Parody Books

Joel Rosenberg really blew it by developing the changes in the alternative fantasy world far too quickly.

The great fun and interest of the original three books was the interplay between characters with contemporary/technology and the alternative world people.

I don't blame Joel Rosenberg for trying to expand on the theme and draw out the original trilogy, but the whole Home Valley concept seems as laughably unrealistic as like Ayn Rand's hidden valley in "Atlas Shrugged." There were too many changes in too short of a time.

Unfortunately, this only leaves a rather snoozy theme of feudal political intrigue peppered with the ageing original characters...Who have been relegated to the equivilent of a rather clownish upper middle-class medieval gated suburb.

As far as the broken trio of Pirojil, Durine and Kethol from the previous book...Enjoy reading about the character Kethol had become a magically disguised lovelorn milksop. Feh.

Erenor, the low level wizard scoundrel with a penchant for magical glamour disguises is almost completely ignored except for the tail end of the story, where his threat seems completely out-of-character.

The worst part was with the character Pirijol, the only possible half saving grace of this entire "next generation" series, completely underdeveloped and underused except when Rosenberg reminds the readers for the 100th time about how ugly he is.

This book is a sad and worthless waste of a great fantasy franchise.

I am a Rosenberg fan. I really like the Guardian of the Flame novels even if they are getting a bit (okay a LOT) repetitive. I am also a fan of series, and I like that this one is starting to branch off from the original characters and explore more of the world through the eyes of what were only secondary players in the beginning novels. All of the Guardian books have been solid enjoyable reads, and I recommend them highly to those who enjoy fantasy.



Right before Christmas, out of new books and searching for something to read I came across the first book in the Guardian series and I reread it. Which led me to reread ALL the Rosenberg books again and I take it back. They really aren't repetitive. I am surprised I thought so. They were a very, very enjoyable read even though it was my second time through the entire series. Maybe the first time I read them too fast, who knows? All I can say is that I was wrong. I recomend them even more.

I actually started the series by reading this book (thank you, Andy, for the gift. Good call) and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Summary: Three soldiers are dragged into a political argument and ordered to investigate a minor dispute in the outreaches of the realm, which leads to more than anyone had bargained for.

Pretty good opening concept, although I never read the backs of the books (it ruins the surprise for me). What interested me more than anything else was the pure grittiness of the world that Joel, whom I'm sure doesn't mind being on a first-name basis from me, captured and dropped into my hands. In a land of magic, legends and dragons, one wouldn't expect there to be hardship in simply travelling or even danger in getting a simple drink.
If life were so simple, there wouldn't be much of a story. So the attention to detail, the dangers of everyday life in a world without constant police presence, was impressive.

The characters are hardened veterans, having fought, bled and watched those they've known fall in battle, or even in a street fight. They're honorable without being fanatical about it, exceptionally practical and utterly dedicated to their lord. Joel captures and keeps the societal differences between our world and theirs, and the consistency of it was well done indeed.

The characters are Pirojil, ugly as can be and never is he portrayed otherwise, Durine, large and dangerous and distant, and Kethol, heroic and not too bright but humble. Despite their weaknesses, they are engaging and make for some plausible interaction. It seems obvious that people who have worked together for a long time would know each other, but Joel makes it a point to note some of their conversational short-cuts, and includes some failings among friends that are understandable.

Summary: Great characterizations, a good story and some creative solutions to tricky problems. If you liked Glory Road, Outlaws of Sherwood and/or the Deed of Paksenarrion series, you'll like Not Exactly the Three Musketeers.

This book is a fun read. I started reading the guardians of the Flame series a few years ago and have enjoyed them all.

The book starts off a little slow but has great character developement and by the end you won't want to put it down. In fact you'll be sad that it's over.

This the first time that the leads of the story are neither Othersiders or the son of an Oothersider and it is fun to see things from a different point of view.

