Book Description
What do you get when you mix nine parts of speech, one great writer, and generous dashes of insight, humor, and irreverence? One phenomenally entertaining language book.
In his waggish yet authoritative book, Ben Yagoda has managed to undo the dark work of legions of English teachers and libraries of dusty grammar texts. Not since School House Rock have adjectives, adverbs, articles, conjunctions, interjections, nouns, prepositions, pronouns, and verbs been explored with such infectious exuberance. Read If You Catch an Adjective, Kill It and:
Learn how to write better with classic advice from writers such as Mark Twain (“If you catch an adjective, kill it”), Stephen King (“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs”), and Gertrude Stein (“Nouns . . . are completely not interesting”).
Marvel at how a single word can shift from adverb (“I did okay”), to adjective (“It was an okay movie”), to interjection (“Okay!”), to noun (“I gave my okay”), to verb (“Who okayed this?”), depending on its use.
Avoid the pretentious preposition at, a favorite of real estate developers (e.g., “The Shoppes at White Plains”).
Laugh when Yagoda says he “shall call anyone a dork to the end of his days” who insists on maintaining the distinction between shall and will.
Read, and discover a book whose pop culture references, humorous asides, and bracing doses of discernment and common sense convey Yagoda’s unique sense of the “beauty, the joy, the artistry, and the fun of language.”
Customer Reviews:
Speak, Memory.......2007-08-27
"When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It!" Hmm... Too bad Nabokov forgot that one.
Speech Therapy.......2007-05-17
I caught it, fought it and still can't get rid of that hellacious adjective. Unfortunately, the book was of little help or kept my interest. If you're an English Lit. major this may be for you -- Steve
Parts of speech? Horrors! But clear and applicable in this book.......2007-05-07
I bought this book because I am ninety years old and had never been taught the parts of speech--and obviously did not have much time left if I were to learn them! This is far better written and presented than anything I have looked at before. I not only finished it it will stay with my dicionary at my side. Bill Weifenbach
The Parts of Speech Can Be Fun.......2007-04-04
Among writers of English, there is a strong interest in their own language, and a long tradition of manuals by writers who suggest how to use English without error. Ambrose Bierce wrote such a manual, and writers constantly refer (but not necessarily defer) to Fowler, and many can quote Strunk and White from memory. For some reason, contemporary writers on the subject of English are called "language mavens", and they are of two camps, the prescriptivists who would like to tell you how to say something properly according to the rules, and the descriptivists who document how the language is being (rather than should be) used. As usual, there are extremists at both ends of the spectrum, and it would be wise to stick to the middle. That does not mean staying bland. In _When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better and/or Worse_ (Basic Books), Ben Yagoda is happy to enjoy creative use of English that breaks rules. We would all be poorer without, for instance, Fats Waller's "One never knows, do one?" But he is also happy to emphasize (and, one assumes since he is an English teacher, enforce) the rules that work to promote clarity and understanding. His book isn't really a rulebook, but a survey in nine chapters of nine parts of speech, each a useful essay on usage.
"Ultimately, the issue of correctness just isn't very interesting," Yagoda writes. What is interesting are "words, phrases, and sentences that transcend their meaning - because they're smart, funny, well-crafted, pungent, unexpected, or sometimes wrong in just the right way." There are lots and lots of examples of such lively, perhaps grammatically questionable, usage in all the chapters here. The title of the book, about killing adjectives, is advice generally attributed to Mark Twain, who knew that using the right noun would preclude unnecessary adjectives. But adverbs get even less respect. Elmore Leonard wrote, "I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances 'full of rape and adverbs.'" Stephen King wrote, "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs." Yagoda says that two adverbs need special mention, and in so doing, demonstrates the subjective nature of judging usage. He doesn't like "arguably" as in, "He is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL", because it probably doesn't mean that anyone has taken this stance in an argument, but that the writer is withholding an opinion and standing behind a bogus adverb. But it is a surprise that he likes "like", as in "It's a complete obstruction of, like, freedom" because it makes the speaker seem less pompous (to be sure, this was a spoken, not a written example).
