5 comments about Me Talk Pretty One Day.

1. I've been so excited to get this book for a fun summer read, but I am disappointed that I don't have it in my hands yet! Very frustrated! It's been WEEKS since my order was placed.



2. Two scenarios:
   
   1. I'm a friend of yours. One day I call you on the phone and tell you about something really funny that happened to me yesterday. Its one of the funniest stories you've ever heard. You totally crack up.
   
   2. I'm a friend of yours. One day I call you on the phone and tell you about something really funny that happened to me yesterday. Its one of the funniest stories you've ever heard. You totally crack up. Then I tell you that I made about half of it up. Just to make it funnier.
   
   Scenario 1= pretty good friend.
   Scenario 2= slightly desperate and pathetic attempt at humor. Comes off a bit needy.



3. only a quarter the way through it but so far its a hit and right on.



4. I'll make it very short and sweet.
   
   This is his best book so far. If you never read his work start with this one (Although 'santaland diaries' from Barrel Fever is one of the funniest thing I've read).



5. Firstly, let me state that I did NOT finish this book. The reason being is that after reading all the hype surrounding this book, I had high expectations of the humour and writing.....and after trying to read around 4-5 chapters, I found myself not agreeing with the hype. Maybe if all the chapters had flowed as one continuous story it may have held my attention more. I just couldn't get into the whole story despite desperately wanting to enjoy this. And I didn't find it as funny as everyone else had spoken about, so this compounded my exasperation with this book. Maybe I will come back to it another time, when really desperate.

5 comments about The David Sedaris Box Set.

1. As a big fan of David Sedaris, I have loved listening to him read his stories on NPR even more than I have enjoyed reading his books. While I had wanted to purchase some of the audiobooks, they always seemed so pricy.
   
   When I saw this box set on Amazon, I immediately added it to my wishlist. The quantity of stories and books in the set is amazing! I received it for Christmas and have been listening to it ever since.
   
   My only qualm is that all of the packaging is cardboard, as opposed to traditional plastic jewel cases, so the box holding all the CD's has suffered some wear and tear over the months, but nothing too significant.



2. While it's great hearing David Sedaris' voice, it ultimately takes away from the experience. Sedaris' books are amazingly funny and dark; very witty stuff. They are best enjoyed in print form though, when the reader can inject their own tone and inflection into the words of the printed page. Hearing David Sedaris' interpretation somewhat lessens this experience.
   
   However, if you're the kind of person who wants to enjoy a good book without the "hassle" of actually mustering the discipline to sit down and read (you people know who you are) then go ahead. But for all those half way intelligent humans who recognize the value of taking the time to sit down and turn the pages, just go buy his books and skip the audio versions. It's cheaper anyways.
   
   In the end, while good, it's not worth it. Just buy the books.



3. I would've given it 5 stars but it should get about 4.8 stars.
   
   This is a brilliant idea. For people like me who get too easily distracted to read for entertainment, hearing it being read for you is so much better.
   
   And the material David has is great. I first learned about David by way of his sister's work on Strangers with Candy, and got a book after I saw David on Letterman. And then I remembered I get too distracted when reading for fun, which has been a life long deal. So I got this on audio and it is a blast.



4. David Sedaris is truly one of my favorite authors and I love to read his work. However, if you have never HEARD Mr. Sedaris' voice before, it takes some getting used to. At first it is almost painful to listen to because his voice is so... so... um... he sounds like Woody Allen doing a Woody Allen imitation.
   
   Nevertheless, his live tracks are hilarious - a little less "in the microphone," if you will. If I could read and drive at the same time on my long business trips, that would be my preferred method of receiving David Sedaris' material.



5. I adore David's writing and can't imagine anyone more suited to reading it. His impressions are simply wonderful!
   
   One tiny complaint/question: where's his Billie Holiday doing the Oscar Meyer Weiner song? Getting ahold of that was one of the main reasons I bought this collection. Who's taken it out and why?

5 comments about When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?.

1. Man oh man! I was so looking forward to reading this book and I'm EXTREMELY disappointed. If you read Braindroppings and/or Napalm and Silly Putty, you will get tired of this book really quick. Anything worth laughing about is merely a rehashing of the concepts introduced in the earlier books. As for new stuff, its as though he forgot he was a comedian. Not funny at all. I wasn't offended by anything he wrote. Well, except for the fact that I was offended he had the gall to charge money to read it.
   
   Definitely pass on this one.



