Photography Books

I was searching Amazon for some Joe Simpson books and this one popped up. I thought it was one I missed but then saw that Simpson wrote the introduction to it. It seemed pretty entertaining so I bought a copy.

Greg Child's Postcards from the Ledge is hilarious and touching and informative at the same time. I couldn't stop laughing after reading the essay about him showing his elderly mum just how "safe" mountaineering is. In the end he hobbled away like the hurt little boy his mother knew him to be. I enjoyed learning about the nitty gritty facts of mountaineering, from where and how to use the toilet to stinking to high heaven after being on the mountain for so many weeks.

All joking aside, the mountains can be a dangerous place to be. An example of this is when Childs and his group come across a teenage girl who has fallen to her death into a crevasse. There are also some good essays about Alison Hargreaves' death and the world's reaction to a mother's "selfish" need to climb mountains.

And many things can be learned about other countries and cultures from the small details of his visits to these places.

I'd recommend this book to any mountaineering fans. I'm glad I bought it for my collection.

Postcards From The Ledge has something for everyone. From artful and hilarious descriptions of the most unpleasant of bodily functions and living conditions, to thoughtful reflection on the beauty and thrill of an epic climb, Greg Child gives you an insiders view of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of climbing. A must read even if you are not a climber.

I spent most of last weekend reading this book and loving it. I was late for the bus today cause the first thing I did this morning was catch up where I left off. Funnier than hell, descriptive, intelligent, good stuff...

I just recently discovered Greg Child's books and must confess to now being completely addicted. After being in love with THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE, the classic [but ancient - i.e. 1950s] mountain humor classic, I thought there could be no rival. Thank God I was wrong and thanks to Greg's mum for whatever she did to contribute to his comic genes. Last week I took this book on a camping trip and each night by the fire would read aloud a few essays to my companions, who looked forward all day to the next hysterically humorous missives the evening campfire would bring from the funniest climber/writer in the world. It makes a person jealous to know that one person can be this fabulously talented, both as climber and writer. Damn, he's good! You will not be able to put this book down. PS Warning: this book often produces side effects of laughing out loud.

This is a great book of short 'stories' about mountaineering that Child has edited from his articles published in magazines. Each of these stories is a well-written perspective on the art of climbing; they cover a wide range of his experiences ranging from sea-level (island cliffs in the Gulf of Tonkin) to the top of the world in the Himalayas. Each of the stories reflects to Child's own experiences over the last 10-20 years and the philosophy of climbing that he has developed in this time.

Many of these stories are written with a dry sense of humor (eg, the 10 rules of bivouacs) that reflect Child's personal experiences. Of course, this humor leavens the drama and tragedy that are described in several of the pieces. With the variety of stories that are included in this book, it is distinctly different from 'Thin Air' which covers three different Himalayan expeditions in depth. I'd recommend both highly; the difference in voice shows the range of perspective that Child can generate with his passion for this sport.

Beneath the blanket of cultural arrogance that - even today - refuses to acknowledge the contributions made by its own citizens, is a truth that has been beautifully presented here by Ms. Willis. The images and text fully support what writer Richard Wright wrote, that, "OUR HISTORY IS FAR STRANGER THAN YOU SUSPECT, AND WE ARE NOT WHAT WE SEEM." Brava, Ms. Willis, and thank you.

This fabulous book deserves all of the praise it has earned. In addition the final chapter, "Photography of the 1980s and 1990s," includes an amazing section of modern art photgraphy, unmatched in any other photography collection in print today. Astonishing and utterly original works of young African American photographers Albert Chong, Pat Ward Williams, Chris Johnson, Terry Boddie, and Calvin Hicks are just a few highlights. In addition, Ms. Willis, a MacArthur Fellow, brings a clear, assured, and scholarly voice to her narration of this wonderful collection. No public or school library can afford to be without this book. The notes and the index are terrific. Also worth mentioning is that the prints are big enough, the paper is top quality, and the color reproduction is excellent. Deserves more than five Amazon stars.