Yagoda dishes out such likes and dislikes in every chapter, with some being idiosyncratic and some conventional but for idiosyncratic reasons. For instance, in a section on sentence adverbs (one adverb to modify a whole sentence, as in "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"), he says that the most abused and annoying sentence adverb is "actually" which is overused as in "Actually, he's in a meeting", indicating that not only is he in a meeting, but I am actually telling you the truth when he is in a meeting. (It's fun to play the select-the-most-annoying game, and for worst-used adverb, I would have voted for "literally", as in, "She was literally walking on air.") He doesn't like "hopefully" except as meaning "done in a hopeful manner", as in, "He opened the treasure chest hopefully", but thinks it fills a need, as in "The package will arrive tomorrow, hopefully" since "... arrive tomorrow, I hope" sounds Pollyanna-ish. He would not accept, however, such a formation in a written essay. He shows to be foolish one of the prescriptivists' darling rules, that of never ending a sentence in a preposition. The original rule came from Latin usage, not English. While it is true that sentences as a rule should end strongly, forcing a preposition to the interior can weaken it, as in "We are such stuff on which dreams are made", or can render it stupid, as in repairing "I'm turning in," by "Turning in I am," which, Yagoda says, not even Yoda could spout with a straight face. There is plenty of good sense here, and fun in every chapter (yes, in a book about grammar), as well as entertaining sidelights on such things as the origin of the ampersand symbol and the inventor of the @ for e-mail addresses. There is also a lot of good advice quoted from great writers. Yagoda's book won't replace any style manuals, but his tone of tolerance for eccentricity and enthusiasm for colorful usage is welcome, and his own writing is clever and funny.
Best language book I have read in some time........2007-03-29
Very well-written and engaging approach to a topic we all need to learn more about! Bravo!
Book Description
Lynn Johnston's award-winning For Better or For Worse comic strip is the world's most popular strip in which characters evolve through age and experience, rather than remaining frozen in time. Fans appreciate that the daily doings of the Patterson family often closely resemble their own.
Featuring more than 43 weeks of strips, with Sundays in color, this collection features Elizabeth's developing teaching skills working in a northern First Nation's community, Mike and Deanna's move to Mrs. Saltzman's upstairs apartment, April's confrontation of teenage issues like acne and self-image, while John and Elly face middle-age ailments and the possibility of retirement. For Better of For Worse has been syndicated since 1979 and has been named Best Syndicated Comic Strip by the National Cartoonists Society. The strip boasts a lively Web presence at www.fborfw.com
Customer Reviews:
I love these people.......2007-07-14
I know it's a cartoon, but Lynn Johnston captures home life so well that I feel I've known this family intimately for years. I'm fascinated by Elizabeth's choice to teach in such a remote area. I learn so much from her experiences there. I've got all the books from the first and frequently reread them from start to finish. This latest is in perfect keeping with the others. As Lynn takes us further from home base, we become involved with those extended people in the lives of Ellie's children. There's a whole world there that we will miss when Lynn decides it's time to pack it in.
Another winner.......2007-04-07
Lynn Johnston has done it again. What a great treasury of her cartoons - we can see the entire family growing through their own thing - at the same time we can feel the family sticking together.
I was a bit surprised at the arrival of the "attack" Elizabeth storyline - as I always find that Lynn's world is a little sugary, but it was well done and is obviously a ploy to bring Anthony back into the fold.
Great series.
More than an experience!.......2007-04-03
As a teacher, I have found this particular volume of Lynn Johnson's to touch a particular chord with me. But then again, I have been using her cartoon strips to teach with, for years. Her gentle yet penetrating way of looking at life with children, from babyhood through the teen years with its peer pressure, to adulthood, make me laugh out loud and cry as well. Long may she put out her strip, well into great grandmotherhood!
Another Great book ..........2007-03-30
Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.
Curious trend for overly perfect children........2007-03-25
Michael and Elizabeth, the beloved child stars of formerly funny comic strip, "For Better Or For Worse", are now both so talented and good-looking they're hardly recognizable anymore.