2. The majority of these writings come from Mr. Carlin's stand-up concerts, routines I've seen on HBO. He makes me laugh uncontrollably, think analytically, and wonder why I never write down little quirks that happen to me when they happen before I forget them. If I did, I'd be a genius like Mr. Carlin.
   
   Unfortunately, there's not much new in this book, and although his writing is paced to hilarious crescendos same as his stand-ups, it's his voice and facial expressions that I miss. In text, I don't get it, and so I doubt that I'll purchase another George Carlin book. Nothing can match his audio-visual.



3. I like Goerge Carlin. His comedy that is and I found this book refreshing. His writing is brisk and friendly enough. This book provides an in to the different things that we all know at one point or the other, we did "dare" to think. Some folks will find the "religious jokes" not funny but I figure if I can laugh at myself then I can also enjoy when someone makes a good joke (and that's just it) about something.
   
   I read the book the first because I saw some review. A couple of years later, I wondered if it had really been that funny and decided to re-read it. It was still hilarious...
   
   Enjoy,



4. This is a must-have for Carlin fans. If you don't have time to read, or don't know how to read, then buy the audio book. But don't miss this hilarious and insightful work from the master of intelligent comedy.
   
   I highly recommend this book and audio book.
   
   --Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God



5. Carlin, you will be missed. You were an absolute genius, and always under appreciated.
   
   Rest in Peace.

5 comments about George Carlin Reads to You.

1. This is a multi-disc set containing Brain Droppings, Napalm & Silly Putty, and More Napalm & Silly Putty. Excellent, funny stuff, but to be avoided if you already own the individual titles. If you don't, this is your opportunity.



2. Stand-up comedian George Carlin (he of the oblique life commentary and not-for-tender-ears vocabulary) has penned three books ("Brain Droppings", "Napalm & Silly Putty", and "More Napalm & Silly Putty".) Each is rife with his wry, absurdist comments and musings about the world around him. Now, bits and bitters from this trio of laughs is gathered into 7.5 hours of hilarity read, of course, by the man himself.
   
   Although Carlin has been doing his schtick for almost fifty years there's no evidence of age about him. His delivery is as on target as ever and, truly, it's in the delivery that Carlin excels, whether he's observing the popularity of names, noting that nursing homes will one day be populated by Debbies and Tiffanys or doing his vaunted riff on oxymorons - death benefits, close proximity, etc. One cannot fathom how his brain operates as apparently unrelated thoughts come rolling forth leaving listeners guffawing and nodding their heads.
   
   His voice may be a bit raspier but his timing is to the nano second. Listen and laugh.
   
   - Gail Cooke



3. We got this to listen to while driving on vacation-Love it!!! Very funny & I love the George Carlin is reading his books to you-it's like having him in the car with you. Excellent purchase-very happy with this product!!!!



4. I have been a Carlin fan since the hippy dippy weatherman days. The fact that he tells you up front that "I will read to you but you'll have to get someone else to understand it for you" is just the best. If you can't laugh at yourself don't listen to this CD. His wit and perspectives are not for the faint of heart or the tight of ass. I met Mr. Carlin several years ago going into a Ruby Tuesday resturant on the beach in Biloxi. He graciously gave me fifteen minutes of his time and was tremendously kind to listen to me rant about how much his humor has meant to me over the years. I love his body of work and I loved these three books on CD. A big thumbs up or at least one those fingers way up!



5. Enough has been said about this great man - if he was running for President my wife would be forcibly made to vote for him.
   
   Me - I'm a Brit and miss this style of real humour
   
   Cheers
   
   David

5 comments about The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport.

1. This book is one of the best golf related books I have ever read. I could not put it down! The author was so normal and honest and real that if you are a golfer who started playing golf again at an older age (40's) then you will really relate to his story. It is funny and just a great summer read!



2. Millions of golfers could play like Tiger Woods only if they had his golfing skills. And millions of golfers who play and score like Carl Hiassen could write a book like this if they had his wit and writing skills.
   Chuckling about Hiassen's antics on the links reduced my tension and I think was a contributing factor to one of my best games ever (right after I finished reading the book). But I will wait to see if this relaxing-Hiaaasen effect lasts before I recommend this amusing work also as a golf psychology/ self-help book.



3. I should have known. As a fan of Hiaasen, I should have realized that by leaving the reservation to write a book about his taking up golf again that he was walking out onto thin ice. As it turns out, he was trying to walk on water.
   
   Several descriptions of this "book" come to mind. The one that occurs the most is "unreadable." It is not funny. It is poorly structured. It has no sense of story.
   
