Customer Reviews:
If you ever wondered why factory workers drink, read this...........2007-09-02
The endless monotony and idiot bosses drive anybody with an IQ above their shoe size to do something to kill the thought that, if they're lucky, they only have 30 more years of mind numbing drudgery to go before they can retire. I'm not saying alcohol abuse is the proper outlet, but it does seem to be the most common and most convenient. Good book, excellent portrayal of what exactly "blue collar America" does for a living.
riveting tale from the assembly line.........2007-07-06
Ben Hamper shares his life as a worker on the GM assembly line in Flint, MI. Bold, frank, honest and often hilarious. This book was recommended to me years ago and for some reason I never read it until now. Hamper chronicles a part of American history (manufacturing jobs) that seem to be going stateside or as Ross Perot once described in a quip about NAFTA, what's that whoosing noise? manufacturing jobs headed to Mexico. This is prose for the ages. Loved the book.
Hilarious story of a dying breed.......2007-04-18
I grew up with people like Ben Hamper in a place which was much like Flint. For the first couple years of my adult life, I did the kind of work he did. What he describes is the tail end of a lifestyle; the lifestyle of the shop rat. It's dirty, monotonous and smelly. Many of the people you work with are either below average in intelligence or in sanity. Drugs, booze and having no concept of "forethought" are fundamental parts of the culture. It's nihilism with a rivet gun. If you come from a place like that, chances are, your only way out is via a jail cell or a career in the military. Or, you could win a workmans comp suit. Which is presumably how Ben got out.
I miss rust-belt working class america. It's a hard life, and it doesn't have much in the way of rewards, but the people who make it up are genuine in ways that others are not: they have a lot of heart and spirit. Ben's book brought it all back in a great galloping rush of memories. If you've ever wondered what the factory working classes are, or at least were like (back when we had factories); read the book.
I have my own tales from an Assembly Line.......2007-03-29
I didn't really like reading this book because I too work in a (once) major three Auto plant. I didn't feel that it properly portrayed some of the workers. It made it sound like all workers are like the author where they just really don't give a damn about anything except having a joking time on the job. It also made the workers sound like they were underachieving, undereducated, bottom of the barrel workers and I didn't care to have that stigma for all of us. I hold two bachelor degrees, like my job and take it serious!
Now I know why GOOD BOOKS DON'T PUT UP WITH writin' and drinkin' .......2007-01-05
It's just hard to read, after a while. I never grow to like the guy at all, he's appears to be a total loser while WRITING LIKE A TEENAGER IN A CHAT ROOM. THEY DID NOT MAKE THE CAPS LOCK FOR THIS REASON. And it's okay to quote somebody talkin' but throughout the whole book, writin' and talkin' and movin' and drinkin'. Sounds like a petty thing but after seventy pages it gets very old. Basically the same thing as people who either didn't have the opportunity to have a basic education or didn't bother to apply the one they had.
The book, or as far as I got in it was interesting, but I just couldn't put up with the sheer lack of professionalism which, by his story isn't surprising and I'm not trying to say this in a way to slam the guy, it just is what it is. A depressing story which had potential but I think he was probably too stubborn to listen to somebody (assuming someone brought it up) in regards to the ALL CAPS and writin'. If it is a downer of a story so be it but I have hundreds of books to read and am not going to finish one that is so badly written. And for me to say that a book is badly written... hoo boy it must be.
It was interesting to hear about how the GM plant worked, and how the workers would slack off and so on and I actually wanted to get through the book. This probably makes me a bit of a snob but if someone isn't going to write with basic english skills which he definitely must have, yet chooses to get ALL CAPS all of the time I have many other books which were written with basic respect for the reader and the language. Never thought I would get mad about something like this either. Just kind of slap in the face to think a reader would appreciate TYPIN' LIKE THIS IN A BOOK SOMEBODY PAID TWENTY DOLLARS FOR.
