Parody Books

What an entertaining book. My wife and I ordered several copies for female friends who are experiencing , or who have experienced ,the joys of the female aging process.

I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I have not laughed so hard in years! This is the kind of book that you keep on the coffee table and read over and over again. I have read "Menopaws: The Silent Meow" often and it cracks me up everytime...

I bought this book a few years ago and thought it was hysterical then. Since then I continue to buy more books for friends and family because everyone needs a good laugh when they are going through "the change." This year I gave a dozen "Menopaws, The Silent Meow" books to a group of women who came to a class reunion. Not only was it a great ice-breaker... but everyone agreed is was fun and thoughtful. I recommend that all the women out there consider buying this book for their next luncheon or their class reunion. It's a real hoot!!!

I am a Cat lover so I was immediatly attracted to this book by the illustrations. I bought the first copy for my sister who is going through early menopause. She loved it ...I think it was the first time she was able to laugh at some of the things she was feeling. It's very well written with a great sense of humor ! I have since given this book to several friends. A great gift for someone in need of a smile !!

I noticed this book as I was browsing for information about menopause. I
purchased it thinking a good laugh would be a welcome thing! If a giggle
was had, it was solely a result of the adorable drawings. I actually winced
at a few of the comments. A definite DON'T BOTHER!

The humor has stood the test of time. A great companion to the National Yearbook.

Of course, the Dacron Republican-Democrat is an all-time classic of parody, and on that basis alone, this is well worth a purchase.

But something that hasn't been mentioned yet -- this edition has been "restored" by the folks at Rugged Land, and it's obvious that they did not have access to the original 1978 printing plates. Nearly all of the text has been re-typeset, and it's not fully 100% accurate; I found at least one place where text "went to Courier" in the typesetting process -- something that didn't happen back then. And I found a couple of typos that might not have been in the original -- I don't have my newsprint copy anymore, so it's tough to tell.

Also, most of the simpler ads have been re-typeset, but the more complex ones have apparently been scanned from an original copy of the Republican-Democrat, giving them a noisy, low-res quality that stands out painfully on these high-gloss pages. The Swillmart circular, in particular, is of particularly low reproduction quality, but still mostly readable.

Don't let these goofs stop you from buying, but be aware that you're not getting the original product.

Unlike some of the other Rugged Land re-issues, this one is in softcover, which is somewhat regrettable. Still, it's a vast improvement over the original, which was on newsprint (my old copy is quite aged). It is politically incorrect (very incorrect, in fact) but wickedly funny. It pokes fun at small-town politics, along with NL favorites like Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, JFK and Jackie. A sequel to the High School Yearbook parody, all of the graduating class show up in various ways and in their 1978 professions -- Larry Kroger as a guidance counsellor, Herb Weisenheimer as a car salesman, Amana Peppridge as a porn star, etc. While some of the jokes are childish, much of the humor is laugh-out-loud funny. Overall, the humor is a bit meaner than the yearbook parody but much of it is spot-on -- particularly some of the jokes about the newspaper and local business being far too cozy. I particularly liked the City section's profile of the "Powder Room Prowler."

Why do the publishers of these National Lampoon reissues even bother if they are not going to do it right? One of the great things about the original National Lampoon is that they knew how to do a PARODY....That means that the object that is the PARODY should appear as if it were the object being parodied! A High School Yearbook Parody should look like a High School Yearbook, and a Parody of a Sunday Newspaper should look like a real Sunday Newspaper, not a book...that is the point...Maybe I'm too hung up on the design, but that's a major aspect of the title and the project...Also, as mentioned in other reviews, this edition has been re-typset with mistakes inherent! If you can find an original edition, trust me, you're better off in the long run paying the extra bucks...for the overall package it's much more worth it than this ugly travesty! 2 stars though, for the content!

This is my favorite kind of humor. It looks like a local newspaper, divided into the usual sections. It reads like a local newspaper. But it's insanity sliced and diced in every possible way. The more you read, the more you'll find. Here's an advertisement from a local barber shop; look closely and you'll notice the special service is free ear and nose trim for senior citizens. There's an article advising how to use your golf gear to repel burglars, and which iron to select. There are comics and classified ads and movie listings and contests. If you keep reading, you'll find how the stories connect to each other to build to a higher level of absurdity. It's funny at a glance and funnier in depth.

