Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Another tiresome "effort" from JF Garner
I have all but given up the hope that Mr. Garner will write another volume with the charm and hilarity of his "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories." Luckily, since I believe I have read all of his works, here is none left for me to try.

This very small book rewrites a variety of popular movies -- Pulp Fiction, Charlotte's Web, Network, etc. -- to satisfy the point of view of someone from a Red State (Republican) or Blue State (Democrat). There is promise in this approach to satirize both the left, the right. This is a common stance of the popular media writer -- see Time, Newsweek or your large hometown newspaper -- that provides vague satisfaction to both camps. But Garner evidently has neither he wit nor the insight to make more of his approach than to offer dimly-snarky --and very short! -- rewrites. His "Wizard of Dubya" is a huge ripoff of the original. All of its characters -- Dorothy, Auntie Em, Miss Gulch, Glinda, the WW of the W and the munchkins are preserved nearly untouched, as is the plot. You might think he would call the Yellow Brick Road something different, at least. His satiric darts pierce no pretensions and flit about aimlessly and without point. Alas, Mr. Garner's only goal seems to be to put yet another book into print, and to wend his swag-loaded wheelbarrow gleefully to the bank.

My advice? Don't evenbother with "Recut Madness." You and you friends are twice as funny at lunchtime.

Clever, wity, relevent.
Recut Madness is a unique blend of current events, satire, and popular culture. I enjoyed the sheer absurdity and of having Forest Gump find a downed National Guard pilot who bears a striking resemblance to one G.W. Bush. as well as the anachronistic, but perfectly executed, piece based on Spartacus. The main feature, The Wizard of Dubya is, in its self, funny and complet enough to have been a stand alone piece.

This book was well researched well written and points out the stupidity on both sides of the American political system. I highly recommend this read to anyone, regardless of weather or not they have seen all the movies lampooned in this book, though it would help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"A Christmas Carol" Spoof is a Classic
Garner's spoof of "A Christmas Carol" is a satirical classic.If you can, get the audio version of the book--I listen to Garner's reading of his "Carol" spoof every Christmas.It's become a special party of my holiday season.

Doesn't Live up to Bedtime Stories
This collection does not live up to the Politically Correct Bedtime Stories book which was pretty good and by the same author.These stories are not funny and are not interesting either.Seems to just be cashing in on the success of Bedtime Stories and Once Upon A More Enlightened Time.Buy Bedtime Stories but give this disaster a miss.

Political correctness for Christmas
Garner has taken 5 classic Chrismas fables and turned them on their ear. He uses modern causes mixed with classic characters. My personal favorite was "Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer". It is Rudolph, but he is organizing the reindeer into a union for better treatment. Everyone of these stories are sarcastic, which makes them even funnier. If you are tired of the same worn Chistmas stories, try these to lighten your mood. Highley recommended.

What a Riot!
This book consists of five stories: 'Twas the Night Before Solstice, Frosty the Persun of Snow, The Nutcracker, Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer, and A Christmas Carol. Garner's stories are packed with spectacular satire, and left me in hysterics.Although I am a true fan of Christmas, and love all of the original versions of these stories I couldn't have been happier about the jest poked in the direction of a society to absorbed in political corectness that it has forgotten the joy of a season.For an off-beat Christmas treat I urge you to pick up this book. It's a quick read and full of laughs.

An Off-beat Christmas treat.....
After picking up Garner's Politically Correct Bedtime Stories I rushed out to pick up PC Holiday Stories just in time for Christmas. I have to say that the majority of the book is just as delightful as the first. This volume consists of five stories: 'Twas the Night Before Solstice, Frosty the Persun of Snow, The Nutcracker, Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer, and A Christmas Carol. In my opinion, `Twas the Night Before Solstice was the best of the stories. Garner gives us an incredibly hilarious rendition of The Night Before Christmas including a dreams of lentils and warm whole grain breads (instead of the traditional sugarplums), trees dressed "like a seasonal strumpet", and, in an act of great Christmas good-doing, the kids liberate Santa's reindeer. The only bad part about the book, and it's hard to even call it bad, is the length of A Christmas Carol. Garner's stories are packed with puns and satire, so anything over 10 or 15 pages is a bit much...and A Christmas Carol is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 pages. That said, if you're in the mood for an off-beat Christmas treat I urge you to pick up this book. It's a quick read and full of laughs. ... Read more

