Parody Books

This book is essentially a lineup of authors who have been recognized for their ability to write humor, authors who are recognized for their skill in writing and authors who agreed to fill out the rest of the book. The is book does about a good of a job dissecting humor and describing what it is as any book can. If you read the book, you will find that some of these writers do no come across as funny. When trying to describe humor it often loses its ability to make people laugh. What one person thinks is funny another person will not, so we all may have different thoughts about which writers are funny and which are not. And some of these guys just aren't funny. Don't let that keep you from reading the book. Some of these guys offer some very good insight into what makes writing funny. They talk about things like timing, delivery and the use of jokes. They talk about humor versus jokes and how characters should deliver their lines. They talk about how a person who can deliver a humorous performance may not be skillful at humorous writing. There is a lot of information to absorb in between those writers that don't know what they are talking about. I got a few laughs from the book, but mostly it is a serious book about How to Write Funny.

Well, sadly the answer is "yes."

For a "how to" guide, there was very little "how to." For a humor book, there was very little "funny." Still, it was interesting to get a glimpse into the minds of some of my favorite humorists (especially those mentioned above in the subject).

The book is a collection of essays by various writers and humorists discussing techniques for writing humorous fiction. There are some basic principles of good writing (story & character development) and the individual essays and interviews are interesting. The only disappointment is that because they are general essays developed by various authors, there's a good deal of repetition, as well as contradiction.

I think this book would have tremendous as a "panel discussion." The humorists I named are quick on their feet, and would have played off each others' ideas to build a much more cohesive (and entertaining) book... of course, most of us would have wanted the DVD or at least the CD.

Some of the comic principles or techniques discussed in the book are: surprise, incongruity, exaggeration & understatement, word play, parody, and visuals.

Am really enjoying this book. Every chapter is written by or about a different author and their individual perspectives really come through. The writing and editing are top-notch, whether reading straight from the beginning or jumping around to different chapters. One of my favorites is an interview with Sherman Alexie, a Native American humorist. It's wonderful to discover that someone so uniquely funny can influence my own aspirations. Of course with all the writers come different opinions as to what's important in humor writing. (If they didn't, now that'd be funny.) For me, that means I'm getting the big picture, insightful tips, and a great read rather than the usual "There's Only One Correct Way" stuff. I have dog-eared about 1/3 of the pages and yellow highlighted (if that's a word) much of the rest. It is not a Step 1-2-3 sort of book, so if you're looking for that, save this book for later. But if you want a broad perspective from successful writers, consider this book.

The book is a collection of opinions about humorous writing by several well published humor authors. It's good reading, and darned interesting (my favorite was a transcript of a discussion of comedic writing, by 5 authors).

The funniest part of the book is the contrast. One writer will give advice saying, "I don't read other humor authors works," while another will say to read everything you can get your hands on. There's a LOT of contradicting ideas in each chapter, which actually tells you a lot.

The negative review earlier about how many of the authors sound like one another is correct but misleading.

To me, though most of the commentary is similar, that's because they are shared impressions of comic writers, rather than an indication that this is a poor selection.

As proof of the variety, just think: in addition to Barry and Bryson, you also get writers of comedic fantasy, children's books, romance, a Hawaiian-Asian ethnic humorist, newspaper writers and so on. You even have the guy who wrote a "comedic" story about a man who chopped up his mother and put her in the fridge (not ever going to be on my reading list).

The biggest reason to read the book is that variety of voices, which contrasts strongly with the usual book on comic writing: I'm a comedian, here's my take. If eighteen different writers say "comic fiction writers get no respect", "teaching humor is impossible", and "family history is important to my work", I'm inclined to think they're probably truisms of the field.

The premise of this book is a good one, don't get me wrong there. It had possibilities. Unfortunately, it fell flat far from these. It didn't promise all seemed. Basically it tells you why you should be afraid of certain things...but there is no new information, nothing exciting, and the things to be afraid of, frankly, are stupid. It is boring in its presentation. It was that book that could've but didn't.