I keep hoping the Guardians of the Flame series will improve, but after the first two, it was all down hill. The author has a habit of reusing favorite phrases and descriptions. Particularly disgusting is the frequently mentioned "loosing of the bowels with a horrible flatulence" upon someone's death. Although many of the other stories in the series follow an interesting idea (modern-day folks transported into a wizards-and-warriors world), this story fails to have anything interesting to explore. He keeps you in the dark about the 'real' part of the plot until at least page 288, and even then it's over so quickly that I almost missed it. This book doesn't really have anything to recommend it; it has poor writing, poor character development, and a poor plot. I'd take Terry Brooks over this any day.

A few kitchy and well worn jokes aside, this book falls flat with its abundance of stereotypes and stupid in-jokes. This is NOT a book for those who are just coming out or exploring - there is too much "humor" that would seem threatening and alienating to a newbie.

Overall, not worth the money, not worth your time.

This book is a funny book that should tickle the humor bones of all LGBT pop culturists. It is by all means not intellectual discourse but we all need some moments of fluffy fun once in a while!

Some have taken this book and tried to review and analyze it as if it were to be taken as a literal textbook. Um, no. Not at all. It's all humor! Let's just look at it that way. A book about lesbians by lesbians told through humor.

Political correctness aside, this book is a fun satirical take on the lesbian community in the 1990s.

The book is an easy read and makes a great gag gift for any lesbian or honorary lesbian in your circle of friends.

I just got this book the day before yesterday, and I've already read it cover to cover. I laughed and smiled and genuinely enjoyed this book.

Sure, almost 10 years after it was written, some of the references are a bit outdated, and there are many more lesbian bands, books, and movies out that unfortunately aren't mentioned in the book (they're dyke's, they don't predict the future lol), but many of the works they refer to are classics, and many of the musicians they refer to are still around.

Also, while it's very broad, since it covers *so* much, it does give references to other books that get more in depth into a certain subject, so while you may not get every bit of info you might want in here, it's a great guideline/reference guide.

Sure, things are a bit different than they were 10 years ago, I'd expect them to be. Maybe that's why so many women seem offended in their reviews here, but honestly, I think the book was great, and even if you take it as just a big joke, it's still a great look at Lesbian women of the 90's.

Oh, and a little suggestion: The Magazine & Website listings are somewhat outdated, so if you want to find most of them, I would suggest Google. I'm sure some have completely dissapeared, but there are quite a few that are still around if you look hard.

I bought this book because of some of the good reviews I had read here on Amazon. However, I am struggling to finish it. Aside from a few humorous comments, I can not relate to this book at all, being someone who cringes at the terms "dyke" and "queer" and who is a relatively mainstream (i.e. straight- associating) lesbian. There were some comments in the book that I found ridiculous, like the insinuation that Thelma and Louise were in fact, in love, and that's why Hollywood made them die at the end of the movie. Come on! Talk about paranoia. I realize that there is a lot of prejudism against homosexuals in our society, but I think the authors are a little too sensitive in some areas. In most others, I simply could not (and did not want to) relate to what was written. I refuse to purchase or praise music, books or movies just because they are written by or about lesbians. I also found the regular references to one-night stands and casual sex, while probably true, to be very depressing and embarrassing, since it makes it look like ALL lesbians are that way. In my opinion, this book doesn't represent professional, mainstream, conservative lesbians with relatively high morals (are there any besides me??) at all, so I could not find much with which to identify. A waste of money, in my opinion. But, if you stongly identify with the in-your-face lesbian culture, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Just look at the cover. What do you see? A short haired woman in a suit. Look inside. Lots of discussion of butch/femme, overshadowing all else. In other words, its a pretty accurate rendering of lesbian culture, where if you look like a woman and date someone who looks like a woman, and find masculinity of any stripe repellent, you will paradoxically be considered not enough of a lesbian. Note: lesbian is a woman who loves a woman. What do you call someone who acts and looks masculine, thinks girliness is stupid and lame, likes to hang out with manly people and do manly things but still likes to have sex with those 'inferior' womanly women? Answer: a straight man or a butch dyke. If you are the latter, you'll love this book. So why did I give it three stars? Cause some of it was very funny.