This history of black photographers covers 1840 to modern times, presenting a wide-ranging set of images and social and artistic observations which should intrigue a diverse audience, from artists to those interested in black history. Black and white images accompany in-depth text coverage of the artists and their times in this first comprehensive history of black photographers.

... For more than a century, according to Deborah Willis, curator of photography at the Smithsonian, black photographers deliberately used their work to counter prevailing racial stereotypes and enhance racial pride. Her monumental portfolio of photographs by these artists, studio owners, and itinerant "painters with light" does more than counter stereotypes; it defies attempts to generalize about its subject.

People in this arresting collection of pictures are caught up in all kinds of ordinary pursuits--reading, working, dining, marrying, praying, talking, playing games, posing in lovely clothes, getting haircuts, making music or speeches or dinner--in a spirited, generally trustful relationship with the camera. Clearly Willis's criterion as she selected photographs was, as she says in the text, "expressive power."

Still, white Americans viewing these pictures are likely to bring to the experience the same old images of slavery, Civil Rights marches, and past or present media caricatures of black life that they've drawn from school and popular culture all their lives. Perhaps the delightful photographs of children in the book will take on ominous overtones because we know of future trials the childish mind can't predict. But such a reaction can keep us from realizing that what's on the child's mind may be partly the point.

For example, two Boston children have been posed in front of ornate ironwork, wearing starched lace dresses (it's 1910) and starched bows in their hair. They look beautiful--and stiff, and miserable! Good little girls, they've let Mother dress them up today, but they seem to want to tear off those enormous bows, jump the iron fence, and tumble around on the grass like anyone else their age.

Another example: Malcolm X crouches to hold his two daughters in his arms. He's talking to little Attallah, his eyes warmly upon her. But she turns away from her father's handsome face to stare unhappily at the audience, as if asking us just to go away for a change and give her some private time with Dad.

If the original vitality in these photographs can't keep us from calling up the preconceptions we carry around with us, this may actually be useful. The book's very freshness about what seems familiar makes us realize how old and worn-out our assumptions can be. Thus the photographs can (as Willis says in her introduction) "create a new ý historical consciousness that has the power to rewrite history itself."

But "Reflections in Black" is more than a documentary that can provoke useful debates within ourselves and between groups interpreting past or present culture. It shows that despite their commonalities black photographers have a long history of debating with each other. Is their medium an art or an engine of social progress? Should photography make mementos for its subjects or involve and change its viewers? The competing purposes and conflicting angles of vision represented in the book are part of what makes it fascinating.

Best of all, the book is marvelous for simply wandering and wondering through:

A remarkable series by a photographer who eventually lived in Seattle presents a man in three poses- - seated for his formal portrait, then hanged for murder, and finally laid out in his coffin.

Women in the book are gloriously unpredictable. Billie Holliday rehearsing with Count Basie looks like a Fifties coed in sweater, plaid skirt, and ponytail. Zora Neale Hurston smiles like an angel instead of with her usual impish brass.

Men? None are alike. A nattily dressed man waits at a bright window, fedora tipped up to let in the view, papers gleaming mysteriously in the background. A lined, leathery cowboy smokes a cigarette, his arms roped with tendons. Seattle's own Jacob Lawrence looks like a serious man at twenty and equally serious midway through his life, midway up a stepladder, in reverie.

Elsewhere, a lonely stony beach caresses the eye with dark grays and liquid silver. And beside a brick building draped with a gigantic sky-blue banner painted with the face of Malcolm X, a black cowboy rides through a golden field.

"Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, from 1840 to the Present" comes awfully close. The photos vividly chronicle the Black experience in America. From the famous to the not so famous, all the joys and sorrows of a people are marvelously presented in this exquisite document. The accompanying text is entertainingly informative. The authors have truly outdone themselves.

I will be purchasing a few copies for friends. Others, I will tell to get their own.

It's THAT GOOD!

