Book Review: Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

Sh*t My Dad Says - Justin Halpern

Synopsis:
Comedy writer, Justin Halpern, was 28-years-old when his girlfriend of three years broke up with him, forcing him to move back home to live with his parents.
While most young people would be frustrated to be living once more in constant contact with their parents after an extended period of independence, Justin took this as an opportunity to start recording all of his father’s outrageously funny comments and ponderings on life.
What originally started out as a Twitter page called ‘Shit My Dad Says’, soon became the catalyst for this book, as well as the source of many newspaper articles and television interviews. Halpern’s Twitter page also attracted a fan-base of over one million people, demonstrating just how popular Halpern’s witticisms are.
This book- Halpern’s tribute to his 73-year-old father, showcasing the profound, witty and hilarious things that Halpern Senior has said over the years- is filled with touching and amusing anecdotes and quotes straight from the mouth of Mr Sam Halpern, and covers some of the monumental moments in Justin’s life. From coaching Justin’s Little League baseball team, and trying to ensure he had the best science competition project, to confronting burglars with a shotgun while naked, Justin doesn’t hold back in showing the world just how unique his father is.
While some of these scenarios may sound slightly condescending, Justin is clearly a man who cares deeply for his father, and tells these stories with the utmost respect and loyalty (and a lot of humour!).

What I gained from reading this book:
Most people, at some point in their life, have looked at their dad with embarrassment. Maybe he said something totally inappropriate in front of your friends, or did something that you would only ever see on a really bad-taste television program.
The great thing about this book is that no matter how embarrassed you felt then, there’s a strong chance that Justin Halpern’s dad has said or done something equally embarrassing- only his social faux pas has been documented by his son so that the whole world can read it! Not only does this book help to ease some of the awkwardness you once felt about your father (because he could obviously be a lot worse), but it is also a sweet -albeit humorous- tribute that one man has written to his father.

Positives:
Even though most of the scenarios that feature in this book could be considered really embarrassing- to both Halpern and his father- it is clear that Halpern has a strong admiration and respect for the man whose funny quotes he is retelling.
I was also impressed with the set-out of the book- there is a developed story at the start of each chapter, and then several quotes at the end of the chapter that only accentuate just how witty (or wacky, depending on what you think) Halpern Senior is. Hilarious stuff.

Negatives:
If you don’t appreciate swearing or any type of coarse language, you should probably steer clear of this book- Halpern Senior has a way with words that would, in all likelihood, make a sailor blush. He doesn’t discriminate in who he uses this language to, either, choosing to say the f-bomb numerous times in front of his kids when they’re only young. But although Halpern swears a lot, this doesn’t diminish the humour of the book, so if you don’t have a problem with cursing, you shouldn’t have a problem reading this.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: People who want to read an extremely funny tribute that one guy wrote for his father to celebrate their relationship. This would actually make a great Father’s Day present.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Book Of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

The Book Of Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Synopsis:
There are so many simple things in life that can make you happy, and this book (which started its life as a blog called 1000awesomethings.com) is one of them.
Some of the gems featured in this book include fixing electronics by smacking them, popping bubble wrap, finally remembering a word that’s been on the tip of your tongue for ages, using rock-paper-scissors to settle anything, finding the thing you were going to buy is already on sale, the smell of freshly cut grass, finding your keys after looking forever and having a good floss after a tough steak. These (and many more) are things that everybody experiences at one time or another, and are guaranteed to put a smile on your dial. Awesome!

What I gained from reading this book:
In this materialistic world, we often want expensive things- whether they are the latest, high-tech gadgets, the fastest car or the most dazzling jewellery- to keep us amused or entertained. But this book acts as a reminder that sometimes the best things in life are free, and they can often do more to make you happy than anything else ever could.

Positives:
Happiness, and the way that it is passed on, can obviously transcend national borders, especially where this book is concerned. Nearly every one of the ‘awesome’ things mentioned in this book could be related to my life, and the lives of those around me, even though the author lives on the other side of the world. He has chosen the best parts of his blog and made them relatable to all people, from all countries, so that everybody can appreciate the truth of what makes life good.

Negatives:
This book could maybe benefit from having more pictures. But, having said that, the descriptive language that Pasricha uses to describe each happy-making item more than makes up for the lack of imagery.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: Anybody looking for a reminder of the things that make them happy.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke by Jim Eames

Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke - Jim Eames

Synopsis:
In this novel, Eames explores the Australian funeral industry and provides readers with an interesting overview of what goes on behind closed doors. While many people dread the thought of death and funerals, Eames jumps right into it- interviewing people from the industry and explaining all the intricacies involved in such a necessary but morbid profession. He covers many topics, including information about the picking of gravesites, the process of cremation, viewings, coffin manufacturing, hearses, women in the industry, unusual family requests, and people whose job it is to deal with the aftermath of natural disasters, war or terrorism. He also points out the drastic differences between the funeral profession in large cities like Sydney or Melbourne, compared to those of small and isolated rural communities such as Brewarrina or Wanaaring in New South Wales.

