration of culture, history, and faith, all delivered with good humor and all of which involve spirited feasting, drinking, and dancing - some of which (as the Baptists often warn) could lead to slow dancing!!

John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak's "The Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey & Song" is a hoot. If you look up "snarky" in the Catholic dictionary, you'll find a picture of this book. You'll find the answers to questions like:

* Why do Kentucky whiskeys bear the name of the famous French royal house of Bourbon?

* How did pisco become the national drink of Peru? (See answer below)

* Is vodka Russian or Polish in origin?

It's a random walk through the history of Christendom, viewed from an epicure/enophile perspective. Thoroughly Catholic in its attitude and orthodoxy, chock full of recipes (Matychowiak is a chef), The Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey & Song takes the givenness and goodness of creation and physicality seriously. They explain historical events like the Quietist heresy in France using references to things like Bobby McFerrin's hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." It's a funny celebration and will leave you chuckling and gabbing with friends. Highly recommended.

Oh, and about that pisco:
"[Catholic clergy] march[ed] through the country on foot[,] learning a dozen languages to preach the Gospel without the benefit of gunpowder. . . . When the priests saw the conquistadors robbing the country of everything not nailed down, and enslaving the natives to work in silver mines, they started defending the Indians' rights and organizing them on farms. Jesuits taught the Indians to grow grapes and ferment them. . . . Enraged Iberian vintners -- don't cross these people, trust us -- rioted for their right to soak the colonials, and in 1614, the ever-meddling Spanish Crown outlawed the sale of Peruvian wine.

The ever-crafty Jesuits applied their scientific training to invent a new drink which fit neatly through a loophole in the law -- a brandy that was soon named for the earthenware containers which held it, piskos. . . . '[P]isco' soon caught on throughout New Spain, and gave the long-suffering Indians an industry they could count on . . . ."

My perfect book finally sees print. This has it all: booze making monks, good food, good music, excellent history, harmless fun, politically incorrect ideologue smashing humour, and (mostly) orthodox Catholicism.

One of the most underrated books of all time, and the exact gift to give to joyless Puritans or the frozen-chosen.

And presents the best case ever I've seen for FEAST DAYS being FEAST DAYS!

Deserves to be AMAZON's No. 1 Best Seller.

My husband and I have listened to Baxter for years and I resently purchased a book and a CD for his birthday .The order was easy to get thru Amazon , the price was good and the merchandise was delivered on time. Thanks Amazon, Jean

My son in-law LOVES this book. It was a gift to him from myself and my husband. He can't get enough of this author and absolutely LOVES these books.

A few years ago I awoke to National Public Radio's Morning Edition and to the voice of some easy going, homespun cowboy reading a poem that had me in stitches by the third verse. As I read "Cactus Trails..." I could hear Black's easy voice utter each word. While his departure from veterinary medicine is a loss to that community, it is a clear gain for easy going, common sense, sanity seeking people caught in the cross hairs of our cell phone, pager, eEVERYTHING society. Thanks to Baxter Black's commentary and writings we have an excuse to slow down a bit each day and get in touch with the basics. Will Rogers would love this guy!

Back to basics, the way life IS in America, without all of the Political poles, lies, and propiganda as spread by the media. should be classed as "Must Read"

My husband can't put this book down! Baxter Black's clean and side-splitting "talk" is entertaining for all audiences. My mother, my husband, and my best friend have all loved this book.

My dad and Charlie were in business during their undergraduate days at UPenn. Dad would go out and take orders and Charlie would draw custom Christmas "and other special occasion" cards. I thought this was pretty neat. Nearing his deathbed, my dad finally confessed the he'd go out and take very specific instructions, gather photos, descriptions, etc. and bring other sordid details back to Charlie, who would then draw "pornographic" cards based on those orders. That revelation got me looking at Wednesday in a whole new light! It was enjoyable to read that Charlie was like that all his life.

One of the most commonly asked questions of cartoonists is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

And of course when the cartoonist is Charles Addams, this question leads to unrivaled speculation and disinformation, which over the years created its own brand of peculiar mythology.

Now comes an impressive new biography by Linda H. Davis. In "Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life" Davis takes on the stories that Addams slept in a coffin and drank martinis with eyeballs in them. Instead, what emerges is a surprising portrait of an amazing artist who led a full and colorful life.

Yes, Addams certainly had quirks and odd obsessions. But he was also universally loved, and so charming that he dated the likes of such luminaries of his time as Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine and Jackie Kennedy Onassis (along with untold numbers of others). He drank hard, raced cars, and no party or social gathering was considered complete without him. His fan base ran the gamut from the criminally insane to Sean Connery and Alfred Hitchcock.