This book has been one of the best I have come across about John F. Kennedy and his extended family... I absolutely adore it! Jacques Lowe was a very gifted photographer, and I find it is quite sad that many of his negatives were destroyed during the September 11th attacks.

I found the photographs just plain astonishing. Jacques Lowe was invited to come to anything from Cabinet Meetings with JFK, to family cookouts in the Hickory Hill, and what he captured from these things are compiled to make this amazing book. Most of these private, intimate pictures I had never seen in any other book, and I spent hours just looking through them, just amazed. This book is mind-blowing. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.

WOW!!! What a group of luscious photographs from a man who obviously loved photography and the Kennedys, a great combination! As a portrait photographer I was impressed by the rich quality of the prints as well as the overall stories told with these photographs and I can only imagine what a 1st generation print would have looked like. Thanks to all who helped put this book together, but especially to his daughter Thomasina.

very interesting photos that I had never seen before. too many books on this family are filled with all the same photos. Nice to see some new ones.

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 may have destroyed Jacques Lowe's negatives of the Kennedy family, but not the photographs or the brilliance evident in the camera capturing this shining light that once was Camelot. On the fortieth anniversary of the assassination, which is astutely, not for the first time, linked with September 11, 2001 as a turning point and a loss of innocence in our country's history, the magic of the Kennedys portrayed through Jacques Lowe's wise, perceptive lens makes us mourn for all we've lost.

Modern pundits and social critics might decry our fascination with the Kennedys, but their influence is felt strongly, especially now in Maria Shriver and hubby Ah-nold, a fierce Republican but a believer in the service to God and country that JFK practiced. You can't ignore Jack and Jackie keeping company with Premier Nikita Khrushchev, or Kennedy shaking hands with coal miners. Lowe's close-ups of the miners illuminate the dignity and strength of these men.

The Kennedys romp through a time of change in social, personal and political home movies. Particularly striking are the unguarded JFK moments, such as the photo of JFK thinking with a cigar (no Clinton jokes, please), or the sequence and closeup illustrating Kennedy's distress over hearing of Prime minister of Congo Patrice Lumumba's murder. We see the Kennedys, and they are us, with the added weight of John-John's salute. The intimacy lends more depth of history to this important, moving book.

What a surprise when I found this book.To think that after 40 years a refreshing new book on President Kennedy could still be published.All the photos were taken by Jacques Lowe,who was essentially the Kennedy family photographer.His photos show the personal and human side of Kennedy and the Kennedy family as well as the people who were close to the family.
Once JFK became President, things changed drastically,and we no longer saw the same kind of photos Lowe gave us.It is a shame that Lowe did not continue on as the family photographer and hence continue with the personal glimpses he gave us.This book also has many photos which were not previously published,which show the real emotions of the people involved.Also surprising is how good the text is that accompanies the photos.
Of the many Kennedy books I own or have seen,none is better or more personal and character revealing ,than this one.
One can only imagine what a treasure trove went up in smoke when all of Lowe's negatives were lost in the World Trade Towers destruction on 9/11.
This is a large,heavy,well printed and bound book using top quality paper;a little expensive,but worth every penny.

Este libro que nace de la mano de los creadores de The Beatles: 365 Days nois muestra fotografias de Los tones desde sus inicios hasta el concierto de febrero del 2006 en Brasil. La gran mayoria dlas fotografias son nunca antes vistas y van acompañadas cada una de su respectiva leyenda ademas de la fecha en que los hechos se estaba desarrollando, impactan la del funaral de Brian JOnes en especial la de sus padres. Un libro quizas un poco incomodo para leer pues preciera que se te puede romper los bordes, pero que de seguro con mas de 700 paginas te dara horas de entretencion para ti y tus amigos.

A very detailed book about the Stones. So many pictures. They don't come any better than this!I recommend it for all Rolling Stones Fans

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RA4RLLN7E0LRI This very thick picture book is much larger than I had expected for this low,low price.
It's packed with photos, lots that aren't that common .Some color,but mostly in black and white.
I am very happy with this purchase and it will take some time to go over all the pictures and the information about them.
Recommended for fans.

This is a fantastic book for fans and, at this bargain price, it is a steal. There are 365 mostly black and white photos from the beginning up to last year and many of them I have never seen, and I have plenty of Stones' coffee table books already. The text describes the photo and gives a bit of a plot line about the time the photo was shot and there are plenty of quotes from the fellows and others to underscore things nicely. My one request would've been some Exile recording session shots, but that's simply being greedy and I won't let my greed drop a star off of this otherwise excellent purchase. If you don't own it, do yourself or a loved one who is into the band a favor and buy it.

Need a present for that Rolling Stones fan in your life? Then look no further as this book should fill the bill quite nicely. With about 460 pictures, this collection will satisfy even the most jaded Stones fanatic. Why? Because the bulk of these photos are from the 1963-1969 era (1-203) with the 1970-1979 decade (204-296) being fairly represented and the 1980-2006 years (297-365) breezed through at the end. With the majority of these shots never having been seen before, you'll get more enjoyment out of this book then those other ones that are filled with rehashed stories and sprinkled with stock concert and album pictures. Add to this a quick note about each photo and a pertinent quote and you've got yourself a gift that's sure to please. Of course, you could just do what I did and buy it for yourself. While the Rolling Stones still haven't gathered any moss, they certainly are gathering more shelf space.

Ordinary Wolves is an outstanding first novel, and Shopping for Porcupine is an excellent nonfiction follow-up by Seth Kantner. If you're like me while reading Ordinary Wolves, you were wondering how much of it was fiction, and how much of it was drawn from Kantner's experiences. Shopping for Porcupine gives a great deal of insight into Kantner's personal life and upbringing. It's humorous, it's moving, it's lyrical, and I highly recommend it.

An unexpected bonus of this book is the beautiful matte photography that accompanies the text. Kantner is a talented photographer as well as a gifted writer, and his shots are sprinkled liberally throughout. In addition to these, there are many family snapshots taken by Kantner's parents and their friends.

All in all, a fascinating and well-written book that portrays parts of one man's life in Alaska without the lens of romanticism that often colors Alaskan literature.

If you are looking for a beautifully written book with wonderful photographs of Alaska, I highly recommend: Shopping for Porcupine: A Life in Artic Alaska, by Seth Kantner.

This book is part autobiography and part a historical portrait of Alaska and its people. Seth Kantner was born in 1964 and spent most of his life in Northern Alaska. His story begins with the arrival of his father, Howard Kantner, to the remote Arctic of the 1950s and ends with him as a grown man settled in the same landscape. The story is told through a series of moving essays and vivid photographs. The subjects range from family histories to hunting stories and celebrations of people and places.

This book is # 2 for the author. His first book Ordinary Wolves received great reviews, and I look forward to reading this book as well in the near future.

Life in the frigid tundra of Alaska is much unlike life anywhere else in the United States. "Shopping for Porcupine: A Life in Arctic Alaska" is author and novelist Seth Kanter's memories of growing up in Alaska. Filled with essays and full color photographs regarding nature and its importance to Kanter and his Inuit roots, "Shopping for Porcupine" is a strong choice for any community library memoir collection and for anyone with a healthy interest in Alaska.

Seth Kantner's writing has a way of awakening something inside me that I don't even have words or ways to reach on my own. His storytelling prose is thoughtful, true -- it's more than words -- it's like an unnamed emotion all its own.

"Flower of the Fringe," is one of several chapters in the book that highlights characters in the writer's life...Kantner connects you with these people, beautifully captured and introduced to you in ways rarely reached in writing.

This book will not disappoint...it's creative nonfiction at its best: entertaining, intimate, eye-opening, introspective, refreshing...and true.