This was originally published in newsprint in 1978, back when National Lampoon was at the height of its power. I've got the original, which has become brittle with age. Should have used acid-free paper! Anyway, this reprint is a large bound volume. It's not as realistic as the original, but it's probably more durable, and it's complete. Grab it!

If you like the humor of the National Lampoon or Saturday Night Live you will love this book. I laughed out loud at several pages.

For any humor book there are some duds but they are few and far between with this excellent book.

This is the type of book you will want to read aloud to friends.

Some poor taste and not PC which is what makes it great.

Enjoy!

This Onion book is okay, but I found Vol. 13 to be much funnier...the best story I've found in this book so far is the one about the Mexican-Canadian overpass...

My daughter just gave me this hysterical collection as a birthday present, and all I can say is that I must have raised her right. This is a very, very funny collection. Yes, as one reviewer below stated, it is like the other collections. Is this a problem? Of course not! Is it somehow supposed to be unlike the other collections? How is it a criticism of The Onion to resemble The Onion? As far as the other reviewer who said that the previous volume was funnier, I don't know what to say. I found a great deal to laugh at, just as I found a great deal to laugh at in the past. I can't detect any decline in either the humor or the sharpness of it.

In an age that does not especially satire (one would need to read a great deal of historical material from various periods to see how this is an art that has somewhat died out), The Onion is arguably the richest source of political and social satire since the heyday of the weekend news on Saturday Night Live when Al Franken was providing much of the material.

The headlines are consistently priceless. "Bush on Economy: We Need to Get Saddam Now." "Judge Orders God to Break Up Into Smaller Deities." "Anti-Spam Legislation Opposed by Powerful Penis-Enlargement Lobby." As a Yo La Tenga fan (a very highly regarded indie rock band from NYC whom I have seen around 15 times live, for the uninitiated), I especially loved "37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead In Yo La Tenga Concert Disaster." Sometimes the humor can be merely funny, but sometimes cutting, such as the one that shows a photo of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua beside the headline: "Starving Third World Masses Warned Against the Evils of Contraception."

Hopefully the Onion will be with us for a very, very long time, and I pray that their humor stays as sharp

Why do I love "The Onion" compilations? Because I can begin browsing through an edition in a bookstore with the intent of obtaining a chuckle or two, only to find that I am doubled over laughing at articles so insensitive and oh-so very wrong! The Onion produces, in individuals, priceless moments when we laugh hysterically while begging ourselves "Stop laughing, this is vile, and NOT FUNNY!"

For those of you who have yet to encounter The Onion, it is a satirical newspaper that attacks virtually everyone ---people both real and imaginary--- and mocks their most cherished political, religious, and domestic beliefs. Everybody and their brothers are humorously assaulted here: neither the liberal nor conservatives, rich nor poor, powerful nor pitiful are spared. The Onion is the rare case of an orchestrated Guajardian paper-raid. If The Onion were a newspaper delivered by the old-school bike-peddling paper boy, he might as well be chucking grenades upon the neighborhood doorsteps!

This particular edition is my personal favorite dishing of The Onion's inappropriate humor, with the crowning glory appearing on page 49 under the headline "Developmentally Disabled Senator Wants To Be Treated Like Any Other Lawmaker." You will probably not go to Heaven after reading that story. Articles that come close to this humor ratio include "Man Dies After Long And Painful Battle With Life" on page 21, and "Children, Creepy Middle-Aged Weirdos Swept Up In Harry Potter Craze" on page 25.

There are plenty of other great targets in this edition, from Smurf collectors to Bar-Trivia Champs to celebrity stalkers to celebrities.

Every compilation The Onion has issued is excellent, but "Ad Nauseam" is their finest publication!

Have you ever picked up a newspaper or turned on the nightly news, read the headline, and then thought to yourself, "Damn, who pays these guys?" If you have, then you have probably been craving all of your life a news source that will intrigue you. Yes, you want a paper that will intrigue, excite, titillate, and arouse you. Well I have some news for you, my friend: Your old paper isn't going to give you any of this, so throw it away. You read correctly. Don't even think twice about it; throw it right in the trash. Now that you've completed the most crucial step in this process, you must continue onto step two.
"What's step two?" You are probably dying to know by now. Well, I will tell you what step two is! Step two is going to Amazon.com and buying The Onion: Ad Nauseam (edited by Robert Seigal). That's just how good this book is. It will destroy any current event going on in the daily news, smash it to pieces, and then replace it with satirical stories of old news.