Could have been better, I wish I hadn't bought it though. I wanted to like it more.
Book Description
In Limbo, award-winning journalist Alfred Lubrano identifies and describes an overlooked cultural phenomenon: the internal conflict within individuals raised in blue-collar homes, now living white-collar lives. These people often find that the values of the working class are not sufficient guidance to navigate the white-collar world, where unspoken rules reflect primarily upper-class values. Torn between the world they were raised in and the life they aspire too, they hover between worlds, not quite accepted in either. Himself the son of a Brooklyn bricklayer, Lubrano informs his account with personal experience and interviews with other professionals living in limbo. For millions of Americans, these stories will serve as familiar reminders of the struggles of achieving the American Dream.
Customer Reviews:
Explaining U.S. social classes.......2007-08-20
This book was an eye-opener for this non-college grad who holds a very white-collar, upscale position.
A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the social strata in today's society. And for anyone who
thinks a chasm doesn't exist between those who "have" -- and the rest of us.
NOTE: This was supposed to be a 5-star rating. I'm new at this....... DUH.
Ties that Bind.......2006-11-05
America's official narrative says we're a classless society of strivers who make the crossing from humble beginnings to high achievement through effort, brains, and character. In fact, sociologists say with increasing frequency that where you start out on the socioeconomic ladder is the biggest determinant of where you'll end up: well-heeled parents count more than good brains or good character.
But there are people who have crossed over from the working class to the middle class. These men and women are the focus of Alfred Lubrano's well-written, insightful book on blue collar kids who clambered up the class ladder. How many are there? According to Lubrano, about a quarter of the 42 million manager/professionals in the American workforce are straddlers - college educated offspring of blue-collar parents. At some point in their working lives, most Americans have probably worked with or for a straddler.
Lubrano asserts that straddlers are caught in a no-man's land between their working class upbringing and their middle-class adult lives. They don't fit comfortably in either place, existing in a sort of class limbo. Their sense of difference starts as children; they're the wierdos who like to read and waste their time talking to teachers and other adults. The decision to go away to college alienates them further from their tightly-knit families. At college, they work to pay the freight, and watch with envy as their middle-class peers game the system and have ample time to goof off. On the job, straddlers struggle to suppress the blunt honesty that characterizes working class interaction and to master the shuck and jive of corporate meetings. On the battlefield of love, straddlers tend to seek out and marry one another - only in each other do they seem to find a marriage of true minds.
It sounds difficult, and it often is. What makes people want to storm the class barrier? Besides polling the experts, Lubrano interviews dozens of straddlers about the texture of their past and current lives. Some of them had an instinctive desire for a life freer or more interesting than what they grew up with. Others wanted better paying or higher status work than what their moms and dads did. Many of their wounds are surprisingly raw, even after they've successfully landed in the middle class. The straddlers who made the transition with the fewest visible scars seem to integrate their experiences into their personality rather than letting themselves be defined by the social labels others try to pin on them.
The payoff is that many straddlers feel that they're physically and psychologically tougher than their middle class counterparts, and more resilient in trying times. Lubrano has done all straddlers a service by shining on light on this overlooked segment of the population. Whether you are one, married one, or work with one, you'll learn a lot about this tough, proud, unsettled subculture.
Well researched & written!.......2006-09-08
I was born into a blue collar family in 1941, on Long Island. Lubrano was born into a blue collar family @ 1945, in Brooklyn. He graduated from Columbia, beginning a succesful career in journalism. I graduated from Harvard, becoming a lawyer. He writes with true authenticity: mothers, fathers, siblings, neighborhoods, gangs, Italian - American culture, Brooklyn vs. Manhattan, food, mating, etc. Since we have such similar backgrounds, I was able to appreciate the veracity & intimacy of much of what he wrote & felt. I recognized my family & that of my ex-wife on many pages. My 2 sons? They only appeared at the end of this book, born into much better financial circumstances. For those of a similar background, you will recognize yourself, repeatedly, occasionally with a sentimental tear. He terms blue collar types who emerged into the American middle class, or more "Straddlers". It was interesting to learn how so mnay Straddlers has made successful or unsuccessful adjustments to American middle class life. Lubrano has assembled a skilled resource team. Overall, an unusual subject & extremey well done.