There are two reasons to buy this book. (1) The cover. (2) Sorry, there is no 'two'.

Here are some bare facts which may convince you to not buy this book.
(1) From the introduction: "I wrote this book because it is a well-known fact that many Trekkies have had some difficulties locking their tractor beams onto members of the fairer sex."
(2) From page 55: "Lesson Four: Increase Her Self-Esteem".
(3) From page 81, listing the "top pickup lines": "To [NAME], the loveliest human ever to grace a starship."
(4) From the acknowledgments: "I can't believe I am actually writing this book."
(5) This book is Uhura-free.

Now, in the author's defense, "Star Trek" has been hot for more than twenty years, and the idea for this book is pretty obvious. I mean that, if anyone wanted to do a decent job of it, they've had time.

Trekkers and even casual fans of the first Star Trek series will relish the tongue-in-cheek observations of CAPTAIN KIRK'S GUIDE TO WOMEN, a set of funny observations of the main women in the show - basically the captain's love interests. There are color photos of many of them - but disappointingly, not all. That caveat aside, the comments and history make for a fun guide for any interested in Captain Kirk and his erstwhile love life.

I have Captain Kirk's Guide to Women on my coffee table and it ALWAYS prompts smiles and conversation when we have guests over. It's smaller sized so perfect to slip into your book bag or carryon for some on-the-go advice! Seriously, I really had fun with this and and so have many of my friends. And as a woman and a Trek fan I think "Bones" knows what he's talking about--gentlemen: this is GOOD advice. I realize that many Star Trek fans take things Trek very seriously and expect them to meet high standards. In my view, this book meets those standards, but it should be remembered that this is supposed to be FUN! No one has ever put something together quite like this before. I appreciate the tone that is both playful and light, yet clearly written by someone who truly loves Star Trek and is working to make it accessible to everyone. Relax and enjoy--this is delightful!

This has all the bad qualities of a bad Powerpoint presentation. I saw this book at a physical book store, and I'm glad I did. I spent about six minutes with it, though I could have finished it in fifteen. It doesn't work as a Star Trek book, or a self-help book or a funny book. I don't see how the five-star reviews could be anything but shills for the author. There's really very little in the book.

The measure of a book of this type is how well it appeals to a broad audience as well as the "niche base" that's going to buy it, regardless, because of its devotion to the subject. No matter how hard author John Rodriquez tries to make an "across the board book" for the masses, "Captain Kirk's Guide to Women" is basically written for those that truly know the difference between a Klingon and a Romulan, the connection between a dilithium crystal and a warp core, or which is a better with whom to have a roll in the hay, an Orion slave girl or the Dohlman of Elas.

Trek fans know that Captain Kirk, as played by William Shatner, was the embodiment of the hero that got the girl, the girl, and the girl. This book, through its various "chapters," provides an entertaining look at the Kirk myth and offers suggestions as how a guy can successfully conquer the woman of his choice. It illustrates what to do and what NOT to do in a male-female relationship.

The text and references to episodes of the original series, along with photographs of the actresses that played Kirk's respective "conquests," are heaven to anyone that ever dreamed of holding a phaser or getting his molecules mixed up in a transporter.

However, for those uninformed in Trek lore, the book offers little to bring them into the fold.

For that, "Captain Kirk's Guide to Women" loses two stars.

Oddly refreshing. Though I am familiar with Gorey's cartoon art, this is the first of his books that I've stumbled into and I suddenly understand his cultish popularity. TEA COSY is a re-make of Dicken's CHRISTMAS CAROL involving wallpaper thieves, ghosts of never-were holidays and a Bahum Bug who battles didacticism. The whole adventure ends at "the very edge of the unseemly." Don't wait until Christmas.

I really enjoy most of Gorey's works, usually because the pictures are wonderfully creepy. In this book, the images lack teh detail that you find in so many of Gorey's other works. The story, a strange "Christmas Carol"-like thing, doesn't make the book worth getting, without better pictures to back it up.

This story gave me a happy warm fuzzy feeling about a holiday that tries to kill us all with stress. It made me giggle my way through the holidays...