If you haven't noticed already, this Ad Nauseam is a compilation of news stories written by the greatest newspaper in the world: The Onion. If you've never heard of The Onion before, it's a satire newspaper that takes current events and actually makes them interesting! An excellent example of this is an article on page 145 entitled, "Pope Forgives Molested Children." This article illustrates the fact that Catholic priests messed up big time, while still keeping the reader interested.
But oh no, it doesn't just make it interesting by making fun of it. The writers actually use their brains to create these masterful articles! From cats being stuck in trees to the titanic hitting the iceberg, these brilliant writers systematically make fun of everything going on in the world.
If you aren't already booting up your computer to logon to Amazon.com immediately, I'd recommend you do so now. Also, after you get back, you should go to theonion.com and purchase a year's subscription to their newspaper. Any money you have left, you can proceed to PayPal it to me for writing such a life-changing article about the greatest newspaper article compilation in history.

When a bumbling priest accidently baptizes a population of penguins, God is left with a cosmic problem. The solution results in the creation of the Penguin race, and is the beginning of the long history of Penguinia.

Anatole France has essentially written an entire farcical history book, satirizing various stages of human civilization. First he mocks early religion and mythology, prominently featuring the exploits of a saucy and quick-witted young woman, who in later Penguin history will be known as Saint Orberosia, despite her history of infidelity and opportunistic lies. He follows this up with lampoons of the middle age and modern times, both of which center on the relationship between government and religion. The church, composed of saintly followers of the holy Orberosia, is a constant threat to the representative government, alternately instigating baseless scandals (a la the Dreyfus affair), plotting revolutions, and conspiring to start unprovoked wars. Finally France provides us with a very dystopian vision of the future, where Penguinia becomes a soulless commercial metropolis under attack by disillusioned terrorists.

The premise of this book is clearly inspired, but I found it hard to read. It really is a history book, which means that it skips quickly from story to story, never staying long with any particular set of characters. I found the stories involving love and relationships to be sarcastically poignant, while some of the political insights display an astounding amount of relevance to modern events. For example, reflecting on the Penguin government - "The Penguin democracy did not itself govern, it obeyed a financial oligarchy which formed opinion by means of the newspapers, and held in its hand the representatives, the ministers, and the president. It controlled the finances of the republic, and directed the foreign affairs of the country as if it were possessed of sovereign power." Hmm. When speaking of the political leader they hope to groom into the internal destroyer of the Penguin republic - "It is not necessary for the man we choose to be of brilliant intellect. I would even prefer him to be of no great ability. Stupid people show an inimitable grace in roguery." I at least can't help but be reminded of certain modern political leader.

Although I didn't enjoy reading the book as much as I'd hoped, all of the witty phrases and lucid insights make Penguin Island worth the time it takes to slog through a whole imaginary history.

If you like your satire served with brilliant wit with a touch of irony and a side of righteous anger, then Anatole France (the pen name of Jacques Anatole François Thibault) is your writer. You can credit Anatole France, winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Literature, with the famous maxim: "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Penguin Island starts with a fantastic premise. A missionary, half blind, comes across the island of penguins and baptizes them. Up in heaven, confounded with this act, the Lord gives the birds souls and intellect. France then uses his new civilization to satirize almost anything within range of his scathing intellect. The book generally parallels the development of human civilization. The longest chapter, the story of Pyrot and the 80,000 Trusses of Hay is a blistering critique of the French government's frame-up of Alfred Dreyfus. This chapter alone justifies the price of the book.

For those who have come to this review through my Tour de France history or my cycling commentary, it should be noted that the Dreyfus Affair was the proximate cause of the creation of Tour de France.

Anatole France is a genius. I heartily recommend this book.
-Bill McGann, Author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

This book is almost one hundred years old and it is still very relevant as a source of universal unchanging truths.