   After several attempts to at least complete it, I have given up and last night it ended up in my trash compactor. I would give this effort NO STARS if Amazon allowed such a rating.



4. It is delightful to encounter a book that, in addition to being an excellent read, strikes an especially responsive chord in the reader's mind. Such was the experience with Carl Hiaasen's THE DOWNHILL LIE, an entertaining and enjoyable saga about the midlife return to the frustrating and fascinating game of golf that many readers may have gone through in their lives. As one who gave up the sport in my late 20s, when spending hours on the golf course became difficult and I found time to return to the game in my mid-40s, the Hiaasen narrative brought back many memories and nods of recognition. Perhaps more important, it offers many laugh-out-loud observations that a wise and humorous writer shares with his audience.
   
   Many will recognize the Hiaasen name as a newspaper columnist for the Miami Herald and the author of bawdy and entertaining novels set in the State of Florida that poke fun at contemporary issues of American life. A Hiaasen novel skewers politicians, businessmen, retirees, rednecks and countless other denizens of the "Sunshine State." He has applied this formula to more than a dozen bestselling fictional works.
   
   Now the celebrated author has turned his wry humor inward. After a 32-year absence from the game that he first played with his father, Hiaasen, now a grandfather with bad hips and other equally bad appendages, decides it's time to return to the game he abandoned in his youth. Why? Because, as he ruefully acknowledges, "I am one sick bastard."
   
   While he may be "sick," he is wonderfully funny. Any golfer will appreciate his observation about a fine-looking new set of irons, too beautiful to throw in anger after a bad shot. As he attempts to explain the golf handicap system, most golfers will nod in approval. But, just like Hiaasen, they really have no idea how that tell-tale number that appears after their name bears any relation to golfing reality. Reading THE DOWNHILL LIE is a reminder to every golfer of the various circles of the inferno that constitutes golf, from lessons to gadgets to ecstasy and occasional humiliation. He experiences it all and shares it with readers in a fashion that every golfer will understand.
   
   Hiaasen, of course, is not just an average guy returning to the game of his youth. Indeed, his book allows him extravagances that the average golfer can only dream about. One day, in a moment of deep depression, he emails his friend, professional golfer and television commentator David Feherty. His tale of woe and torment results in Feherty sending him the latest model Cobra Driver and ultimately a second model after the first is not quite the correct club for Hiaasen's swing. For his effort, Feherty gets the back page of THE DOWNHILL LIE in the form of a complimentary blurb.
   
   Every gadget purchased, every club and indeed some of the most expensive lessons in golf from the prestigious David Leadbetter Academy are chalked up to research for Hiaasen's book. I must admit to pangs of jealousy that he has really come up with the perfect scam to have someone else pay the price for satisfying his every golfing whim. That envy is assuaged by two facts: unlike Hiaasen I can't write, and nothing he does seems to help his golf game. Frustration fills the pages of THE DOWNHILL LIE, and because it is a golfer other than me suffering ignoble fate, I have to admit it is pretty funny.
   
   I know Hiaasen will never read this review, but perhaps a friend will call it to his attention. Patience, Carl. Several years ago, just like you, I returned to the game I had abandoned. I struggled for a few years, but now at age 60 I am playing the best golf of my life. True, it is mostly attributable to equipment and the humility of moving up a set of tees, but it is improvement nonetheless and I am enjoying every minute of it!
   
   THE DOWNHILL LIE is a perfect Father's Day gift for your golfing dad, or the book to take along on your next golfing trip. Those who have never suffered through golf hell will not understand Hiaasen's anguish, but the rest of us have a wonderful reminder that there are many out there equally frustrated and tortured by the game invented by drunken Scotsmen.
   
   --- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman



5. As a golfer, I could relate to the trials and tribulations of the writer as he suffered though his game but Hiassen's whining about his golf started to get boring and the book never really satisfied; it was like a sketch on Saturday Night Live that it went on too long.

5 comments about I Am America (And So Can You!).

1. I bought this for my husband for his first Father's Day and he can't get enough of it. You can pretty much turn to any page at any time and laugh hysterically.



2. As long as Stephen Colbert has been performing, he's been writing. This is a brilliant man in full command of a comedic sensibility that has been delighting me for many years. When I discovered that a book would be released written in the tone of the right-wing blow-hard character that he has created for The Colbert Report, I was thrilled. When I finally got my hands on a copy (not easy to do at first, since I live in the UK), I was not disappointed in the least.
   