I enjoyed every bit of this book. Although a bit absured at times, it did give a few things to think about should I ever want to be an Obsessive Compulsive type.
Beware... (With a smile)

The world is a dangerous place! There's the Ebola virus, thunderstorms, sleepy truckers, meteors, and licorice. Licorice? Yes, licorice. It can cause high blood pressure, lung congestion, and irregular heartbeat. (I'm having some of these symptoms now, just from thinking about my favorite candy!) And did you know that firing someone doubles your risk of heart attack, that tryingto quit smoking increases your risk of an accident, and that you're more likely to be murdered during the first week of the month? This funny book is a Godsend to those in desperate need of more things to worry about. Read it and be amused-- and forewarned.

I was hoping to find this book to be funny,{as it was advertised} and full of things that i hadnt heard of before,It wasnt.I'm going to pass it on to a family member,maybe they'll like it better than i did.

Melinda Muse takes some very serious subjects,that could be very dull, and writes about them in an entertaining way. I learned alot that I didn't know. I didn't know that there was a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer or that people who are sensitive to poision oak and poision ivy shouldn't peel mangos. Out of 448 things to fear and why there is definately something for everyone to learn.

I bought this book as a gift for a friend who is a great lover of literature. She loved it, and she and her partner enjoyed reading aloud to each other from it. Some of the recipes even look pretty good. The only complaint is that it's so short for the price. Another few recipes would have made it more worth while. This said, I'll probably order it again as a gift for another friend...just not somehting I'd buy for myself.

Very happy with the 2 copies of this book. They arrived safely packed and very prompt. Many thanks.

It is no wonder this $14.95 little book sells new for $3 at Amazon. Once you see how bad it is you couldn't give it away. To anyone who is REALLY interested in authors and their food, this is embarrassingly bad, and a terrible read. It should come with Malox.

this is so much fun for someone who not only loves to read but loves to cook.

Crick has produced a small but rich volume that pays homage to writers from Homer to Raymond Chandler and if there is a false note struck anywhere, I cannot detect it. As an added bonus, the recipes look to be perfectly wonderful all by themselves.

Crick begins with the hilarious Chandler shtick centered on Lamb with Dill Sauce. "It was time to deal with the butter and flour so I mixed them together into a paste and added it to the stock. There wasn't a whisk, so using my blackjack I beat out any lumps until the paste was smooth." Almost makes me sorry I come equipped with three different whisks and not a blackjack in sight.

Speaking in the articulate phrasing of the Marquis de Sade, Crick manages to make fun of politically correct cuisine with its "naive trust in low-fat yogurt" and celebrate the sensuality of food with a story about an innocent maiden forced to observe a hypocritical judge as he lecherously prepares Boned Stuffed Poussins. Makes you quiver, it does.

The Harold Pinter playlet titled "Cheese on Toast" features ciabatta and eggplant and mozzarella and, I swear it, you can taste the results before you've finished reading. My tummy growls in frustration for I have none of the aforementioned ingredients on hand.

So far, my favorite is the gem in the voice of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, titled "Coq au Vin." There is a priest tormented by mosquitos and a mulatta cook who prepares a last meal for a murderer, Fidel Agosto Santiago, and the meal is the tough carcass of the fabled fighting cock, El Jaguaracito, donated by its owner, the Syrian. It's all there -- drama, rich characterization and food so wonderful it will make you weep.

I love to read and I love to cook. It's hard to imagine a single book that combines those two pleasures more perfectly than this one does. This book will hold a place of pride and joy in my cookbook collection. Now -- I wonder if I can find a blackjack on eBay?

As far as Sherlock Holmes anthologies goes, this one is not good. It starts fine, and ends fine, it is just all the stories in the middle that aren't very good, and several are subpar.

As a centennial celebration I am sure some people getting this would be disappointed in several of the stories for not being faithful at all to the style.