I am reading it as an E-book in the original French. France has a lovely style in his native language which is at the same time poetic, erudite and easy to read. Reading classic satire makes you realize how we are fundamentally the same and will probably never change. I was struck by a section punctuating the conclusion of the Pyrot ( Dreyfuss ) affair in which he comments that it was back to business as usual:

"The government remained under the control of the major financial institutions, the army dedicated exclusively to the defense of capital, the navy served only as a source of orders for the steel industry and the rich refused to pay their fair share of taxes. The poor, as before, paid for them."

Sound like any place you know?

If satire is your thing this is good stuff. It helps to be familiar with French pomposity and European history.

This novel simply isn't like anything else ever written.

A monk visiting an island populated by nothing but penguins accidentally baptizes them, and the saints in heaven debate what is to be done, since baptism can only be done to those with souls. The conclusion is to make the penguins human! The remainder of the book is a history of Penguin Island, which is a clever parody of European history. It may not be everyone's piece of pie, but I defy anyone to say that they have seen its like before.

A pious monk discovers a previously unknown island. He is half deaf and more than half blind with age. Even so, he can see that the diminutive people here are gentle, serious, and not yet Christian. He performs a mass baptism, not realizing that he has created Christian penguins.

So begins France's straight-faced satire of the church, the state, and anything else he can think of. First, the innocents must clothe their nakedness. This creates modesty for them, but also creates immodesty, lust-inducing arts of skirt and bodice, and avarice for finer clothes and baubles. Next, they develop property law, proven by disputes over farmland. They create a noble class, when one demonstrates his nobility by killing another penguin and taking his land. They create a royalty, by means of fraud and extortion. They even create their first saint, the miraculous virgin Ste. Orberosia. She seemed best known for her miraculous virginity, which she proclaimed until her dying day (and we don't argue with saints). In fact, she was able to proclaim her virginity even after dozens or hundreds of encounters that would have destroyed it in less holy a woman - miraculous indeed. Perhaps the penguins weren't born subject to Original Sin, but they're mighty quick with the imitation.

The History of Penguinia moves forward, through ages of avarice, adultery, elaboarate scams, false accusations, and all the usual goings-on of the political world. The events are painfully funny, right down to the cynical, cyclical view of modern times, locked into an historical rhythm. The views are painful only because they're so very true.

I imagine they would have been even more true for me if I knew more about the political current events of France and Europe circa 1900, when this book was being written. I also suspect some wordplay in characters' names that would have been amusing if I knew French. It is a measure of Anatole France's genuius that now, nearly a hundred years later, it's still true enough for a modern reader, and one unfamiliar with the book's original milieu. I imagine this book will reward the prepared reader even more richly.

This is satire at its finest - funny, but with an edge, and funny because it's so very true.

//wiredweird

"The Sanctity of Marriage" Handbook was published nearly 5 years ago-- but it's strangely relevant now with ballot propositions in California and Arizona. Instead of facing the usual arguments against same-sex marriage ("ewww,they're icky" or "they can't make babies"),the author takes on the arguers themselves. The author,in his own sardonic way,takes on Christian conservatives who've conveniently forgotten Jesus' words of "why do you bother your brother about the log in his eye when you have a plank in your own?"

"Sanctity of Marriage" takes on the usual suspects- Ann Coulter,who dated a pr0n magnate's son,the conservative blogger/male prostitute Jeff Gannon,serial adulterer Newt Gingrich (who is currently praising Prop. 8),along with Gary Bauer (famous for spending waaay too much time with a blonde secretary) and Bob Barr (who now opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment). It reads like a celebrity rag,not unlike OK! or US magazine. It has the depth of Brangelina's onset romance or Amy Winehouse's latest shenanigans.

"Sanctity of Marriage" has the full texts of the Defense of Marriage Act as well as the quixotic Federal Marriage Amendment (it's still on the GOP platform,despite Hurricane Ike,rising gas/food prices,the Iraq/Afghanistan wars) The book could use some expansion. It doesn't have Sally Kerns,R-Oklahoma,who equated marrying gays to terrorists,or GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney,who said that marriage is between "a man and a woman and a woman and a woman."

Now that Prop.8 is a circus in California,send in the clowns!