This is an excellent book.......2006-08-19
I am from an area called the Monongahela Valley (Mon Valley), just south of Pittsburgh, PA. The Mon Valley historically has been known for its blue collar roots, since the largest steel mills in the nation were located there. Steel workers made a lot of money, but had traditional "start from the bottom and work your way up" attitude. Once the mills closed down, the children of this area knew that we better go to college (any college) to succeed. Our parents were afraid that once we did experience college, we would never come back. Mon Valley kids weren't given the same treatment that kids in more exclusive suburbs received. Yet and still, we were and will continue to be(Joe Montana, Donora, PA; Tamara Tunie (Law and Order, Homestead, PA, Dr. Dorothy Height, Rankin, PA, etc.)
Like the author stated, blue collar people have an "In Your Face" persona; they will be successful and outperform you, and outsmart you to SPITE you. This is so very true in the Mon Valley.
I facilitate a leadership program at a university. The issue of social class is studied in terms of how people of different social classes lead. The students are fascinated by the traits that are displayed by leaders in different groups. After these sessions, I am amazed by how many students come and talk to me about their personal experiences and what it is like to be a child of a straddler or being the first one to go to college in their family.
This book talks about the ambivalence of straddlers, in one sense, we are extremely proud of our values and work ethic, on the other hand, we do experience a sense of shame. It is hard to explain, we love our families, but we experience extreme scrutiny and judgement from them when we are successful. As stated in the book, African Americans have an even more tremendous hardship because there is a push to pull up another member who isn't doing as well, the old "Each one teach one" adage, that frankly drives me crazy on occasion.
It is a painful read for straddlers, I cried, I laughed, I snickered, and I scoffed. I haven't read a book in my lifetime that affected me in this way.
So true that my heart raced.......2006-01-13
Be warned; if you are a Straddler (Lubrano's word for those from blue-collar origins who must negotiate a white-collar world), this could dredge up some painful memories. That there is safety in numbers is not always a consolation when one must confront again the situations and attitudes (from both incredulous blue-collar peers and oblivious white-collar colleagues) that segregate the Straddler from both blue-collar and white-collar culture. I literally felt pain when I read this book. It's not always a fun read, but it is refreshing and highlights an overlooked fact: though we Americans romanticize "up-by-your-bootstraps" stories, one's colleagues will often display astonishment, and even distaste, to find out that you were actually one of "those people" who pulled yourself up.
Book Description
Hailed as a classic, Tim Winton's masterful family saga is both a paean to working-class Australians and an unflinching examination of the human heart's capacity for sorrow, joy, and endless gradations in between. An award-winning work, Cloudstreet exemplifies the brilliant ability of fiction to captivate and inspire.
Struggling to rebuild their lives after being touched by disaster, the Pickle family, who've inherited a big house called Cloudstreet in a suburb of Perth, take in the God-fearing Lambs as tenants. The Lambs have suffered their own catastrophes, and determined to survive, they open up a grocery on the ground floor. From 1944 to 1964, the shared experiences of the two overpopulated clans -- running the gamut from drunkenness, adultery, and death to resurrection, marriage, and birth -- bond them to each other and to the bustling, haunted house in ways no one could have anticipated.
Customer Reviews:
My favourite book - an all time great.......2007-07-11
I remeber David Malouf talking about good writing - about what distinguishes it - and he said it was the rhythm.
And Cloudstreet has an amazing rhythm, a cadence and tone that sucks you up and propels you forward from the first page to the last and leaves you aching for more.