New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 01 The Infernal Machine - John Lutz
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 02 The Final Toast - Stuart M. Kaminsky
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 03 The Phantom Chamber - Gary Alan Ruse
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 04 The Return of the Speckled Band - Edward D. Hoch
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 05 The Adventure of the Unique Holmes - Jon L. Breen
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 06 Sherlock Holmes and The Woman - Michael Harrison
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 07 The Shadows on the Lawn - Barry Jones
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 08 The Adventure of the Gowanus Abduction - Joyce Harrington
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 09 Dr. and Mrs. Watson at Home - Loren D. Estleman
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 10 The Two Footmen - Michael Gilbert
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 11 Sherlock Holmes and the Muffin - Dorothy B. Hughes
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 12 The Curious Computer - Peter Lovesey
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 13 The Adventure of the Persistent Marksman - Lillian de la Torre
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 14 The House That Jack Built - Edward Wellen
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : 15 The Doctor's Case - Stephen King


Conspiracy and murder surrounding a new Gatling gun.

3.5 out of 5


Execution method changing, and a trap for Holmes.

3.5 out of 5


Relatives and ghost scams.

2.5 out of 5


Stoke Moran serpentess is a black widow.

3.5 out of 5


Acting for the Great Detective.

2.5 out of 5


Who was that Irene Adler?

2.5 out of 5


Death impersonation, and for a sick boy.

3 out of 5


Ancestral Adler adventures.

3 out of 5


Domestic farce.

1.5 out of 5


Servant villains.

2.5 out of 5


A charismatic intelligent young servant, some jewellery, and a passel of young ruffians.

3.5 out of 5


Strippers and police machine intelligence.

3 out of 5


Any shot will do, to get rid of him. If you are dodgy, don't invite Sherlock over, either.

3 out of 5


A mental battle for Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty and Riddler style.

3.5 out of 5


Watson works one out ahead of the master, but they have to decide what to do with the criminals.

3.5 out of 5




2.5 out of 5

There are many collections of Sherlock Holmes stories written after Conan Doyle closed the canon of the official 56 short stories and 4 novels. Conan Doyle had disdain for his character sometimes (he thought that attention to Holmes distracted from his more serious work), but he also had regard and affection for him at times, and in the end remained his creator. Many of these stories have kept more or less to the spirit of Holmes and Watson in the originals, but few match the canonical grace (of course, this can be said of some of the stories Conan Doyle penned himself).

There are some well-known names here (Stephen King gets top billing, but other names such as John Gardner and Michael Harrison, a well-known Sherlockian scholar and writer, also bear repeating). Some of these stories take their inspiration from canonical happenings and sidelines, while others go further afield and involve Holmes and Watson in new situations.

For example, Harrison's story is entitled 'Sherlock Holmes and "The" Woman', a clear reference to Irene Adler of 'A Scandal in Bohemia' fame. In this story we find out that both Adler and her Bohemian counterpart in the mystery are in fact different people than original presented. It makes for a mystery within a mystery, and a nice twist.

Stephen King's contribution was reportedly done on a wager, and involves Dr. Watson solving a case first, perhaps the only time Watson solves a case rather than Holmes (albeit other non-canonical stories pick up on this same theme). In this story, we learn that Watson outlives Holmes by forty years or so; of course, die-hard fans see Holmes as immortal, so one has to accept the idea of Holmes' death. What a curious pairing of options...

This collection was produced to celebrate the centennial of the 'birth' of Holmes, stories of whom were first published in 1887; this book was first published in 1987. It includes, in addition to the sixteen new stories, a poem by Mollie Hardwick, which includes the lines

Were a time-restoring charter
Granted by grace of Heaven,
Who would not this tired age barter
For a night of 'eighty-seven,
When, as fog through pane and curtain
Softly grey comes creeping in,
Wise - immortal - strange and certain -
Sherlock plays his violin.

Holmes' violin, a recurring element in the canon, features in stories here. There is much familiar from the setting of 221B Baker Street, the same London and the same Victorian Age. This is a worthy collection of honour and hommage to one of the stellar figures in modern mystery.

The game is afoot.

