Git-R-Done by Larry the Cable Guy

The first thing I thought when I saw this book on the shelf was "Larry wrote a book???"

Actually, the first thing I thought was "Larry can WRITE???" Then I thought about swatting the fly that was crawling on the copy of the book, but then I thought he probably knew what he was doing. Don't ask me how I knew the fly was a he... Thats when I really thought "Larry wrote a book???" (Lord, I apologize for that there...) So I got the book and I'm glad I did. I'm happier than a pig in Iraq during Ramadan!

If you don't know who Larry the Cable Guy is, my question is "Have you been in a mental ward or something?" Go rent the videos of "Blue Collar Comedy Tour and Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again". And maybe the stand-up solo Larry video "Git-R-Done"

The book is vintage Larry. It covers some of his life history as well as some great comic bits that have no cohesion to the whole other than they are bound in the same book. Reading Larry's comedy is almost as much fun as watching him perform it. Think of Larry as the redneck version of Robin Williams' early stand-up. And if you've never seen Robin Williams do impromptu comedy, get the hell out of here.

To give you even a piece of larry's stuff here would be a crime. It has to be read as it is written. The rambling style does not fit well in quotes, no matter what the other critics do with them. I wanted to, believe me, but if I started, I would end up quoting a whole chapter verbatim. OK, OK, one quote. The entire chapter 6:

"TK"

If that isn't funny, you've got the wrong book. Put it down and go read "How To Cross-Pollenate Orchids in a Sub-Zero Climate" instead.

I give this one 8 ½ stars.

On the current reading

I have decided to give up telling what the next book in my queue is. There are several reasons for this. One, I am easily distracted, and find a book at the library that captures my interest enough to make me want to quit what I am reading at that moment. Two, I hate giving a bad reveiw simply because I found the author either boring or uncomprehendable. (RE: The next book in this sequence which I dropped after 20 pages "Slam Dunks...") This frees me up to just discard it rather than having to try to muddle through it in order to fulfill a promise to my readers. It may mean longer waits before a new review, after all I'm doing 50+ hours a week at work, and I gotta sleep. Fear not. I am making headway on the current book and should have a review up Sunday or Monday. In the meantime here is a list of classics from both fiction and non-fiction that I loved.

"Time and Again" and it's sequel "From Time to Time" by Jack Finney. Finney departed this world a few years back, but he gave us a wonderful legacy of time travel stories. This is the cream of the crop. I would also recommend "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the basis for the several movie versions by the same title.

If you're up for the long haul, the twelve book series of "Left Behind" about the after-rapture lives of several people who became Christians during the Tribulation of Biblical prophecy is good. Be forewarned it is extremely preachy, and time passes slowly in the series. (According to the Bible, the Tribulation will last only seven years, so it's pretty slow as you can tell.)

There are several books by David Feldman that might spark some interest. "Do Elephants Jump" and "When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth" are two of the books in what is called the Imponderables series. The author collects questions from readers and puts out his research in finding the answers to such strange questions. Even if you don't read every book all the way through, there are lots of questions answered in each book, most in a page or two. You could be sure to find several that interest you in each book. And there are currently 11 out there...

If you'd like to read a real-life mystery about hackers on the Internet, check out "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll. International intrigue galore.

Have fun. I'll be back soon.

Winthrop

Washington Goes To War by David Brinkley

Sometimes with books, even more with movies, I run across something that is so good, I wonder how I missed out on it before. David Brinkley's "Washington Goes To War" is one of these. Actually published in the late 80's, it covers the effects of pre-war, war and post-war as it affected what was essentially a sleepy little town prior to the events of WWII.

Brinkley covers the society, including how many of Washington's elite reacted to the New Deal workers invading their patrician circles. He also covers the political scene, much of which parralells to today's pro- and anti-war factions battling it out in Congress and on the street.

Some of the best parts are how the southern city in a segregated south, deals with the influx of blacks during the height of the depression. You may be appalled by what the living conditions were as described by the author, but this is definitely one of the areas where his writing shines.

I doubt that the city is even remotely the same as described here, since 65 years have insured that it at least move somewhat into the modern world, but as a cultural piece detailing a bygone era, Brinkley does it with great expertise.

I give this one 7½ stars. My next reading assignment is two books, so it may be a while before the next review. For the religious side I am going to read "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow. And for the secular side I plan to read "Slam-Dunks and No-Brainers" by Leslie Savan.

Winthrop