As before, the 86 pages bristle with humor about our relationships to cats, a cat’s eye on our world, and the usual switching of cats and people into each other’s roles.
To my taste, over half of the cartoons were outstanding, and all were good.
Here are some of my favorites.
Man visiting bare-chested yogi on a ledge outside a cave entrance is surrounded by cats. "The meaning of life is cats." Sam Gross;
Wall of books with signs about them "Travel, Science, History, Fiction, Cute Cats." A well-dressed man is standing in front of Cute Cats holding a book with an illustration of a cat. Sidney Harris;
"Dog Days" is the caption for a subway car filled with dogs looking hot, with their tongues hanging out, wearing disheveled suits. A lone cat in the middle is neatly dressed and is definitely the cool cat of the illustration. William Hamilton;
Cat executive sits behind a large desk that covers an aquarium filled with very large fish. Bernard Sshoenbaum;
Cat speaks to a bird in a tree. "Hey, let's do lunch.
" Robert Mankoff;
Man and woman in a restaurant find themselves staring at a cat in the middle of their small table for two. The waiter explains "We're out of flowers." Danny Shanahan;
Four panels of a man and woman. In the third panel, a cat walks through and both stop to beam happily at the cat. Joseph Farris;
Cat with a television playing in the background is outside of a mousehole. "Jeopardy is on." Sam Gross;
Lawyer has cat on shoulder and holds out an envelope to a dog. "We're slapping you with a stress suit . . . . "Danny Shanahan;
Cat is driving a taxi cab and speaks to human passenger, "Yeah, I was into the pet thing for a while, but that scene wasn't for me." Eldon Didini;
Cat holding a smoking gun as a dead bird lies outside the window. "What was I supposed to do? I've been declawed." Frank Cotham;
Cat to owner near cat door, "I'm going out. Do you need any voles." Sam Gross;
Fortune teller holding woman's hand, "A wonderful cat is coming into your life." Edward Koren;
Cat in bed waking up, while the alarm goes "Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet." Arnie Levin;
Two dogs are looking at a cat walking by, "Are we talking about life style or orientation?" Peter Steiner.
The book’s weaknesses are two. First, it lacks an essay to tie together the humor and deepen your appreciation of it. So it’s more like a scrapbook of cartoons than a book of cartoons. Second, the dog-cat humor was not nearly as good as in the first book of New Yorker cat cartoons. You would think that there would be an endless supply of outstanding work available . . . but I guess not.
The positive aspect of the book is to realize how much better most of us relate to cats than to other people. Keeping that same wonderful cat relationship, how can you improve your human connections? How about bringing along a cat to enjoy with others?
We thought that Neil Strauss, who chronicled his own transformation from "half a man" to a "Master Pickup Artist" in the one-of-a-kind bestseller, The Game, might be the perfect expert to assess Maddox's guide, and indeed, he came through with the sharpest take we've yet seen on the book, which you can read below.
If you are new to the world of Maddox and unfamiliar with his website www.thebestpageintheuniverse.com, here's how you will react to the book: When you read the dedication--"to the love of my life, my soul mate, and the greatest person in the world: me"--you will think for a moment that you have encountered one of the most unlikable narcissists in the world. When he calls a woman a "bitch" on page 2, you may actually begin to hate him. But if you stick with it, by the time you get to the middle of the book and are fully immersed in his over-active, over-systematic, testosterone-addled imagination, you will begin to realize that Maddox just may be the Andy Kaufman of his time, in possession of the driest wit you've ever encountered. The middle of the book also happens to be the home of Maddox's finest essays. In his contribution to the geek canon of Chuck Norris worship, he spuriously notes that Norris uses hippies as firewood, intercepts letters to Santa Claus to use as toilet paper, and eats "bread, cheese, some tomato paste and a handful of basil, which sounds like pizza, but it's not because Chuck Norris doesn't want to give the Italians the credit."
In general, there are two types of humor in this book: things that are funny because they're wrong ("a pirate's semen is indestructible") and things that are funny because they're right (his entire essay on urinal etiquette).
