Average customer rating:
- I know, I know...
- A must read for anyone
- Good stuff, but less important than his other work
- Buy the ticket...take the ride
- A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ...
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 0679785892
Release Date: 1998-05-12 |
Amazon.com Reviews
Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. founders rethinking their motto. Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its trunk, they stow "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers.... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls," which they manage to consume during their short tour.
On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first-rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past, and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah Warren
Book Description
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.
Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998.
Customer Reviews:
I know, I know..........2007-09-30
I know, it's THE Hunter S. Thompson book. It would be like having the gall to write a review for the Grapes of Wrath or Slaughterhouse Five and think you'd be doing anything other than blabbing just to see your own words on a computer screen.
That said, read this book this instant. Whatever good anyone's ever said about this book, it's twenty times better. I read it in two sittings and only stopped myself from reading it again because it was a library book and had to be returned.
The late HST's gift for gonzo, that strange mix of fiction and nonfiction, is ultimately realized in this book. Reality is seamlessly mixed with a bizarre fantasy world of sentient reptiles and split personality through the medium of hard drugs that serve to clarify (and sometimes amplify) a violent and twisted town in a strange time.
This book will have you laughing hysterically at parts, so don't read it around other people unless you're okay with passing it to them. This book will have you cringing at the brutality of human nature at points, so have your wits about you.
I really can't say anything else, other than that this book must be purchased and read this very instant if you haven't already done so.
A must read for anyone.......2007-09-21
Thompson's book helps create a vivid picture of the drug fueled 60's and early 70's a way no one else has before.
Good stuff, but less important than his other work.......2007-09-14
¨Fear and Loathing¨ is a great ride for sure. A drug-addled, hilarious, disturbing romp through Las Vegas in search of the American Dream. Thompson is definitely a skilled writer and an outlaw and this stuff comes through in this book. I don't want to shrug this work off by any means, but I definately prefer his other work, such as ¨The Great Shark Hunt,¨ because it truly brings out Thompson's outlook on the world, his hatred of wealth, power and greed, etc. This book is fun, but Thompson is definitely capable of more depth and thought. While this work might be what gave him his big break, he definitely went on to better things.
Buy the ticket...take the ride.......2007-08-23
A bizzare journey to the heart of the American Dream, funny, witty and full of memorable episodes. The illustrations by Ralph Steadman are also superb. Raul Duke says it clearly : "buy the ticket...take the ride"
A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ..........2007-08-20
The lost highway of the American Dream.
I wasn't old enough to remember much from the late 60's early 70's let alone the political aspects of Nixon's presidency or the drug culture of the time, so this review won't have any profound social or political commentary, except that comparisons can well be made to the drug culture of today, and it is glaringly apparent that not much has changed.
Considering the climate of the time: Nixon's presidency, the war in Vietnam, and the country's young men succumbing to the draft, it was no wonder that an entire generation wanted something more, for this was not the American Dream they had been sold. And for some, the only way to drown out the hypocrisy gnawing at your brain is to give your brain an escape. Expand your mind, as that might be the only part of you that is truly free. Whatever it takes to get you directly out of your head -- the higher the better. This story chronicles a journey utterly devoid of restraint and reason as these two men, Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, and their trunk full of felonies set themselves loose upon Las Vegas -- the last vestige of the American Dream. However, their idea of the American Dream is not how most of us would understand it, but somehow, through the fog of hallucinatory metaphor, we can actually see and feel what the main characters are searching for so desperately.
All that aside, even if the 60's culture is beyond your age group, Thompson's writing is worth the read -- Brilliant, sarcastic, and frighteningly funny: Bars seething with has-been lounge lizards, tearing the patrons to shreds, blood soaked tacky hotel rooms, police car chases, kidnapping, gambling, excess, and debauchery ... not to mention the Narcotics Convention. The dialog is brilliant. Harrowing experiences abound; it is amazing that the two main characters make it out of Vegas alive.
Definitely a wild ride for all.
Average customer rating:
- 2 for 1
- Life Doesn't Frighten Me
- Undecided
- Art Appreciation For All Ages---
- Pure Bosh
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Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Maya Angelou , and
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1556702884 |
Customer Reviews:
2 for 1.......2007-08-12
You have two great contemporary artists combined in this book.....I plan to buy it again as I gave it to a friend who is a new grandmother.