Even more curious than ever, those dazzling models of young adults have both moved back in with their parents (the boy has actually dragged along his own family) even after having launched fabulously successful careers (the boy has even gotten his first book published as well as passing down his superb genes to his offspring and the girl had been enjoying an exotic position of teaching precocious Native American tots as well as being chased by the most dashing dreamboat predators found in the tackiest romance novels.)
Now the sweet young Elizabeth Patterson is pouting her suddenly full lips and moping around the house like she's a moody little girl once again - without a job and silently glaring at her brother behind his back as he is reaping in newfound fame and fortune. While Warren, the rakishly handsome helicopter pilot, is watching her every move and waiting to make his own strike - and eventually betray her, too. (We all know how it would end: Elizabeth eventually marries her childhood sweetheart, Anthony and gives his own dusky, raven-tressed daughter a whole supply of curly-haired, blue-eyed Kewpie-doll siblings. Nothing new.)
At least April, now that she is no longer in the spotlight as a dimpled little troublemaker, has taken on the role of a rather colorless, though somewhat pesky young teenager.
Customer Reviews:
She's Turning into One of Them!.......2007-05-15
Again - what memories there are in these - we've all been there and remember this kind of thing.
Another Great book ..........2007-03-30
Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.
A solid FBOFW book........2007-03-08
We own all of the "For Better or For Worse" books and the whole family enjoys them! In fact some of us read them more than once. This one is just as good as the others.
The loss of a previously good strip.......2007-01-18
Although I am a longtime reader of For Better or For Worse, the last few years have been painful. This collection begins to show the downward slide of the storytelling and artwork. The native characters introduced have recently been completely trashed by Ms. Johnston, and this collection also covers the ongoing story of two main characters who conduct an emotional affair, even though one character is married and has a child. Even more bizarrely, everyone in the strip is portrayed as endorsing the breakup of the characters marriage and the hookup of these two.
Many of the forums devoted to FBOFW, have completely predicted all the storylines months (sometimes years)in advance. The plots are predictable and the character developments have been completely messed up, simply to fit into a nice little tie-up for Johnston's scheduled retirement date. Unfortunately, she should have retired two years ago when readers still had an affection for the characters.
Good Laugh.......2007-01-10
Really enjoyed this book, chuckled again over the strips we had enjoyed in the newspaper.
Book Description
It is hard to know who looks forward to a new baby more, an expectant parent or an expectant grandmother. From the time the announcement is made, a grandma-to-be may be full of questions: "Aren't I too young for this? Or maybe too old? What will they call me? Will they need me, or resent my 'help'? Can I really do this?"
So You're Going to Be a Grandma! offers the perfect reassurance in the form of a delightful poem that covers all the doubts and questions, joys and successes as a new grandma proves to be a godsend to her new grandchild and its parents:
"Baby weeps and so does mother,
Daddy isn't far behind,
Both so nervous and exhausted
This is where a grandma shines."
Readers of For Better or For Worse will recognize new Grandma Elly as well as her son, Mike, and his wife, Deanna, and appreciate the inclusion of families of various ethnicities in these heartwarming drawings. So You're Going to Be a Grandma! perfectly celebrates the universal love of a grandchild.
Customer Reviews:
Another Great book ..........2007-03-30
Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.
Children's Book.......2007-03-12
I collect paperback comic books - as opposed to "magazine" style - and, normally this would have been a delight, but this is a childrens' book; I was expecting a book roughly 100+ pages long, and this is a tiny one - not at all what I expected. My error though; I'll contribute to the local Children's Hospital, so that everyone wins!
So You're going to be a grandma.......2006-03-11
It is a cute view for first time grandmothers. Something you can really relate to. Great Gift!!!
SMALL book.......2005-10-01
I love reading For Better or For Worse and buy the new ones whenever I find one but this book was small in size and only had a few sentences on every other page. I want more reading and laughs for $7.00 a copy.