By the time you get to his views on the quickie, in which he describes a sexual encounter with his girlfriend that involves her never showing up and him passing out drunk and getting robbed, you may be bookmarking his website. And by the time you turn to the last page, you'll be flipping back to the first, reading it again and looking for the jokes you missed because you were too busy being shocked, offended, and slightly titillated. In short, The Alphabet of Manliness just may be one of the smartest paeans to stupidity ever written. --Neil Strauss
What's more manly than crushing a can against your eye, Maddox-style? Mastered that advanced skill? Move on to Maddox's short quiz below, prepared exclusively for Amazon.com, and find out whether you might be one of the new breed of men, the "hetrosexual."
Straight Is the New Gay
by Maddox
In a world where metrosexuals--stylish, well-groomed, and sharply dressed men--have taken the center stage in defining the new masculinity, small pockets of men are starting to emerge, rebelling against the status quo. This new breed of man has rejected a lifestyle of wine tasting, pedicures, and excessive cultural awareness (i.e., any cultural awareness). This newly born response to metrosexuality is gaining momentum like never before, calling back to a day when men proudly wore plaid, ate liver and onions, and smelled like motor oil by choice. This modern man has come to be known simply as: the hetrosexual.
Hetrosexual men aren't afraid embrace their masculinity. They eat, drink, and sleep like real men: fully engorged. There's no such thing as a "fashion faux-pas" in the world of hetrosexuality. In fact, even the use of the phrase "faux-pas" draws the ire of the hetrosexual man in the form of beatings and social isolation (preferably both). These are men who refuse to be pigeonholed into the constraints of sexual ambiguity, and gladly welcome every opportunity to crotch-wrestle a hot babe. Hetrosexuals are making it cool to be straight again; straight is the new gay.
Think you might be a hetrosexual? Take the following quiz to find out:
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1. How much should you tip a hairstylist? |
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If you answered, you're wrong. Hetrosexuals don't go to hair stylists. |
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The correct answer is B) No. Acceptable fragrances for men are: sweat, grease, rum, or some combination thereof. |
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3. Which language do you speak? |
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A) French |
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B) English |
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C) Both |
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D) Neither |
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The answer is B) English. French is the language of love, and men don't love anything. At best, there are varying degrees of "like," and even then, men don't like anything that much. |
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4. When dining at restaurant, you should |
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A) Push aside your friends and wrestle over the best seat |
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B) Wait until the maitre d' seats you |
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C) What's a maitre d'? |
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The correct answer is A and C. A, because if you don't secure the best spot at the table, you may find yourself in the position of having to engage in small talk with your guest. And C, because of the answer to question 3 above. |
If you answered all of the questions correctly, congratulations: you are the winner. The important thing to keep in mind is that you are a man (unless you are not), and nobody can take that away from you.
Book Description
From the publisher:
This is the only sentence in the entire book that will give you a chance to adjust your face; take your time, because it's about to be rocked off—permanently.
Finally, a book that guarantees your balls will be stomped; a book so manly that it will make even the burliest of men (and in some cases, the burliest of women) feel inadequate. So manly, it needs to be shaved: The Alphabet of Manliness. This collection of sacred writings may very well be the greatest compilation of all things manly throughout history. Here's a small sample of the ass-kickery found within these revered pages of outright manliness:
People getting drop-kicked in the face
Phallic aggression
Violence in excess of what has come to be known as excessive
Garish disregard for the well-being of children
Contempt for animals, women, and other cultures
Intimidating rhetoric
Obscure penile references
The triumph of flannel over good taste
This book is only for the saltiest, hairiest, most rugged son of a bitch out there. However, it would be selfish to keep it for myself, so feel free to buy a copy. This humble tome of wisdom is a tribute to all men who toil away at work every day, getting their balls busted, or busting balls.
If you can't handle the punch to the colon I'm about to deliver to you, look on the bright side: you'll save a fortune on Halloween when kids come to your door to pick apart your candy ass. On the other hand, if you feel comfortable with the risk of having your ass neatly packaged and handed to you with all the trimmings, cut the foreplay and crack the book open already.