There is a curious subgenre of psedo-Victorian British macabre writing penned by Americans with little or no ties to Mother England. Lemony Snicket is the most recent example, though the patron saint of the style is the indelible Edward Gorey. In Gorey's "The Haunted Tea-Cosy", we find a very oddly written story made with more than its fair share of humor. Even the title is funny. How many Americans own tea-cosies today, I wonder. And is the plural of cosy "cosies" or "cosys"? Such answers will not be found in this book. It is still worth a gander.

The plot, such as it is, follows a somewhat "Christmas Carol"ish venue. In it Edmund Gravel is enjoying his yearly fruitcake and letter-writing when a large Bahhum Bug leaps from under Gravel's tea-cosy to proclaim, "I am here to diffuse the interests of didacticism". I wish more characters in books would say this. The bug and Gravel are joined by three spirits that show him (in this order) Affecting Scenes, Distressing Scenes, and Heart-Rending Scenes. These scene include things like Alberta Stipple returning home to find the wallpaper in her drawing room gone. In the end Gravel decides to throw a party (yay) and the show ends with some suggested pornographic dealings (possibly leading into Gorey's more disturbing story "The Curious Sofa").

Gorey is very much an adult's picture book author. Kids will probably not be too terribly entranced by his fine pen-and-ink drawings or his cumbersome words. But he's the best, Gorey is. No one writes of disaffected despair more lightly or amusingly. This book won't exactly become a Christmas classic, but its worth a perusal when you find yourself on a overcast Sunday in your home with nothing to do.

Edmund Gravel traverses through this quick but enjoyable read by Edward Gorey, including his great illustrations. A bug-like creature leaps from Edmunds tea-cozy and takes him on a Dickens-like "Christmas Carol"-like journey. The stories are sad, depressing, and amusing all in one. Great holiday entertainment, and a great gift for the scrooge who has everything but this book.

This book is not funny. There is not much else to say. It felt like a Jay Leno gag that is not going well, and yet it keeps going anyway.

I guess humor is subjective, but I cannot see how people could find this book amusing.

I don't think I read a single page of this book that didn't make me burst out laughing. Some of the material aims a tad low, but a lot is fairly cerebral, too. And it's high time someone did a send up of cloying self help books.

I think the book could've been a bit longer; I wanted to keep laughing. And I was disappointed they didn't satirize any of Dr. Laura's books. But, this thing was FUNNY. This is one of the best parodies around. It's "Spinal Tap funny."

I read the Amazon reviews before buying this book, so was expecting to find this book funny. This book is not the least bit funny--it is so not funny, it is even painful to read. The cover states that one of the authors wrote for Bob Hope. Do you know how long ago that must have been? I can't fathom how anyone could have found this book funny. Making fun of self-help books is a good premise, but the jokes are so lame--real groaners. I never found Bob Hope that funny either. This book gets zero stars.

Admit it... you read all those popular so-called self-help books and put their advices, exercises, recommendations, suggestions, plans, ideas, mantras, meditations, visualizations, affirmations, prayers to work only to find that none of that silliness works, and then you turned to this book and had a NECESSARY GOOD OL' LAUGH!... I admit it.

I really give this book NO stars.
This was the dumbest book I have ever read. By reading the reviews of this book before I bought it-it sounded like it would be really funny. It is soooo disappointing, I couldn't finish reading it. Wish I could return it! It's going right into the charity box.

This book is in poor humor. It is intended to be a comic parody of the book "Who Moved My Cheese." I found it to be gross and disgusting. Buyer Beware!!!

Yes, it is a parody of "Who Moved My Cheese". But buy this book only if you are looking to read juvenile bathroom humor, or worse, humor that is sexist and crass.

a second star is given for the two times it made me chuckle. but if you're trying to decide wether to spend your 13 dollars on this book or in the diner down the street on a cheeseburger and a strawberry shake, opt for the cheeseburger.

unless you are a fan of fart jokes and toilet humor, which i haven't found funny since the age of 9, don't buy this book. there's simply not much there.

