Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – Malcolm Gladwell is one of the premiere non-fiction authors writing today. You could pick up almost any of Mr. Gladwells’ books, or articles from The New Yorker, and be better off for indulging in his wisdom. One of my favorite quotes about Mr. Gladwell best explains why I love his writing so much; “No one writes like Malcolm Gladwell because no one thinks like Malcolm Gladwell.” Blink, however, is by far, my favorite of his literary accomplishments. He not only presents an interesting theory that in some situations, going with your gut feeling, instead of burying yourself in information, can be beneficial. His theory’s been attacked by many other authors, who not only ignore the fact that he never says that making instinct driven decisions is always the best approach to a situation.
He not only floats his theory, he then backs it up with real life evidence where a persons instincts and gut feeling lead to better decisions than any amount of studying, statistics and scientific research could render. They say that the vast majority of people use the left side of their brain when thinking. But it’s usually those who think with the right side of their brains that prove to be the better thinkers, as their thinking is “outside the box”. Malcolm Gladwell is one of these people.
Men Are Better Than Women by Dick Masterson – If you’re uptight, or a feminist, I suggest avoiding this book at all costs. Your head just may explode within the first few paragraphs. But if you can look past the occasional (read: constant) insults at the female gender and realize that the book is written in humor, you may be able to enjoy it. And certainly get some serious laughs out of it. Dick Masterson’s misogynistic views are so overblown that they’re hilarious. If you are disgusted by this book and can find no good in it, you should ask the book store for a refund and use the money to buy a sense of humor.
Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster – Jen Lancaster is a fairly new author to me, but with her hilarious wit and cutting sarcasm, she has won me over. There has recently been a backlash against “chick-lit” in the form of “fratire” but Jen Lancaster is worthy of the same acknowledgement for her hilarious memoirs as anyone else. Bright Lights, Big Ass was the first book that I had read by her, and after reading a few of her other books, it is by far, her best. I particularly liked the chapter where her husband claims to have found a coyote wandering the streets of Chicago, determines that he has gone insane and begins to plan her workout regiment to capture another man to “carry her groceries”.
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max – Tucker Max is, simply put, a genius. The man is not only a incredibly fantastic author, he is a genius at marketing his best product; himself. Through it all, he never sold himself out, including refusing to present a watered down, censored television show to a fan base that loved him for him and expected only his best. In not bowing to Comedy Central and FCC regulations in pursuit of the quick buck he would’ve been guaranteed, he came upon an even better opportunity. He moved from a medium tightly censored by government agencies in television, to the much less censored medium of the movie theatre in writing and producing I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell for cinematic distribution. He then launched a nationwide tour to promote and screen his movie at college campuses that also included question and answer sessions at every stop. It’s rare to find someone as popular as Mr. Max who is so interactive with his fans. I eagerly await his next literary venture, Assholes Finish First.
Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler – Often times, when I enjoy a book, I’ll search Amazon.com for similar books. That is how I found this book. After reading Jen Lancaster’s Bright Lights, Big Ass, I searched it on Amazon and found Ms. Chelsea’s book. I read the entire book in a single sitting. It’s another book in memoir form, but a little more racy than Jen Lancaster’s offering. Detailing her arrest for D.U.I. and resulting jail time (which included a lesbian relationship she was unaware of until it was too late)
The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene – If I had to choose a favorite non-fiction author, I’d say Malcolm Gladwell and Robert Greene would be 1A and 1B with no decision on which was A and which was B. While the topics they discuss are in no way related, they are both great minds. The Art of Seduction gives a historical example of each type of seducer and then provides a step-by-step guide to the process of seduction for each “character”. A family member told me that I could've written this book. Robert Smith writes with a great psychological mind whose other works include The 48 Laws of Power and a newly released collaboration with rapper 50-Cent titled The 50th Law.
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner – If you listen to Levitt and Dubner, most people have an idea of what economics is. Then claim and prove why most people are wrong. Their studies in economics rarely relate to “the economy”, but rather give insights into actual human behavior using the economical process of statistical study. Whether it’s a claim that Roe v. Wade led to the decrease in crime in the nineties, to explaining how a drug czar runs his empire with the same business model as your local McDonalds, they keep you interested in economics by applying it to human behavior. They are “trying to start a conversation, not have the last word.”