We all know people that we absolutely adore who choose to have relationships with the same sex. Who are we to dictate that? This book provides some great information in a light hearted manner. We all need to be more open and allow people the right to determine their own preferences regarding their partners. After all that is what our country was founded on. Good book with good information for being more open minded. Annie Lawrence, author Love's Secret Live Your Life In Love.

Approximately one year ago, I was having a phone conversation with a close (albeit Republican) relative. She started arguing that two members of the same sex couldn't get married because the Bible said so and that we need to "protect the children." This relative just happens to be divorced and had an adulterous affair with a married man for many years. I haven't spoken to her since and she should have her own entry in this book. She'll be getting the book as a Christmas gift--as should all Republicans and, especially, all Christians who claim, like my relative, to be fine moral citizens...

This book had me in stitches. It's about time somebody pointed out how full of it these guys are. And Harris's witty banter is purely hillarious. It's hard to remember how tragic the issue is when you're doubled over laughing.

Bravo! We need more books like this.

This little handbook is the absolute perfect weapon in any debate with anyone who is anti same-sex marriage. The reviewer who calls its execution "flawed" takes the book too seriously--anyone who picks up a $10 paperback with images of wedding cake toppers consumed in the flames of hell on the jacket thinking it is going to be some serious political tome has major perception problems, for which he should seek professional help (and perhaps a tutorial in spellcheck--takes guts to criticize a writer when you can't even spell hypocrisy yourself.) A funny, snide, sarcastic read, this is the perfect stocking stuffer for the progressive--or die-hard Republican--in your family.

This is a fine example of fiction that takes so many pains to prove its veracity that you almost find yourself falling for the joke, even though you know going in that you're reading a fiction. Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder comes close to the same subtle and painful humor as the Lambshead guide, creating a reality that is completely palatable as much as it is made up. The collection of fine talent from the entire spectrum of fantastic fiction delivers the goods. Vandermeer deserves credit for lighting the fire under such an entertaining project.

If you allow yourself to be contaminated by the gallows humour at work in the Thackery T. Lambshead Disease Guide, I'm quite sure you'll find it a treasured addition to your library. The writing is often quirky and inventive, and while not all of it is great, the work of such talented people as Stepan Chapman (who writes the best stuff in the Guide), Michael Cisco, Jeff Ford, Shelley Jackson, Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore and Jeffrey Thomas, easily makes up for the few uneven spots the book has.

The Guide is also beautifully produced, with superb design and illustrations by John Coulthart that reflect his obsessive attention to detail. Michael Moorcock's disease entry, set in flawless mock-Victorian style, is perhaps the most striking example.

The Lambshead Disease Guide is a strange and original book that overflows with talent. It's perhaps not for the squeamish, but the humour, though dark, is brave and commendable for it dares to laugh (or at least chuckle) in the face of our own mortality and some of our greatest fears. Can't recommend it enough, definitely one of the best books of 2003.

Jeff VanderMeer (ed.), The Thackery T. Lambshead Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, 83rd Edition (Night Shade Books, 2003)

Thwack's at it again-- publishing another compendium of diseases that seem like outright fabrications. Until, that is, you find yourself faced with someone suffering from Clear Rice Sickness. Then, of course, you will find this book invaluable.

It helps somewhat that this time round, the esteemed Dr. Lambshead, now at the spry old age of 103 (as of this edition), has combed the planet for some of the finest talents in the medical profession. Such luminaries as K. J. Bishop, Jeffrey Thomas, Neil Gaiman, and many others have contributed their expensive medical knowledge to this volume. He even goes outside the bounds of the medical profession every once in a while, for example in the cast of the Right Rev. Michael Moorcock; one would think that perhaps a man of the cloth wouldn't have much to contribute to a medical volume, but you'd be surprised.

If there is a problem with the newest version of the guide, it is to be found in the environment itself. There are so many eccentric diseases around these days (very few, surprisingly, are discredited; doesn't everyone know by now that Twentieth-Century Chronoshock is nothing more than a bad hangover?) that it sometimes seems that the enterprising young physician with an open mind will be paging through the blasted thing for years, if not decades, trying to figure out what's wrong with his patient. During which time, naturally, the patient might expire. Imagine, if you will, the good doctor's chagrin upon running into the patient's house with the proper tincture and finding the patient had been buried six months previous.