Amazon.com
James Finn Garner has taken 12 time-tested tales and retold them with the newfound sensitivity of our times. Here's a snippet from "Little Red Riding Hood":

Leap into a fairy-tale world where trolls are "dirt-accomplished and odor-enhanced," witches are "kindness-impaired," and Cinderella wears a gown "woven of silk stolen from unsuspecting silkworms."We can only regret that Garner had to exclude "The Duckling That Was Judged on Its Personal Merits and Not on Its Physical Appearance" for space reasons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

CHANGING TIMES.A BIT SAD AND A BIT SCARY.
I had the pleasure of reading this one when it was first published in 1994 (now keep in mind, that was not that long ago...this is important).At the time I found the book to be hilarious.The author has taken a collection of some of our favorite bedtime stories, fairy tales, ifyou will, and rewritten them to make them "politically correct."Some of the stories the author has modified are Little Red RidingHood, Chicken Little, Rumpelstiltskin, The Billy Goat Gruffs, Cinderella, The Frog Prince and Jack and the Beanstalk.There are more, but this gives you some idea of the content.

I recently reread this work. My, what a difference.While I still enjoyed the stories, I found them to be not quite as funny as I did during my first reading.I also read quite a number of the reviews that are posted here addressing this work, many of which are quite good, several drew different conclusions, and some were written by the clueless.I thought and thought on this matter, wondering why I did not snicker the same as before, then I realized....I, and apparently many others, have become completely or partially desensitized! It is not the author's fault, it is our fault and the fault (if fault it indeed is) of our society!What was simply funny in 1994, the satire used at that time, simply does not work as well today as it did then because so much of what was satirized at that time, has now become reality.We are use to the words "logically challenged" rather than simply "stupid."We actually have become the thing that the author was satirizing!This, for me, makes this book extremely interesting!

The author has done a very nice job of lampooning our politically correct society.As pointed out by several reviewers, yes, the author is indeed trite at times.The thing is, that when this work was first published, what is considered trite now, was not at that time.If you doubt this, then listen closely to the evening news for a few nights running.Now I do agree with a number of reviewers in that these stories should not be read all in one setting.Spread them out.Reading them back to back can be a bit of a chore and they do loose their effect.

Be-that-as-it-may, the book is well written, fun to read, and I think, even more to day than it was when it was first written, a reflection on us as a society.Poking fun at ourselves is healthy, poking fun at the way we act as a society is healthy.On the other hand, taking this work, and most others of this genre too seriously is not really all that good. Recommend this one highly.It is well written, well done and well worth the read.

Don Blankenship

Ruinously misses the mark
Take some of the most beloved fairy tales and modify them (robotically) such that they can be deemed politically correct and what do you (author James Finn Garner) get: ridiculous, unfunny stories that can best be described as "annoying." Adjective modifications are simple and predictable: replace "poor eyesight" with "optically challenged," "short" with "vertically challenged," "stinky" with "odor-enhanced," "poor" with "economically disadvantaged," "cruel" with "kindness-impaired," and "hot" with "thermally enhanced." Plot changes are unoriginal and boring: the big bad wolf falls dead "from a massive heart attack from eating too many fatty foods;" the pigs "liberate their homeland," the witch and the prince team up to exploit Rapunzel's singing talent, the males at Cinderella's ball get into a fight, and an impotent prince, upon seeing (and thus becoming cured) the seemingly dead Snow White, requests of the "Seven Towering Giants" that he be allowed to "...take the cure..." (read - satisfy an attraction to corpses) with her (p 54). Thankfully, readers will not have to waste much time slogging through its seventy-nine short pages. Equally bad: Once Upon a More Enlightened Time. Many times better: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka, and Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne.

Either stupid or ignorant, I'm not sure which.
This is either a horrible attempt to be satirical or a morons attempt to be serious. Sadly, the forward to the book makes it seem like the latter is the more likely case. From the fool's spelling of women with a 'y', to the fumbling, awkward attempts to make characters gender-neutral, this tome only serves to illustrate the stupidity of the author. A much-less forced attempt at PC terminology could have promoted the book to satire or parody, but as published, it fails to be either funny or enlightening.
I hope some capable author will someday take on the task of showing the insanity of political correctness with an actually funny revision of the classics.

