Picked this up for light bedtime reading after much time spent with learned tomes. Remembered liking Allen's humorous essays back in the day. This expPicked this up for light bedtime reading after much time spent with learned tomes. Remembered liking Allen's humorous essays back in the day. This expectation was somewhat disappointed by this collection, the jokes of which were rather repetitive. I still like his early stand-up performances, however. ...more
I've read a lot of Hunter Thompson over the years but wasn't acquainted with this title. Having spent my sixteenth summer in Hawaii, his story, ostensI've read a lot of Hunter Thompson over the years but wasn't acquainted with this title. Having spent my sixteenth summer in Hawaii, his story, ostensibly of his own months there, mostly on the Big Island, in the early eighties, attracted me.
As ever, I found some of this 'memoir' very funny, enough to elicit laughter. That was mostly from the first third of the narrative. Afterwards I got the sense that Thompson was just fulfilling a book contract. Reading him, however, did get me to go to the computer to look up photos of places that I hadn't seen in decades....more
This book is based on the author's courses as regards the history of science in the West. Other than serving as a review, his approach is notable for This book is based on the author's courses as regards the history of science in the West. Other than serving as a review, his approach is notable for two things: First, that significant contributions were made in the middle ages (500-1450); second, that we misapprehend their work if we judge it from a contemporary 'scientific' perspective without sufficient appreciation of what it was they intended to accomplish....more
I've read two of Eco's novels, enjoying both, but didn't get much out of this collection of comic essays. The topics range from a critique of classicaI've read two of Eco's novels, enjoying both, but didn't get much out of this collection of comic essays. The topics range from a critique of classical Athenian society to far-future anthropological attempts to reconstruct modern Italian civilization, from editorial pans of famous books, to parodies of famous film directors. Much of the humor consists of turning things on their heads. Most of the humor is erudite and self-referentially so. For instance, to 'get' his discussion of Joyce's successor novel to Finnegan's Wake, one had best read both that and Ulysses. Personally, I found such pieces as the editors' suggestions for improving The Bible, The Odyssey, The Trial etc. for publication to be most amusing. However, the piece I liked the most was his 'Letter to My Son'--satirical, yet quite serious....more
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