Still, an invaluable asset that belongs on the shelf of any good physician. If yours does not keep a copy of the Guide handy, you'd best go find yourself one who does, or risk the most severe of consequences. ***

Normally, when a person reviews a book, they aren't actually reviewing "the book" but the ideas contained therein. And normally, such a semantic quibble would be absurd, but in the case of "The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases" it holds some merit. Because not only does it contain a fascinating selection of the bizarre from a remarkably talented group of authors, but it compiles their writings in a visually stunning collection that beautifully mimics the style, and rather drolly the content, of a Victorian Era monograph.

The basic premise of the Guide is that it is the long running publication of the eponymous Dr. Lambshead, who specializes in bizarre diseases. Moreover, the esteemed Dr. Lambshead is 102 years old, and his guide focuses on diseases that are, shall we say, beyond the pale of modern medicine. From Bone Leprosy to Wife Blindness there isn't an eccentric or discredited disease uncovered by such medical luminaries as Jeff Vandermeer, Paul Di Fillipo, China Mieville and K. J. Bishop (to name a few).

The book begins with two introductions, one from Lambshead and one from the editors, both of which are hilarious. The book concludes with entries from past guides, as well as remembrances from Lambshead's associates, a history of the guide and biographies of each of the contributors (in doctor manifestation, of course). However, the obvious reason to read the Guide is the meat between these two pieces of bread: the diseases. Each author spends anywhere from two to four pages detailing the history, cause and treatment of their own particular disease.

It would be impossible to consider each contribution here, and would spoil the fun of the book for other readers, but there are a few highlights worth mentioning just to offer the flavor of the Guide. First up is Michael Barry's "Ballistic Organ Syndrome" which should be self-explanatory, and which nicely sets the tone for the rest of the Guide. China Mieville's "Buscard's Murrain" is the first (and best) of several literary, or word based, diseases; it's characterized by his dry wit and excellent use of language and tone. Michael Cisco's "Clear Rice Syndrome" has an almost Lovecraft-ian feel, and is one of several contributions that could easily be fleshed out into something longer. John Coulthart's "Printer's Evil" is cleverly placed within historical context and is superbly printed (more on this later). Finally, there is "Tian Shan-Gobi Assimilation" by Jeff Vandermeer; not only is it another disease that could easily turn into something bigger, but it echoes numerous themes in his Ambergris work (without explicitly tying back to them) and will thus be a particular treat for fans of his work. These are just a few of the many great contributions to the Guide, and my failure to mention others shouldn't be treated as an indictment, but rather as an acknowledgement of the consistently high standard of writing displayed throughout the guide.

As one can discern, the writing more than justifies the purchase price of the Guide, but what clinches it is the superb quality of the presentation. Liberal use is made of different fonts to denote different periods in the Guide's history, and occasionally (as in the case of the aforementioned "Printer's Evil") to lend a period effect to a given disease. However, the superb illustrations are what set the guide apart. First, each disease is provided with an illustration, in the style of an 18th century illustrated book or newspaper (or the Wall Street Journal today). Some are grotesque, some hilariously subtle, but they all nicely capture the disease in one snapshot. Secondly, there are photographs of "old" copies of the guide and various locations and personalities, all of which are beautifully presented such that they actually look like a sixty year old book or a team of doctors working to contain a vicious outbreak of venereal disease or what have you.

Finally, the editors brought a real sense of historical weight to the Guide by creating "characters" and texts that appear repeatedly throughout the Guide. Not only does this link together what would otherwise be largely unrelated vignettes, but it also deepens the satire by creating a comprehensive sense of realism around an entirely absurd creation.

Clever in its conception and execution, contributed to by an astonishingly talented pool of authors, and beautifully produced, "The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases" is an absolute joy to read and a must have for anyone who appreciates books as works of art. Its mind-bending amalgam of genres and influences is all the more intriguing for their smooth integration into one truly original work; the Guide was an enormously ambitious project that the contributors, and especially the editors, pulled off in spades.

Enjoy!