Ha ha ha ha ha!
I first started reading this book to some children, and found myself cracking up so much that before long, I was reading it to the adults too.
Bought this copy to share with a wise friend who says, "Our politically correct society doesn't work."It arrived quickly & in good condition.

Goldilocks, Melanin-Deprived Environmental Researcher
When a bandwagon reaches the point that it is subject to satirical spoofs, it's a good indication that said bandwagon has traveled way too far. `Political correctness' is one such bandwagon, and this little book is a pretty good attempt at poking pins in its over-inflated rhetoric.

From The Emperor's New Clothes with disastrous consequences for our economically disadvantaged tailor to Chicken Little's (the name not being any attempt to classify said person as physically sized-disadvantaged) attempt to find a lawyer so she can sue whomever caused the sky to fall on her head causing her great emotional distress, the stories in this book will often bring a chuckle, and might cause one to reflect on the real world item the story is spoofing. The stories are modified from the traditional ones by more than just the insertion of `politically correct' language, as the endings are twisted into their own version of just how the politically correct version of the world would have things play out.

However, I'd recommend that this be read one story at time, with long days between stories, as they do become somewhat repetitive when read all at one gulp, losing some of their charm in the process. The insertion of the PC verbiage becomes expectable and not as funny, so that the occasional non-PC aside stands out, like his comment on the seven dwarves living arrangements (7 beds, 7 TV's, 7 stacks of dirty dishes) as possibly being the abode of a sloppy numerologist.

A fun little diversion, best when eaten in small bites.

--Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Strange Book
This has to be the strangest book I've ever read. Having been a James Garner fan since the first episode of the original Maverick series in Sept. 1957, I remember the sequence of events quite well. I also have clippings of interviews with all the major players in this book from that time to this.

Many of the quotes - especially those attributed to Roy Huggins and Jack Kelly - are absolutely contrary to the facts as have been written hundreds of times, often with quotes from both Huggins and Kelly that are completely at odds with what is quoted here.

There are also many situations that were simply not as they are described here according to the many sources of information that I collected at the time.

I hardly know what to make of it all. It's difficult for me to trust anything here, knowing how much is demonstrably in error.

Garner - Still A Mystery
The author does an excellent job of pulling together material from many sources to provide interesting insights into one of Hollywoood's most popular actors.Unfortunately, Mr. Garner did not provide an interview for the author and very little of his private life is revealed.

It is enjoyable to hear the background behind his various movies and TV series as well as his other business ventures.

The reader is left with an impression that Mr. Garner is a much deeper and more complex man than one would suspect.

This book was written in 1985 and so much of Mr. Garner's life is not covered.After a mid-life crisis involving numerous lawsuits, a troubled marriage, poor health, deep depression, and the "cancelled" Rockford Files, Mr. Garner seems to have mellowed considerably.It would be very interesting to update this bio with current info. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Bedtime stories will never again be the same--at least not after reading James Finn Garner, who, in surprisingly true Fairy Godmother fashion, waved his authorial wand and revised a large collection of fairy tales and holiday lore in Politically Correct: The Ultimate Storybook. This volume compiles his three separately published books, Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, Once Upon a More Enlightened Time, and Politically Correct Holiday Stories, examining the many "isms," whether glaringly obvious or more subtle, inherent in traditional favorites.

The tales begin similarly to their Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson predecessors, but veer suddenly to incorporate non-offensive, politically correct language and modern issues that range from overzealous lawyers to rampant real estate development to the destruction of the environment. Garner refashions over two dozen tales including Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, plucking damsels and the disenfranchised from captive plot lines, increasing their self-awareness, spunk and dialogue ten-fold, then settles them comfortably back into tales where they can live happily ever after as confident, happy, successful entrepreneurs with a social mission.

The disclaimers preceding each of the three sections, as well as the abundant use of politically correct speech throughout the collection, appears at times more of a pointed mockery than a true attempt to enlighten stories locked in medieval thought. The tales do however, offer a witty and clever alternative to spoon-fed tradition. --Mara Shurgot ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Great fun.Somebody really needed to write books like this, and I am glad he did...
Kudos to Mr. Garner.I have read all three books.I think the bedtime story book 1 and the Holiday story book are the best.I am employed in a large metro area, where we seem to be inundated with all this touchy-feely, politically correct stuff - I see it in memos and we have training to attend from time to time where we hear terms like those in the books.Garner does such an excellent job showing how ridiculous it can get and how ridiculous many of them are.Any time I need a good laugh I read one of his updated stories, and have a good "belly laugh".I absolutely love these books.