Customer Reviews:
Falls Short of expectation.......2007-09-27
I thought this book would be hilarious, assuming that the guy that wrote post after post of side splitting rants on his website would be able to translate that wit into book form. i was wrong. most of it sounds forced and a lot of it is so sexist that even i, who revels in offensive humor, was bored. i hardly laughed once throughout. a shame because Maddox is usually a funny guy.
Just for men (and some women).......2007-09-25
Warning: This book is awesome
Warning2: Not for most women.
This book is every (real) mans bible. It is the truth of what we men think about half the time. Full of manly techniques and manors, you will laugh until the tears come out in joy. One of the best bathroom readers I have ever had.
Sublime.......2007-09-14
This book taught me all I know about life and how to live it. I really know how to pick up the ladies now!
Not as good as the website.......2007-09-12
Maddox is at his best when deriding something topical. I love his site but found this book to be predictable and boring. It's probably good for a laugh if you're a pre-teen boy though.
Not as funny as the website.......2007-09-10
The book is pretty childish and superficial, and doesn't have the entertaining wit and sarcasm that The Best Page In The Universe has.
Average customer rating:
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Alphabet Of Manliness
Maddox
Manufacturer: Kensington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OBBNSI |
Book Description
Her father and her uncle were U.S. congressmen. Her grandfather was a U. S. senator. Although born to privilege in Alabama and groomed in a convent school, Tallulah Bankhead resolved not to be just another Southern belle.
Quickly she rose to the top and became an acclaimed actress of London's West End and on the Broadway stage. Her performances in many plays of the 1920s brought her to the notice of Hollywood. She starred in such Paramount films as My Sin, Faithless, The Devil and the Deep, and Thunder Below. Even though she won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for her leading role in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944), she never achieved the prominence in movies that she enjoyed in the theater and on radio. On the New York stage she originated the starring roles of Regina Giddens in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes and of Sabina in Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth.
Tallulah, like Eudora, Flannery, and Coretta, was a southern woman identifiable by her first name. Her flamboyant public personality may be the most fully realized and memorable character Bankhead ever played. She became famous for her snappy repartee, candid quotes, and scandalous lifestyle. She was disposed to remove her clothes and chat in the nude. Overfond of Kentucky bourbon and wild parties, she was a lady baritone who called everybody "Dahling."
In Tallulah, first published in 1952 and a New York Times bestseller for twenty-six weeks, Bankhead's literary voice is as lively and forthright as her public persona. She details her childhood and adolescence, discusses her dedication to the theater, and presents amusing anecdotes about her life in Hollywood, New York, and London. Along with a searing defense of her lifestyle and rambunctious habits, she provides a fiercely opinionated, wildly funny account of American stage at a time when the movies were beginning to cast theater into eclipse. This is not only a memoir of an independent woman but also an insider look at American entertainment during a golden age.
Average customer rating:
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Tallulah: My Autobiography
Manufacturer: Harper & Brothers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BD2HMU |
Product Description
Autobiography of actress Tallulah Bankhead, tracing her life from childhood in Alabama to her life in the 1950's. Unflinchingly, she sets the record straight about her friendships and fracases with the likes of Garbo, the Barrymores, Katharine Hepburn, Gilbert Miller, Lillian Hellman, Billy Rose, Noel Coward, Fred Allen, Thomas E. Dewey, Henry Luce & Harry Truman. Here are her unorthodox and provoctive views on love, money, drinking, drugs, and the New York Giants.
Book Description
This is an authorized and definitive account of rock music's most influential band, which included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page during its lifespan. Members of The Yardbirds went on to play with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Led Zeppelin and Renaissance. In addition to the entire history of The Yardbirds, this book gives full accounts of each member's activities to the present. A discography of every Yardbirds-related recording and over 270 B&W photos and illustrations are included in its 288 pages.
Customer Reviews:
This title fits!.......2007-01-04
If you're a fan of this seminal blues rock band, this book tells their story and puts all their songs and records on one place. I like it because it gave me a better understanding of the various albums produced of the group. I wanted to collect their body of work, but with so many different albums, I needed something to make my selections. This book is it!
Yardbirds Are One of the Greatest Groups!.......2006-03-19
This book is well researched and written conatining all of the details that are presented in a precise and concise fashion (along with many great photos). A great purchase for British Invasion fans - Mike Rivas
Buyer Beware!!!!!.......2003-09-19
Full of errors, conjecture and wild theories. Nice photos though.