Life Doesn't Frighten Me .......2007-05-21
This is a great book! This book is a good starting point for conversation with children in helping them talk about what might frighten them. The artists (both Maya Angelou and Jean-Michel Basquiat) both have created a unique book for all ages.
Undecided.......2007-04-22
The pictures are abstract looking and dark in tone. The book makes reference to; ghosts, bad men fighting in the dark, and cougars in the park. I'm not sure my 3 or 5 year old children had thought up these bad things on their own yet. While reading them the book I felt uneasy about the dark pictures and scary references to things they may not have even thought of before. I'm still undecided if it will be helpful in convincing them that they don't need to be afraid of life or if it will convince them that life is pretty scary and they ought to be afraid! There is one reference to 'having a lucky charm up her sleeve' that protects her from the bad stuff and also allows her to walk on the ocean floor without having to come up to breathe. Those are both useless defenses in the real world so the book doesn't offer any real reasons to not be scared of life.
Art Appreciation For All Ages---.......2006-11-19
This book is truly for both parents and children. The cadence of Angelou's poem is one that appeals to kids of all ages, even if they don't initially understand it's meaning. The artwork in it's 'stick figure form' can be appreciated by all who enjoy the complexity of Basquiat's work as well as children relating to it's color and elementary presentation. It's one of my favorite gifts, from baby showers to adult parents. If you appreciate art and culture this book is one to have in the home as well as gift to a friend.
Pure Bosh.......2006-07-13
What a deep, deep woman this Maya Angelou is. At least this book ADMITS it's for little kids, unlike a lot of her other work.
Book Description
"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially-statistically speaking-there aren't any people like that. Geniuses get made once-a-century or so, yet good art gets made all the time, so to equate the making of art with the workings of genius removes this intimately human activity to a strangely unreachable and unknowable place. For all practical purposes making art can be examined in great detail without ever getting entangled in the very remote problems of genius."
--from the Introduction
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is expeienced by artmakers themselves.
This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -- it's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone-now enhanced by internet posting-has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity nationally.
Art & Fear has attracted a remarkably diverse audience, ranging from beginning to accomplished artists in every medium, and including an exceptional concentration among students and teachers. The original Capra Press edition of Art & Fear sold 80,000 copies.
An excerpt:
Today, more than it was however many years ago, art is hard because you have to keep after it so consistently. On so many different fronts. For so little external reward. Artists become veteran artists only by making peace not just with themselves, but with a huge range of issues. You have to find your work...
Customer Reviews:
well worth every penny.......2007-09-17
i think the book 'art and fear' is probably one of the most sound and enlightening books i've ever read on art. it won't matter if you're an established artist or becoming - this book allows for those things we think, but don't say; and for those things that we say but aren't thinking about. besides this book i would also reccomend "the view from the studio door" and of course, "the blank canvas". while we may not always agree as to "what is art?" we can agree (i think) that as artists (no matter what medium) we are in a different world then anything that this planet has seen before, and new ways of looking at our roles as artists and audience requires new thinking.
one fine piece of literature.......2007-08-03
One of the best books i've ever read, art & fear is highly relatable and is a quick and enjoyable read. i was actually a little sad when i was finished. you would think that this book is only directed for those in artistic careers but it can be applied to so many others, i can honestly say that this is a book i will keep with me well in to my adult hood (unless a better one comes along..lol) . if you are debating wheather to get this book, i say GET IT!! i'm sure you won't regret it.
It is just a book, not the Bible.......2007-07-31
I think this is a wonderful material to read, I don't think that this book is more depressing than reality.
I recommend Art & Fear, it gave me a sense that I'm not the only one questioning myself as artist; kind of a feedback.
The only problem I found is that there is no info about the authors
Why the Fear.......2007-07-20
Why do we procrastinate? Why are we afraid to start, or even, finish a piece? Although this book will not stop these behaviors, it will explain them. When we understand why we behave the way we do during the creative process, the knowledge lets us choose our own path of healing and overcoming our fears. I find it an excellent book. Vicki Stone-artist
Uplifting and thought provoking.......2007-07-15
I love this book. I take it with me when I go drink coffee, then I come home and start working on my music. It's like anything else-- take from it what's useful for you and disregard what's not. There are sections in here that I've read over and over and it doesn't get old. If I met you, I'd tell you to buy it. In fact, I popped onto Amazon today to buy a copy to mail to a friend. This book is the next best thing to having a group of other tuned-in artistic people to hang out with (which I can't seem to find around this town.) I like that it covers a variety of mediums in its examples.