It is a sweeping saga of post war Australia and through it I could see my grandparents and parents doing their best in this world.
I have probably bought about 12 copies over the years, lending them knowing the chances of return will be squat.
Read it and love it.
Cloudstreet.....or Waterland.......2007-05-29
I wish I could give my review the glowing sheen so ubiquitous in all the other reviews, but, for me, this book falls short of the mark in several areas. The most obvious is the bioluminescence of two of the characters, the ghostly aborigine, and spectral Gothic arabesques strewn throughout the book. They mark the work with a distinctly gimcrack feel, and leave one wondering what Winton is all about here.
Elizabeth Ward, reviewing the book for The Washington Post, compares this novel to Joyce's Dubliners. A bit of a stretch, this. All one has to do is to think of Joyce's stylistic masterpiece, "The Dead" to see how much of a stretch.
This is not a BAD novel. It's just not enthralling or particularly sweeping. Perhaps Winton intended the writing to mirror the hard-bitten lives of the working class Aussies depicted herein. That's the best I can really say for it.
But also, I couldn't help but be reminded, time and again, of Graham Swift's tour de force of a novel, Waterland. There are simply too many similarities between the two books for me to think that Winton wasn't influenced by it. ......So, my recommendation, read Waterland, one of the greatest stylistic masterpieces to come out of England since WWII.
I wish I hadn't read it . . . .......2007-05-19
just so I could discover it for the first time. It's generally pointless trying to capture the quality of this book and others have made a better effort of it than I might, but one has to be deeply heartened by the author's humanity and love of his characters, even those with considerable personality disorders. It's a thread that runs through all his fiction and I admire him greatly for it. Add to that a dynamic imagination, a respect for his native vernacular and a sense of hope, and we've seen the tip of the iceberg. Winton is a masterful writer.
A vast landscape with perfect details.......2006-08-18
I really can't recommend this novel more. I find family dynamics difficult and challenging; this story made me look at families in a new and generous light, one full of light. read it and open your heart.
Em, JPC, 17.......2006-06-25
i found this book easy to read and very interesting from beginning to start. i could hardly put it down!
i found that the aboriginal in the story represented the spirituality both families have turned away from and neglected since having such tragic accidents in both families( Fish's drowning and Sam's fingers being chopped off). i also found that there was the modern day issue of no one wanting to no their neighboors-represented by the wall being put up and them never talking to each other and the kids fighting in the street,even when the Quick and Rose marry the two families keep their distances then at the end they relize they are so much better off with each other rather than fighting. i also found that it represented a journey of finding yourself and who you are , a search for the meaning of life
Book Description
Despite the overall economic gains in the 1990s, many young black men continue to have the poorest life chances of anyone in our society. Joblessness and low earnings among these less-educated young adults are contributing to reductions in marriage, increases in nonmarital childbearing, and a host of other social problems. In Black Males Left Behind, Ronald Mincy has assembled a distinguished group of experts who examine how less-educated black men fared relative to other less-educated young people during the economic expansion of the 1990s and why. Chapters explore the roles of the macroeconomy, the deconcentration of blue-collar employment, criminal justice policy, and the employment aspirations of young less-educated black men and consider their implications for the design of employment services, welfare-to-work policies, workforce development policy, and child support enforcement. Two chapters comprehensively review policy opportunities to assist less-educated young black fathers and discuss how to overcome political resistance to initiatives serving less-educated black men. This book makes a compelling case for greater public attention to a serious domestic problem.
Customer Reviews:
Some Brothas Number-Crunched.......2007-06-25
This book is talking about a subset of Black men: young males who are low-income and have no college education. This book would have more properly been called "THOSE Black Men Left Behind." This book is about the J.J. Evanses of the country, not the Theo Huxtables. It includes no older Black men of any class or education level.
Curiously, this book compares this group to low-income white or Latino males more than any other groups. In a way, this book foregrounds class more than race. The numbers in this book exclude males in the military and those in prison for most chapters.