This is not a comic book!.......2005-06-03
I got this book thinking it was a comic book. I obviously didn't read the description carefully enough. This is basically a long poem about being a grandmother. I was disappointed at first, but not I think I'll give it to my mom when she becomes a grandma for the first time. I do think that it needs to be clear that this is not a comic. It is simply a poem that is illustrated with FBOW characters.
Book Description
Pictures and humor help readers build their Spanish language skills
To its millions of fans, the Pattersons are just like their own families, facing universal issues among daily concerns. Containing a selection of 100 syndicated Spanish-language versions of the strip that is widely read in Latin America, Laugh 'n' Learn Spanish provides an entertaining and effective way to expand and polish conversational skills in Spanish.
Readers learn by understanding and learning natural, everyday verbal interactions at home and about town, following John and Ell Patterson as they attempt to come to terms with middle age; daughter Elizabeth as she spreads her wings and goes off to college; son Michael dating and then marrying his childhood sweetheart, Deanna; daughter April as she rebels against discipline, anther grandpa who finds a second love in the autumn of his life. Each strip is graded by difficulty--Beginning, Moderate, or Challenging--and is accompanied by:
- Glosses that translate difficult vocabulary
- Usage notes to build proficiency
- A summarizing activity that tests comprehension
- Additional exercises for key idioms and word patterns appear at the end of each section
Customer Reviews:
My favorite Spanish resource by far.......2007-08-07
You need to have a basic knowledge of Spanish to really get the most out of this book. However, if you have that, this book goes a long ways towards solidifing all those grammar rules and verb conjugation that you've been grappling with. The best thing about the book is that it's just plain fun to read. You're learning Spanish, but it feels like you're just kicking back and reading the funnies.
laugh n learn spanish.......2007-03-19
A gift from my youngest daughter. I love it. it makes learning fun. it challenges you and entertains you. a fun way to learn.
Awesome conversational learning and practice!!!.......2006-11-23
This is absolutely one of my favorite learning and practicing Spanish books. The colorful book is very easy to read and intelligently organized. Though the humor makes the learning more fun, the real life conversations with extremely thorough explanations of idiomatic expressions are truly the outstanding feature. Wonderful!
It has beginner, intermediate, and advanced (includes subjuctive) sections with concise, relevant grammar instruction before each section. The text within each cartoon is mostly first person but the descriptive text about the cartoon is third person so you get very good point-of-view and conjugation practice. All translations are in the book so a dictionary is rarely needed.
Read it through once for awareness then challenge yourself to study it the second time through to know the idioms and expressions well enough to use yourself. After a few days, try going back to a previous lesson and translate the English text into Spanish! Great practice!
The only thing missing is an audio CD.
Me encanta este libro. Ojala que Lynn haga un segundo libro!
Great for intermediate learners!.......2006-01-22
As a teacher, I recommend this book as a review to my Spanish 2 and 3 students -it's a novel approach, which goes a LONG way in motivating the junior high age and up.
It's staying power is a little lacking - it doesn't have the BEST methodology as far as what order we should learn in, but as a review, it's fantastic. Very thorough explanations, good vocabulary lists, and even a few exercises! Great for anyone over twelve, as long as they had a teacher or tutor to help them along, I would think. For the younger children, try Flip Flop Spanish.
The Best Work of its Type.......2005-08-17
I bought two copies, one for me and the other my my teacher. When we are fed up with the copreterito tense we turn to this for relief. What a Godsend!
It is funny and easy to use. We cover the cartoon on the right and read the discussion of key word and grammar on the left. Then we wade into the cartoon. It is remarkable how often the day's cartoon reinforces the day's lesson.
The only problem is we are running out of book much too soon. They need to publish a follow-up. I would buy a whole set of these.
Customer Reviews:
Another Great book ..........2007-03-30
Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.
Feels like family.......2006-07-15
I've been reading FBorFW for over twenty years. The Pattersons feel 'like family'. I bought this book for my Dad and before I could send it to him, my teen-aged sons read it. They too are now hooked. Lynn Johnston deals with real life issues. I've laughed, cried, and reflected over this strip as I have no other. It's the only one I've kept up with consistently since I began reading it. I also check it out on-line as my newspapers do not carry it.