Customer Reviews:
No Fear Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet.......2007-03-09
I purchased this book for my freshman daughter, who is in Pre-AP English class. She says it has made reading and understanding Romeo and Juliet easy.
NOW I get it!.......2005-12-24
Echoing the review below...this helped me understand many things I was missing - even in other "helper" versions. After a few run-throughs of the "No Fear" side, you're ready for the "Real Shakespeare" side. Fabulous for students...of any age!
No Fear is the best Shakespeare Ever.......2004-06-30
This is only partially a review of the story, but mostly a review on how much I love the No Fear series. It's SO useful. You have Shakespeare on one page, and the 'translation' into modern English on one page. I understand Shakespeare so much better now. I thought I understood Shakespeare when I read version where you have a footnote at the bottom saying what 'grandshire phrase' or something means. I did get the gist of it, but now I understand what the characters are saying and feeling, and I get all the little jokes. I can appreciate Shakespeare now, which was impossible before (then again, I'm only 12, it's probably easier for other people).
Not to mention in other versions I would read a little bit, glance down at the footnotes, read, glance down, re-read to find the word in the footnote, et cetera and it was very tedious. Now I just read a page of Shakespeare and then a page of modern, or vice versa. I do vice versa because then I understand how the character feels before reading the lines out loud, making this version very useful for putting on the play.
There is one problem. In most editions, you have various essays and notes. They don't have this in here. I don't take of stars for this because I personally never read the essays, but some people might.
Anyway, the story itself. Shakespeare is very poetic, and you can appreciate it more if you know what he's talking about. How ever, I hate 'love at first sight' with a burning passion. If you get over that, the characters and plot are engaging.
I read this because I was in the play. But this edition is so good I'm going to read other Shakespeare plays for my own enjoyment.
Book Description
AS SEEN ON "THE VIEW"!
The real news of our lives is not in newspapers. We must chronicle our own adventures and achievements, our brilliant observations and our comic relief, our best friends and our greatest embarrassments. Visual Chronicles is all about YOU: your dreams, your memories, your daily routines, your greatest loves and your secret pet peeves. It's all about getting to know yourself better, savoring the wonderful ebb and flow of your everydays, and celebrating it all in visual mementos of your life journey.
Art journaling is fun, cathartic and EASY. Each chapter of Visual Chronicles quiets common fears such as "Nothing happens in my life." or "I'm just not artistic." with projects such as the "My Day Unfolds Journal", and "Experiments with Composition." Inside, you'll learn that journaling doesn't take big chunks of time--just bits and pieces here and there, whenever the spirit strikes. "Get Going" exercises offer instant ideas such as listening to the conversations you have with yourself or recognizing that meaningful ephemera is a part of each and every day. Soon, you'll see that inspiration awaits all around you: a midnight trip to the store, a favorite scarf, an unexpected phone call, junk email, your breakfast plate . . .
Don't wait another second. Make creative journaling a part of your everyday life, busting through self-doubt, time clocks, piles of laundry, and every other roadblock along the way. With Visual Chronicles, you'll be inspired to tell your story the way only you can!
Rosie O'Donnell, The View, October 19, 2006:
"This is the only book you'll ever need, to learn how to scrapbook in a way that is uniquely yours."
RubberStamp Madness Magazine
In this book, plump as plump can be with illustrations, the authors guide you on a whirlwind trek of empowerment.
Somerset Studio Magazine
What a dynamite combination! ...A terrific way to start the (art journaling) journey.
Skirt! Magazine
It will inspire the intimidated artist within and it's filled with easy projects and practical tips.
Customer Reviews:
life changing book.......2007-09-20
Visual Chronicles is a must have book for any crafter or artist. Beginning artists will learn new skills and advanced artists will be re-energized. The authors are lighthearted and funny and the projects are easy to follow. Once you make your own personal palette, you will see everything in life differently. This book is an oasis in a desert of sepia toned craft books by authors who take themselves way too seriously. By the end of this book, you will be an artist and you'll have made two new best friends. Read this book! I can't wait for the next book by these talented sisters.