Recently, I have read many of the "new" collections with Sherlock Holmes as the main character. While all have been enjoyable reading, this seems to be one of the best volumes available in that the stories have preserved the role of the main characters in their familiar habitats but with original plots. While not uninteresting, the collections which have involved Holmes with historical incidents or those told from another perspective other than Watson's or attempts to implant a new theme or agenda have not been as satisfying.

I love anything about Holmes and Watson. These were well written stories that I truly enjoyed reading. It took me back to when I read all of Doyle's stories about Holmes and Watson. I recommend it highly.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's acquired disdain for his own renowned detective creation is legendary, and `tis said that when William Gillette wired him with the question, "May I marry Holmes?" (to a female character), Conan Doyle brusquely replied, "You may marry him or murder him or do what you like with him."

But one must draw the line somewhere. And notwithstanding Mollie Hardwick's excellent paean to the legend of Sherlock Holmes at the head of this collection of short stories, I wonder whether even Conan Doyle could have stomached some of these literary assaults upon it.

In "Sherlock Holmes and the Muffin", Dorothy Hughes presents us with a feminist Holmes and Watson who look forward to the day when women become doctors and scientists. Another swig of Women 100 Proof and Ms. Hughes would have had them lobbying from their 19th century perches for abortion on demand, free daycare, and a chocolate bar in the glove compartment of every SUV, a bottle of prozac in the pocket of every power suit.

And even THIS atrocity barely holds its own, as an atrocity, against the contemporary setting of Joyce Harrington's "The Adventure of the Gowanus Abduction", in which a delicate hippie-type Watson plays second fiddle to a ferocious liberated female Holmes - not only as "her" assistant but as "her " lover. Indeed, the story winds up with a broad hint of a rendezvous in the bedroom, but I think that this Watson will couple with this Holmes about as successfully as Tchaikovsky did with Antonina Milyukova.

This book also has its share of short stories that do considerably more justice to the Sherlockian tradition, and the best of these are Barry Jones's "The Shadows on the Lawn", Edward D. Hoch's "The Return of the Speckled Band", and Stuart Kaminsky's "The Final Toast". The Jones story, in particular, is very chilling.

But John Lutz's "The Infernal Machine" also deserves credit for craft and subtlety. The threat of an international conflagration and the new concept of the "horseless carriage" are crucial to the resolution of this story, and there's a passage in it where a young inventor asserts that in ten years, everyone in England will drive a horseless carriage. "Everyone?" Watson asks. "Come now!"

Holmes laughs and says, "Not you, Watson, not you, I'd wager."

How many readers realize that Lutz is paying homage to the last story in the Conan Doyle concordance, "His Last Bow", set on the eve of the first World War, in which Watson does indeed drive an automobile, in the guise of a chauffeur? Not many, I'd wager.

It must have taken a lot of commendable restraint for Lutz to simply rely on his readers' perspicacity and to resist the sore temptation of finding a way to directly point to the Conan Doyle story.

For that matter, Malcom Bell, the villain in the Kaminsky story, may be based upon Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Conan Doyle's medical instructors, who is said to have been the chief inspiration for Conan Doyle's creation of Sherlock Holmes.

Stephen King's contribution might be the cleverest, if not the best written. He apparently wrote his own Sherlock Holmes story in response to a challenge from the editors, but King's normal writing style doesn't quite click with the sober Watsonian chronicling presented by Conan Doyle.

And King is usually a good researcher, but this skill fails him on at least two occasions. He presents us with several images from the Victorian Era that Conan Doyle withheld from delicate sensibilities, including orphans losing all the teeth out of their jaws in sulphur factories by the age of ten and cruel boys in the East End teasing starving dogs with food held out of reach.

But the authentic Sherlock Holmes, having learned that Jory Hull was a painter and having deduced that he had no need of monetary support from his cruel father, would have further deduced - without asking Lestrade - that Jory probably gained his independence by painting professionally.

And the authentic Holmes, as Watson says in the Conan Doyle classic, "A Study in Scarlet", has a good practical knowledge of British law. Stephen King is surely wrong to have Holmes ask Lestrade what sort of treatment the murder suspects might expect to receive under it.

