Top 5 Books for December 2008
The Rough Guide to Switzerland
I got hold of this guide with one specific Swiss destination in mind – Interlaken. However having absorbed all that there was to offer on this railway linked, skiing hub I started assimilating the trivia and facts - that have for a long time, set these guides apart. A favourite tit bit, that will no doubt come in useful during the many festive, food orientated conversions in December, is that Switzerland has a: “healthy disregard for the mass media” and forgo TV watching in favour of reading local newspapers. In fact the Swiss as a people read the most of these titles and watch less TV than any other country in Europe. It therefore seems logical to conclude that you should integrate your brain with as much of the information in this guide as possible, before striking up a conversation with any, presumably intellectual, person of Swiss nationality.
The Rough Guide to Switzerland is published by Rough Guides (paperback; £15.99). It is also available through roughguides.com and all good booksellers.
Vital Statistics - Everything a Man Needs to Know by Chris Wood
I went through this book with a desperate mission burning through my synapses. I was going to find a man-centric topic that this book failed to cover. One exhausting evening of nit picking later, I gave up. This thing includes everything from the correct terms of phrase to use on the Japanese bondage circuit, to the vital gadget statistics for every Bond Film ever made. Add to that a whale load of trivia about the global rich list, football and porn stars, and you’re more than armed for any pub quiz that involves even a mere smidgen of testosterone. Credit to Mr Wood - the collection of trivia contained within this book’s tables is near impossible to put down. If you’re the type who wants to know the greatest number of women seduced in a single Bond movie, then you’ll order a copy of this book.
Vital Statistics - Everything a Man Needs to Know by Chris Wood is published by Summersdale (hardback; £9.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
I was lucky enough to be in the states during the pre-election, Obama-mania that swept the nation. Even in the deepest, darkest Republican south-west, there were gangs of jubilant teens cycling through the streets and chanting this man’s name to every passer by. Inspired by the inspiration this man inspires, I wanted to know more. This book is a more-ish, appetite quencher for anyone who also wants to know what all the fuss is about. In it you will quite literally be swept away by an undercurrent of dynamic content, which not only addresses personal issues of race and nationality, but also political ones such as the precarious position of America after so many years of leadership - so out of touch with the domestic and international moods. The hope comes in when Obama begins to theorise about repairing the rifts between powerful politicians, the people who put them in the White House and the people around the world whose lives are shaped by their policies and whims. Quite simply it’s intense and fantastic stuff.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama is published by Cannongate Books (paperback; £8.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
Look Who it Is! My Story by Alan Carr
If you’re not a regular in the British Isles then you probably look at Mr Carr’s name and pull a face that involves a raised eyebrow or two and a hint of – who is this guy? Well let me introduce you to one of the funniest, unarguably campest and unquestionably sharpest comedians to emerge from the British stand up circuit in the last five years. There are many favourite quotes from this title - thrown around in book reviews, but one that never ceases to entertain in this one, in regard to a swimming lesson Mr Carr took in the days of yesteryear: “The pool was filled with so many chemicals - if you did more than two lengths you changed sex.” It’s an acquired form of comedy but once you get a taste for it, you’ll most certainly keep on going back for second helpings.
Look Who it Is! My Story by Alan Carr is published by Harper Collins (hardback; £18.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
Mock the Week: Scenes We'd Like to See by Dan Patterson
While we’re delving into the depths of British comedy, I’d like to acquaint you with a rather more topical and newsroom paced, comedic art form. Mock The Week is a very popular TV show, shown on the BBC and inside this book are the best excerpts from the hilarious scripts. Said excerpts include the lines that (to the detriment of the book series) never appeared in Harry Potter, certain unlikely medical labels and equally unlikely horoscopes. Case in point: “You will go to your bedroom window and stand there naked for a minute, you will do this especially if your name is Mrs Hughes and you live at 56, The Avenue, Clapham. Around 3.30 would be best for me.” In short it’s a compilation that’s easy to read and superbly entertaining to quote.
Mock the Week: Scenes We'd Like to See by Dan Patterson is published by PanMacmillan (hardback; £14.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Rob Savage
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