Good book for new art journalists.......2007-09-13
This was the first book I read when I learned there was such a thing as art journaling. I'm a photographer and not a painter, but I love to work with my hands and with paint and glue and expressing myself on paper. This book showed me from the start that I don't have to be a painter or art student to begin art journaling; it took all the intimidation away and gave me the practical tools and encouragement I needed to begin this new art form for me. The written style of the book is personal and conversational, and I've njoyed reading it, not to mention learning so much, from the first application of the glue stick up.
collage,/mixed media.......2007-09-04
this book was exactly what i was looking for. It explains in simple and easy to understand terms, how to go about jornaling on your collaged books, which can also extend to scrapbooking. An essential guide book for the beginner or advanced mixed media artist and scrapbooker. Definately reccomended
Must Have!.......2007-07-25
If you are new to Visual Journaling, this is a must have book. Wonderful directions for getting started and getting yourself to open up to this unique experience. Even if you don't think of yourself as artistic, this book will pull it out and you'll enjoy the journey.
staying creative in a decidedly uncreative world..........2007-07-25
I have every book on art journaling known to man. Quite a few on regular journaling, too. And a fair bit on paper arts. I might just have a small, tiny book *addiction*. That's neither here nor there.
What IS both here and there is that I lusted after this book before it came out. I think I may have actually scared some people at B&N with the crazy-eyed, wild-haired begging for them to hurry up and get it in. (I'd preordered it here, but it was taking just way too long. Yes, I know they ship the first day. That's beside the point. I'm not so good with instant gratification.)
So when it came in from Amazon, the first thing I did was toss aside the other filler books I bought to get the free shipping and flopped down on the floor with Visual Chronicles.
An hour later, when I came up for air, the first thing I did was prepaint some shoes. SHOES, people! Who woulda thunk of creating a literal *walking journal*? Evidently, Linda and Karen.
From that first set of shoes until now, I keep finding pieces of this book in things that I do, artwise. It's a revolutionary book in a very quiet way -- making you think about both the extraordinary and the everyday. Those little "Have No Fear" quotes (which one reviewer obviously didn't understand to be set-offs for tidbit tips) get repeated in my head when I'm stuck, or needing a dose of inspiration. And the projects, while not my typical style, have been something I've gone back to again and again. (The miniprompt book and the color glossary in particular.) And I definitely didn't find any of it to be condescending -- maybe because I really see the authors (through their writing here) as friends. Highly enthusiastic, you-can-do-it cheerleader friends, wanting to share a little bit of their creative spirits with everyone, rather than hoarding it all for themselves.
Like I said, I've got a shelf full of journaling books. Among those, there are probably a dozen that I refer back to again and again, and Visual Chronicles is one of those. I've never regretted buying it, or keeping it at the ready -- because that inspiration that's so freely given is priceless.
Book Description
Fear is pervasive in the United States. Numerous opinion polls indicate that American citizens remain fearful despite clear evidence that most citizens are healthier, safer, and happier than ever before. Why? Dr. Altheide, whose interpretive studies of the mass media are well known, provides an answer based on a variant of frame analysis of news reports and popular culture.
Availing himself of electronic information bases, Altheide employs a method, which he calls "tracking discourse," to map how the nature and extent of use of the word "fear" has changed since the 1980s; how the topics associated with fear, the topics of the media discourse, have also changed over the same period (e.g., the emphasis "moves" over time across AIDS, crime, immigrants, race, sexuality, schools, and children); and how certain news sources prevail over others, thus protectively insulating themselves from criticism of the premises of their discourse frames.
The creative use of fear by news media and social control organizations has produced a "discourse of fear"—the awareness and expectation that danger and risk are lurking everywhere. Case studies illustrate how certain organizations and social institutions benefit from the exploitation of such fear construction. One social impact is a manipulated public empathy: We now have more "victims" than at any time in our prior history. Another, more troubling result is the role we have ceded to law enforcement and punishment: We turn ever more readily to the state and formal control to protect us from what we fear. This book, which attempts through the marshalling of significant data to interrupt that vicious circle of fear discourse, will be of interest to sociologists, communications scholars, and criminologists.
Customer Reviews:
A timely work.......2007-03-13
It is so very pleasing to see the depth of scholarship invested in this work. David has skillfully avoided doing the same thing he criticises, and given us an amazingly detailed, thought-provoking and timely rejoinder to the current crisis in public information, and by corollary public policy development.
Heavy Going.......2006-09-02
It's an interesting subject, but the book appears to have been written by a professional sociologist for other professional sociologists.
