Outside of a Dog, #97

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

The recent recession, political scandals, decline of Michigan’s automobile industry, unemployment, the massive oil spill, the unstable stock market…..the bad news seems to be every where - unrelenting and endless. Why not lose yourself for an hour or two in a book that might just make you laugh out loud. It won’t solve our global issues but just might offer a short interval of comic relief.

I feel bad about my neck and other thoughts on being a woman – Nora Ephron

You don’t have to be a woman of a “certain age” to appreciate this book. Ephron, who earned her professional reputation writing popular original screenplays such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail gives readers a series of candid, hilarious, and genuinely rich essays dealing with women. Women who are getting older and dealing with the challenges of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, winding down careers, and life itself.

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Pure drivel – Steve Martin

Here one of the most enduring and famous comic talents translates his physical performance to the printed page with this very funny collection of essays covering everything from aging to friendship to travel, and even comedy.

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Money $ecrets – Dave Barry

Money is one of our most misunderstood, fascinating, and in some ways taboo topics. Noted humorist Dave Barry give us his take on how the U.S. economy really works, a foolproof system for making money in the stock market, why good colleges cost too much, tips for buying and selling real estate, and much much more.

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You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning – Celia Rivenbark

From religion to recipes, from carpools to cats, Ms. Rivenbark offers us her sharp and witty views. Sometimes these written rants are down right mean, sometimes shocking, but always hilarious as she dares to say things we might only think on a wide variety of unique subjects.

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When will Jesus bring the pork chops? – George Carlin

The late author of two previous bestsellers and countless comedy albums Carlin gives us in written form his highly irreverent views on our American way of life. Often silly, sometimes a bit off color, and often times quite poignant, his observations of our culture are truly original as well as thought-provoking.

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Author Profile: Augusten Burroughs

Humorous memoirist Augusten Burroughs is probably best known by most people as the guy who wrote the book that spawned the movie “Running With Scissors,” which released on DVD in 2007. Of course, there’s much more to the author that just that – he’s got six books (some fiction, some memoir), and has been a commentator for NPR, and a columnist for Details magazine.

Running With Scissors
The most famous of Burroughs’ memoirs, this book details his young life, when, at age 12, he was sent to live with his mother’s psychiatrist for three years. The story is true by Burroughs’ accounting, and some of the events are definitely adult in nature.
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Dry
Detailing Burroughs’ adult life as an alcoholic and an ad-writer for a top New York agency, Dry follows the author from New York to Minnesota and back. Here, he discusses rehab and what comes after; especially how hard it became to return to his life that revolved around alcohol once he was “tenuously sober.”
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Magical Thinking: True Stories
Witty and sarcastic again, Magical Thinking showcases Burroughs’ gift at telling stories of his childhood and adult life. While many (okay, most) are mean-spirited and a little R-rated, they’re well worth a read.
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If you’d like to read some of his shorter pieces, Details magazine is owned by St. Clair Shores Public Library and is available for interloan.

Also out is his first novel, Sellevision, about the antics behind-the-scenes at a home shopping network. Sellevision is available as a book from Harper Woods Public Library, and as an audiobook from Troy Public Library.

Thanks to CB for this author suggestion!