Mason Brown's parody only occasionally uses "toilet humor"; vulgarity is used no more than any other literary device in this short volume. Rather, the whole point of Brown's writing is to expose how extended and simple-minded allegories are used to smuggle into a conversation indefensible premises. Flatulence is only one of many unpleasant implications of the WHO STOLE MY CHEESE? allegory. Brown shows what would happen if people in real life fully accepted the premises of American corporate culture: cutthroat competition, the acceptance of any "change" authority hands out, and the cult of the CEO. The painful passages are not about gassy diets but at the end where the references to HEART OF DARKNESS as middle management jerks cut each other down and tear down civilization.

In addition to "vulgarity" and sophistication, there are nice subtle touches, such as sly references to real life corporate disasters like Long Term Capital and Swedish Match Company. Brown is listed as the author of fictional books teaching the same quick fix cutthroat lessons of corporate business for other parts of life; my favorite is: CRY WOLF AND WIN! HOW TO FALSELY ACCUSE RELATIVES OF MOLESTATION AND GAIN ATTENTION AND SYMPATHY. Brown shows us that such immoral tactics are the ultimate meaning of the Jack Welch Way.

WHO CUT THE CHEESE? is, in short, a brilliant morality tale for our times.
By the way, someone should tell Amazon that the Forward's author, Krubenaker, is not a real person.

My boss forced me to read the original, and it practically killed me.

This book took some of the pain away (though not the recurring nightmares).

As for some reviewers charges of "crudeness" and ethnic stereotyping, I found Brown's coarser jokes to be a refreshingly politically incorrect tonic. It's also what I would expect from the managing editor of National Lampoon. Funny and edgy.

I also liked the parallels to "Heart of Darkness," and the progression into madness and death, but maybe that's reading too much into a parody book with a fart pun for a title.

The trouble with most Cthulhu collections (meaning Lovecraft pastiche) is that the authors don't really know what they're imitating. Usually you see an invocation of the Necronomicon, some chanting (in italics! Ia!), and the summoning of some unpronounceable god. This at least approaches the game that HPL and his friends played, to make an ancient tome and monster and then to share them in a common literary world. To recycle what already has been done, though, takes out the spirit of fun and creativity that was the point of the game to begin with. Some of the humorous pieces in the genre, like "It's Only the End of the World, Again" can at least tap into that spirit of conviviality. Typical Lovecraft pastiche can almost be done by Mad Lib.

It's even harder to get at the real spirit of what Lovecraft was writing about. Most folks think it's about horror; Lovecraft, himself, said that was not what his stories were about. In a letter, he said that he tried to evoke a sense of wonder and awe about the universe. And since he didn't believe in anything but cold nature, he felt that man's proper response to wonder and awe is fear and horror. Think about it.

Fortunately, CTHULHU 2000 is not bad pastiche or shallow horror (mostly). There are some gag stories that fall flat, and some that try to redo a Lovecraft story in the modern day and lose all that made it worth remembering. And I'll even admit that the offering from Zelazny was over my head. But there is some astonishingly good writing here, like "The Barrens", or "The Last Feast of Harlequin", or "The Faces at Pine Dunes". A lot of that quality is that the writers are already accomplished authors, but the excellence comes from telling an authentic story, without trying to copy a style. There's a sense of awe and wonder at discovering something bigger and deeper and more ancient than we can imagine, and being changed by that. And that's how you find Cthulhu at the end.

Contents:
"The Barrens" F. Paul Wilson
"Pickman's Modem" Lawrence Watt-Evans
"Shaft Number 247" Basil Copper
"His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood" Poppy Z Brite
"The Adder" Fred Chappell
"Fat Face" Michael Shea
"The Big Fish" Kim Newman
"I had Vacantly Crumpled It into My Pocket..." Joanna Russ
"H.P.L." Gahan Wilson
"The Unthinkable" Bruce Sterling
"Black Man With a Horn" T.E.D. Klein
"Love's Eldritch Ichor" Esther M. Friesner
"The Last Feast of Harlequin" Thomas Ligotti
"The Shadow on the Doorstep" James P. Blaylock
"Lord of the Land" Gene Wolfe
"The Faces at Pine Dunes" Ramsey Campbell
"On the Slab" Harlan Ellison
"24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai" Roger Zelazny