Book Description
The formula for Hollywood success has long baffled even its greatest visionaries. For every blockbuster there are countless flops. Directors, producers, and actors who achieve great success with one film often suffer abject humiliation on the next. After all, George Lucas may have created the Star Wars franchise, but he also created Howard the Duck. Now Peter Bart, the editor-in-chief of Variety, co-host of Sunday Morning Shootout, and the former studio executive whose hits include The Godfather and Rosemary's Baby, presents a fascinating look at the hits that sizzle and the flops that fizzle.
In Boffo, Peter Bart reveals the backlot secrets behind the biggest hits and misses in both film and television: how movies with the biggest stars and budgets turned out to be bombs and how unknowns with no studio support overcame great adversity to make cinematic history. In so doing, Bart tells the history of pop culture itself. He looks at the mega successes of today, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to the CSI phenomenon, the smashes of the past including Easy Rider, American Graffiti, and All in the Family, as well as the progenitor of all blockbusters, Birth of a Nation. Bart offers his signature straight-shooting analysis of the silk purses and the sows' ears of the entertainment world.
Customer Reviews:
A 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe........2006-10-15
BOFFO! HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB comes from the editor-in-chief of Variety and co-host of AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout, and provides a vivid, experienced look at Hollywood, using nearly thirty hits from film, TV and theatre to examine the making of blockbusters and the lessons they hold for any would-be hit maker. From budget concerns to anticipating changes in audience tastes, BOFFO covers pitfalls as well as successes and is a 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Mini "making of" documentaries.......2006-08-22
Think of each of these essays as half hour VH1 specials on "The Making of . . ." a series of unexpected and unlikely hits. It seems hard to believe that all of the films, TV shows, plays, and personalities here (CSI, All in the Family, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, Oprah, Cats, and more) - things that are American media icons - were once turned down, cut back, and, once they were finally allowed to begin, had so many chips stacked against them (organized crime wasn't so sure they wanted anyone making THE GODFATHER), that it's a miracle any of them saw the light of day. Andrew Lloyd Webber was about to pull the plug on CATS a week before it opened. How each of these productions and people eventually made it to the top makes for fascinating reading.
A real grab-bag.......2006-06-12
Peter Bart admits that the book is a grab-bag of essays on blockbuster movies, TV series and stage shows. I found it entertaining enough, but I'm not sure I got much out of it. He basically presents the history of a couple of dozen shows, several of which have already been chronicled in longer, more informative books (Casablanca, I Love Lucy, King Kong, etc.). This book is not unlike a Reader's Digest version of famous show business stories. I did find one item that I think is a mistake. In his "I Love Lucy" chapter, he writes that William Frawley and Lucille Ball hated each other. I've never read that before. I think he meant to write that Vivian Vance and Frawley hated each other.
Customer Reviews:
No need to avoid Shakespeare anymore.......2005-04-12
I consider myself to be a reasonably literate individual but, I have always avoided Shakespeare since I cannot make sense of the text. But now, I have fianally read Macbeth because, with "No Fear Shakespeare," each left hand page is written in the original whereas the right hand page is a plain English translation. So now I know, that when a porter says "it makes him stand to and not stand to," he is not referring about someone standing up on his feet. Instead, it means that alcoholic drinks make a man have an erection but then, lose the erection. How true is that and how cool is it to be able to understand that? Seriously, Macbeth is a great tale of ambition, deception and conscience. Thanks to this innovative book, I was able to read the original, then, after reading each page, I referred to the translation so I could understand. It was fun to read lines in the original, try to work out what I thought it meant and then check whether I was right. I recommend this as a way finally read and appreciate Macbeth.
very helpful.......2005-03-19
The translation is clear and it helps immensely that it is side by side with the actual text. That way it's easy to fully understand the meaning behing Shakespeare's language.
Amazon.com
Dr. Thompson made the list of inspirational scribes when I polled in a recent writing workshop, and why not? Back in a spiffy Modern Library edition, replete with additional essays, I find in this iconographic work that HST both invoked--and provoked--an era that was not so much the '60s proper, but rather the mean, shadow-filled death of that time, which is still playing out. Thank God Thompson was there to explode the myth of "objective" journalism and help pave the way for the pens and voices that followed.
Book Description
First published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is Hunter S. Thompson's savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and "check it out." The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force. As Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in The New York Times, it has "a kind of mad, corrosive prose poetry that picks up where Norman Mailer's An American Dream left off and explores what Tom Wolfe left out."