WARNING: USE CARE WHEN HANDLING FROZEN TURKEYS!.......2001-08-04
"The Last Straw" is the fifth For Better or For Worse collection, and features strips from 1984 and 1985. In the FBOFW timeline, Michael is eight going on nine, Elizabeth is four going on five and bratty April (sorry, but she IS a brat!) won't be born for another six years.
In addition to a very funny and memorable storyline in which the father, John, drops a 25 lb. frozen turkey on his foot (OUCH!), this collection also features a funeral for a caterpillar, Michael and Elizabeth getting into mischief while Elly and John sleep off their New Years' Day hangovers (they're awakened by the smoke alarm!), Elizabeth's misadventure in an airport and Elly's brother Phil (remember him?) trying to quit smoking. A young Deanna even makes an appearance here.
As I write this, this book is currently out of print, but used copies turn up on occasion. I recommend this book highly!
Book Description
Art imitating life. That's what happens in Lynn Johnston's perennially popular comic strip, For Better or For Worse. By reflecting on her own family and experiences, she created the Pattersons: Elly, John, Michael, Elizabeth, and April, along with grandparents, grandchildren, friends, and coworkers and the everyday situations they deal with.
In Never Wink at a Worried Woman, life is progressing for each character. Elly and John tenuously think of retirement while still being preoccupied parents of a preteen. Michael and Deanna grow into their roles as new parents while Michael's career gets a new boost. Elizabeth takes more steps to adulthood, by beginning her student teaching and facing the fact that Anthony is marrying another. April is racing to turn 13, busy with her band and also helping out at Lilliput's, where she makes a painful discovery about a coworker. Add in Grampa Jim's quest to maintain his aging dignity and baby Meredith's burgeoning curiosity, and you get a full dose of life.
For Better or For Worse has appealed to readers for more than 25 years. It runs in more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S., Canada, and 20 other countries and is translated into eight languages besides English.
Customer Reviews:
Never Wink at a Worried Woman.......2007-05-15
What hasn't already been said about For Better or For Worse- it's all true. Not many cartoons can stand up to these.
Who could not relate the the Pattersons.......2007-03-30
First I'm prejudice. There has never been a "For Better/For Worst" book that I have not liked. With that said, this was most enjoyable. Seeing Jim and El start really thinking of retirement and the kids growing up.
Good.......2006-02-25
This book... I can't say it any rates. I collect ALL of books that Lynn Johnston writes. :)
The latest compilation of "For Better or For Worse" newspaper comic strips.......2005-11-12
Never Wink at a Worried Woman is the latest compilation of "For Better or For Worse" newspaper comic strips, following the daily life of the Patterson family - parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and friends. Unlike the majority of comic strips, in which the family (and its children!) never age and remain bizarrely the same from year to year, "For Better or For Worse" embraces the realism of advancing years and the toll that changes in the seasons have on life. In Never Wink at a Worried Woman, Elly and John are carefully beginning to think about retirement, while Elizabeth approaches adulthood, Micheal and Deanna try to balance the demands of being new parents, and baby Meredith is bursting with curiosity about the world around her while Grandpa Jim strives to maintain his dignity despite the toll of age. The warm, soulful humor of the comic retains a fresh, empathic charm, all needed more desperately than ever in today's era of sarcasm, shallowness and sound bites. Highly recommended.
Another winner.......2005-10-28
This treasury by Lynn Johnston is another winner. Taking a very close look at the children this time around, the comic strips are a pure joy.
Buy this one and enjoy.