Best Book in the world
This book is hands down the best book in the world.It is extremely intelligent and is the most interesting book to our imagination.Brilliant humor in every paragraph or sentence for that matter.There was no book like it..of course,now others are expanding on Mr.Garners idea.I have the shorter version but it was disappointing as it didnt have all of his humorous stories..this book,Once Upon a More Enlightend Time etc..is the book i take everywhere.I do not get tired of reading the funny terms..definately takes away the realities of reality and grumpy people who have no sense of decent humor.Lighten up,have fun with this book.Mr.G,your a GENIUS.

Great Book!
This was very entertaining to me.Read the whole thing with a grin on my face.I really enjoyed the authors humour in telling the stories over only in a politically correct way.Great read for anyone needing a smile.

Very funny, boys, very funny, ha ha ha
I first read some of these stories quite a while ago. I enjoyed the Snow White story quite a bit, and having spent some time in a trailer park, I can easily understand the people in Pied Piper of Hamelin. Although I am not a feminist and think personally that the old values are better than the new ones, I can still appreciate the humour in most of the stories. I can't say I enjoyed all of them though.

Mostly the reason I got this book was because of the Christmas collection, which is by far the best set of these stories that James Garner has done. This section gets three of my stars.

"The Night Before Solstice" is a very well-done parody. "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, dreaming of lentils and warm whole-grain breads..." He talks about how overfed Santa is and how bad smoking is for Santa's health.

"Frosty the Snowman" concerns two argumentative children who build a snowman and when he tells them he's going to melt, they march to Washington to protest about abuse of the ozone layer.

"Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is the story of a disliked outsider who suddenly became OK to Santa when Santa could get some use out of him. But Rudolf won't have any of it. He says the deer are underprivileged and need a more flexible work schedule and a retirement plan.ù

"The Nutcracker" is in here too, but at the time I read it I didn't know the real story and therefore it didn't make any impression on me.

The there's "A Christmas Carol"... You know, the story that begins with that famous line: "Jacob Marley was non-viable." The ghosts try to teach him all he needs to know. The second one in particular I remember. He was a fat slob and went from house to house to raid the fridge. When all is said and done, Scrooge decides he's a victim of circumstance like Diminutive Timòn... It's all quite involved and you really have to read it for yourself. But it's very funny. I've read it many times. (I recommend that you read the real story by Dickens first - it's not that long - it will make you laugh more at the PC one.)

So if for nothing else, get this for the Christmas section.

Great Book
This book was funny, witty, and had a wry sense of humor. The author, James Finn Garner, has commented on ourmodern society in a politically correct manner thatwill have you howling with laughter.He satirizes traditional fairy tales and folk tales and yet they have a charm of their own!!I am sure you will love this book.My hobby is storytelling, and audiences really love these stories. ... Read more

Book Description
Following in the footsteps ofPolitically Correct Bedtime Stories, this book retells classic bedtime stories, stripped of any elements that might be offensive to women, gays, short people, minorities, giants, or wolves, as well as any details that might encourage aggression, cruelty, sexism, prejudice, littering, and so on.

At the same time he pokes fun at our politically correct sensitivity, the author points out biases in our traditional stories that we may not have been aware of. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Fairy tales told in the most politically correct manner possible
This book is extremely funny. Garner takes the following classic fairy tales and turns them into extremely politically correct satires.

*) Hansel and Gretel
*) The Ant and the Grasshopper
*) The Little Mermaid
*) The Tortoise and the Hare
*) Puss In Boots
*) Sleeping Beauty
*) The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

The content can be summed up by the alternate title for Sleeping Beauty, " Sleeping Persun of Better-Than-Average Attractiveness." Everyone in the stories talks like the most totally committed politically correct person imaginable. It is satire that works and is an extension of what we see and read on a daily basis.

Fun, but just more of the same
Given the popularity and originality of Garner's previous work, "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories," a sequel was all but inevitable. But the brilliance of that first effort was in its freshness and surprise. Now that the feline animal companion is out of the bag, another book on the same topic was bound to be disappointing.