This Modern Library edition features Ralph Steadman's original drawings and three companion pieces selected by Dr. Thompson: "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loath-
ing in Las Vegas," "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan," and "The Kentucky Derby Is Deca-
dent and Depraved."
Customer Reviews:
One of the great books.......2007-01-12
This is one of the great books. This Modern Library hardcover edition is beautifully made - good paper, clear font.
You Had To Be There.......2006-12-10
Disclaimer: I am now in my mid 50's and realize what Thompson writes about and some of us lived probably isn't the best thing for society. That said every time I read this (at least 15 times in the past 35 years) I laugh until the tears pour down my face. Is this Pulitzer Prize material? Hardly. If you are looking for heavy plots good character development etc. look elsewhere. A warning, if you are so anal you can't see the humour in serious drug crazed humor don't read this (and why in God's name would you pooh?). I've also found that it doesn't cross generations all that well maybe because youngsters can't believe there was ever such a time. I have given this book to many friends, the young ones don't seem to get it. In closing this is a hilariously funny light book that will always be on my favorites list, but don't bother if you think drug humour should be banned. Just join the DEA and kill some innocent 88 year old black woman in the name of saving us from our selves
When the bats appeared.......2006-09-15
I first read this book after finding it on the bargain table at my college bookstore. I have read it several times since then, and have shared it with friends and students. From the first bizarre line to the last, it was hard to stop laughing. It is one of the unusual class of novels that truly enables you too look through another man's eyes, distorted as that vision may be. Admittedly, this is perhaps not for those who have never enjoyed being not sober. Still, if you are open minded, it is an amusing and enjoyable read.
A book written for those who were too afraid to take the drugs themselves.......2006-04-22
I can't believe they actually made this into a movie. What crap!
Okay, I bought this just to see what the fuss was about. Stories of a guy getting doped up and drunk is not entertaining. Maybe because I've been around enough drunks and druggies growing up that I fail to see the humor. The fact that he was allowed to write books and have them published is shocking. Thompson was laughing all the way to the bank, or drug dealer, in his case. I've seen people do drugs to write better songs or paint better paintings, but to do drugs and then write about doing drugs, geez where's the talent in that? His talent was actually living to write about his trips and then getting some publishing house to give him money for writting his stories.
I believe people read it because of one of two reasons: 1) Like me, curious about why everyone finds him so interesting and talented; or 2) To experience what it is like to be drugged out without taking the actual drugs.
On Drugs and Driving.......2006-02-24
That title's not just the kickoff of the book but the state of the book itself. It's fast... really fast. I'm a slow reader and I cleared it in a couple sittings. That also suggests how engaging it is. There's something utterly captivating about what a shameless romp through Vegas these men have and I loved every sentence of it. Part of me is jealous of the drug addled adventure, part of me is revolted. In any case, I'm glad someone did it and they one upped that by sharing their story with the world. Thanks, Dr. Thompson.
Customer Reviews:
Finally a Speech Book for Geeks !.......2000-12-01
There is no passion to write an excellent book here. It might be a good book for geeks. Perhaps Chapter 4 (Engaging Audience) is the reason that I am left with this feeling. That chapter is particularly shallow. Or may be because the author Jefff Slutsky uses the powerful phrase "street fighter" so banally. The book is often very superficial in its advise. Just one example at bottom of page 30. "Humor should be funny." The title of this books touts three objectives. Overcoming fear is one of them. It never gets around to fear in any meaningful way. It is an easy book to read but partly because it does not get intense about any subject. This is a good book if you are going to be talking to very conventional run of the mill crowds where you can be contrived and shallow because you are not going to develop into a great speaker. If you address high powered people this is not the book for you. Co-author Michael Aun won the Toastmasters International championship in 1978. I have listened to this speech several times and it is greatness. Just to be a finalist is a glory--ardently admired. To win is beyond my ability to extol sufficient respect. Their are many good points to this book but they are found in quiet little places and if you have read a number of books on speaking this book can be read to advantage.
OK if you're promoting seminars..........2000-03-24
This book seems to be more directed at those who wish to promote themselves through public speaking. For the rest of us who just want some good, straightforward information on how to become better at speaking in front of a large group, it falls short.
This book gets straight to the point with tips you can use........1996-12-13
Michael Aun and Jeff Slutsky deliver a practical guide to using the skill of speaking to move your business forward, whether you're a speaker or not. A lot of great information packed into an easy read. David DeCurtis, Executive Vice President, Enanti Corporation
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