Jake Mohlman

This is a compilation of accounts of various and sundry diseases and ailments as reported by such contributors as China Mieville, Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, Brian Stableford, Gahan Wilson, and some flash little twerp named Neil Gaiman. Needless to say, all of these diseases are fictional--OR ARE THEY? (Yes, they are.)

The afflictions discussed are sometimes comical, sometimes ghastly. Some of the more notable ones include buboparazygosia (where the victim is covered by plague-like buboes that swell up to grotesque proportions, eating away the body and then bursting to reveal miniature human fetuses), Buscard's murrain (in which a certain "wormword", when pronounced in just such a way, causes chemical reactions in listeners such that nerve fibers in their brains are converted to self-reproducing parasites), Emordny's Syndrome (which causes those affected to basically chameleonically mimic their surroundings), internalized tattooing disease (where autopsies reveal that certain people have somehow unconsciously created artwork on their spleens and livers), and the unearthly Tian Shan-Gobi assimilation (a "The Thing"-like consumption of the host by fungal colonies).

About two-thirds of the book is taken up by these case studies, and the remainder by short accounts by the contributors of their encounters with the titular doctor and of "reprints" of lengthier studies from previous editions. In some ways, this last section is stronger than the preceding pages. A lot of the material in the first part is repetitious (the collected authors sometimes seemed to all come up with the same idea) or just not that great. Also, many of these folk appear to be English in nature. Americans these days can't seem to stir themselves to dash off a few pages for genre anthologies. But it did introduce me to the work of Kage Baker, whose "Anvil of the World" I recommend.

If you can find this at a library (good luck), it's worth perusing, but I wouldn't commit your monthly book-buying budget to it, unless you've sworn a solemn vow to collect all things Gaiman. But I guess there are worse manias to have.

The first few chapters got me laughing, yes. But later on, I felt like I was reading a stand up comedian's script. It made me feel that everytime she goes on a vacation, she turns every moment as an oppurtunity to make it derogatorily funny. A bit too pessimistic for me.
i liked however how she pointed out the 'usual' members of a travel group and the confinement of travelling with a group.
sometimes the accounts are too exagerrated, bordering on slapstick: (when she decided to travel and not be a house-sitter anymore, she held up her hands to declare this, clutching the neighbor's hamster).
This is a book that may be enjoyed by people who travel so that they could be reminded of how things are all better 'back home'. People who genuinely love to travel (for love of culture and other purposes) may find it a waste of time reading this.

This is the first book I've read by Irma Bombeck and I bought it because of the rave reviews from other readers. I was more than pleasantly surprised. I am recovering from a broken ankle and needing a "little cheering up". This book did the trick. I was laughing nonstop. I would highly recommend it!

Erma's funniest book yet! Every time I'm on a car trip and I'm stuck behind an RV, I think of her experience driving the "rig" with her hands clamped to the wheel, etc. I think of her regretting having more children than she had backseat windows and paying a fortune for a cruise only to spend half the voyage throwing up into a sink shaped like a seashell. Erma took mundane real life for mothers/wives and made it funny.

The title at first hadnt seemed so appealing to me, but the contents of the novel is what matters the most. My mother had urged me to read this book saying it was both witty and funny. A optimistic novel, turning lifes issues into comedy. In her book " When you Look like YouPassport Photo" she writes about her travel experiences which you can both laugh with and at the same time relate to. It starts off with her never having left her home town, to renting the smallest and most unpractical home RV in the world to deciding to leaving her children home to explore Europe. Even if you havent traveled you can laugh at the way she describes even the weirdest things and if you have relate to the tour guides and horrible food services. The memeroable husband always thinking that there are consipiracies going on in the system. The Hotel rationing the same piece of hard roll for every serving. Then there is always your typical bus groups. The health fanatic upfront, the photo mania and your typical drunk always singing at certain stops. I found it funny when she explaned that she had more children than she had window seats and just basically how she compared her life to things. IN her book, she gives tips and rules on travel issues. I havent read a book that made me laugh from page to page liek this one, this is a book no one should miss reading. Her perspective is always fresh, always giving her own ideas her own opinios. " Food for the dangerous" isnt this a catchy yet dangerous phrase. Erma describes all things with a different look. I heard that the authot died a few years ago and i praise her. Having suffering so much illness and even althrough this, having the ability to narate such an optimistic and hilarious book.