This book consists of studies that peel the onion asking why Black males in this group did not prosper in the successful 1990s. It asks many questions, including: did the transfer of blue-collar jobs from the city to the suburbs do it? did the introduction of low-income women in the workforce do it? what effect does a prison conviction have upon this group? etc.
This book has great intentions, but it's really for numbers-crunchers only. A conservative mathematician would love this book more than a progressive who doesn't care for numbers. If you are one to skip graphs and charts, you will flip through much of this. But if you don't care for "regression analyses" and "x coefficients" and stuff, you will detest this book. Policy makers need these numbers to move forward in their work, but most other readers will be bored silly.
Book Description
Whether your fantasy is the UPS man in hot shorts, the cable man with the extra-long cable, or the plumber with a hard power tool, this anthology has them all.
Customer Reviews:
Unique and Original Stories.......2007-10-02
The stories are sexy, adventurous, candid and seriously hot - just like the down to earth men who inspired this collection. Edited by Bob Condron, his introduction sets the tone for this anthology and teases the reader with what is yet to come. There are absolutely no romantic dinners or quiet walks on the beach to be found here, but a few stories do explore a tender and sensual side of these tough guys with a couple hinting toward something enduring. Just sweat and muscle and heart pounding stories of men who are bigger than life. I can honestly and whole heartily recommend this to anyone who has appreciation for the blue-collar man.
There are 25 unique and original stories, all interconnected with a common theme. There's the amusing story of a man and his awkward late night encounter with a local mechanic, a tourist visiting American who has an adventure with the American wildlife in the form of two hairy bears and a delightful tale of the soda man (my personal infatuation) who delivers a young man's first-time.
My favorite is from author Peter Eros, a gentle and poignant coming of age story of a young man who learns about living and loving from his blue-collar neighbor. The story is so beautifully written and intense with emotion; the author's parting words painfully sincere. This one alone is worth the price of the book.
Contributing authors are Bob Alexson, Johnny Bricklin, Derek Broadie, Bob Condron, Landon Dixon, Zack Dorsey, Hank Edwards, Bo Erickson, Peter Eros, Jay Fordee (2 stories), Darren Gahn (2 stories), William Holden, Ray Jansen, Tom Lever, Charles Long, Steve Michaels, Piers O'Brian, Christopher Pierce, Mark Rutland, Andrew Semaj, Simon Sheppard and Rob Tiernan (2 stories).
Average customer rating:
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Blue Collar Bayou: Louisiana Cajuns in the New Economy of Ethnicity
Jacques M. Henry , and
Carl L. Bankston
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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ASIN: 0275978176 |
Book Description
Although the French language and the traditional rural way of life are disappearing among Louisiana Cajuns, identification with Cajun ethnicity is flourishing. Henry and Bankston draw on historical documents, ethnographic observations and interviews, and statistical sources to investigate and explain this phenomenon. They argue that while Cajun ethnicity developed from and consisted of the French-speaking, rural poor of the region, it has been transformed, during the 20th century, into a regional class with common interests and outlooks. A substantial minority of Cajuns have risen out of the blue collar niche and into the middle class, creating more complicated problems of adjustment, role redefinition, and the changing nature of relationships with friends and family who remain part of the working class. The authors detail and describe the way the working class Cajun majority and the white collar Cajun minority draw on images and ideas from a reconstructed past to make sense of their present conditions and changes in their community. This comprehensive structural analysis of Cajun ethnicity suggests a new emphasis on structural conditions in understanding ethnic phenomena and introduces the concept of an "economy of ethnicity." In analyzing and exploring the creation and maintenance of Cajun ethnicity, Henry and Bankston also point toward a general theory of contemporary ethnic groups. Why, for instance, have more and more people claimed to be of Native American ancestry? How did the population of people calling themselves Irish soar over the course of a very brief period of time? Arguing that as the cultural basis of difference subsides, ethnic claims increase, and that such claims are based on a number of factors including socioeconomic and regional concerns, the authors contend that the same factors at play in the maintenance of the Cajun ethnicity are also at play in other ethnic communities and subcultures within the United States. They conclude that in claiming an ethnic identity, group members rework ideas of history and ancestry in order to apply these ideas to modern life.