_Cthulhu 2000_ is (as one might guess from the title) a collection of recently written short stories set in the universe created by H.P. Lovecraft, none by Lovecraft himself but rather by a variety of different authors. Editor Jim Turner provides a nice introduction to the Lovecraft's writings, drawing attention to two themes in the Cthulhu mythos. One theme is that though Lovecraft is in many ways a horror writer, he did not see the universe in terms of some epic, Biblical struggle between good and evil. Turner writes that a conventional horror writer "presupposes an actively malicious universe;" Lovecraft saw the universe in his stories instead as profoundly indifferent, that the interaction of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology are so universal and eternal a phenomenon that they are far beyond any meaningful relationship with any species so transient as man, located as he is on such an insignificant planet. Man is a speck, nothing at all, against the horrors in a true piece of Cthulhian fiction. The best he can hope for from the universe is profound indifference. Lovecraft's monsters aren't evil, they just exist, they are almost elemental forces.

A second theme, in many related to the first theme, is that the universe is vast and probably unknowable by man. Some of the horror from Lovecraft's writings comes from the "finite mind grappling with infinite reality," the results of which are often insanity and/or death. Lovecraft himself said humans live on a "placid island of ignorance" amidst "black seas of infinity," and that mankind was not mentioned to voyage far. Man is better off not knowing the true horrors that lurk in the shadows.

So how well do the eighteen short stories in this volume realize these themes? Pretty well overall I think. Many of the stories depart from Lovecraft's typical mode of writing; most of his short stories were tales (memoirs really) told by men after the fact - sometimes dead or insane at the end of the story - rather than actually accounting events as they happened, often lacking dialogue. Though a few of the stories are in Lovecraft's traditional style, most are not. To me this is quite refreshing.

Several stories to me were exemplary, centering on a seemingly normal person, perhaps an investigator, perhaps not, in what looks like a normal, mundane, mortal world, one that is revealed to be hiding untold horrors unknown to most of humanity. _Black Man with a Horn_ by T.E.D. Klein was an excellent page-turner (I wished it was longer though it was already almost a novella in length), an intriguing tale that wove together elements of Malaysian folklore, a retiring missionary, an elderly horror writer, and some mysterious disappearances in Florida. It had a wonderful atmosphere and the author did a great job of slowly, very slowly, revealing what the horror of the piece was. _The Last Feast of the Harlequin_ by Thomas Ligotti was similarly excellent, the protagonist an anthropological researcher (who specialized in studying the role of the clown in various cultures) traveling to the town of Mirocaw to research a Winter Solstice celebration that was rumored to involve a clown figure. The main character finds more than he bargained for, discovering that there was a great deal more to the festival that initially met the eye. _The Barrens_ by F. Paul Wilson focused on a researcher and his ex-girlfriend, the former obsessed with the phenomenon of pine lights (eerie will o'wisp like globules of light said to haunt the New Jersey Pine Barrens), an obsession that leads the main characters to view the world in an entirely different light.

Several stories were a bit more unusual and I am not sure I understood them. _Shaft Number 247_ by Basil Cooper appeared to be set in the far future, underground, in a highly mechanized and regimented society that either could not survive on the surface of the earth or was afraid to. The Cthulhic element was subtle, almost slight. _The Shadow on the Doorstep_ by James P. Blaylock was well-written, almost poetic, describing the author's encounters with mysterious aquarium shops in various places in California as well as what might or might not have been some horrid apparition on his doorstep late one evening, but the horror and mystery in this piece was very subtle, maybe too subtle.

A couple of stories were humorous, playing with the Cthulhu mythos but not much in the style of Lovecraft, not that they weren't enjoyable. _Pickman's Modem_ by Lawrence Watt-Evans dealt with as one might guess a demonic modem and its effects on its user and _Love's Eldritch Ichor_ by Esther M. Friesner was almost slapstick, the subject a budding young romance writer (!) with some rather unusual friends.