   Colbert loses none of the bombastic style of his alter ego, and the observations made are riotously funny. The section where he describes all one needs to know to have a college education is perfection. I also loved his chapter on the dominance over animals (love to Gipper!)
   
   I have heard from many, many people that Stephen Colbert, in real life, is a mild-mannered, kind man who is polite and decent. To read the rants of the egomaniacal jerk he's created to lampoon the screaming heads on television (whoever yells the loudest wins, apparently) is a bit surreal, but never unsatisfying.
   
   I look eagerly forward to more from Stephen Colbert, in whatever media he uses to share it. No matter how I get to experience his humor, I know I'll be in for a treat.



3. I like the Colbert Report TV show, and this book is funny, but honestly I only got through a few chapters because much of it is just the wanderings and somewhat random musings of Colbert's mind on everything from politics to families to whatever crosses his mind. Some of it is really quite funny, but it got kind of fatiguing and boring.



4. Two things I find amazing about this guy - 1, he never comes out of character or at least I have never seen him out of character and 2, he changed the pronunciation of his last name to sound what..., French?
   
   I guess I'm considered a Welfare Dad because I didn't buy this garbage, I borrowed it, the CD version, from a friend at work (now I have to reconsider my friendship because my buddy actually thinks this guy is funny). Anyway, after listening to about half the first disc I can honestly say that I haven't even cracked a smile yet. Obtuse cynicism at its worst is all I can call this excuse for a book. Certainly anybody that thinks this is funny, humorous, poignant or sarcastic wit hasn't read or listened to any real humor.
   
   The thing that bothers me most about Colbert (pronounced col-burt and not col-bear) is that I have never seen him out of character leaving me to believe that this guy is really the cynical idiot he portrays himself to be and wondering if he actually applies his value system to his own life. I don't know much about him nor do I care too but I only hope that his family isn't affected by his view of life.
   
   I always read the worst reviews first to see what people have to say negatively about something before I make my decision. I am honest enough to say that I'm not a fan of this guy - I really can't stand him - but I figured hey, he's supposed to be a comedian so let's see how funny he is - well - he ain't funny!!!!



5. I laughed out loud more than from any book in a long time. The final laugh is to see that most of the negative reviews here are from people who don't even realize Colbert's character is a parody.

5 comments about David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall.

1. Want to listen to something hilarious? If you're a fan of Public Radio, you have probably heard David Sedaris reading his stories. Or perhaps read them in "The New Yorker", "Esquire", or in his books. He's a very funny, irreverent, whimsical gay man and devastating when it comes to satirizing his family. And he's not afraid of being the butt of jokes. He lives in France so there are touches of humor involving dealing with the Gallic language. Unless you're immunized against laughter, you'll roar about the man with the rubber hand, blind hunters, wearing women's clothes when men's clothes don't fit, parrots, a contraption for the incontinent, and many mundane items he manages to make subjects of humor.
   It's the way he reads his pieces as well as the pieces themselves that provoke laughs. Every good reader aloud is something of an actor. Sedaris is a comedian delivering one-liners in the progress of his narratives. The Dutch St. Nicholas legend he recounts is a classic. Lie in bed at night or in the morning and listen to this guy. You'll crack up. As with every comedian, either you like him or you don't, so you're going to have to see if you're on his wave length. I've heard him before, but I've never before heard him deliver seventy minutes of uninterrupted hilarity like he does on this Carnegie Hall CD.
   Nine Lives Too Many
   The Daemon in Our Dreams
   The Rice Queen Spy
   Clawed Back from the Dead



2. if you're a great fan of DS got barrel fever and holidays on ice audio books and you got tiered to listen to them all the time this is a great new way to hear DS more funny stories and hear the public reaction - its live - loved it



3. I am an avid David Sedaris fan -- this is one of the most played items in my iPhone. He takes you a hilarious journey of life with his family.
   
   
   There is no substitue to listening him live accept to see hm for yourself.



4. I loved this CD since you get to hear David Sedaris do several of his stories and its a real treat to hear his amusing almost deadpan style as he tells his tales. I had heard parts of this before and decided to order one for me and one more as a gift since I figured anyone who has read and liked him, would love listening to him. I enjoyed the Q & A with the audience at the end of the performance. He is such a unique and funny character and if you like reading him, I bet you will love listening to him!



5. I was very satisfied with my purchase. It came quickly and in good condition. I would buy from this vendor again.

5 comments about The Ultimate David Sedaris.