Garner rewrites old fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel, The Little Mermaid) and fables (The Ant and the Grasshopper, the Tortoise and the Hare) to echo the sensitivities of the far, far left. He tongue-in-cheekedly uses spellings that avoid the word "man" ("persun" for "person," "wommon" for "woman,") and has his heroes and heroines (excuse me, she-roes) adopt anti-capitalist, pro-environment and pro-animal rights stances. But (sigh) it has all been done before. What Garner neededto do was to take his lampoon to a new level. He accomplishes this one time, with "Puss in Boots," a satire on the American political system, in which artful consultants spin empty-headed candidates into electoral gold.

Garner is a clever man, a skilled writer and a gifted satirist. This work is OK, but I'm anxious to see him move in new directions.

That Tortoise used Performing Enhancement Drugs
This sequel to Politically Correct Bedtime Stories introduces the reader to more politically correct fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel and the Tortoise and the Hare are my favourites.This is on par with the first book but avoid the next book in the series Politically Correct Holiday Stories as it does not live up to the standards of these two.Also read Apocalypse Wow by the same author.

Other great versions of fairytales can be found in Once Upon a Crime and the book called Whatever happened to...? The Ultimate Sequels.

Enlightenment the easy way...
Given the success of the first volume, 'Politically Correct Bedtime Stories', James Finn Garner took another journey into fairytale land to find a revisionist's dream of reframed stories, and assembled them into the volume 'Once Upon a More Enlightened Time'. Like the first volume, this one holds nothing sacred, highlighting both the excesses of prejudice in the past while exposing the excesses of the politically correct currents of today.

Once again, the tone is set from the start in the Introduction by Garner:'At the outset, I would like to apologise sincerely for the success of my last book. The number of trees that voicelessly gave their lives so that my resource-greedy publisher and I could meet retail demand was truly appalling, and quite likely contributed to the global warming that gave those of us in the Northern Hemisphere such an unseasonably warm winter.'

Garner misses the opportunity here to remind us of the disparity of wealth between hemispheres, but beyond that, he doesn't miss much. The titles of the stories will give you insight:

- A Politically Correct Alphabet
- Hansel and Gretel
- The Ant and the Grasshopper
- The Princess and the Pea
- The Little Mer-persun (Mer-maid is a demeaning title)
- The Tortoise and the Hare
- Puss in Boots
- Sleeping Persun of Better-than-Average Attractiveness (to call her a beauty demeans all others)
- The City Mouse and the Suburban Mouse (the countryside having been ravaged and now no longer exists close to cities; the country mouse has become suburban)

The politically correct alphabet I will list below--this gives a flavour of the rest of the text.

A is an Activity itching to fight
B is a Beast with its animal rights
C was a Cripple (now differently abled)
D is a Drunk who is 'liquor-enabled'
and so forth...

Garner hastens to add that, of course, the traditional ordering of the letters does not in any way imply that 'A' is more better or deserving a letter than X, Y, or Z.

Garner's publicity blurb says that he is called 'a master of the tour de force' by The Washington Post and 'a smart-alec, mealy-mouthed creep' by The London Daily Telegraph, yet feels the truth lies somewhere in between.

These stories will be loved by anyone who doesn't take life too seriously. Nothing is sacred here--be prepared to find something in yourself in here.