I enjoyed this book a lot, I find it a fairly quick read and a good continuation of Lovecraft's writings. I would love to see a sequel volume.

The stories in this book were in general rather dissappointing. There were a few good ones, but for the majority of stories were average at best. Very few of the stories were "modern" like I expected; nothing really about how the mythos has influenced our current lifestyle.

Okay, I admit that I approached this anthology with some trepidation, since I enjoy the "old-school" style of Lovecraftian stories.

But despite myself, I ended up enjoying this collection, and I think other readers will also. Here's why:

--there's enough diversity in the types of tales presented to insure that most readers will find at least several stories they enjoy.

--there are a few just plain wonderfully creepy and atmospheric yarns, such as "The Barrens" by F. Paul Wilson and "The Last Feast of Harlequin" by Thomas Ligotti.

So give this collection a try. Horror fans and/or Lovecraft afficionados alike will find quite a few pleasant surprises in the gems presented here.

--

this collection contains some stories that are almost good (wolfe, copper, wilson, campbell) but in the end are not good enough. i like good pulp. it's not here. some of the stories are really strangely uninteresting. kind of author-is-trying-to-be-inventive, and creates a story i am not impressed by.

When I received this little (too little) I was very disillusioned
the phrases do not have anything especial, the book is smaller (than I was waiting)
It doesn't offer absolutely anything!

It's hard to describe, because it's just so funny, and explaining it would ruin the joke. Basically, this book has the funniest, cutest, and most bizarre examples of poorly chosen or poorly translated English phrases that work their way onto shirts, bags, hats and jackets in eastern Asia (particularly Japan). Imagine someone randomly opening any old encyclopedia, or watching some random documentary, choosing a phrase of the correct length, and putting it on a shirt, and you will probably see what The Joys Of Engrish really are.

If you've been to Japan and are missing it, this is the book for you!

This will keep you entertained for an hour or two. I laughed out loud at several of these and even enjoyed sharing this book with friends. Well worth the time!

Steven Caires Creator of website Enrish dot com, has put together a collection of photographs of Japanese signage with either deliberate or mistaken Japanese into English translations. Whilst not the best collection of funny translations out there The Joys of Engrish especially for those who have never travelled (or have not got hundreds of these sort of things from their friends as e-mail attachments) will be a good introduction and probably motivate to find the better stuff out there.
Many international business or international marketing books out there are full of chapters of these funny advertising campaigns, as well as stories (no stories in this book) of hilarious moments through misinterpretation. The Joys of Engrish is a good introduction to this genre but nothing special.

This very small sized book (smaller than I had thought), was a funny read once but that's about it. Maybe I'll pick it up again in 2 years and find it amusing again. Great tiny coffee-table-type book to amuse guests that come by, but I wish I hadn't spent the money on it.

Finally a self-no-help book that I can relate to. If you're tired of cliches and platitudes that try to make you believe that you can actually better yourself when all you want to do is take a high-speed pass to decadence and debauchery than buy this book. I laughed out loud a bunch of times and will be getting copies of it for friends in need.

This book can be very entertaining at times. However, I found myself falling asleep at certain times while reading this book.

The problem with this kind of book is that it's joke is limited. After the novelty wears off, it all becomes a bit stale.. but then, don't most REAL self-help books?!

Some of the sections are quite funny... for instance, the part on how to start smoking (you start of by building up your nicotine addiction by wearing the patch or chewing nicotine gum!)... also quite funny was the self mutilation section (everything from enlargement of "certain reproductive features" to cutting).

The greatest flaw of the book, perhaps, is how it never quite goes as far or gets as outrageous as it should. They should have called this "The Practical Self-Destruction Handbook."

Pick this book up cheap (used, or in the bargain section) for an amusing read. Or get it as a creative gift. But don't pay full price for yourself and expect to get a lot of milage out of it.