In this first ever biography of the subject, Davis charts Addams' meteoric rise and more than 50-year career as the most esteemed cartoonist at The New Yorker. With his cartoons, Addams became a significant cultural force by combining horror and humor, a genre that continues to flourish today. His impact and influence on generations of cartoonists is impossible to calculate, but it's fair to say that Gary Larson's Far Side would not have existed without him.

Addams' own unique creation of The Addams Family began as print cartoons which went on to inspire a popular TV series, animated cartoons and two Hollywood feature films. With these characters, Addams provided role models for eccentrics and nonconformists everywhere. The message of the Addams Family was simple: Namely that love and laughter can--and does-- flourish everywhere, even within families and social groups that seem outside society's norms.

An esteemed biographer whose previous subjects have included Stephen Crane and Katherine White, Davis spent over six years on this book and interviewed more than 130 persons who knew Addams well, or as well as anyone could. Although Addams died in 1988, Davis had exclusive access to his personal effects and papers that had been in the possession of his wife Tee until her death in 2004. Addams' two other wives also participated in helping Davis to define the man nicknamed "Chill" by his friends.

Davis provides a wealth of detail, but wisely avoids drawing hard conclusions or offering up pseudo-psychoanalysis. Instead, the dichotomy between the artist's urbane and cheerful public persona and his morbidly dark humor are presented in a way that leaves the reader, if nothing else, even more appreciative of Addams' depth, genius and mystery.

With this approach Davis reframes the question of "where" Addams got his ideas to that of "why." Addams was unlike anyone else, and so it is only natural that his ideas would be unlike those of others. As for why he was the way he was, that's a question Addams seems to have taken to the grave with him. In "A Cartoonist's Life" we see that just as one question is put to rest, another rises up - a conclusion that Addams himself would have no doubt enjoyed.

Who was Chas (Charles) Adams? While you won't know by the time you finish this revealing biography, you'll certainly expand beyond the line sketch you probably have now of his life. If you are a New Yorker fan, you'll know him from his hundreds of cartoons and dozens of covers that expressed a most unique and other worldly perspective. If you are a fan of celebrities, you may know more about him as someone who drove classic cars, dated high-profile women, and favored allusions to death and dying. If you are a classic television fan, you'll know that his cartoon characters were the foundation for The Addams Family. If you favor camp, you know about his armor collection, his preferences for cross-bows, and other lethal items which he liked to display in public.

The biography also reveals a kindly man who was patient with everyone, including those he didn't particularly like. You'll also learn of his fascination with the Morticia appearance (based on having married two women who met the bill). More surprisingly, you'll find him to have been victimized by his second wife . . . even long after they were no longer married. The book also portrays a heterosexual version of Truman Capote who fascinated many of the most desirable women.

Most pleasingly, Ms. Davis does a delightful job of portraying the development of his cartooning style and art . . . including dozens of prime examples that are well reproduced. Even when there's no reproduction, Ms. Davis is good at capturing the essence of an image in a few words. She also provides a history of 20th century New Yorker cartooning, including how many of the final cartoons represented the influences of many people other than the artist who signed the final version.

While each of those aspects is well and thoroughly portrayed, the core of the man doesn't quite make it through. Addams seems like a case of arrested development in many ways, but his willingness to be kind and considerate of others displays greater maturity than his preferences for self-indulgence and his cartooning approach suggest. In today's world, he would clearly be just another clever self-promoter . . . except that his stunts seemed aimed at creating joy rather than a higher income. Clearly, he didn't take himself too seriously, yet he did take his work seriously. Ms. Davis has, however, done readers and cartoon fans a great service by writing this biography which will undoubtedly stir up other sources and perspectives to flesh out the man who shortened his first name because it looked better that way on a cartoon.

Addams has always been my favorite cartoonist and I snatched a copy of this book as soon as I saw it. Reading this book led me to have even more admiration for this man, who had a rather energetic personal life (although not of the sort some might imagine) and who also served in the Army as, what else, an illustrator.

A must-have for anyone interested in Addams' work and a damn good read even if you aren't. Also, I thought the cartoons picked to illustrate the book were a perfect for this work.

"Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life" is a warm and tenderly written biography in which the essence of the man behind the dark side of his cartoons is gently exposed. Author Linda H. Davis has offered a comprehensive look into Charles Addams's life and it has a few surprises.