A Lot of Fun.......2002-09-19
Read this book from cover-to-cover in a day. Now that we're getting more perspective on this period, as we get older, the ramifications of this band are pretty astounding. In my mind, the Yardbirds were better than the bands that their three superstars spawned, but I'm not so sure what the ramifiactions of the band was when they were active. Eric Clapton, JImmy Page and Jeff Beck, however, re-shaped rock n' roll.
This book is so detailed, but without a lot of commentary, that it leaves one to draw conclusions about the band to themselves. Well worth a read.
THE 'Bird Watchers Guide.......2002-05-08
For years I dreamed of writing the definitive Yardbirds tome to honor the legendary group behind "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Happenings 10 Years Time Ago" and the phenomenal "Shapes of Things". But my hopes were dashed with the appearance of the second printing of this magisterial biography. How hard core is this? Let's examine the evidence: 1) We learn Relf's middle name was Keith; his first name was William 2) We learn future Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen played organ on "Ha Ha Said the Clown" 3) We have a thorough rundown of the band's gigs from 1963-68 4) We have labels from the tape cartridges of the group's final NY recording sessions 5) We learn Page's revamped Yardbirds lineup was never called "New"; Russo reprints numerous concert ads for the pre-Zep quartet - poster after poster bills the combo as "Yardbirds" or "Yardbirds with/featuring Jimmy Page" 6) We learn what the heck happened to Top Topham after he made way for some guy named Eric Clapton. Granted, the book favors the recollections of drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja. You don't suppose it's because they were the only ones (bar Keith Relf) in the band from start to finish, do you? After all the misinformation that has been passed down over the years concerning ownership of the band's name, what records they played on and the behind-the-amps friction that contributed to their early demise, it's refreshing to finally hear the whole story outside the context of a Clapton, Beck or Page bio. Anything anyone would want to know about the Yardbirds, from asthmatic Relf's three-pack a day smoking habit to the band's recipe for lemon butter chicken is in here in greater detail and affection than I could have dreamed possible. The holy grail of Yardbirds information.
Book Description
Written by a Grand Master, this guide isolates basic elements and illustrates them through Master and Grand Master games, breaking down the mystique of strategy into easy-to-understand ideas. More than a lesson in fundamentals, it illustrates the value of acquiring small, permanent advantages and saving the attack for later.
Customer Reviews:
Simple Chess by Michael Stean.......2007-08-21
Simply the best! Important elements of Chess Strategy explained lucidly. A truly great book that introduces chess strategy to the masses. A must have book for the intermediate player.
An amazing book!.......2007-01-15
I received this book in the mail and thought "another chess book for temporary amusement" -- then, to the shelf it would go to collect dust for years. I'm happy to say I was WAY wrong on that line of thinking!!
This is the most absorbing chess book I have ever read!
That said, it is not for beginners (stated many times before by others), and it is not for players who only enjoy tactics and suicidal attacks. This is the essence of positional chess in one book-- captured and explained in a very impressive manner by Stean.
My opinion is subjective -- I love positonal play and believe that's the reason to play the game! But I've already learned so many things (outposts, minority attack, etc.); my eyes have been opened to these "secrets" like never before. I feel like I have at least a small understanding of what GM's are looking for in their games, from a positional standpoint.
Also, I like the fact that the games are more recent than My System (which is very good)-- you get to see the Siclian and King's Indian and others, not just the Ruy Lopez and QGD of the early 1900's.
It's hard to put into words why this book is so choice, but I wish it was 500 pages-- I could live as a recluse with this book and a board!
To all my future opponents-- please ignore this book and stick with tactics and your kamikaze style play-- that might make our future battles so much easier for me!
Thank you Michael Stean-- a fantasic effort on your part!! Too bad it took me this long to discover it.
