Excellent humorous and thought-provoking works
346593
I just finished reading all three of these. I must say they are some of the best shorter stories I've ever read. They make you think and laugh at the same time, like Pratchett's work always does. All three books were wonderful. Pace, characters, settings were spot on. Humor was top notch. I'm always sorry Pratchett won't be writing much more.
1787570
Saw this on Stephen Colbert and it seemed like it would be an amusing read. It is indeed humorous, even laugh out loud funny in parts. Jacobs' has a keen eye for popular culture and his intertwining of those observations with more serious matters lends a style that is quite engaging.

Yes, it's light-hearted and his "experiments" are obviously vehicles to generate comic material. But, there's more going on here. You can definitely read this as a serious review and critique of various ethics and self improvement topics. Even the experiments that aren't specifically about self improvement contain bits of introspection about human behavior that border on profundity. I found myself ricocheting from laughter to contemplation. So much of popular non-fiction is affected with a bewildering sense of self-importance with hundreds of pages of filler  around a single idea that would be a worthy subject of a magazine article, but shouldn't have been expanded to book length (I'm looking at you Malcolm Gladwell). For me, at least, a book like this that presents a variety of those kinds of ideas is an excellent way to learn about those topics. Jacobs' critical assessment and humorous observations on various lifestyle issues can be counted on to be revealing about the true benefits of the techniques and entertaining at the same time. This might be a worthwhile new genre in non fiction.

Oh, by the way, I wrote this because I like seeing my words on amazon.com.
2381328
I love Szymborska's work and this book is no exception.  The poems are accessible, quirky and thought provoking at the same time - also unsentimental and suffused with humor and a love of life as it is.  The poems appear in Polish on the left hand page and in the English translation on the right hand page.  I don't read Polish, alas,  but I still enjoy seeing the original Polish on the opposite page.  The translators must be brilliant as the poems are so very good and full of personality and the humor comes across so well in English that I can't imagine their being much better in the original.
212883
I loved this collection, and wish more people would read it. Hydes stories are connected by the idea of utopia (which, as she explains in the acknowledgments, paradoxically means both good place and no place)  all of these characters are looking to create better worlds, either by embarking on a new beginning or consciously choosing an ending. The stories jump from Adam and Eve to a 19th-century Shaker settlement to a futuristic community of Americans on Mars. Hyde avoids the possible tackiness of some of these set ups through her insightful, deadpan writing, and shes equally talented at all the different styles she attempts. And although there's plenty of witty detachment in here, in the majority of stories there are also undercurrents of intense emotion - above all, a longing to find a place to rest. Collectively, the stories suggest that well probably never reach the good place of our imagined utopias, and that we might make ourselves ridiculous along the way, but that thered be something even more ridiculous about never trying. Highly recommended.
4691951
This is an amazing and humorous synopsis of much of content of Tim Freke's and Peter Gandy's earlier three books on Gnosticism (which I highly recommend, but not a necessary prerequisite to enjoy this book.)  The Gospel is set as a dialogue among Jesus, Mary Magdalene and (Saint) Peter. The book gives an interesting take on Christianity, it's history (and the plethora of misconceptions prevalent today) and what Christianity SHOULD really be.  The last chapters in particular are a hilarious parody of fundamentalist Christian thought on the rapture and day of judgement.  Those chapters alone are well worth the price of the book, but the reader should avoid skipping to the back because the "Jesus story" (the bulk of the Gospel) contains immense wisdom and plenty of chuckles to boot.  Freke and Gandy managed to effectively and humorusly needle many of their critics (including the Amazon reviewer of their "The Laughing Jesus" who criticized them for using too many exclamation points!!!!!)

It's a great read. It's lots of fun but at the same time contains so much wisdom that is spot on essential for humanity to hear and understand in order to grow out of our collective dilemma of materiality and grow into the sprituality that is our true nature.  It's time to wake up from the dream, and Freke and Gandy have helped us by providing a delightfully concocted primer that everyone can understand.
2061185
Each poem has a thought provoking and inspiring message.  The fun of it all is in the humor I found in the way Donald Needham writes.  He has a unique way of viewing everyday life and seeing the special moments and humor many of us overlook. I truly enjoyed reading this book and have read several poems over again enjoying them each time.  I highly recommend getting Donald Needham's book and sharing it with your friends.  Enjoy!
145843
I kept getting funny looks as I was listening to this at work and would randomly laugh.  It is wonderfully funny as well as deeply touching.  These are great essays from a great writer.
4637339
I came to Wallace through his fiction, which I love, but after reading this collection I realized I like his nonfiction even more.