I loved this book! I enjoyed Ordinary Wolves, so I waited very anxiously for Mr. Kantner's next book. It was well worth the wait! The first thing I did was go through all of the pictures in the book. So THIS was the Alaska Mr, Kantner writes about! Far from the tour buses and sight seeing trains. The pictures themselves told a wonderful story! The written stories were perfect - done in a way that not only entertained me, but made me feel the Alaska Mr. Kantner describes. I felt the cold, I heard the wind and could feel the hide of a bear. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and at times even envied experiences of a life spent in Alaska's Wilderness. The Alaska Mr. Kantner writes about is a world fast slipping away - native ways, unmarred land, plentiful animals. I am so grateful that he wrote about a lifestyle - a world - that I would never have had the chance to experience, had it not been for this book. I plan to buy more copies for gifts and would recommend this book to anyone!

Having failed to buy a Sierra Club Calendar before they were sold out at all of our local bookstores, I turned to Amazon and they came through, with a reduced price and prompt delivery

I buy one of these every year. I have had to buy an Audubon Society one a couple of times, but much prefer the Sierra Club calendar. The pictures are gorgeous and make me want to get out and explore the beauty. I like the section in the back for notes because it gives me space to write down all the phone numbers and addresses of doctors, schools, work, etc. so that I have it all handy. I will definitely continue to buy these as long as they make them!

I have for many years obtained a copy of the Sierra Club Engagement Calendar. It fits my needs perfectly.

I love the Sierra Club Engagement Calendars. It's perfect for me as a business calendar.

I decided to get this calendar to keep track of major appointments. I have always loved the pictures from the sierra club so this fits my needs perfectly. On one page are the photos for each week which are amazing and in great color detail. The other side has the week and there is adequate spacing to note down major appointments. If you need more space or like to see your daily schedule broken up by hour this is not the book for you.

As usual the photos in this calendar are spectacular. I like the info on holidays and cycles of the moon. I have used this form of calendar for years - keeping all personal and social info in one place. I go through and add birthdays, anniversaries, engagements to the calendar for the entire year. It helps meet deadlines for sending gifts or cards to friends and family. I also record the tasks I do in my job every day. This is very helpful in writing reviews, reports and in keeping my resume up to date. I also tape in invites, programs, tickets, etc. - resulting in a great journal. It's fun to go back over the years to 1974 when I started working and enjoy the year all over again.

This is just the perfect calendar for a person with just a few appointments per day. The photos are fantastic. I would give it full marks but some of the extra pages at the back have been eliminated. Those included pages for addresses and phone numbers. Now that information has to be put in under "Notes" which means not enough room for one's notes.

Once you become accustomed to an egagement calendar that starts very logically with Monday and finishes with the weekend, you will never go back!

I use this as my appointment book and I keep it by the phone. I get one every year and have never been disappointed with the photographs. It is a nice size to keep on my counter by the phone and it has plenty of room to write. When I am talking on the phone I enjoy looking at the beautiful photography that I can really get lost in. I think it is a good price for such a practical and beautiful item with so many amazing photographs.

Every year I purchase a new Sierra Club Engagement Calendar. One year I purchased an Audubon Society Engagement Calendar because I could not find the Sierra Club one, and although it was nice, it didn't begin to compare to the Sierra Club images. The weekly format is easy to navigate with plenty of room to write your day's scheduled activities, plus small enough to tote around with you if you please, all the while getting a great new picture to look at every week. I sometimes cut out the pictures and frame them to put on my desk.

THIS BOOK IS GREAT. A BOOK ON SUGGESTIONS?? I SUGGEST YOU BUY THIS BOOK. ANYONE FROM NEW YORK WOULD LOVE THIS AS GIFT. THE AUTHORS, ILLEGAL ART, ARE REALLY ON TO SOMETHING HERE. SUGGESTIONS FROM CITY DWELLERS IN THE GREATEST CITY IN WORLD, NYC.