& this was the best. You can litterally place yourself in her shoes & experience comical things you could never have imagined happening to yourself. The way she narrates really grabs you into the book & won't let you go, & when your finished you need another of her books or you'll go into withdrawl syndrome. It was a horrible loss she died & took her comical genius that no one else has mastered with her.

Not that I hate this book. I like it, but I just wish I could love it. I love the show so much and have been waiting for the season 3 to the last to be released on DVD (Damn you Sony!!!! Why take you this long?????) Like the other reviewers said, it contains quotes from the series, but most of them come from the earlier season so I feel like it still miss something (I really feel like the editor watched only season 1 and 2. Is this because Sony release only those 2 seasons?). And there're not much of the cartoon in it. It's a good add on for the collection of The Nanny lover, still I feel like it could have done better.

I thought it might be cute, but it wasn't. Save your money unless you are a huge fan of Fran.

Because I love 'The Nanny' this book was a Must have. It is adorable and it brings back fond memories of the early years of the show. Any fan of 'The Nanny' will love this little book.

I know "The Nanny" was an aquired taste but, I loved her! I couldn't wait to get my weekly fix of the misadventures of Fran Fine & Co. Reading this book made me realize how much I miss this show. The book is a collection of quotes taken from scripts of the series. Also included are many photos of Fran Drescher as well as the other cast members. This book is a good read, it was so good I could plotz! Funny stuff!

This book is one of the best books iv'e ever read. If you like Austin Powers than this is the book for you. It Austin Powers mad libs, trivia, and much much more.

It would please me very much if you would order this book today!

I think this book is the best book I have ever read and I am a girl But the funny part is I never actually read it!!!!!

I foun this book funny yet stupid. You have to like all types of books to like and understand this book. Some people will disagree with me. You have to read it for yourself to decide if you like it or not.

I believe that this book, "How to be an international man of mystery" is the most outrageouse piece of writting that I have ever read, in my entire life.

Yoo Hoo! I am Mini Me and I read this book and now I know how to be an International Man of Mystery! Ha ha Austin!

"Lassie Come Home" is for kids; "Barking Her Way to the Top" is a grown-ups' collie story. Dog lovers, convinced their dogs are smarter than we give them credit for, can't help but laugh at the heroine Kukushka's treatment of her "dumb animal." Howard Rowland really got the collie personality down, pant. I mean, "pat." Since it's written by someone familiar with the excesses and clever hindsight government bureaucracies serve up, this book will also find fans among bureaucratic employees who think there might be a better way around all the red tape of their jobs.

Mr. Rowland makes the journey of this intelligent dog working her way to the top of a prestigious government language school in the Monterey area surprisingly credible. Read it. And enjoy it. I did.

Mr. Rowland makes this journey of an intelligent dog working her way to the top of a prestigious government language school in the Monterey area surprisingly credible. Read it and enjoy it. I did.

Rarely do you get as strong a feeling of an author so delighted as he wrote, positively grinning ear to ear. Refreshingly un-PC at times, Howard Rowland takes you on a quirky and surreal ride that unleashes an insider's contempt of government bureaucracy, as well as the depth of his love for the canine and linguistic worlds.

I'd highly recommend this tour de force, I enjoyed it immensely.

Anyone who loves animals and scorns bureaucracy will find "Barking Her Way to the Top" a treat. Our heroine, Kukushka, is a beautiful female collie with an unusual ambition, and the talent to realize it. Together with her master (?) and co-conspirator, one Roger Pyle, Ph.D., she sets out to be more than "just a house dog," and in the process turns a Government institute on its ear. That this institute lurches between political correctness and ingrained devotion to regulations, makes it ripe for the machinations of this dynamic duo. Dr. Pyle is a seemingly "normal" academic, and polyfluent (no kidding) linguist. His deceptive charm masks a truly Machiavellian cunning and inventiveness. When danger to his canine beauty turns her professor protector into a beast, he morphs into a slavering fanged avenger! Here the plot becomes thick with psychological, and even supernatural complications. A multinational cast of characters careens through these wittily illustrated pages, provoking grins and groans by turns. Most of all, this book--despite its surface risibility--shows to what lengths a man will go to honor his beloved animal companion.