His command of the language, his insight, and his laugh-out-loud wit are all just as much in evidence in his essays, but the essays have the advantage of being more coherent, and shorter.

The title essay, Consider the Lobster, is one of my favorites.  Originally published in Gourmet magazine--amazingly--it describes a lobster festival in Maine in all its comical details before musing about the ethics of cooking and eating the creatures.  Wallace somehow manages to combine hilarity with deep compassion; I found it one of the most persuasive anti-animal cruelty pieces I've ever read, although I don't think Wallace thought of it as that, so much as just musings about the subject he was commissioned to write about.  But when Wallace muses, he often comes up with fascinating angles.

There are other essays in the collection I enjoyed almost as much--one about Updike and his narcissism, for example--and several that I didn't find as interesting.  The long piece about the adult movie industry just didn't do it for me, nor did his lengthy and byzantinely-footnoted essay about a right-wing talk radio host.  Sometimes the level of detail-within-detail just isn't justified for me by the subject matter, but of course, others may find the subjects of those essays more interesting than I did.  But anyone who appreciates well-crafted, thoughtful, and funny prose should find something in the collection that's appealing.  As soon as I finished it, I started his earlier collection, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, which says something about how much I enjoyed this one.
3315072
With Magical Thinking, Burroughs moves beyond the "memoir" format of his two previous essays in favor of personal essays.  The transition serves him well; rather than present readers with another narrative, he offers a collection of autobiographical stories that read like journal excerpts from two distinct periods of his life:  B.D. (Before Dennis, his love and muse) and A.D. (After Dennis enters his life).

The stories are graced with humor and honesty, eliciting laughs with acute observations of the absurdities of everyday life. They're also buttressed with an uncommon frankness regarding sexual matters.  At the same time, the stories possess a confessional quality: the author reveals secret thoughts and ambitions as the reader takes the role of psycotherapist, listening and analyzing and assembling the pieces together.

And somehow I suspect that Burroughs would offer no objection to this analogy. :)
2943867
For such a slim book, this one packs in a lot of laughs, insights, and coming of age stories that ring utterly true.  Simpson has long been known as having a unique and powerful gift of using humor to make a serious spiritual point, and this book does not disappoint on that front...though, it should be noted, the author's purpose here is not primarily to get "deep" theologically, but to collect some of his favorite anecdotes, jokes, and personal life stories from nearly 50 years of ministry and travel.  It's highly enjoyable and highly recommended!
222349
Julie Davis's Happy Catholic is a delightful collection of short essays that begin with quotes from books, television, movies, interviews, and any other media, followed by insightful and often humorous commentary or anecdotes inspired by the quotes. The style is easy going and engaging. By the time you are done reading, you feel at home with the author and want to read more. It's a good thing she has a blog of the same name where you can get more.

What I really love about the book is how it engages both contemporary and time-honored culture. Quotes range from the recent Battlestar Galactica TV show and The Onion to St. Augustine and Lao-tzu. The uniting thread is the underlying truth found in all of these: how God touches our lives in the most remarkable and most mundane ways.

Such truth often goes without notice but it really is transforming when you see it and more importantly, when you apply it to yourself. For example, who can't relate to the idea that every institution (like the Catholic Church) is made up of people, both good and bad? Some of those people are bound to seem like (or even be) jerks. Julie writes of how she deals with it--you've got to pray for those people that make you crazy. Sometimes you might need prayers and forgiveness too. She brings it home with delightful pith: "I always try to remember that for every person driving me crazy, there may be two others that I am driving crazy. Ouch!"