Addams, born into relative prosperity in Westfield, New Jersey just prior to World War I, could have lived a rarefied life (and in some ways he did) were it not for his penchant for seeing the world in a different way from most of us. Davis points out that Addams, although never admitting to liking children and never having any of his own, nonetheless gravitated toward children at parties and visits to friends' homes. He was wildly popular with the children he got to know and that childlike quality is evident in the cartoons he drew. He disliked the word "macabre" in describing his work and as the author points out there is never any outward blood and gore in his cartoons. The ghoulishness is implied and having been treated to several of Addams's cartoons in this book I would agree with Addams himself....his best cartoons are uncaptioned.

Charles Addams's personal life was another matter. Married three times, his second wife, Barbara Colyton, had the most and longest lasting effect on him. Control and money were her issues and she dominated the cartoonist for years after their divorce. Yet as Davis points out, Addams never had too much of an axe to grind with her or other women in his life. Indeed, he had many women as confidants...something most men eschew.

It is surprising to see how little money Addams made in his life, relatively speaking. He seemed to care about other things and one of the great loves of his life was his dog, Alice. Remarkably, too, Addams lived in an age where, at the New Yorker at least, cartoonists were mostly given ideas from which to draw something. It appears that his originality came later rather than earlier in his career.

Linda Davis has done a fine job in taking us through the life of this wonderfully warm, if complicated man. As his friend, the writer Philip Hamburger remarked on Addams's death in 1988, "Charles Addams was 'sui generis'". Without a doubt he must have been. I think Addams would have been a lovely dinner guest, replete with humor and full of attentive, quiet listening to his fellow guests. I wish I had met him.

34 years of being a Cubs fan - this book made a lot of sense to me. Really well done. I devoured this book in two days. People on the train looked at me as I laughed my way through it.

If you consider yourself to be a Cubs fan, you must read this book. It is an amazing book depicting the life of a Cubs fan. It is especially good at helping all of us Cubs fans laugh at ourselves!

I first bought this book because it seemed amusing but after receiving it I discovered a well written book with great facts and anecdotes. It did make me laugh and I felt at one with the Cubs Nation. It is one of my favorite books to send to friends.The Cubs Fan's Guide to Happiness

This book is a MUST for the person interested in becoming a better Cubs fan. I work with a group of women that LOVE to go to the Cubs games. They invited me last year - I had fun, but didn't know much. I was given this book to "teach me" about the Cubs and how a Cubs fan exists. Ellis gives details about being a Cubs fan that are so helpful such as "TANY - There's Always Next Year" and "Beer Will Make it Better". The illustrations were great, and the glossary will come in handy when I go to my next game. I got a lot out of the book, but I know that even the most knowledgeable fans will find lots of new and interesting information in this extremely funny book. You won't be disappointed - it's any easy read, and entertaining. Highly recommend!

This is a delightful read for Cubs Fans. (I happen to be one living in exile in New Jersey!) It offers comfort for Cubbie fans woven with good day to day advice for living in general. I do have two beefs with the author though. A) He suggests that the Cubs are pretty much a White Collar Team. (B.S.!) and B) He winds up the book on a downer. "A Century of Losing: 100 Years 100 Frustrations". Other than that, It is a must for any Cub fan.

This is the greatest book by this Southern Lady - I hated when I came to the end, and could not put the book down. Someone please wake me when she writes another funny book. Loved it.

Reinhardt's book is as hot and delicious as a steaming bowl of grits with a puddle of real butter - and lots of salt and pepper!

Well, I've been reading this book a small bit at a time because I don't want it to end. It has made me laugh until I have tears streaking down my face -- and I am NOT exaggerating. I love this woman! There's no one in the world who can make me laugh so hard that I pee my pants. :)

Funny, funny, funny. Take a break, sit back, forget your worries and obligations, and take a hilarious ride with Susan in the kitchen. No doubt with those recipes she is a virgin of the culinary treats, but she is certainly an expert in writing humor. Choose your pleasure "roadkill" "erotic dishes" "dude food", each chapter will have you busting at the gut (not from the dishes but with the laughter). A must read

If you want to tickle your tastebuds and your funny bone, this book will do that double-duty. Susan whips up some hilarious over-the-top true stories of kitchen disasters and culinary casualties--including the hazards (and benefits) of CWD: Cooking While Drunk. I loved Susan's other books, but this one is really special to me because she included my Murphy's Slaw story and my All Sex All The Time Diet. Besides the stories there are some great QUICK &EASY recipes. Yes, this woman should have her own Food Network show. Bon Appe-Cheat. Or, maybe an Animal Planet show about alcoholic pets. Great gift book idea!The Art of Table Dancing: Escapades of an Irreverent Woman