Still, we must be grateful to King for bringing to our attention the one case in the lexicon where Watson actually solves the mystery before Holmes does - and yes, it happens in a plausible manner. As Loren Estleman has pointed out, Holmes's brilliance wouldn't be appreciated by us as much if it were not for the buffer provided by the savvy but unremarkable earnestness of Watson`s narrative. We admire Holmes, but we empathize more with his Boswell, and it's wonderful to learn of a case in which Watson has his moment in the sunlight.

This collection has its share of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the just plain silly (Peter Lovesey`s "The Curious Computer"). The reader is advised to judge each story on its own merits. Don't be too impressed with Dame Jean Conan Doyle's endorsement of the volume as a whole. But do ask, as another renowned English author once did, "What's in a name?"

Far from being entertaining this book is scary stuff! Words whose meaning has been redefined, new incomprehensible words, ambiguous combinations of words, all in the apparent belief that we shouldn't upset anyone at anytime has a deadly seriousness about it! It reminds me of the Wolf Biermann song "Das Hoelderlin Lied", the first three lines of lines of which translate as: "in this country we live like strangers in our own house / our own language which we encounter we no longer understand / yet they who speak our language understand us"
The authors should be congratulated for producing this book and I think it should be made compulsory reading for all!

As we enter the 21st century, it has become very imprtant to improve our language skills for everyday use. Due to the reality of frivilous lawsuits or the development of customer relations skills in today's global economy, it has become very important to acquire advanced communication skills that don't refer to a person's age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other human characteristic in a demeaning manner.

This is where "The Officially Politically Correct Dictionary & Handbook," comes into hand. Originally written as a humor book, this book is actually quite resourceful in anyday situations involving individuals who are different, irritating, or sensitive to what one might say. While working in retail, and later in marketing, I have found that this book allowed me to use proper terms that wouldn't offend anyone. While many of my coworkers and clients laughed at times, this book will come in handy for many service employees. Flight Attendants, Retail Workers, Human Resources Employees, etc..., this book has almost every correct word to say in today's complexed world of jargon.

Whether dealing with a "difficult woman," (primadonna), a "horizontally-challenged" person (fat), or a "Domestic Incarceration Survivor," (housewife) this humorous, yet helpful book will provide the reader with beneficial words and phrases to add anyone's vocabulary. Truly, this is a must have book in today's marketplace!

As we enter the 21st century, it has become very imprtant to improve our language skills for everyday use. Due to the reality of frivilous lawsuits or the development of customer relations skills in today's global economy, it has become very important to acquire advanced communication skills that don't refer to a person's age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other human characteristic in a demeaning manner.

This is where "The Officially Politically Correct Dictionary & Handbook," comes into hand. Originally written as a humor book, this book is actually quite resourceful in anyday situations involving individuals who are different, irritating, or sensitive to what one might say. While working in retail, and later in marketing, I have found that this book allowed me to use proper terms that wouldn't offend anyone. While many of my coworkers and clients laughed at times, this book will come in handy for many service employees. Flight Attendants, Retail Workers, Human Resources Employees, etc..., this book has almost every correct word to say in today's complexed world of jargon.

Whether dealing with a "difficult woman," (primadonna), a "horizontally-challenged" person (fat), or a "Domestic Incarceration Survivor," (housewife) this humorous, yet helpful book will provide the reader with beneficial words and phrases to add anyone's vocabulary. Truly, this is a must have book in today's marketplace!

Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf have written a book that is filled with irony and fun. It's meant as a dictionary for politically correct terms, and some of them are pretty well thought up, such as "optically challenged, hair disadvantaged and pharmacological preference, but unfortunately, the subject of ridicule, political correctness, is a fun but far from large subject, and in my opinion, the authors have written a much too large book on a much too small subject. At first it's pretty good entertainment, but it just gets old and corny, and it isn't funny once you reach page 40.

When I first bought the book, I was expecting high quality entertainment, providing razor-sharp satire on a society rapidly increasing its speed into the chasm of death. I got that, but I got so much more.