If you want some honest, heartfelt insights like this, read this book! You'll be glad you did.
39672
This is an amazing collection of utilitarian poetry. The poems are really accessible to everyone (as a time-sheet reminder should be) but the descriptions of  the natural world in all its minutiae and mundane glory are impressive, and remind me of the writings of Loren Eiseley. And Wagner's detailing of daily life (and its minutiae and mundane glory) are beautiful, absurd, and absolutely hilarious, often simultaneously. A must-read, even for people who aren't into poetry.
3159563
I have to disagree with the other review I read on this work.  I prefer Schopenhauer's 'pessimism' (which by the way, is written with great wit and humor and had me laughing quite a bit) to Nietzsche's destructive, puffed-up idealistic gas.  This is not because I think pessimism is a good thing taken by itself, but rather that there are a great many things in life that SHOULD be avoided.  I will say, however, that I think those who enjoy Nietzsche will have a true appreciation for this book (Nietzsche was deeply unfluenced by S.).  He discusses an array of subjects, such as the emptiness of those things commonly pursued by the masses (money, status/position, vanity, sensual pleasure, etc.), and those most commonly ignored by most (temperance, good health, character, individuality, and developing one's mind).  It is an eye-opener for people absorbed in their careers entrenched in the politics and daily grind of life.
Though riddled with hard-nosed realism and misanthropy, the book was positively entertaining and enjoyable.  His style is fluid, prosaic, and imaginitive, unlike most German philosophy.  In lieu of modern world events, it is probably more relevant a work today than ever before.
1119832
This is a wonderful collection of essays!  Covering many topics and locations, Rick Klovdahl takes to task some hard topics and cuts them down with a torch of humor and insight.  I enjoy the variety. If one essay seems to heavy or serious, I guarantee there are others that will make you cross your legs laughing!!  I look forward to more musings in the near future.
2458337
This collection of personal essays, originally published in newspapers and magazines, is one of the best books I have read this year.  The author, known primarily for her humorous novels, is witty and down to earth.  If you love the essays of Nora Ephron, I think you'll be delighted with Lipman's similarly witty take on life.  Her essay "Sex education" will have you laughing out loud.
1476296
Christopher Buckley long ago stepped out of the shadow of his father, the legendary William F. Buckley.  He has certainly earned his place as a brilliant writer on his own merits.  Besides his tremendously entertaining and humorous political novels, Christopher Buckley has written copiously for magazines such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Forbes FYI, and others.  Many of his magazine pieces have been collected in a newly published collection, But Enough About You: Essays.

The essays and articles herein run the gamut, include travel pieces, reviews and criticism, memoir, and goofy stuff he must have written just because he thought it would be fun.  In the latter category, we find histories of the bug zapper, hotel alarm clock, hotel minibar, and the lobster bib, among other things.  These pieces are intelligently funny, but got a bit tiresome.  They were my least favorite part of the book, yet I know I would have appreciated them much more in the original context, as the silly humor piece in an otherwise straightforward magazine.

OK, I'm done being critical.  This really is a great collection of essays.  The great thing about But Enough About You is that if one essay is not to your liking, surely the next one will suit you.  Buckley has had such a wide range of experiences, in his travels, writing career, political experience, and his circle of friends, that it seems he has no end of interesting anecdotes.  His life is more interesting than most, and he writes movingly and brilliantly about it.  (And, I would add, humbly.  Even though he moves in elite circles, he does not come across as elitist.)

You just have to admire a writer who is as comfortable writing about a visit to Auschwitz or a tribute to Joseph Heller as he is writing about his imcompetence as a ski instructor for his 7-year-old son, or a fake questionnaire for vice presidential candidates.  Even more, he writes effectively about both. I am in full agreement with the dust jacket: "Reading these essays is the equivalent of being in the company of a tremendously witty and enlightening companion."  But Enough About You will have you alternatively laughing, thinking, and wanting to read more of Christopher Buckley.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
3203089
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of essays.  Some are humorous, some serious, some are filled with great insight.  I found the essay by Brian Doyle on marriage laugh-out-loud funny.  The piece on Marion Barry, the former Mayor of Washington, D.C. was artful in its way of reporting on things to love and hate about this troubled African American icon.  One finds oneself at times agreeing with his distorted logic as it somehow seems to make sense, and then recoiling from that same logic.  The essay about working with the dead and dying by Jane Churchon had that morbid fascination about it, while at the same time conveying the ultimate reality of our eventual demise in a way that retained dignity.  There were some clunkers in the collection, like the one on the lion and the one on the reconstruction of Civil War battlefields.  One essay in particular, through no fault of the author's, may need to be revised:  Zadie Smith's praise of Barack Obama's ability to converse and express himself in diverse cultural worlds, based on his book Dreams of My Father, may no longer hold water since it appears that the book may have largely been written by Bill Ayers.