Excellent, but there are some typos..........2006-10-04
I agree with all the positive observations made by the other reviewers, but would like to extend the list of typos started by Dr. Salawu. Here are the errors I've found, with page numbers as they appear in the 2002 Dover algebraic edition:
p.15, variation following move 22: "(23...Kb3" should be "(23...Kc6"
p.33, 6th para: "conceding the d4 square" should be "conceding the d5 square"
p.47, 2nd para: the omitted 21st Black move in the variation is Ne5
p.52: "7. Bxc3" should be "7. bxc3"
p.96, variation following move 31: the move after 32. Nxf4 should be Rc1+
p.102, 1st para: "Bb7" should be "Bg7"
p.129, 1st para: "all kings" should be "all kinds"
p.129, last para: Black's 12th move in the second variation should be Rh5, not Rh4
p.158: Black's 4th move was Bb7, not Bg7
p.160, 1st line: "28. Bc5!" should be "28. Bc5+!"
Good book on strategy but not simple for beginners.......2006-09-11
By the title you might think this is a book written for beginners. It is not a simple book at all, yet a good one for the non-beginner. It is a book on strategy, looking at things such as various uses of opening files and minority attacks. More positional ideas, where a beginner or even someone just beyond the beginner stage should be looking at books on tactics, chess traps and going over some of the books that have games with each move analyzed.
However, if you are looking at books like "My System" then also consider getting "Simple Chess" just don't be mislead by the title!
Simpley the Best!.......2006-08-26
After only several casual hours of study I learned more about strategy and planning than I could have ever imagined. I have tediously worked my way through other books (Lessons in Chess Strategy, Silmans various works, Euwe and Kramers Middlegame series; these are all great books by the way) but have never felt instant gratification before. I agree with the other reviews, this is NOT A PRIMER. Its a small book, so several days is all you need to absorb this fantastic book. Very Highly recommended by an improving player. Cheers!
Average customer rating:
- A Must for NextGen Trekkers!
- The Ultimate Book for Any Next Generation Trekker
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The Ultimate Trek Trivia Challenge for the Next Generation
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Trivia
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General
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Movie Tie-Ins
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Trivia
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ASIN: 1575660636 |
Customer Reviews:
A Must for NextGen Trekkers!.......1997-07-16
I don't know how I missed it when it first came out, but I picked up this book after I heard one of the authors on a radio talk show in Memphis a couple of months ago when he was plugging his new STAR WARS trivia book. I am a NextGen Trekker and this is the ultimate...1,600 questions covering every episode, Klingons, characters, starships, holodeck programs, treknology, behind-the-scenes, etc. 300+ pages and was it ever fun! I highly recommend it to any NextGen Trekker. Four stars, two thumbs up, and whatever else...it is GREAT!
The Ultimate Book for Any Next Generation Trekker.......1996-11-18
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of STAR TREK! Who is Data's "mother"? How big is the Neutral Zone? Which Klingon sisters plotted a coup with the Romulans? What were Captain Kirk's final words in GENERATIONS? Determine your personal Starfleet rank by testing your potential as a TNG (that's THE NEXT GENERATION to you cadets) Trekker in a one-of-a-kind trivia book guaranteed to short-circuit your memory bank. So you have the con: lay in a course and embark on your mission-the ultimate trivia challenge! Test your knowledge of: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (all seven seasons); STAR TREK GENERATIONS; Klingon language and traditions; the layout of the Enterprise; Federation history; technical specifications; famous guest stars; memorable quotes; behind-the-scenes trivia; PLUS! Summaries of EVERY episode. Good luck or, as the Klingons say, "Qapla'." OVER 1600 MIND-WARPING QUESTIONS! No REAL Trekker should be without this book
Books:
- The Origins of L'art Nouveau: The Bing Empire
- The Theory of Decorative Art: An Anthology of European and American Writings, 1750-1940 (Bard Graduate Centre for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design & Culture)
- The Vatican to Vegas: The History of Special Effects
- Twelve Renoir Bookmarks (Small-Format Bookmarks)
- Unmarked: The Politics of Performance
- Untitled
- Visionaire No. 47: Taste (Visionaire)
- Visual Illusions in Motion with Moire Screens: 60 Designs and 3 Plastic Screens (Pictorial Archive Series)
- Weaving Through Words: Using the Arts to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies
- Who Can Save Vincent's Hidden Treasure?
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