The book does an excellent job of providing a realistic look at the language the few schmucks in power have forced upon us.

Of course I laugh at everything, because it all seems so stupid. But, after finishing the book and going back out into the real world, I was shocked at exactly how true the book really was.

What has happened to this country? Have we become so paranoid about the remote possiblity of offending someone that we've really created a euphemism for the word dead? I mean, how many dead people are going to be offened if we call them dead? Answer: None.

This book helped me realize exactly how pointless the whole process of political correctness is. When are these people going to realize that changing the word does not change the condition? It's not only pointless, but it's hurting this country. All these people are doing is sheilding people from reality. Political correctness is a stupid idea which needs to be eliminated (I'm sorry, neutralized).

Good book, bad idea.

The author is more concerned with the cute little rhyme than in being true to the story. Poor quality printing leaves the colours smeared. Very bad value...

read this when it first came out. just recently was watching beowolf with an old friend
and we both immediately thought about shrinklits version.

read it again when amazon delivered it....still funny after all these years.

I purchased this because I haven't read as many classic books as I've wanted to. I've always wanted to be classified as "well read." I thought this book would help me to get a brief overview of many classics that remain a mystery to me. The poetry is very cute and very well done. However, the only poetry I really understood was about the classics that I've already read. It was an amusing book, but it did not help me grasp the sense of books I haven't read. In order to make the meter and rhyme of the poems work, the author chooses words that I've rarely heard. And I've always thought I had a good vocabulary! I would recommend this book for the amusement of someone who has read most of the classics already and wants a humorous review.

I wish I had had this about forty years ago when I was a high-school student! Just kidding, but this strictly-for-fun little volume does not disappoint by cutting the chaff to get to the kernel at the heart of the matter.

I can only add to what others have written. Each of these "ShrinkLits" (Shrunken Literature) is unbelievably clever, but without being formulaic.

Another reviewer mentioned Beowulf. Sure, I liked the couple Danish but I laughed out loud at, "Later on as King of Geats, He performed prodigious feats. Till he met a foe too tough (Non-Beodegradable stuff)."

Or how about The Count of Monte Cristo, which ends "Tremendous wealth helps one compete. Persistence pays, revenge is sweet. The combination's hard to beat."

The Bridge of San Luis Rey - a terrible book and a worse movie - in its ShrinkLit form comes out a beautiful poem.

I don't know why Maurice Sagoff never made a bigger splash, but this one book is a winner.

Cynthia Heimel is an elitist without the benefit of being clever or funny. Her essays are cliche, slightly misanthropic, and yet are completely lacking in wit. How such vapid literary drivel gets publication and accolades is beyond me.

Heimel had me at hello- I was hooked with the first sentence of the introduction.

So, I suggest skipping your next date and reading this book instead- you'll feel better about yourself when you're done, and you won't have to shave your legs beforehand.

Someone who adores her dogs as much as Heimel is all right in my book, which I'm inspired to write after being introduced to her unique brand of smarts-meets-smarty-pants prose.

As we folks from the '80s say: Cynthia Heimel, you rock!

If you are a conservative and not a feminist, this book is sure to irritate you. She whines and nags about herself and her life and it made me hope I never have or ever do sound like such a miserable wretch.

I always wanted to get Cynthia Heimels cell phone number. Then I could call her up and say "Well, no one called, so I assumed it was you"

James Versluys

When I first read one of her books I thought, "Lord, another woman has written my stories." I laughed and found myself following people around reading parts out loud.

Interesting book to hand a teenager

I am a fan of South Park and Beavis and Butthead, and this little bonbon follows in that tradition. It's not for kids but for the 'child within', and my child at least, has horns. Its a great guide book for everyone engaged in business, and I found it to be incredibly insightful!

When I first read about this book I was very excited, but reality fell far short of my expectations. The text is in an awkward script font and the attempt to convey Machiavelli's concepts to an audience of "children" is stilted and insluting. The illustrations are garish, ugly reproductions from classic children's books (such as Alice in Wonderland) and rarely corrolate to the maxim they are meant to depict. Don't waste your time or money on this book.