Amazon.com
Ordinary middle-class Americans have often tried to assuage their jealousy of the rich by repeating the axiom "money can't buy happiness" to themselves. But according to New Republic senior editor Gregg Easterbrook, "the rich" are, in fact, those same ordinary middle-class Americans and no, they're not happy at all. Wages have soared over the past fifty years and regular citizens own large homes, new cars, and luxuries aplenty. Better still, the environment, with a few exceptions, is getting cleaner, crime is on the decline, and diseases are being wiped out as life span increases. So why do people report a sense that things are getting steadily worse and that catastrophe is imminent? Easterbrook presents a few psychological rationales, including "choice anxiety," where the vastness of society's options is a burden, and "abundance denial," where people somehow manage to convince themselves that they are deprived of material comforts. The sooner we accept how good we have it, the better off the whole world will be, he says, because if we would just realize that we have this wealth, we could be using it to alleviate hunger, provide health care for the millions who lack it, and otherwise address the ills that actually do exist. While at times the book's attempts to make the world a better place seem a bit of a stretch, it's admirable that Easterbrook is willing to make that stretch and not suggest people simply light up cigars and bask in their newly discovered joys. One might look a bit askance at some of Easterbrook's sunny perspectives on our societal fortunes--he celebrates rampant consumerism while skating past the rampant consumer debt that lies beneath it, for instance--but it's hard to deny that the pessimistic viewpoint is much more widely stated than that of optimists. Is the glass really half empty or should we, as Easterbrook indicates, enjoy the wonderful world in which we secretly live? --John Moe
Book Description
In The Progress Paradox, Gregg Easterbrook draws upon three decades of wide-ranging research and thinking to make the persuasive assertion that almost all aspects of Western life have vastly improved in the past century–and yet today, most men and women feel less happy than in previous generations.
Detailing the emerging science of “positive psychology,” which seeks to understand what causes a person’s sense of well-being, Easterbrook offers an alternative to our culture of crisis and complaint. He makes a compelling case that optimism, gratitude, and acts of forgiveness not only make modern life more fulfilling but are actually in our self-interest. An affirming and constructive way of seeing life anew, The Progress Paradox will change the way you think about your place in the world–and about our collective ability to make it better.
Customer Reviews:
A hack job by a hack writer.......2007-09-19
There is nothing in this book worth the paper it is printed on, the writer is amateur at best. Actually, that is an insult to amateurs. Hardly thought provoking, informative nor insightful... this is the reason why books used to be better, because drivel like this never would have been published 10-20 years ago. So much for Progress!
Thought-provoking.......2007-09-18
The ideas presented in this small book are extremely interesting, and do not place the author clearly in either liberal or conservative camp. Recommended.
A magnificent book!.......2007-07-19
Easterbrook argues with compassion and logic and provides extensive end-notes to help those who want further reading. He argues neither from a left or right wing and does not claim that life is now or ever will be perfect.
What he does provide is a clear look at how good most of us in the "First World" have it, but how we can also do better. We can do better for ourselves and for the world.
I hesitate to ever suggest that "everyone should read this book," but this is about as close as I would come to such a remark.
Now if he would only come out with a full-length version of "Tuesday Morning Quarterback."
A Glass Half Full in a Glass Half Empty World.......2007-06-08
"The Progress Paradox" exposes one of the greatest lies of the past few decades, that the world around us is falling apart. Easterbrook takes aim at this myth and picks away at it with incredible detail, painting a compelling argument that American life, and that of the world in general, has vastly improved in nearly every aspect over the past century. Personal wealth, the quality of education and medicine are up, while pollution, crime, race and gender inequality are all down. Interestingly, one of the only areas not to improve has been personal happiness, showing a disconnect between material prosperity and contentment.
The reason for this disconnect is at the heart of "The Progress Paradox" with Easterbrook exploring several different theories from the media's bias for bad news, to choice anxiety that comes from people actually having too many choices then experiencing the stress of constantly wondering if they made the right one. Large portions of the book are spent understanding "positivie psychology," or the reasons why some people seem to have a much easier time being happy, gracious and forgiving. While the book can at some times be a bit repetitive it is full of incredibly compelling statistics and studies that will change your current view of the world and how you relate to it.
Great.......2007-03-30
What an incredibly interesting book. It is such an easy read while providing not only amazing data but presented in a mezmerizing manner. A very provocative premise that flies in the face of what we are spoon fed every day about how the world is on the brink of destruction. It convinced me and was so refreshing. The only complaint I have is that I wish he would of sourced his book better and let us know where he is getting more of his information. He does start to moralize at times but it is not over the top and is to be expected. I found that he attempts to present the ideas from an objective political framework which is hard to find these days.
