conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a description for a book titled One Hit Wonderland about Albania, Starred, Review with the genre: Arts & Photography, Music.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: *Starred Review* The author of A Piano in the Pyrenees (2008), Playing the Moldovans at Tennis (2001), and Round Ireland with a Fridge (2000) is, to be sure, a unique and engaging writer of travel memoirs. But did you know he also recorded two hit records? All right, the first was in 1988 (it was called Stutter Rap, a spoof of the Beastie Boys), and the second was a hit only in Albania; but the point is he has two hits to his name. This very funny memoir is the story of how he scored his second hit, and it takes him from Nashville to Africa to, obviously, Albania. Along the way, as he tries to find just the right song to put him back on the charts, he tries everything from spoofy countryand western to a Paul Simoninspired blending of African and traditional rock themes to, well, just about anything he thinks might work. Its the best kind of travel memoir: alternately informative and hilarious, with a cast of memorable characters who, if they werent real people, would be right at home in a zany comic novel. the author is a lively, inquisitive storyteller, and readers, as always, will come away from the book glad to have accompanied him on another offbeat odyssey. --David Pitt
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: --David Pitt. the author is a lively, inquisitive storyteller, and readers, as always, will come away from the book glad to have accompanied him on another offbeat odyssey. Its the best kind of travel memoir: alternately informative and hilarious, with a cast of memorable characters who, if they werent real people, would be right at home in a zany comic novel. Along the way, as he tries to find just the right song to put him back on the charts, he tries everything from spoofy countryand western to a Paul Simoninspired blending of African and traditional rock themes to, well, just about anything he thinks might work. This very funny memoir is the story of how he scored his second hit, and it takes him from Nashville to Africa to, obviously, Albania. But did you know he also recorded two hit records? All right, the first was in 1988 (it was called Stutter Rap, a spoof of the Beastie Boys), and the second was a hit only in Albania; but the point is he has two hits to his name.*Starred Review* The author of A Piano in the Pyrenees (2008), Playing the Moldovans at Tennis (2001), and Round Ireland with a Fridge (2000) is, to be sure, a unique and engaging writer of travel memoirs
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first four paragraphs for this book.. Start with the sentence 'One Hit Wonderland
  But then it had hardly been a triumph either'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: One Hit Wonderland
  But then it had hardly been a triumph either. We'd struggled through at pitiful volume performing in front of the only age group in the country who had no idea who Norman was, and who didn't know how to use a telephone. We could hardly rely on their votes to catapult us up the charts. I made a mental note not to hire Bilal as promoter for my next tour, and then I called everyone together.
  We were all quite impressed by what we found inside the studio. It was well equipped with all the latest gear. I'd been told that Top Albanian Radio were a record label also, and that in this studio they produced records for Albanian acts which they then proceded to plug on their own radio station. It seemed that they had it all sewn up.
  Microphones were dotted around the place in readiness, and The Pitkins began to arrange themselves ready to do their stuff.
  The question was greeted with a chorus of 'not at alls'. Sylvia looked thrilled. I wondered if this moment had meant the fulfilment of some kind of childhood dream of hers to perform – perhaps one that she may have given up on years and years ago.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me another paragraph.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: We all put our thumbs up and screamed that we were ready. It couldn't have been more obvious that we were a group of individuals who were in a position of readiness.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Perhaps I had to accept that the completion of my betting adventures would always leave behind this odd feeling of numbness, not least because I made it my business to take on bets which turned out to be meaningful and meaningless in equal measure. It did occur to me at that moment, as I struggled hard to fight off an attack of 'maudlin', that perhaps this mirrored life itself.
  When I got home, the light was flashing on my answering machine. I hit the 'play' button and was delighted to hear a familiar voice.
  And there was me thinking it was all over. Oh me of little faith. At the very moment when I was beginning to question why I'd bothered with the whole thing in the first place, the answer had arrived in the form of an invitation.
  Everything fell into place now. Life is an invitation, and either you accept it or you don't. It was as simple as that.
  I hung up the phone and smiled a long, broad smile. Lunch on a table full of my heroes. And the best thing was that I could share their company enjoying a newly acquired status. The official ordination had just come on the telephone from Sir Tim Rice.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swap the first and the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The official ordination had just come on the telephone from Sir Tim Rice. It did occur to me at that moment, as I struggled hard to fight off an attack of 'maudlin', that perhaps this mirrored life itself.
  When I got home, the light was flashing on my answering machine. I hit the 'play' button and was delighted to hear a familiar voice.
  And there was me thinking it was all over. Oh me of little faith. At the very moment when I was beginning to question why I'd bothered with the whole thing in the first place, the answer had arrived in the form of an invitation.
  Everything fell into place now. Life is an invitation, and either you accept it or you don't. It was as simple as that.
  I hung up the phone and smiled a long, broad smile. Lunch on a table full of my heroes. And the best thing was that I could share their company enjoying a newly acquired status.Perhaps I had to accept that the completion of my betting adventures would always leave behind this odd feeling of numbness, not least because I made it my business to take on bets which turned out to be meaningful and meaningless in equal measure.