A lot of people can achieve success on their own but many people just need that little bit of guidance. The Self-Destruction Handbook is definitely not that guidance. What it is a humorous parody of those millions of annoying self help books and an extremely entertaining read. This book will teach you the 12 steps to a drinking problem, and all the techniques to a successful smoking habit. You'll be convinced why you should do drugs as well as learn all the inside secrets on dating and obtaining or becoming a mistress. You'll get helpful bedroom advice, learn how to release your inner child body and you'll be convinced why you should go out and get that tattoo, body piercing or other self mutilating accessory. A great read that will have you laughing out loud, so read it in a public place!

My wife and I picked up this book based on the title alone. The clerk, reading the title as we paid for it, noted that "no home should be without this." I've always wondered if he'd actually read the book or was just riffing on the title.

First off -- this book is satire. It's a joke. Some of the jokes are tasteless, many are crude, a couple are just plain wrong. But they're jokes. All of them. I can image that this book is misunderstood and reviled by many who take it at face value. But any issue that I, or anyone, should have with this book is about the humour and nothing else. It's not that "you either get it or you don't" -- I get it, but that doesn't mean that I'm obligated to find everything in it funny, either. Bone-dry, satire-with-a-side-of-detached-irony isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Nor is that brand of satire a carte blanche to get away with whatever insult/offensive remark/slur that you can think of. A lot of bad writing gets published in the name of satire, and while this book isn't bad writing, it has it's moments. Like I said, some of this book is pretty rough going, even for a seasoned satirist and humourist such as myself. There are some very deadpan jokes in here about such obvious targets as eating disorders, STDs, the obese, children, the elderly, smokers, non-smokers...etc. Not all of them are as funny as you'd hope. It's a dark little book. Some of the jokes are so dark, in fact, that it seems a little cruel even reading them. It's not that they're offensive; it's just that they're not funny. They're outrageous, they're mean-spirited and, even though they're clearly not meant to be taken seriously, they can be tough to read.

That said, the book can also be witty and clever, especially when the authors are going for something more sophisticated then pure shock value. It's a funny book, and I like it, but thoughts of buying one for my sister upon her graduation from medical school quickly evaporated after I'd read about 3 pages. This book, like all satire, isn't for everyone.

Taken from the handbook's "How To Lose Way Too Much Weight In 90 Days" chapter: "Fun Fact: Joining a soritity increases your chance of developing and maintaining an eating disorder by 130%." If you're offended already, you might want to pass on this one. If, on the other hand, you're always wishing that "The Daily Show" would finally take the gloves off and start really making fun of people, you might like The Self-Destruction Handbook.

sounds like neither of the authors have had any experienceing in dumping guys. Yawned my way through this piece of nonsense...

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO HATE THE AUTHOR OR THANK THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK. BUT, AFTER MY [EX] GIRLFRIEND READ THE BOOK (given to her by her mother) SHE DUMPED ME. HEY, I DIDN'T READ THE BOOK, BUT CAN SOMEONE TELL ME IF IT TALKS ABOUT GIVING SOMEONE TWO WEEKS WITH NO COMMUNICATION?

FINALLY, WRITE A DAMN BOOK ON HOW TO DUMP A GIRL.

(DAMN, STILL CAN'T BELEIVE THIS BOOK SCREWED ME.)

If you are looking for a serious 'how to' book you might want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a lighthearted and amusing read to help lighten your mood, then this might be just the book for you.

I had never broken up with anyone before and I wanted dump my 5+ year boyfriend I cared deeply about. This book not only assured me that I was doing the right thing, but it also helped me with the when and how. I give it to everyone I know who is unhappy in their relationship. It's good constructive advice and makes for a great reference book!

What do you wear to break up with somone? Where should you do it? How will particular types of guys respond to the break-up? A rolling-about-the-floor funny tome of break-up advice I came across for some story research.

Covering everything from when you should break up with someone to the after shocks (your mother's coronary and rantings that you'll become an old maid, among other potential gems), it's fun reading for anyone with high-enough self-esteem, regardless of sex, even though it's definitely a woman's book. It's a great conversation book full of cheap laughs, even though it's real as hell.