Book Description
Proud to Be an Okie brings to life the influential country music scene that flourished in and around Los Angeles from the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s to the early 1970s. The first work to fully illuminate the political and cultural aspects of this intriguing story, the book takes us from Woody Guthrie's radical hillbilly show on Depression-era radio to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee" in the late 1960s. It explores how these migrant musicians and their audiences came to gain a sense of identity through music and mass media, to embrace the New Deal, and to celebrate African American and Mexican American musical influences before turning toward a more conservative outlook. What emerges is a clear picture of how important Southern California was to country music and how country music helped shape the politics and culture of Southern California and of the nation.
Customer Reviews:
Finally! A Book for People Who Work for a Living.......2003-04-13
Finally, a resume book for jobs that do not require a college education. The book has 171 resumes for jobs such as master cake decorator, clerical office worker, plumber, cruise line customer service. It has a helpful section telling how to get around difficult problems such as job gaps, lack of experience, a spotty education record, and age discrimination. It is readable and encouraging.
This was adapted from the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding a Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia
Blue Collar & Beyond: Resumes for Skilled Trades & Services.......2000-07-08
This author produces the best resume writing materials on the market! This book fits perfectly for those individuals not targeted by many other resume writing books. Many of these skills are transferrable and I encourage clients to browse through the entire book.
Delivers the goods!.......2000-01-02
This resource is a gold mine. As an employment consultant I have found Parker's book to be practical, realistic and extremely helpful, especially since I primarily work with the Blue Collar sector. If you are experienced in writing your own resume, this book offers great tips on polishing it and if you are new to the resume process, Parker also takes you through it step by step in a manner both instructional and interesting. This should be on every employment consultant's bookshelf. Easy to read and easy to understand; simple but not simplistic.
Top of the Line!.......1999-07-04
In my position as a state and federal employment counselor, I deal with large numbers of displaced blue collar workers. Many have limited computer skills and writting ability. BLUE COLLAR & BEYOND has become my most used source book. (In fact I recently purchased a second copy as the first on was wearing out) Using BC&B to teach folks how to prepare their selves to re enter the workforce has raised my success in placement rate to over 75%. VERY EXCELLENT TEXT! Must HAve! Must Buy! Must USE! C. Baugh
Finally! Resumes the non-executive job searcher understands........1998-05-15
We provide workshops on job searching, resume writing, interviewing, hidden job market etc. for a varied background of people. Some of our customers do not relate to resumes prepared for the executive or highly educated job seeker. These customers can now understand and see how their similiar skills can be marketed. We now use this resource in every district office. With many employers using the resume instead of applications for screening and with most occupations now requiring resumes, this book is essential for all job seekers.
Book Description
What does it mean to be JUST A GUY?
--A guy doesn’t think before he speaks.
--Eating and sleeping always come first. Always.
--A guy may get married, but he doesn’t have to like it.
--It’s tough to admit, but all guys are exactly the same.
Blue Collar Comedy Star Bill Engvall is JUST A GUY. He’s been one his whole life. He can’t help it. He was born that way. And that makes him an expert on the subject.
For the record, here’s the official definition of a guy: A person who doesn’t think before he speaks. He can’t. He’s not that deep. Because a guy has only three basic needs: eating, sleeping, and sex. That’s it. JUST A GUY chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs.