This book leaks out pure amazingness. The editors spared no one's beliefs, thoughts, or feelings while compiling this book-- and that's a good thing. Along with the funny things (i.e. "I suggest you give me the box"), there's whimsical advice, heartfelt thoughts, religious and political suggestions or observations, and truly thought provoking statements.

This book gives you a glimpse into the minds of strangers, and, no pun intended, pulls you out of your own box. It opens your mind to things you might not have ever even considered.

It's thoroughly enjoyable to read, and doesn't take long, so why not give it a try?

Thank you Illegal Art for giving voice to the people of New York City and beyond. The Suggestion Box is not only a mobile polling machine that
samples peoples views, it is a monitor for the state of various urban conditions.

Keep it Public.

Malachi Connolly

This book is a great collection of what those around you might be thinking at the time.
If you were sitting on the subway and could put a bubble with one sentance over everyone's head representing what they were thinking or feeling, this is what you'd come up with. The guy next to you might be saying "beer flavored nipples" and the woman across from you suggesting "Dave should stop wasting my precious time" Humorous, thoughtprovoking and entertaining, this collection of suggestions, thoughts and opinions of your fellow humans walking by you on the street and sitting next to you on the subway is worth the read and a fun experience.

Very few art books make you open your mind and think like this one does; yes there are some expected suggestions but there are also some really weird no-one-person-could-make-this-stuff-up suggestions. There is a breadth, scope, emotion and imagination that couldn't come from fiction or conventional art. It really makes you think, laugh and wonder. A truly inspiring book, that is really good for angry New Yorkers, but I think the ideas will resonate wherever you are in the world.

This book contains stunningly beautiful pictures of japanese chogokin (=die cast metal) toys from the 1970's and 80's. Many of the toys are quite rare and hard to find pictures of (like toys made by Takatoku, Nomura, Marushin and Nakajima), even in Internet times. Highly recommended!

In addition to Tim Brisko's incredible photography, Matt Alt and Robert Duban provide a brief history of Japanese toys that explains how these toys fit into the grand scheme of things. Recommended!

I bought this book for my husband because he's obsessed with transforming robots. He squealed when he read it. The photography is wonderful and it is like a history book for the ultimate transforming robot fan.

Hi, this is hubby James writing this review...

I just got SUPER #1 ROBOT and it totally rocks. As much as I thought I knew about J-bots, this really showed how much I didn't know. Even if you are well-versed in "super robots" and anime mecha, expect to be surprised by some really far-out machines you've never seen, from shows you've never heard of (but wish you had)!

The photos are wonderful, shot from a proper low perspective, giving these tiny giants their respect. They look like huge works of art here, which in some ways, they truly are. Great work! I am looking forward to Alt's next book very eagerly.

It's about time an American book in english came out on this subject, authored by people who know what they're talking about and thankfully NOT including tin and wind-up robots from the 60s and earlier. This little paperback is what chogokin collectors would humorously refer to as "robot porn." It's a glossy, high-quality picture book that causes salivation and drooling with the turn of every page. Unfortunately it is by no means a complete encyclopedic manual for all toys diecast during the 70s and 80s, but that can't be expected, considering such an undertaking would produce a book (or morelike a series of books) far heftier than this little paperback. Since that expectation is unreasonable, it is entirely forgivable since this little tome covers quite a chunk of the chogokin, vinyl and plastic market, and a nice variety, as well.

First off the book construction is sweet - small and easily handled, it's like a mini coffeetable book with a glossy softcover. I wasn't expecting such a nicely made little book. There is minimal chitchat and all the talent is poured into the photography of the most mint-looking chogokin robots I have ever seen. I think the thing that I was most tickled about was there was a picture of a mint Tetsujin 28 in the front of the book, and a beat up, played-with, broken and paintchipped version of the same robot in the back of the book. The wear on the used robot shows more as a sign of how much that toy was loved, not abused, and anyone who loves collecting chogokin, I think, would get the same tingly warm feeling looking at that beat Tetsujin 28 as the shiny minty one.