Lots of Fun
This is very funny stuff.I throughly enjoyed everybit.I also suggest you check out "Corporate Fairy Tales".It a similar idea but for the business world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Garner's only biography--but the music was the man
I don't know that there was any explaining Erroll Garner's genius, since it was a natural gift, any more than someone could explain Mozart's gift. This book provides little insight, but it does have some wonderfulinformation and a discography which was complete at that time.Thereis now an Erroll Garner website, although I do not consider it verycomplete. If anyone is interested, one thing that is often missing frominformation is that Mr. Garner started out as a stride piano player.Hisstyle later change to the guitar strumming left-hand style he became famousfor.Yet, paradoxically, being constricted to that style, althoughmaking him famous, limited his genius.His Latin recordings in the 50s,60s, and 70s, when he was not restricted to that style,were a wonderfuldemonstration of rhythmic independence of the hands in piano playing.What this biography talks about is the influence of Martha Glaser.Theimplication is strong in other people'swords, that this influence, whilecausing his fame, also limited his genius.One can gain almost as muchinformation from old record jackets as one can from reading this book, butit is different information.Although I don't know if Amazon edits outthis type of stuff, I can recommend some things about Mr. Garner, you mightnot find elsewhere. There is some wonderful information about ErrollGarner's playing in the CD-ROM by Dick Hyman titled A Century of JazzPiano, by JSS Music.Mr. Hyman also wrote an article about Mr. Garner'sstyle once in Piano Today magazine.Soon enough Hal Leonard Publishing issupposed to be coming out with a book of Erroll Garner's transcriptions inits Artist Transcription series.The most extensive catalog of Mr.Garner's CDs, as far as I know, is available at www.ktel.com. There weresix music books put out about Mr. Garner's playing. Three were by CherryLane music, but only two of these are still in print.There were alsotwo sheet music folios of Erroll Garner's music put out in the forties,when he was still a stride player.The recording that the Smithsonian putout is Mr. Garner playing in this style.This recording is transcribed inBrian Priestley's book, Jazz Piano Styles.There is also a book thatwas put out in the 70s, I think, by Schwarz, about how to play in the styleof Garner, but it is long out of print.Although not great, at least itwas an attempt. Finally, there is a wonderful series of books by BillDobbins, available from Jamey Aebersold. In the last one, there is animitation of him playing Erroll Garner, which can be ordered on tape.Thisis also instructive.And really finally, there are two more examples Ican think of.There were two books put out by Claude Bolling, in whichseveral pieces owed a lot to Erroll Garner.One was very similar to Mr.Garner's latin style, but based on the chord changes to The Man I Love. Another was called Garnerama, and it drew upon Mr. Garner's ballad style. Yet another example of someone trying to imitate Mr. Garner can be foundin one of Lee Evans's books.Also, Mr. Hyman put out a book of jazzetudes, based on styles of different jazz pianist.This is included in theCD-ROM I mentioned.I was planning a web site, but someone beat me toit.Yet, perhaps someone can find this information posted here useful.Please feel free to email me.My son is named Erroll, after Erroll Garner,so I would really appreciate it.If I ever get feeling down, all I have todo is put on a CD of Mr. Garner's, and I get going again.

Sorry i did not read this book but.....
I saw Mr.Garner life in concert in the fifty s in Amsterdam Concertgebouw.He is for me the most original style player,in the whole Jazz world. Because of his heigth, he needed the telephone book from Amsterdam,to sit on, upon his chair so he could play the piano. Good luck with yourwebsite. A real Garner fan.

erroll the marvellous
I like Erroll garner, it's my favoite jazzman. He got a lot of swing and style and that's why i like his music. I would like to see a better site of he, because"il le mérite" (sorry for my poor english) Good bye And "vive Erroll garner!!!!!!" ... Read more

Amazon.com
With the millennium fast approaching and Armageddon just around the corner, one fundamental question lingers: how will it all come down? In search of an answer, James Finn Garner conducted an exhaustive and hilarious examination of nearly every source readily available for predicting the future, including boiled tea leaves, crystal balls, and severed donkey heads. With plenty of wit and tongue planted firmly in cheek, Garner seeks to uncover the universal truths behind crop circles, harmonic convergence, and channeling. Continuing the irreverent style he established with his bestselling Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, he has fun with conspiracy theorists and shysters alike, providing a fun read for those not busy stockpiling provisions.Book Description
As the year 2000 bears down, the best-selling author of Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, James Finn Garner, confronts a series of monumental questions: Will we remember to order new checks from the bank? Did our invitation to the Kennedy New Year's party get lost in the mail again? Are we all poised on the brink of worldwide enlightenment or complete planetary destruction? Should you really bother investing in that Five-Year CD?

"Tonight," in the unforgettable words of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, "We're gonna party like it's 1999." The end is near...or at least nearer than it used to be, says Garner. Humanity is wracked by millennial panic and apocalyptic anticipation -- or if it isn't already, just wait until it reads Garner's latest (and last?). In it, he sets off on a slightly-to-the-South-of-skeptical pilgrimage in search of the truth behind the end times predictions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Humor for the woo-fatigued skeptic
First off, is it so hard to take this as something other than Y2K humor? Given the continued survival of people like Deepak Chopra and Pat Robertson, and the general anti-intellectual climate of American life, this book didn't lose relevance when the lights failed to go out on 1/1/2000.