In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, beginning with his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona, becoming a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior trying to impress girls or torture his sisters; to high school in Dallas where he dabbled in an array of truly odd jobs, learned the trombone, and came of age, all strangely connected; to college and his tenure as his fraternity’s social chairman, where he masterminded a series of legendary parties and attempted to rescue his pet bird while the house was burning down (not his fault, honest); to following his dream as a standup comic and, gulp, singer; to his brief stint in children’s theater while sharing the stage and the back of a van with the director’s dog, and as a movie extra with forked tongue and cloth claws; to his bumbling and riotous courtship, then marriage to Gail, the love of his life; and, finally, fatherhood, where he remains, to this day, a well-meaning, but flawed parent.
Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a façade of confidence and control. Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal. The result is JUST A GUY who is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving.
JUST A GUY will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart.
Hopefully, not at the same time.
Customer Reviews:
great book, .......2007-07-27
i recently bought this at a local book store, and i read it in two days. a nice short read, it tells alot about envall's life. colledge years, how he met his wife, etc. great for any fan, not so humorous, but i enjoyed it.
Not bad for Engvall fans.......2007-07-26
I usually try to stay away from books written by "celebrities." The only exception I make is comedians I like -- they're usually fairly adept storytellers to begin with, so I figure their writing may be worth a shot. This isn't bad. Stories from Engvall's life, some recognizable from his stand-up routines, some clearly more revealing than the stand-up routines. A worthwhile read for a real fan, but even then, head to the library rather than the bookstore.
More than just Humor.......2007-07-24
For those who follow Bill Engvall or the Blue Comedy Tour, you will love this book! Not only is it filled with Bill's humorous look at being "a guy" but it also gives the reader an inside look into Bill's personal life as well.He recounts numerous stories from his youth,the college years, his start in comedy and his relationship with his family. A great read for all.
Very interesting, but not particularly humorous........2007-06-06
This book was very interesting, to say the least. Engvall wrote on his life in many subsections, making each to the point without having to add extra words to fill out a chapter. From his childhood antics, to his college antics, to his start as a comedian, to meeting his wife, this was a book that waqs hard to put down.
However, very little actually made me laugh. This is more an autobiography than an attempt at humor. You shouldn't buy this book because you want humor; you buy this book because you want to know more about Engvall.
Average customer rating:
- Janelle is the Best of Three
- This book was awful!
- A Sexy book
- Entertaining, But Not What It Is Advertised To Be. Read The Review And Decide For Yourselves.
- Glad Janelle Denison was in it.
|
Men at Work (Berkley Sensation)
Janelle Denison ,
Nina Bangs , and
MaryJanice Davidson
Manufacturer: Berkley
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0425206831 |
Book Description
The National Bestseller featuring men who work hard--and play harder.
Three fabulous authors dish out the hottest stories of blue collared hunks who have a serious work ethic--in the bedroom. These guys know how to get the job done and are not just into quick fixes.
Customer Reviews:
Janelle is the Best of Three.......2007-01-03
Hello, I love anthologies because I get to read lots of writers in a short amount of time. I thought Janelle Denison's contribution was the best. Nina Bangs' story added a supernatural element unnecessary to carry the story. I think MaryJanice Davidson's story shied away from love scences. Isn't that how romance writers gain notoriety and fans? It's about 3.5 stars in my book, so read at your own risk.
R
This book was awful!.......2006-06-29
Normally I enjoy anthologies and understand that there will not be a lot of character development but this book was truly dreadful.
Denison's story was so full of stereotypes and cliches I was completely disgusted. I've never read her before and this story convinced me I wasn't missing anything. I could go on and on about how much I disliked the story but it isn't worth my time. 0 stars for her story.
Bang's story was the best of the bunch but only if you've read her others that feature Sparkle Stardust and have a general idea of what is going on. Otherwise you'll be left thinking "huh?". 3 stars because of the fun sex scenes.
Davidson disappointed me the most. I've come to expect funny sexy stories from her but this one fell flat. Perhaps it could have been funny without the excessive use of the "f" word and other vulgarity. I don't mind a few well-placed expletives but she went a little to far for my personal comfort this time. I was put off rather than entertained. She skipped right over the sex scene so it wasn't even sexy. 1 star because she had a good idea - it just didn't work.