There are a few vinyl robots included in the line-up, and I could think of quite a few chogokin that were left out that could've taken up the pages of the vinyls, as I'm not much of a vinyl collector myself; vinyls are a whole other collector market and I can see why they were included in the book, but then again, I would've preferred that they weren't. Vinyls were usually monsters, but the ones that depict robots were the ones focussed on. All in all they don't take up a lot of space. Also the book is an almost even mix between the comical/humorous chogokin like Robocon and Robodachi and the more serious robot gladiators and team robots like the Godaikins; again these are (more or less) two different collector markets and not everyone collects both. As well, there are some Giant Machinders included, which is not even a scratch on the surface for them since there are quite literally hundreds if not more to collect in that category, but this book is really not meant to be a catalogued record of every robot ever made. Even though one will be able to think of some robots that were left out, all the major ones were included. The only complaint I have is that a lot of them are shown not holding a weapon, when many of them are known for their specific or characteristic weapon(s). Some are shown with a weapon, like Garbin, but too many are just robots standing weaponless. Again, though, this book isn't meant to be an official catalogue, so don't expect accessories to be featured.

If you want lists and cataloging of every robot ever made during the 70s and 80s, there are plenty of online sites that attempt to accomplish such a massive undertaking. But if you want to flip through a nice hefty little book just to get the tingly warm feeling of joy gazing upon the robots of your childhood, this book is totally worth it. It's a little window peephole into the past, but man is it worth peeping.

Ok, so I don't even usually read for "fun." But, I my sister had this book so I read it a while back, and it was HILarious! THen, luckily, she still had it. So I just read it again yesterday. It made me laugh just as much as it did the first time I read it! PLus, it's easy enough to breeze through in just one sitting because it's so good. Even though I'm only 20 and not necessarily in the age range that this book seems to target, I can definitely still relate to certain parts. I rate "The Moe Chronicles" the best book I've read so far when it comes to humor! It's the type of book you just can't stop to put down the first, second, or even third time you read it! I don't have one bad thing to say about it....

This was given to me a gift recently, with a short explanation of how it was decided that was for me. That was judged by the cover: a crudely drawn man sitting on a couch, clutching a beer in one hand saying somewhat jocularly "I should write a screenplay." Needless to say, though I'm only 18, I enjoyed this book immensely, and look forward to having similar experiences to draw experiences from. Yes, I was kidding, but when Erik Moe looks back on them, even the most horrible of all the mundane catastrophies abound in urban life seem funny.

I grabbed this book right off the sale rack and flipped through exactly one page and went up and bought it. I'm not what you'd call an 'impulse buyer' (read cheap). This book is for anyone who is 25-35. In that age group this book is nearly autobiographical! For anyone who's ever spent more on a case of beer than they have on that week's groceries. Read this. There are only about 5 books that are truly funny in my opinion- this is one of them.

Woo-hoo! Go you crazy Moe! You rocking, sleazing, bad-copywriter-drawing, carnivorous creative director-dream-having crazy piece of wordboy. You're an inspiration, Moe, to anyone who ever got laid off from an ad agency, watched bad TV with his pixel-monkey, went without for more days than any man should and really truly believes three chords and a Mexican-built Stratocaster makes for an instant ticket to Credville. Why'd they stop printing your book Moe? Why? Whyyyyyyyyyyyy!

(I know this review is already here under another @ress, but I wanted to put it on my member's page...)

A friend and I stumbled across this book in a Barnes & Noble three years ago, and though we opened our copies to different pages, we both started laughing so hard we were doubled over, and we couldn't get to the cash register fast enough. I let people borrow my copy occasionally, but only for short times and after extracting a promise to care for it. Erik Moe captures *everything* about the awkwardness of transitioning from kid to adult in your 20s, watching your friends get married, being stuck in the lame dues-paying job with jerk coworkers, struggling to become a grownup while still enjoying the things you loved in college. I can't do this book justice with mere words. Find yourself a copy!