Brillint, utterly brilliant. If only some thoughtful relative had given me this instead of Pat the Bunny for my fourth birthday, I might not have been subject to the despotic reign of my neighbor, Keenan McCoy for so many years. (Along with other things that are too horribly embarassing to mention, she used to pull down my mint green with white polka-dot polyester shorts and spank me bare-butted in full public view. Talk about a kid who knew about ruling by fear. Sheesh.) Anyways, for all you high school sophmores who were planning on weaseling out of reading The Prince and scanning the cliff notes an hour before class, this little number is a way better bet. It meets the required standard of hitting all the relevant points, but in about a twentieth of the time. Also, it is funny and has nifty Dick and Jane-esque illustrations resplendant in pink, yellow, and the same exact mint green of my aforementioned polyester shorts. All in all, it's a great little book that I am still kicking myself for not buying two years ago when I stumbled across it in a bookshop in Park Slope. Alas.

This book distills Machiavelli's cut-throat advice into the the simple language and context that a child can understand. It contains such gems as:

"When you take over some place, kill off everyone who's against you, pronto, then act really nice to everyone else."

The beauty of this book is that cute illustrations aside, it is hardly for children at all. Claudia Hart has cleverly transformed Machiavelli's formal discourse into the playground phrases of a primary school student. For example:

"If you want to take over some place, don't forget to kill not just the boss, but also all his kids!"

This book will appeal to anyone with a sense of irony and a love of history. Even fans of the master of real politik himself are bound to appreciate it.

What a great book for young children! I have "The Christian Mother Goose Volume 1" which my son loved as a child! If I had known this book was available I would have bought it too!!! Buy it...your children or grandchildren will love it!! Anyone out there know a publisher? If so, encourage them to have any and all of The Christian Mother Goose series put back into print.

I have been purchasing copies of this book for about five years to give a shower presents for friends expecing a baby. I have given about 25 away so far. My friends who are expecting (mostly church friends) anticipate getting their copy. Some exen ask "When will I get my book??"
One reason I like giving this book is that it helps focus the child's attention on our Heavenly Father while it is entertaining them. I am always surprised (and pleased) as the child grows older and quotes the "new" version of the nursery rhyme to me!
I have been accused of being a problem maker because at the showers as the gifts are passed around for all to see this book causes a present back-up because people want to read it instead of just looking and passing it on! The other gifts just don't get the sttention this book does.
I never have to agonize about what to get for a gift--this book is desired and used to help instruct the children about all the wonders God has wrought. I am grateful to the author and publishers for its existance.

The reason nursery rhymes continue to be so popular is not because of their "mild dark humor" but because they are so great in developing phonetic awareness for kids. Therefore, if you don't care for the negative messages in the traditional nursery rhymes; this book is the answer.

since when do we wnat to fill our kids' heads with stories that hte world is kind and gentle. just by reading the summary of this book i am disgusted. classic nursery rhymes serve a purpose for children and to change them into sickingly sweet poems is a diservice and a disgrace.

The classic nursery rhymes with a Christian twist. This books is full of words and pictures. This is a book that every Christian parent and grandparent should have in their collection.

I would have given 5 stars...but I thought the book should have been illustrated in color through-out (it switches back and forth from color to black and white.) Still...all the illustrations are delightful!

I loved this book. This guy is a genius, his understanding of sarcasm is perfect. I think one should always remember to laugh at one self, if you don't, others will. For all of us who read "Who Moved My Cheese", laugh at yourself, read this book.

This book made me feel better about myself (It made me laughed too!). Growing up was painful and like every teenager, I wanted acceptance: I wanted my peers to like me and to be popular girl in school. After reading this book, I realised Bristow-Bovey was right about a lot of things and the other self-help books. You won't learn much from this book, only to accept yourself as who you already are and actually stand proud for it.