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk – Chuck Palahniuk’s most successful and most known literary work was Fight Club (Yes, it was a book before Brad Pitt starred in the theatrical version of it) but Choke was, in my opinion, his best and most well written work. It also was made into a movie, though with less star power and fanfare. But the movie followed the book almost seamlessly. The story revolves around the main character, Victor, a sex addict who fakes choking on his meal at swanky restaurants, only to be “saved” by a good samaritan who knew the Heimlich maneuver. He then bilks his "saviors" out of money to help pay for his crazy mothers hospital bills. It's a story about the battle between social views of right and wrong, versus individual views of right and wrong.
Men Are Better Than Women by Dick Masterson – If you’re uptight, or a feminist, I suggest avoiding this book at all costs. Your head just may explode within the first few paragraphs. But if you can look past the occasional (read: constant) insults at the female gender and realize that the book is written in humor, you may be able to enjoy it. And certainly get some serious laughs out of it. Dick Masterson’s misogynistic views are so overblown that they’re hilarious. If you are disgusted by this book and can find no good in it, you should ask the book store for a refund and use the money to buy a sense of humor.
Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster – Jen Lancaster is a fairly new author to me, but with her hilarious wit and cutting sarcasm, she has won me over. There has recently been a backlash against “chick-lit” in the form of “fratire” but Jen Lancaster is worthy of the same acknowledgement for her hilarious memoirs as anyone else. Bright Lights, Big Ass was the first book that I had read by her, and after reading a few of her other books, it is by far, her best. I particularly liked the chapter where her husband claims to have found a coyote wandering the streets of Chicago, determines that he has gone insane and begins to plan her workout regiment to capture another man to “carry her groceries”.
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max – Tucker Max is, simply put, a genius. The man is not only a incredibly fantastic author, he is a genius at marketing his best product; himself. Through it all, he never sold himself out, including refusing to present a watered down, censored television show to a fan base that loved him for him and expected only his best. In not bowing to Comedy Central and FCC regulations in pursuit of the quick buck he would’ve been guaranteed, he came upon an even better opportunity. He moved from a medium tightly censored by government agencies in television, to the much less censored medium of the movie theatre in writing and producing I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell for cinematic distribution. He then launched a nationwide tour to promote and screen his movie at college campuses that also included question and answer sessions at every stop. It’s rare to find someone as popular as Mr. Max who is so interactive with his fans. I eagerly await his next literary venture, Assholes Finish First.
Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler – Often times, when I enjoy a book, I’ll search Amazon.com for similar books. That is how I found this book. After reading Jen Lancaster’s Bright Lights, Big Ass, I searched it on Amazon and found Ms. Chelsea’s book. I read the entire book in a single sitting. It’s another book in memoir form, but a little more racy than Jen Lancaster’s offering. Detailing her arrest for D.U.I. and resulting jail time (which included a lesbian relationship she was unaware of until it was too late)
The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene – If I had to choose a favorite non-fiction author, I’d say Malcolm Gladwell and Robert Greene would be 1A and 1B with no decision on which was A and which was B. While the topics they discuss are in no way related, they are both great minds. The Art of Seduction gives a historical example of each type of seducer and then provides a step-by-step guide to the process of seduction for each “character”. A family member told me that I could've written this book. Robert Smith writes with a great psychological mind whose other works include The 48 Laws of Power and a newly released collaboration with rapper 50-Cent titled The 50th Law.
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner – If you listen to Levitt and Dubner, most people have an idea of what economics is. Then claim and prove why most people are wrong. Their studies in economics rarely relate to “the economy”, but rather give insights into actual human behavior using the economical process of statistical study. Whether it’s a claim that Roe v. Wade led to the decrease in crime in the nineties, to explaining how a drug czar runs his empire with the same business model as your local McDonalds, they keep you interested in economics by applying it to human behavior. They are “trying to start a conversation, not have the last word.”
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk – Chuck Palahniuk’s most successful and most known literary work was Fight Club (Yes, it was a book before Brad Pitt starred in the theatrical version of it) but Choke was, in my opinion, his best and most well written work. It also was made into a movie, though with less star power and fanfare. But the movie followed the book almost seamlessly. The story revolves around the main character, Victor, a sex addict who fakes choking on his meal at swanky restaurants, only to be “saved” by a good samaritan who knew the Heimlich maneuver. He then bilks his "saviors" out of money to help pay for his crazy mothers hospital bills. It's a story about the battle between social views of right and wrong, versus individual views of right and wrong.
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