Don't waste your money on this one. Thankfully I got it from the library - perhaps you can too.
A Sexy book.......2006-06-16
This book is very good. I had difficulty putting it down. Even though some parts were kind of confusing over all I found it very sexy and full of romance!
Entertaining, But Not What It Is Advertised To Be. Read The Review And Decide For Yourselves........2005-12-14
There is nothing like a man stripped down to only a pair of well-worn jeans and his leather boots, with muscles bulging from hard work to bring on thoughts of: hot...sweaty...rough...sex! Welcome to the world of Men At Work!
Tess Monroe is coming home after being away for eight years. She is only staying long enough to get her grandmother's house in shape and ready to sell. There is one person that she will seek out is her old love, Morgan Kane. Tess needs his help with all the numerous repairs. Boy, he looks even better now than he did eight years ago!
Slow Hands is by author Janelle Denison. This is an outstanding erotic tale of past lovers finding their passionate flame had not gone out. From the moment this story starts until the very end, the characters are like a well-worn pair of shoes, they are comfortable and convincing. Ms. Denison, this is a heartwarming and superbly written erotic story, and people should buy the book just for this tale of love!
Sparkle Stardust, a cosmic troublemaker, is about to start some sexual trouble for old high school lovers, Amanda Harcourt and Conleth Maguire. Sparkle will pair them together to redo her newly acquired, Castle of Dark Dreams (like an adult fun park). Conleth and Amanda will have to work together to get the job done - coloring this castle with their own sexual vibes!
Color Me Wicked is by author Nina Bangs. Ms. Bangs' writing style is out in leftfield and distinctly different, which this reader loves. No one writes quite like her. Between the out-there imagination and outrageous erotic wording, Ms. Bangs has backbone, and it has not left the building. If you are looking for an unusual story, look toward Nina Bangs to deliver it!
Catherine Wyth is now a proud homeowner of a fixer-upper project. What she did not know before she bought this house is it has a ghost named Jack, and her next-door neighbor, Ken, is foul-mouthed and tacky. If only that hunk Ken was not so obnoxious and crude. One never knows how a shot of electricity can change a man's entire outlook on life, can one?
The Fixer-Upper is by author MaryJanice Davidson. Okay, this story might not be as erotic as the other two, but this jaded reader has not laughed so hard as she did with this tale of haunted love and a love-hate relationship between best friends; it kicked this story up to hilarious. You just have to read this tale to appreciate Ms. Davidson's absolutely kick-butt - delivered on dry toast - sense of humor.
Though this book is an overall entertaining read, it is not what the front cover or blurb on the back of this contemporary anthology suggested. Slow Hands by Janelle Denison was the only story that fit into the anthology's pretext of rugged and sexy, blue-collar men that work with their hands. The other two remaining stories are paranormal type tales of otherworldly beings and did not fit into the contemporary category. Now that you know the true contents of this book, you can make an informative decision whether to buy it or not.
Reviewed by © Janalee Ruschhaupt, 2005
Courtesy of Love Romances www.loveromances.com
Glad Janelle Denison was in it........2005-11-10
Otherwise it would have been a total waste of money. Janelle Denison story is the best of the three stories included in this nightmare book. I thought the other two stories were boring at best and stupid at worse. You might wanna pick this one up in the bargain book section but you sure do not wanna pay full price.
Books:
- Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief (Roberts Rules of Order (in Brief))
- Spiritual Midwifery
- State of the Union: A Century of American Labor (Politics and Society in Twentieth Century America)
- The Age of Migration, Third Edition: International Population Movements in the Modern World
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
- The Case Against the Fed
- The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles I: Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
- The Cortisol Connection Diet: The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight
- The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book
Books Index
Books Home
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