Hillarious political / pop culture / sports fusion - Great Read!!
346833
Great book from cover to cover.  The author definitely has a unique but completely appealing sense of humor.

The characters and situations are well thought out.  You don't have to be a golfer or have a political vein to enjoy this.  It takes you on the  improbable roller coaster ride of a prospective pro-golfer as he falls head first onto the American political scene.  You'll never look at the (rat)race for the White House the same way again.

I couldn't put this one down.  Absolutely a MUST READ!!!
314733
This book was hilarious! I am a mom of several sports-age children, so I thought it would be fun to read about the insanity from another perspective. #HockeyStrong did not disappoint! Although my kids haven't played hockey, I've seen similar outrageous behavior as part of Pee Wee football (which I couldn't believe at the time, but sadly, it now seems normal to me). Although based on this book, hockey sounds much worse - I won't be encouraging my sons into that sport...

Beyond the hockey antics, I really enjoyed the parts of the story that dealt with the relationships between the couples - the back & forth banter had me laughing out loud, and it's not hard to see how drunken/bad behavior and failing marriages could result from these out of town tournaments (something I've definitely wondered about in real life).

I've read several of Erika Robuck's other books, and wondered how I'd like this change of genre for her - but I loved it. I'd highly recommend this book, especially for other sports parents who need a good laugh.
1444893
This book was great fun to read.  You may wonder why there are some reviews that are so harsh and vehement negative.  I think politics be the clue.

The writer seems (well, to me) to be referring to George when he writes: "The president was a boob, a brainless figurehead who had a talent for winning elections but little else."  There are enough references to the VP and Secretary of Defense to create a sense if currency in his descriptions of the immoral executive branch of the government.  The Secretary of Defense describes the protaganists as "professors, probably ultraliberal Looney Tunes" reflecting some of the attitudes of the current administration.

I'll bet political disagreements with the author are the real sources of the vehemence of the negative reviews.  The percentages seem about right. :)
528706
I was laughing out loud during most of this book which, as I'm sure you all know, is rare when you're reading a book.  Al Franken is a truly gifted political satirist, humorist, and he is also a compassionate and humane man who used a painless and extremely fun read to demonstrate the hypocrisy and nonsense spewed by neo-conservatives these days.  Although I love Al, some people on the left (like me) might get a little weary of his gratuitous Clinton butt-kissing.

 While we all may have our ambivalent feelings regarding him to work out (he was charming, smart, a billion times better than the current president) the fact remains that he was so wrong in so many ways I can't even get into them all.  What you have to understand, Al, is that contrary to the beliefs of the right-wing Clinton (either one, Hillary or Bill) is not the patron saint of the progressives!  They are not happy with his immoral intern conduct, failure to stop the genocide in Rwanda, abusive measures toward the poor (welfare to work, read about it, it ended up being ridiculous and punative) etc. We are also not happy with Hillary's war vote and her other problems.

(...) No more Clinton butt-kissing.  Just because he's better than Bush doesn't make him good.  Cozying up to him just makes us look like idiots.

Still, I recommend this book to everyone-"it makes a great gift"!  You will laugh yourself silly.  Everyone I know has.  Listen to Al on Air America and enjoy the Franken experience.
2489312
This book was a blast.  Got inside my head and danced a jig in it, while also, tossing out some good heads up advice on whats yet to come in this stage of male adulthood.  Hes making me laugh to learn.  Such a fun read.  Even the tangents were funny, then surprisingly informative and sometimes just a note to take something that seemed on the surface another level deeper.  Ochs is observant, charming and then bossy but all the while is like the inner voice of wisdom with a sardonic wit, exploring as many nooks and crannies as possible on the subject, while adding the amusement park wheeeee!!!! factor.  Its John Oliver, Groucho Marx and Bugs Bunny combined smart and funny.  The cool thing is that he snuck in a bunch of excellent advice and guidance throughout.  The man quotes Rudyard Kipling, mentions Buddha and rattles off information like a comedy tommy gun.  You know that guy that you hung out with in school that always made you laugh?  Well hes grown up, has learned a lot and hes even funnier.  Thanks Steve Ochs.
4021940
A modern promise with an unexpected twist leads to a fast read of politics, action, psychology and a big dose of humor. Addictive!
2671275
I loved that the author kept me engaged from the first page to the last. Markinson has given us, or at least me, another view of politics from within that of a family dynasty. Ainsley has been groomed from the first day of her life for the ultimate political office. What Markinson weaves is a story of family obligation, responsibility, expectation, purpose and also a chance at love despite all. She creates characters with flaws that you are drawn to, characters whose flaws have you wanting to flog them and characters whose personalities might even make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and take notice. They all have great depth and will evoke feelings one way or another. Markinson has a knack for creating political dialogue that is interesting, entertaining and very witty at the appropriate moments. I have enjoyed other works by Markinson, but I am totally in love with this book!
1875526
This book, at least initially, is one of the funniest things Ive read in a long time. This is not to belittle the importance to the world of who sits in the Oval Office. But the author himself draws our attention to the similarity of the farrago that was the 2016 American election with the show and movie, The Producers. When Trump stood for the presidency, it seems as though it was simply a giant PR exercise; he and his team expected to lose but the Trump brand and everyone on the bandwagon would become even more famous and important. Therefore, it was win/win. And the actual win surprised them all.

With few in the West Wing having any political experience whatsoever, the whole thing was chaos from the start. Very quickly, the people around Trump realised that his temperament and way of doing things would become an exercise in damage limitation. Two factions rapidly emerged: Bannon, Trumps de facto Chief of Staff (in all but name), a shrewd operator who believed in Trumpism and completely got his bosss strengths and weaknesses. And daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, termed Jarvanka, who Bannon referred to as the kids. It wasn't long before hostilities between the two camps reached boiling point.

Michael Wolff is so adept at conveying the presidents personality that one comes away from this book feeling that Bannon is not the only one who fully 'gets' The Donald. We see what makes Trump tick - and it's terrifying. With a swiftly changing line-up of personnel, it might have been easy for the reader to have become confused. But Wolff is supreme master of his well-researched material and he knows how to put the points across directly, with journalistic flair and a smart turn of phrase. On Trumps reluctance to read, well, anything: He was postliterate  total television. On Trumps lack of appeal to the cosmopolitan elite: He was, after all, Donald Trump, however much you shined him up. Wolff is superb on the pithy explanation, here talking about Louise Mensch: a former British politician who, now living in the United States, had become a kind of conspiracy-central of the Trump-Russia connection. On the short-lived Scaramucci who was, according to Wolff: wired by events beyond his own circuits capacity

Fire and Fury may have been rushed through by its publisher; there are several typos in my (British) edition that let the author down, though I did allow myself a snigger when Bannon makes his first official pubic appearance of the Trump presidency. And talking of Bannon, whatever his politics and whatever we readers make of him, its clear that nine times out of ten he was the cleverest one in the room. (I don't think weve heard the last of him.) This is a really great book  and as close as Ive ever come to understanding chaos theory.
4105007
I received this book and read it cover to cover in 2 days...  I couldn't put it down.  First of all, I was laughing harder than I've ever laughed for political satire, and I had at least two good laughs on every page.  Secondly, Franken blows big gaping holes in the arguements and even the ideas of modern day neo-conservative icons such as Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reily, Bernie Goldberg, Sean Hannity and the rest of those Media Elite who are constantly screaming and griping about the Media Elite.  Really, if every hard core republican would read this book, and check the facts, they would undoubtably at least have to abandon their party (if not their ideals).  A good laugh for liberals, a good education for conservatives.
435304
If you are either a)inquistive b)intelligent c)lean even slightly left c)a Saturday Night Live fan d)interested in politics but don't want to read a book that makes you feel stupid and uninformed (capital gains?  What's  that?)you MUST read this book. Al Franken is a humorist, an philanthropist,  a partipant in the "adventures of politics", a wry satirist, an  intelligent and wonderful man.  Buy this book and crack the spine over and  over!
1289652
This book is riotously funny in many places.  Al Franken knows how to use swear words at just the right times in the same way he was writing comedy skits for Saturday Night Live a quarter century ago.  If you liked him then, you'll like him now.
The book isn't just about "the right" and their lies.  He does a good job of poking fun at right-leaning coverage given by left-leaning news sources (NY Times, Washington Post) too.
There's a couple paragraphs of real substantive stuff about the mainstream and left-leaning press organizations in this book. The overall attitude is that the right-wingers are really beyond comprehension or understanding.  In reality the "lies" they tell have been used by both sides (which he admits in quite a few places).
But the book is, most of all, about Al Franken.  There's no avoiding that.  He admits he sent deceiving letters to public officials, using Harvard letterhead.  He takes Bob Jones University for a long ride and in the end feels bad about it - sort of.  But not so bad that he didn't chronicle the whole escapade :-)
1169711
ha, ha, ha ... when I saw the spine of this book staring at me from across the room I had to pick it up. On the front cover it says "Is there really, as the extremists claim, a secret room from which a tiny elite secretly rule the world?"  And I thought "OMG!!  I so totally believe that!!" But does that make me an "extremist"?!  Sure I joke about the moon landing being faked and that the government is training dolphins to kill people... but often I start out thinking conspiracies are silly but when you really examine them they make a lot of sense.  My stepdad had bought the book to "know what the lunatic fringe are thinking" he said, but I "borrowed" it from him over Christmas.  If you're a fan of the X-Files you'll know that the "secret room" is a brownstone in New York City :) The author is referring to the yearly meeting of the Bilderberg Group (who I heard on JVIM just met in Chantilly, VA!!  They must be cutting back bcuz in the book the elite meet at a 5 star golf resort in Portugal. I don't know how many 5 star resorts are near Dulles Airport.)

This is absolutely one of the funniest books I have ever read.  I couldn't put it down.  Another reviewer relayed the "my daughter's name translates as 'black flag of Islam'" story which is a great example.  I love the author's tone:  often he will follow up simply with "Really?" which is so funny bcuz he is understating his incredulity.  But he is not mean or condescending to the people he interviews, he just wants to get a picture of their world. And I loved when he argued with Jim Tucker in Portugal.  And when David Icke was attacked by a pie-wielding activist in a bookstore.

I wish there was more to this book because it was so great.  It's like if Dave Barry was covering a conspiracy theory convention (and that is a compliment bcuz I am a big Dave Barry fan!) I liked the parts about the Bilderbergs and the New World Order the best since I am an avid conspiracy buff myself.  The author finds humor in unlikely places like at a KKK gathering (the Grand Wizard reminds him of Woody Allen!)  The author is trying to determine if when Icke talks about the reptiles that rule the world if that is a codeword for Jews (as in a Zionist conspiracy) or if he really does believe that extraterrestial giant lizards occupy the ruling houses of Europe and Fortune 500 companies.  Another hilarious bit is when some guys are trying to convince another guy that Icke is a racist and they decide to leave out the descriptions of the reptiles.  But they are losing his interest so one guy jumps in with the 12 or so different types of "reptiles" ... "There are the tall blondes who look like Swedes."  Since he also mentions the "greys" it sounds like he is talking about the classic outerspace aliens, not just reptiles.  Ok, now I'm rambling, but it is really a great read. I shared many quips over the dinner table.

In closing, here is an excerpt which encapsulates my "conspiracy nut" worldview and my stepdad's diametrically opposed (and I think boring!) view:  "People like to enchant themselves.  They want there to be a grand conspiracies by superpowerful beings, rather than just a bunch of mistakes made by decent people."  So says a Canadian psychology professor to an enraged David Icke.

Also, if anyone has an in with the New World Order can you tell them I am looking for a job? :)
3786058
Review of I Am America (And So Can You!)
Hot Toasty Rag, April 23, 2018

Its a trip down memory lane to write a review of Stephen Colberts I Am America (And So Can You!). It was released in 2009 and since then, hes written three additional humorous books. I was a completely different person with completely different political views when I read this book, and so for the sake of this review, Ill go back in time.

Fans of Stephen Colberts faux-Republican persona on his television program The Colbert Report will have tears streaming down their cheeks as they laugh their way through his political humor book. Its written entirely in tongue and cheek, and it covers a wide array of topics, from politics to religion, family dynamics, free thinking, hobbies, cultural hallmarks, and countless others. No matter what your beef is with American politics or culture, youll find something to laugh at in this book. It really is hilarious, unless you're a conservative Republican who doesnt like laughing at how others see you. Then again, you probably wouldnt be picking up his book anyway if you don't like his sense of humor.

My favorite parts of the book were the margin notes. On every page, Colbert includes margin notes as a constant running commentary as he reads through and proofs his book. Its laugh-out-loud funny as he contradicts himself, adds in side-gags that run throughout the rest of the book, and re-contradicts himself later so that he sticks to his original opinion. While this might be dated, given the current political climate, it was an extremely fun read at the time, and its very fun if you want to turn back the clock and laugh at and reminisce in 2009.
2961581
I am, at best, a bandwagon sports fan, but I loved this book! It is a world-wide tour of sports for the armchair traveler.

It's hard to imagine that any one person - with or without the help of Google - could have such a comprehensive knowledge of or experience with sports. Depending on which essay you are reading, the book is alternatively laugh-out-loud funny, provocative, informative, inspiring or touching.

Regardless of where you fall on the sports fan spectrum, this book is a great read!
4066291
First started reading Mark Titus last year as a contributor to the sports blog website Grantland and decided to order this book.  I have to say I was impressed.  While not a Buckeye, I did attend a big state school that is crazy about basketball, (and has actually had a fair amount of success against the Buckeyes lately, Rock Chalk!) so I was eager to get the insider's perspective on college basketball.

While I have seen some of the reviews state that this book can be fun for people outside of the target demographic, I wanted to add that if you ARE in the target demographic, then you will REALLY love this book.  I happen to be the same age as Titus, and attended college during the same timespan, so all of the basketball moments are fresh in my mind and pretty much all of his jokes and cultural references struck me as things my friends and I would joke about.  While there is a lot about this book that is universally funny, some of his references and admittedly immature style might alienate some of the "outside demographic readers" but if you happen to also be a 25 year old male who thinks that poop jokes are still funny you will be rolling.

This is a quick read, and I was surprised at how well his blog-style format translated to the longer form, weaving anecdotes and reflections throughout a clear throughline story.  Also, it is rare that a book pushes me to audible laughter, but this book left in me fits of childish giggles multiple times.
4824476
Satire and political criticism about our current Kafkaeske copyright legal systems done in a way that would make Douglas Adams and Cory Doctorow dance together with joy. Even if you're not into the copyleft/copyright wars, the book is absolutely interesting without that contextualization. I haven't laughed this much with a book in a long time!
3351921
A great political satire that gives a detailed and hilarious account of fictional but "oh so possibly real" phone conversations between Trump and Putin. I have been laughing non-stop at the astuteness of this writer who captured not only the character of Trump so well but also the surreal and absurd times we live in. Highly recommend it!