What I gained from reading this book:
Everybody dies. It’s a fact of life. Through reading Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke, readers can learn all about what happens after they pass, and can then make informed decisions about how they want their funerals or memorials arranged. Whether you want to be cremated and have your family scatter your ashes on a favourite beach, or if you’d rather be entombed in the family mausoleum, Eames looks at the pros and cons of each method without passing judgement. This book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the business of death in Australia.

Positives:
There are many amusing anecdotes scattered amidst the facts in this novel. While many are these are from Eames’ father’s experiences as an undertaker in the Australian bush, other people in the profession have also contributed some very interesting tales. These experiences include everything from bogged ‘hearses’ (or utes) to strange requests from the families of the deceased (like the person who was buried with a beer keg as part of his tombstone, so visitors could ‘have a drink on him’)!

Negatives:
Anybody who is reading this book and hoping to see how the Australian funeral industry compares to those overseas may be disappointed. Although Eames mentions the international trade, he does not delve too deeply into the similarities and differences between the two. This book is primarily about Australians and how they cope with death and dying.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction

Recommended for: Anyone who is interested in reading about the Australian funeral industry, and how it is has changed throughout the years.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Reluctant Traveller by Bill Lumley

The Reluctant Traveller - Bill Lumley

Synopsis:
Bill Lumley is a freelance writer who loves nothing more than going down to his local pub and getting intoxicated on numerous pints of beer. His whole life revolves around his fears, and his possession of a laminated note his mother wrote for him after a serious accident, that excused him from all physical activities at school, and which he still holds near and dear to his heart. In direct contrast, one of Bill’s old friends, Gar Powell-Evans, is a professional rock climber and photographer who lives for adventure and the great outdoors.
One day at the pub, while Bill is celebrating the completion of a large article, Gar suggests that Bill join him on his search for the legendary lost Ethiopian mountain, Wehni. The plan is to meet up with a group of mountaineers, known as the Hot Rock expedition, as they complete the Ethiopian leg of a three-year tour around the world. Aiming to get a place in the Guinness Book Of Records for driving a convertible truck the entire length of six continents, and climbing remote and unclimbed peaks around the world, Bill can’t see how their expedition will be of any worth to him. But he drunkenly agrees to come along, much to his dismay later on when he realises that he has agreed to write a travel book outlining their journey to find Mount Wehni. What follows is Bill and Gar’s voyage from London to Ethiopia, to find the truck and the lost mountain. They encounter many people (some helpful, some not) in their travels, and experience many things that are uncommon in most developed nations, including faeces-covered latrines, wild animals, and countless beggars.
Completely out of his comfort zone, and struggling to find a way to escape working (or finding and climbing the mountain for that matter), Bill’s narrative details the collective effort involved in locating the lost mountain of Wehni and becoming one of the first people in 200 years to climb it.

What I gained from reading this book:
Although this book is mostly about Bill and Gar’s journey to find Mount Wehni, it also touches on the extreme poverty that many Ethiopians live in. It appears that Western aid does not extend to many of the villages that the rock climbing crew drove through on their trip. Many of the Ethiopians they met lived in primitive housing, with minimal (or no) electricity and very little fresh drinking water. Many also appeared to rely on begging from white strangers to assist in their survival, while some utilised their knowledge of different areas by acting as tour guides or guards (for a fee of course). These accounts show that despite the millions of dollars donated every year to combat third-world poverty, the people are still not getting enough aid to survive, especially in the remotest parts of the country. Poverty is still around and it will take a long time before it ends for good.

Positives:
This book actually provides quite a bit of information about Mount Wehni, its colourful history, and the numerous people who have attempted to find and climb it. Unfortunately, however, this information is scattered throughout the text and does not appear to be in any particular chronological order. Lumley’s account of the people of Ethiopia- and their mannerisms towards white strangers- is also fascinating, and provides a captivating insight into visiting a third-world country.

Negatives:
I found it difficult to read this book and not detest the man that wrote it, and that possibly prevented me from finding any real worth in reading this novel.
Besides the numerous spelling and grammatical errors that litter this travel narrative, readers also have to put up with whiney Bill, a self-confessed slacker, complaining constantly about everything he comes across. If you’re looking for a book that perfectly illustrates the definition of a ‘Whinging Pom’, then you’ve found it.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Travel Narrative

Recommended for: People who are looking for personal account stories about Ethiopia’s legendary ‘lost mountain’.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: