Reviews (5)

It's a gag gift, not as practical as the original
The original Worst Case Scenario handbook was a good guide, essential for your paranoid friends. I enjoyed that one, so for some reason my family has given me all the follow-on books as gifts. None of them really compare to the original, but this one comes close in some respects.
Keep it Away from the Kids
As stated in other reviews, this covers many situations with a mix of humor and practical advice. However, be forewarned that the final entry is how to handle a child asking the dread question that crosses them over from Christmas innocent to member of the vast conspiracy we adults participate in. While the answer is very well written it can cause upset and upheaval if you have a reader who hasn't caught on yet. It's a bright, shiny holiday book and the silliness attracts kids like a magnet. Beware. On the other hand, if you've been looking to broach the subject, their approach is wonderful.

Mediocre
While you won't find information on how to safely jump out of a 2 story window into a trash dumpster, you WILL find information on how to gain control of a one-horse open sleigh, how to defend yourself against a charging reindeer and how to extricate yourself or someone else who is stranded in a chimney.
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Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. General    3. Holidays (non religious)    4. Humor    5. New Year    6. Thanksgiving Day    7. Topic - Family    8. Humor / General   

Subjects:  1. Form - Parodies    2. Humor    3. Topic - Family    4. Topic - Political   

Reviews (47)

Why I'm Like This
Wow, this book was excellent.I loved it as much as I loved "Running with Scissors" and that says a lot.Perhaps it's because I'm just as neurotic as she is (I've been known to fear "mountain men" from time to time), or maybe it's because this book is just extemely heartfelt and entertaining.It's totally worth a read.

I find myself quoting this book....
Acutely insightful, hilarious, profound.I find myself quoting lines from this book all the time.
embarrassed as a fellow purportedly funny jew girl
i have never been irked enough by a book purchase before to write in a negative review.like probably many, i got this because of comparisons to david sedaris.i brought it along as the sole reading material for an extended out-of-town weekend.settled in, laughed heartily at the dedication, then my face fell.3/4 of a page into the first chapter, i handed it to my friend and asked "am i imagining things, or is this really bad writing?"she read the same bit, and confirmed my analysis.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Comedy (Performing Arts)    6. Entertainers    7. General    8. Kaplan, Cynthia    9. Topic - Family    10. United States    11. Women    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

Gina Cascone's Read more

Reviews (5)

I loved it!
Oh my, I laughed so much reading this book...she nailed my family so well...thank you

Remembering Home
Don't think you need to be a member of the family to enjoy this warm, loving and quite funny look at childhood.You can feel the warmth this author has for her zany family in every nook and cranny.The feelings are universal; love, loss, despair at your parent's behavior and the laughter that only family can share.Curl up with this book and remember what it was like to be a child.

Love and laughter, Italian style
Ah, to have the relatives, the wit, and the warm memories of a flawed but sincerely loving, close-knit Italian family such as Gina Cascone's. But even with the same material, few could render the experience of growing up Italian and female in suburbia as well as Cascone has done in this, her 2nd book. The eels! Omigod, the eels for Christmas dinner, first writhing in the bathtub, then writhing around your arm, then writhing on the chopping block, and STILL writhing as, cut into cross-sections, they were tossed into the saute pan! Now, that's a memory few can share. Funny, sad, sentimental, tolerant, it's everything you could want from a short little book. But the overwhelming feeling that comes through is Cascone's love and gratitude for her family.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Italian Americans    6. Literary    7. New Jersey    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Social life and customs    10. Topic - Family    11. Women    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (2)

60 is the new 40...
60 is the new 40, or so I've concluded from this punchy joke book for the well over 50 set.A fun book that will surely produce knowing groans for those of us closing in on our second adulthood.

A "must-have" for anyone with parents or in-laws!
An entertaining look at the aging process.The author has a keen eye and sharp wit when it comes to our obsession with staying young.There are lots of memorable quotes and quips to share with friends and family.I found it to to be a nice little conversation piece and welcome addition to our coffee table.Guaranteed to amuse and highly recommended for all! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Form - Jokes & Riddles    3. Humor    4. Topic - Family    5. Humor / Jokes & Riddles   

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Form - Parodies    3. Humor    4. Topic - Family    5. Humor / Topic / Family   

Reviews (1)

Hilariously inappropriate
The "Baby Be of Use" series is completely hilarious, and makes an AWESOME inappropriate baby shower gift (for anyone with inappropriate-humor-loving, baby-having friends).
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Subjects:  1. Humor    2. Topic - Family    3. Humor / Topic / Family   

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Child Development And Rearing    3. Family & Relationships    4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    5. Inventions    6. Parenting - General    7. Parenting - Motherhood    8. Personal Growth - Happiness    9. Satire And Humor    10. Topic - Family   

Reviews (9)

Big fun!Huge blessing!
I don't know what I used to do without some of these helpful little gems!This is such a fun book to read that one almost forgets that it is full of useful, well-researched advice for parents.The best part of all is that the advice works!The financial investment is minimal.The enjoyment and rewards are invaluable.

Great thoughts for Daddy on the go!
I travel alot and my wife gave me this book for airplane reading.At first I laughed at the title, but I found after reading, it gave lots of good pointers for when I am with my 3 children.I'm not home to apply these principles for the day-to-day activities like my wife, but it really helped me maximize my quality time by providing me with quick responses to situations that I may not have been prepared for.Are you going to write a book to help me when they are teenagers?

thoughts from a first-time mom
i'm a first-time mom and have realized over the past year that these primal little creatures definitely have one up on us new parents. it's good to know there's someone on MY side with tips and tricks -- really just good common sense -- to help even the playing field somewhat (pun intended). dr. buff's practical, real-world tips offer help from babyhood to adolescence, so i'll be keeping this guide handy as my toddler grows! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child rearing    2. Developmental - Child    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Humor    5. Life Stages - School Age    6. Parent and child    7. Parenting    8. Parenting - General    9. Psychological aspects    10. Topic - Family   

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Form - Parodies    3. Humor    4. Topic - Family    5. Humor / Topic / Family   

Reviews (14)

Book was so funny!
Being a parent also, I found myself rolling on the floor from laughing so much. A book that's humor is so real in the life of a family. Looking forward to her next book if she does one.

The humorous side of motherhood
When you are a parent you can be sure that there will be many important, serious, life-changing situations as you and your child grow together.On the other hand, if you can laugh at your own foibles, there are even more humorous events that occur on an almost daily basis.Changing your perspective so you can see the humor in everyday life is the forte of author Judy Gruen.In her book "Carpool Tunnel Syndrome" she demonstrates the ability to see humor in life with children and with deftly turns words and phrases on their ear to provide a truly funny look at motherhood.Any mother is sure to immediately recognize the situations she is addressing as she discusses things like "Why your sons play Cain and Abel while your daughters play house", "Travel turbulence", and stretch marks.A book that is hard to put down without picking it up again only minutes later, it is a highly recommended title for any mother looking to have a good laugh at life.

A Great Ride!
Judy Gruen "knows best." Carpool Tunnel Syndrome is filled with wry observations and vignettes about motherhood and family life that run the gamut from humorous to poignant and strike home. Every few minutes I found myself laughing out loud and saying, "Yes!" If you want a great read, go along for the ride. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Family    3. Family & Relationships    4. Family/Marriage    5. Form - Essays    6. Humor    7. Motherhood    8. Mothers    9. Parenting    10. Parenting - General    11. Parenting - Motherhood    12. Topic - Family    13. Family & Relationships/Parenting - Motherhood    14. Humor / Essays    15. Humor/Topic - Family    16. Sex & Gender/Feminine    17. Topical/Family   

Features

• Audiobook

Reviews (57)

Boring and stupid
Out of fairness, I should tell you that I didn't listen to the whole audiobook.I got about 1/2 way though the first CD and just couldn't stand it anymore.What I heard was boring and extremely slow moving.It's read like a "see spot run" story for children, which makes the boring storyline even more boring and I found it to be a bit insulting.I think an audio book of names and nummbers in the phone book would be more exciting.Maybe it gets better as it goes along, but I am not willing to endure any more to find out.

just okay, not great
I have read three of Augusten's books (Dry, Running With Scissors, and Magical Thinking), and absolutely LOVED them.This book, however, was really disappointing.It wasn't funny, nor particularly interesting.It was just bland.None of the stories were really entertaining.I can't pinpoint exactly what this book is lacking, but it's simply not as well-written as his other books.I would definitely recommend his previous work.This one?Not so much.

Hopefully He's Not Slipping Already
While there are still the stories that make you cringe, cry and laugh at the same time, we're now also subjected to his "horror" stories of success: sweating while at book signings; famous-author-recognized-on-airplane-with-bloody-nose; Bad accommodations while on speaking tours.We should all have such problems. On top of this, the book is by-and-large written in fragmented sentences..where was the editor on this one?
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Form - Parodies    8. Health, Exercise & Fitness    9. Novelists, American    10. Reference    11. Topic - Family    12. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    13. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (9)

Mamas can relate to every page!
Every mother should read this book, whether you just had your first baby, your fifth baby, or you already have grandbabies.It is incredibly funny and extremely well written.And Kari is right - since I have a 5 month old, 17 syllables really is all I have time to read!

The Perfect Elixir for the Post Partum Mama
This is exactly what I needed several weeks after the birth of my second son, while I witnessed my firstborn flip out the minute we came home from the hospital.I recommend this book for all post-partum moms - regardless of how many babies they've already birthed.It makes us realize that we are not alone - and, most importantly, that there are fleeting moments of humor even in the most difficult, exhausting and pathetic times.

Can't pick just one...
This book is a must for every mama with a sense of humor!As you can see by reading the reviews (almost) all of the readers think think this book rocks.Buy this book!You will not regret it.
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Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Form - Limericks & Verse    3. Haiku, American    4. Humor    5. Motherhood    6. Poetry    7. Topic - Family    8. Advice on parenting    9. English    10. Humour    11. Poetry texts & anthologies    12. USA   

Reviews (3)

Chris Erskine is the best!
This is a poignant, perfect book, especially for fathers.Buy one for every dad you know.

Just Ordered The Book!
Haven't read it yet, but anything I've ever read in Chris's column is good fun reading. I'm sure he's 5 stars! You can also view him online at
The Super Dad
Chris Erskine's weekly LA Times column has been a favorite in my house for years and this book is a delight of new material as well as some good faves from the Times.There are laugh out loud funny parts where pets, sex and kids combine (you've got to read it to get it) as well as heartfelt, eloquent poignancy in letters to family and visitors to the planet.
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Subjects:  1. Father and child    2. Fatherhood    3. Humor    4. Parenting - Fatherhood    5. Topic - Family    6. Humor / Topic / Family   

Reviews (6)

Don't buy "133 Ways, etc"
For $43.00 this book isn't worth it at all.It is a paperback worth about $4.95 @ Borders!

Wise and Whimsical
This book is a must to have around as you cope with the departure of a young loved one. The advice exudes affection for those who are off to meet their fates and yet provides practical advice about how to enjoy the new freedom the absence of daily parenting gives to a baby boomer's life. Total "joie de vivre" is in order for the parent who is brave enough to seize the day. Ch-ch-ch-changes
Changes is what life and what this how-do-book are all about.The lively writing and nuggets of do's and don'ts reflect the mid-life exuberance of parentsstarting a new phase of their lives without children at home.The advice rings bells for anyone going through changes.Anyone alive in the society of modern transience will find useful suggestions in thoughts like:Do not immediately go into the room of someone who has just moved away.Do not expect a returnee to behave like a resident. Appropriate activities for stress given by the authors include lists for the left- and right-brained, and how to discover your category.Left brainers, for example, should take a watch apart.My reason for reading the book was the category of distant relative and contemporary; my reason for finishing the book in two readings was enjoyment and applicability to a lifestyle that doesn't include children of my own.Thanks, literary mothers, for a short, fun book of changes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Empty nesters    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Family relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. Parenting    7. Parenting - General    8. Psychological aspects    9. Psychology    10. Topic - Family    11. Family & Relationships / Parenting   

Editorial Review

Erma Bombeck occupied a seat of honor in the homes of millions of Americans. Hers was inevitably the column you read aloud at the breakfast table, the piece you tore out on the bus to send to your mother, or the clipping you stuck on the fridge as a chuckling reminder of our modern lives' sublime ridiculousness.Bombeck had an eye for our common experience and a knack for throwing it into touching relief; we laughed because we saw ourselves in her work. She died last April, and this collection--the profits of which benefit her favorite charities--pulls together some of her best loved columns. The columns span Bombeck's career and the book includes tributes delivered at her memorial service. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO A POWERFUL LADY
When it comes to humour, there is no one who could pack a more powerful punch than Erma Bombeck.In this collection of essays, Erma tackles children, motherhood, fatherhood, neighbours, family gatherings and then finds the humour in life's most ordinary events.Five days before her passing, Erma wrote her final message and still, she faced life with amazing courage and wit.
Why we loved Erma
Why we loved Erma and miss her is right here. She made you feel good about your mistakes. Suddenly being a fallen human made you feel superior to those who were too perfect to admit it!

Erma wasn't the best, she was the only.
I loved Erma Bombeck from the beginning. Her ability to make you laugh without being mean or crude, to see the humor in any situation, to be dignified and tolerant without being forceful about it. These make her a unique person.Read more

Subjects:  1. Humor    2. Topic - Family    3. Modern fiction   

Reviews (9)

Raising eccentrics
I'm sorry, I agree with the reviewer who said these children, indeed the whole family, seemed more eccentric than gifted.The author does have a great sense of humor, but the behavior she described is odd, not intellectual.For example, her mother who gave the kids a strange view of life, because she seemed to lack a basic sense of how to fit in with people.Bargaining on rhinestone jewelry past the point of embarrassment for her children and sewing underwear which was much too large for her children, rather than buying some, were just two examples.
Down to earth, Informative and Entertaining
I found this book wonderfully informative and refreshingly written in a conversational format with lots of personal experience and humor thrown in.It was not what I was expecting, however.After reading the reviews, I was disappointed to not laugh out loud until several chapters into the book.Despite this, I enjoyed it enough that I did recommend it to several friends and bought copies to give to my siblings for Christmas.(Maybe now we will understand my brother blowing himself up with rocket fuel he had made with his chemistry set at age 13....)
you'll laugh out loud
I think the person who wrote the negative review below (see Adderall)has no sense of humor. This book is hilarious. The family it describes is hilarious. These are bright,creative, interesting people. Not every family is like this, but this family is authentic. Those of us who work with gifted kids know families like this. We appreciatebright, creative kids who can think in unique ways. Creativity means thinking outside the box; and we're going to need lots of creative thinkers like the ones in this family to solve the world's problems. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Family    3. Form - Essays    4. General    5. Gifted children    6. Humor    7. Students & Student Life    8. Topic - Family   

Subjects:  1. Form - Jokes & Riddles    2. Humor    3. Satire And Humor    4. Topic - Family    5. Humor / Jokes & Riddles   

Subjects:  1. American wit and humor, Pictor    2. American wit and humor, Pictorial    3. Caricatures and cartoons    4. Comics & Cartoons    5. Comics & Graphic Novels    6. Humor    7. Motherhood    8. Mothers    9. Parenting - Motherhood    10. Topic - Family    11. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (3)

A Must for all expecting to be parents
We read it after our kid was born and we now realize what could have been different.I recommend it to anyone planning to be parents.It's the best birth control device ever invented.

Very funny!
"I Thought Labor Ended When the Baby Was Born: Baby Blues Scrapbook No. 4" is a great compilation of the "Baby Blues" comic strip."Baby Blues" is one of the top comic strips out today.This book is a great way to catch up on the history of the McPhersons, if you missed the early strips.I recommend.

Zany Antics for the Young and Old
This book was really funny, one of the bright and sparky follow ups in the Baby Blues series. The book reflected the lives of the MacPhersons, glorifying the crazy antics of having children and trying to survive. Keepthem coming! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Humor    3. Topic - Family    4. Humor / General