1. This compilation of David's work shows how he has evolved as both a writer and performer. Amy's good too.



2. I purchased this for my parents, as they do a good bit of driving and like to have something besides music to listen to in the car. I agree that the packaging, as other reviewers have noted, could be better, but we played several of the tracks over a series of short car trips and we all agreed that this is a fantastic box set. Sedaris' material is so spot-on, never too "in-jokey," and just plain funny. I am glad I made the purchase for my parents and I plan to purchase one for myself soon, so that I can keep on laughing.



3. Dave Sedaris is hilarious, and this set has a lot to laugh at. Don't mind what the other reviews say about the lack of track listings. Each CD now comes with track listings printed right on them. The packaging is weak, but I don't care; It's not like it's going to be on display. I'm going to rip the content to my Zune and be on my way.



4. Great CD's...no one can perform them like David Sedaris! Be aware that there is no table of contents on the CD envelopes, in fact they are blank, black envelopes.



5. What a treasure--worth every penny. David Sedaris is hilarious in his low-key style of humor. And his sister is just as funny. Thanks to Amazon.com for making this an affordable collection.

5 comments about Me of Little Faith.

1. Comedian Lewis Black tackles religion like no other author has before. Black explores the inconsistinces of every major religion, including his own. He does this while including his brand of unique humor. This book will make you think about faith and the purpose it serves in America. If you are a fan of Black's comedy, this one is for you.



2. Maybe I expected something different - having seen some of LB's commedy on DVD, I thought this was going to be a funny and provoking book. Instead it is a collection of rather trivial essays about different religions and spiritual phenomena. When LB writes about non-religious experiences (e.g. with air trips) he can be very funny, but that is only a small fraction of the book. This is a very politically correct text about religion that will neither turn you into an atheist nor help you to find your faith (if you happen to be looking) and it will provoke only a few laughs. In the promotional video LB says it felt like homework to write this book. That is also what it reads like: a collection of essays written by a high school student.



3. I like Lewis Black, but this book is a real disappointment. Hard to believe a book that makes fun of religion could be anything but great, but this one is rarely funny -- even at its best moments, it's only mildly amusing.
   
   There's little depth to the writing. It's largely superficial comedy, ridiculous pseudo-scientific tales, and personal opinions of no real value. One of my biggest laughs (or was it some other emotion?) came when he described himself as perhaps the least religious person on the planet, when in fact he comes across as quite religious, just not in an organized-religion sense. Guess he forgot about all those atheists and other non-religious people.



4. I am still reading this book and have to say that it gives insight to world of Lewis Black. Any fan of Lewis Black should pick this book up and read it!



5. No religion is safe in Me of Little Faith. Lewis makes it clear at the outset -- if think you might be offended, then don't read the book. He doesn't hold back anything. Lewis has the courage to write what many of us are thinking. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on Evangelists. I can't remember laughing so much, so much so that people on my train were asking what I was reading. Now I've got a list of those wanting to read it -- cheap bastards don't want to buy a copy. If you have an open mind and want another perspective on religion and most of all -- need a laugh -- then by all means read Me of Liitle Faith and enjoy. Lewis makes it clear, laughter is the key to a full life.

5 comments about When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

1. It's great to have a new David Sedaris book to read or listen to. He is as entertaining as ever, his stories are so original, and there is plenty to make us laugh out loud again. His work brings us great joy.



2. It's surprising that someone can produce a creative product that lives up to public expectations and marketing hype, but I think this one does. This book was as enjoyable as Sedaris' previous books. It might not be everyone's favorite of all of his books, but it's gonna be a favorite of some smokers and/or travelers.



3. Well once again, I feel as though I've been duped by David Sedaris. Although I have been a huge fan in the past, I am tired of re-reading stories that I have already read in magazines. I do feel that the publisher's owe it to let us know that these stories are mostly comprised of already released material. That said, if you haven't already read these stories, you might enjoy it. I'm just angry that I had to buy a hardbound copy of stories that I've already read.



4. With stories about crazy old ladies and cab drivers, strangers observed on airplanes, and a love affair with a spider, once again, Sedaris proves that truth really is stranger (and funnier) than fiction!



5. Rarely do I laugh outloud while reading a book, but that's what happens when you read David Sedaris... and when you least expect it. I bought the book especially for his essay on stopping his cigarette habit, since I am in the midst of that horror right now. This man can find humor in ANYTHING!! The entire book is a treasure. You start out reading rapidly and then find yourself slowing down to savor what he's saying. The man's outlook on life in general is hilarious!! I loved it.