The title is a parody of "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, but it doesn't stop at the title. Bristow-Bovey takes attack at self-help books with this work, which provides so much humor that every time you see someone reading a self-help book, you won't be able to stop chuckling. There is a story in the book about embrasing your inner ostrich egg, and it's absolutely precious. It encapsulates everything terrible about self-help books, but is so witty and well-crafted that I'm sure there's someone out there who took notes and is telling himself right now that he needs to embrace his inner ostrich egg.

If someone ever had the nerve to give you a self-help book, you should get them this book in return.

This book is sort of hard to get ahold of, so in spite of the warnings that Osmatix (a patented chemical treatment that allows you to benefit from the book without even reading it) is for one person only, I was forced to lend this book out. You won't read another self-help book after this.

Despite repeated claims that "...this is not a self-help book", Darrel Bristow-Bovey has come up with what is probably the most universally applicable self-help book in existence today.

From start to finish, this book is a riot. The moment you read his acknowledgements and a list of prospective books yet to be written by him, you know that the author isn't planning on pulling any punches. Continuously parodying Spencer Johnson's altogether more serious "Who Moved My Cheese?", this book takes things even further by poking fun at almost every self-help book written, and takes a few swipes at social icons like Oprah for good measure. The irreverent, even farcical tone of the book is highlighted when the author speaks about patenting "Osmatix", a revolutionary chemical with which the pages have been treated so that it helps you even if you don't read it.

But once you accept the fact that this is a book meant to make you laugh, and NOT to make too much conventional sense, you'll enjoy every bit of it. Yeah, even if you like self-help books. Bristow-Bovey's acidic humor drips off every sentence, and hardly a page goes by without you having to catch your breath after busting our guts laughing. You'll shake your head in amazement at his pseudo-scientific dissection of self-help books as a breed, and itch to dispense bits of advise to friends (and enemies) about "embracing their inner ostrich egg".

But the irony of it all is that in writing a book to dash your faith in the self-help genre, Bristow-Bovey has delivered a book that delivers the simplest self-help formula of them all - Read something funny, laugh aloud, feel better.

Try it. Heck, it works... and it involves a lot less work than anything else of its kind on the racks. Take a bow, Darrel.

I Moved Your Cheese, a satire on self-help books, written by Darrel Bristow-Bovey. This book has 96 pages (including last 3 pages BLANK to make the book look thicker) and has been published by New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd (2002) and is distributed in India by Dolphin Publications.

The author, using humour, expresses his utter contempt for self-help books and those who read them and adds that the problem with the self-help books that litter the shelves of the bookstores and bedside tables of the nation, besides the fact that they are poorly written by unattractive authors, is that they expect you to do all the work. You are required to read them, remember key words, and perhaps even put their teachings into practice in everyday life.

The title I Moved Your Cheese implies a direct attack on the similarly named `Who Moved My Cheese?' by Dr. Spencer Johnson, a self-help book about dealing with change. But Darrel Bristow-Bovey has not limited himself to ridiculing just this; he makes disdainful references to Deepak Chopra and other self-proclaimed `gurus'.

I Moved Your Cheese is a total laugh riot. Darrel Bristow-Bovey, with his absurdly funny anecdotes and instances, will not disappoint readers seeking ridiculous humour. His chapter about the mango-throwing wise guy guru is hysterically funny and his take on Oprah and feng shui will have you sniggering smugly in your couch. His other stories about the Xam, his neighbour Bill, and his friend Chunko are sidesplitting. Instead of writing words of wisdom in cheese, like his forerunner, the author is found sardonically writing in the sand. Across the book, he is yelling, "Who moved my keys?" "I moved your geese" and other deliberately mocking lines.

And of course the process of "Osmatix", which the author himself has patented. The process where the reader not need read this book but should simply buy this book and keep it in a prominent position will make him/her a brighter, happier and more desirable person. Since, the pages have been treated with a revolutionary new formula that allows wisdom to pass directly from the page into the atmosphere, where it can be easily inhaled from any position.

With hilarity oozing from cover to cover, this book is a must-read for those who enjoy humour at it's mirthful best.