Garner's humor is quite dry and snarky, and admittedly that doesn't appeal to everyone. But I think he captures the attitude of a great many skeptics towards poorly thought out spiritual, pseudoscientific, and pseudohistorical writings and themes that, despite being unprovable or outright ridiculous, still inflame the thoughts of many a true believer. Essentially, Garner's work here presents it, not as the subject for serious debate that many of these ideas' promonents want to frame it as, but illogical garbage worthy only of mockery and ridicule. This offends some? So be it. We skeptics have as much right to informed mockery of these half-baked ideas as their proponents do to put them out there.

Garner does cover a lot of ground, too -- disguised behind Garner's mostly-fictional (and often hilariously inept) adventures are strident criticisms of pyramidiocy, Atlantean obsession, ersatz Native American spirituality (of the type practiced by people referred to by humorist Robert Lanham as Cherohonkees, fluffbunny paganism, and the ominous singlemindedness of Christian fundamentalism, culminating in a three-for-the-price-of-one skewering of media-whore preachers, talk radio, and gematria such as the Bible Code. Numerous sidebars mock the tortured logic of woo practitioners, including measuring out Yankee Stadium with an ever-diminishing hot dog, listing the centuries' many candidates for Antichrist, and shooting down false prophets left and right.

As long as people let themselves be ruled by argument from authority and wishful thinking, there will always be a need for critical thinking. In the same way as Martin Gardner's Fads and Fallacies is still relevant over half a century after its initial publication despite the disappearance of much of the woo it chronicles, Apocalypse Wow! retains its interest despite the turning over of the millennium because even as fads pass, the faulty thought process remains. Even if it is out of print, it's still worth grabbing a copy.

Wishing the end (of the book) was nigh
"Apocalypse Wow!" is James Finn Garner's take on all things eschatological. He promises a funny take on Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and other who have found the need to predict the end of the world.

After his triumph with "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories," I was hoping for another Garner home run. What I got was a bunt single. The roughest going is Garner's style. It is appropriately snarky, but it's often hard to tell whether he is giving straight history, making a joke, or just making random (and therefore funny?) statements. At the very least, I hoped for a book that explored the foibles of human beings when faced with imminent cosmic catastrophe. What I got was a series of comical remarks without the context to make them funny or educational.

I'm disappointed. I found that I had to push myself to turn the pages. Also, the printing values -- especially the pages printed white on black or using script font -- render some text literally unreadable. Hence the 2 star rating.

Take the Doomsday FinalExam
The author of Political Correct bedtime Stories this time analyses the world of doomsdayers from religious nuts to asteroid destroying prophesizors. Like the fairy tale books some of the stuff in here is really good and some is rather average.This book was written in 1997 so analysis of the fear of the new millennium is out of date.Anyway, take the Doomsday Final Exam, examine Nostradumuses predictions, learn what to do in case a Jehovah's witness visits.Learn about the crop circles the media did not tell us about, reincarnation and who the antichrist is.Lots of other stuff is in the book too.If you like to poke fun at things then this is the book for you.

Not with a bang, but a snicker.
Okay, so the millenium has passed, but there are still some who say that apocalyptic doom is just around the corner.James Finn Garner has taken all this doom and gloom and dissected it with a satirist's wit, hopefully putting all your fears to rest.Imagine the skepticism of a James Randi combined with the irreverence of a Michael Moore as he tackles everything from the Bible to UFOs.Maybe now you'll be able to sleep at night.I recommend reading this with Stephen Jay Gould's QUESTIONING THE MILLENIUM.

Simply quaint
Luckily, nothing momentous happened when the year 2000 came to be, and we can now crawl out from under rocks and out of bomb shelters and openly laugh at our now silly-seeming fears. Or maybe it's just James Garner. Aside from a few interesting gags and factoids, the humour of this Y2K spoof is muddled and repetitive. The chapters cover literally everything from divination to prophecy to Y2K preparations (not to mention the significance of the year MM to McDonalds Corporation), but I couldn't bring myself to anything bigger than a quaint smile.

This book is not for the devout believers. Do notice than in Garner's dictionary, the words "eschatological" and "scathological" are separated only by a single syllable. ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 1180. ... Read more