Book Description
Some people joke that the best part about being a parent is that eventually you get to be a grandparent. When a man is on the brink of this exciting time, the anticipation of being able to pass on family history and traditions, and relive precious memories of years gone by, sets in.
I Love My Grandpa! celebrates the relationship a child has with his or her grandfather through the eyes of grandchildren from around the globe, including the Patterson family from the classic comic strip For Better or For Worse. By way of a heartwarming poem, this charming book covers some of the thrills and spills of becoming a "grandpa"-surprised by the unexpected joy of holding a baby again-and playing a special role in the life of a growing youngster.
I Love My Grandpa! radiates the universal love of a grandchild and makes an ideal gift for any expectant or new grandfather.
Customer Reviews:
The "grandpa" seems nice enough of a man........2007-09-28
He's a decent, long-suffering daddy of three bickering kids who has developed a slight paunch (as well as obsession with toy trains) and chased after young skirts even in front of his aging wife.
Too bad he's now a grandfather to a blond-curled maternal fantasy with the face of a beauty queen (she's gonna win countless child beauty pageants and eventually become an overconfident leader of the giggliest and cattiest high school clique in whole history) and a miniature clone of the good-looking young father, complete with wavy chestnut hair and a dimpled, chiseled chin.
At least the comic strip is semi-retired, so we won't have to see the latest additions grow up to be such impossible creatures one day.
Almost like poetry.......2007-03-30
This is a nice and very fast read. It just makes you think and brings a smile to your face.
It's a Children's book..........2007-03-12
I collect paperback comic books - as opposed to "magazine" style - and, normally this would have been a delight, but this is a childrens' book; I was expecting a book roughly 100+ pages long, and this is a tiny one - not at all what I expected. My error though; I'll contribute to the local Children's Hospital, so that everyone wins!
too small.......2006-08-30
If I had know that this was a small book with only 22 pages and not about the For Better or For Worse family I would not have bought it , not worth the $8.95
I feel cheated.......2006-03-19
Okay, first off, let me say that I adore this series and the auhtor. Which is why I was so excited by another book being issued.
The problem is, this book is not really part of the For Better of For Worse series. Sure, it is the same author and there are a few characters that are in it, but overall this is more a look at grandafthers and their grandchildren - comic style.
Also, the book is tiny. About 20 to 30 pages and measures about 5 inches X 5 inches. The cost is around $9.95US (even more in Canada which is where I bought it).
Each page has one tiny little comic with a few sentences. Mind you - not a comic strip on each page - just one image.
Anyway, I feel extremely cheated by this book.
Book Description
Another best selling educational title from Sharon Scott.
Books:
- Windows PowerShell in Action
- 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged (Wright, H. Norman & Gary J. Oliver)
- A Prairie Home Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection
- A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)
- Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween
- Advanced DBA Certification Guide and Reference for DB2 UDB v8 for Linux, Unix and Windows
- Advanced Planning in Fresh Food Industries: Integrating Shelf Life into Production Planning (Contributions to Management Science)
- Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
- Angels and Demons in Art (Guide to Imagery Series)
- Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes
- The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups
- The Annotated Lost World
- The Covenant with Black America
- The 47 Ronin: A Story of Samurai Loyalty and Courage
- The The Brant and Helms Solution: Fundamentals of Diagnostic Radiology, Third Edition, Plus Integrat
- The Land of Little Rain
- Bilateral Tax Treaties and Protocol: Estonia, Latvia, Venezuela, Denmark, Lithuania, Slovenia, Italy
- The B2 Chronicles: How Not to Butt Heads With the Next Generation
- Constructing a Market Economy: Diverse Paths from Central Planning in Asia and Europe
Grammar
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left
Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog: The Quirky History And Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences
Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home
Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style
A Writer's Coach: An Editor's Guide to Words That Work
