Pants Books

This is one of the funniest of all the Dilbert books, and very possibly THE funniest of those that are not strictly comics, but have commentary by Adams only intermittently illustrated by comic strips. Entertaining as Adams' cartoons are, he is at least as entertaining as an actual writer.

When it comes to lampooning the management class of American business, no one does it better than Scott Adams. Of course, he has an inexhaustible source of material, as there seems to be no end to the number of stupid ways in which management can execute what should be simple and routine tasks.
In this book, Adams casts his jaundiced eye across the entire enterprise, including the employees down to the janitors in describing how people engage in "way of the weasel" behaviors. This term refers to the truly imaginative ways people will avoid work and the responsibility for what work they have done. It is as ironically amusing as the other books in his collection and has the same organization. Cartoons from the Dilbert strip are interspersed with text and incidents reported by Adam's contacts in business.
If it were not for humor, life would be much harder; especially what life we have at work. Dilbert provides much of the necessary comic relief, when the environment at your job has got you down, a heavy dose of Dilbert will serve to make it all seem better. Or at least make you realize that it could be worse.

OK, silly cartoons in a flyweight "management" book hardly seems the stuff of classic, but the cartoons are pointed illustrations of serious (really!) but not overwrought commentary about the way we work and live (really!).

If I was as big a weasel as Mr. Adams assumes I am (by his own admission!), I wouldn't have bothered reading his book before writing this review. Apparently, I have a thing or two more to learn about being a weasel. The first part of this book is so over the top that it seems forced, and doesn't exactly tickle the funny bone. However, as Mr. Adams moves out of the office and begins to discuss weasels in other areas of life, it improves, and there are both good laughs and some scarily accurate descriptions of weasel behavior. As ususal, the comic strips are generally the funniest bits, proving yet again that Mr. Adams talents are best packaged in that format.

After doing a pretty good to great job in The Dilbert Principle and The Dilbert Future and an ok job in Joy of Work Adams stumbles here with Way of the Weasel.

The strips are as funny as ever, but you'll have seen them before in the strip compilations and the daily paper. The trouble is that where he had actual insight, philosphy and something to say in his previous books he doesn't here. We either have the same old saws about management cleverly called "Management Weasels" as if it were new insights or what comes down to prose versions of the strips. The actual strips themselves are better than the prose versions.

The book does have its moments. But the start is fairly bad and you'll spend a lot of time thinking "Why am I reading this."

However if you have missed his previous Dilbert prose offerings you probably will enjoy this. If you have read Principle, Future and Joy of Work then you can safely give this a pass. You've seen it before!

There are a flurry of babies coming into our lives this spring and I have the shower invitations to prove it..

I always buy books.. but this Mother Goose is the best of all. all children should be read nursery rhymes,it is the first step in learning to love words and books..
The wonderful graphics and original text make this number 1 with me.

I remember this book from when I was a kid, and am so happy to have it now to share with my little one. All the great nursery rhymes are here. Great book.

What is to say about a classic? We have the origional I bought when my son was born 40 years ago this is for my newest grandson short, sweet readable stuff to make a baby giggle

This is the same edition my kids grew up with (real old fashioned, vivid color pictures), and we love it. I like to give it as a gift for baby showers to encourage young parents to making reading (and especially classics like this one)a priority in raising their little ones.

This book is an absolute necessity for anyone who is around children or, even moreso, a child at heart. The nursery rhymes of Mother Goose are classic and enduring, and this collection, with its vivid illustrations, bring to life so many familiar and wonderfully non-familiar poems.

My daughter is 14 and I am 38. We both love this series and can't wait for the next one. They are a quick and easy read, and make you chuckle out loud. Just good silly fun.

First off, this book has been written in the everyday slang dialogues of a brit teen. If you're not fully acquainted, you may need to analyze what has been written from time to time to get a full understanding.

However, it doesn't make it any less good or interesting. With new words like 'undercrackers' - it adds a touch of delight to your read.

The book is written as a series of diary (or blog) entries, happening as frequently as "thirty seconds later."

Georgia has a few love interests throughout the book. The book's main premise are these young men. How she handles (and sometimes simply perceives) these situations is nothing short of being a drama queen. Who is a bit bossy.

It is funny. The humour is dry, which works well in a book. Here is a couple of quick snippets from random pages in the book:


ONE MINUTE LATER
When I say "gay" I don't mean gay as in an "Ooooohhh do you like my big beard?" sort of way. I mean that I was merely being cheerful.

FOUR SECONDS LATER
Anyway, shut up brain, I must think. Now is not the time for a rambling trip to Ramble land. Now is the time to put my foot down with a firm hand and stop snogging my not boyfriend Dave the Laugh.


The whole book is filled with this chatter.

Georgia Nicolson just doesn't stop. She can't help getting into more red bottomous situations with snogging partners who are not her Italian Luuurve God boyfriend. As if that weren't enough, summer is almost over, the bonkers parents don't understand why she absolutely needs to visit Italy, and ex-boyfriend Robbie the Sex God is back in town. Erlack.

If you didn't understand that, then clearly you are unfamiliar with the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. Stop reading here, go to the bookstore and buy the first book, ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING (which, incidentally, is now a film, scheduled to be released in the U.S. this fall).

For those who are familiar with the mad Miss Nicolson, STOP IN THE NAME OF PANTS! will not be a disappointment. This ninth installment of the series features Georgia in the heat of summer, and at the heat of confusion, missing her new Italian boyfriend, Masimo, and accidentally snogging Dave the Laugh. Again. And, of course, the ace gang has their share of boyfriend ups and downs, and Georgia is there to comment on it all.

Reading the Georgia Nicolson books is like reading a great blog. Even if nothing happens, your narrator is so hilarious, you love the way she describes the most mundane things. STOP IN THE NAME OF PANTS! is not driven by plot so much as by character. It really is like peeking into someone's diary --- it's just that that someone lives in an alternate universe so much unlike our own, yet it's very similar as well. This isn't a story. This is a life. Or something. Surely Georgia would have a better word for it.

There is no shortage of hilarious words in the book, and at this point, they don't even faze me when I read them. Of course "geniosity" and "marvy" are words. And of course the only acceptable way to refer to the country from whence Georgia's boyfriend hails is Pizza-a-gogo-land.

Thankfully, the series isn't static. Characteristically, Georgia is just a little crazy, as are her friends, parents and little sister Libby. And, of course, the book spans only a few months of her life. But things are changing and progressing. Jas and Tom are having problems, Robbie is again dating Wet Lindsay, and you'll never guess what happens to Georgia's dear cat Angus. Louise Rennison has managed to stay completely in the tune of what has made her books so popular without making them boring. STOP IN THE NAME OF PANTS! is, as ever, highly entertaining and hilarious.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Hannah Gómez

I'm a big fan of the first few Georgia Nicholson books, but this last one is a big disappointment. The first few books are so hilarious that the fact that the style is pretty contrived and there is basically no plot line is only a little annoying. However, those bad tendencies are amplified 10x in this book and Georgia's funny, self-absorbed adventures and commentary are much less entertaining than other books in the series. It just seems like Renninson wrote it in a long weekend and clearly has no regard or care to develop the plot or characters. Of course this is a youth book, but there are glaring errors, like calling Dave the Laugh's girlfriend two different names in the same paragraph. Just disappointing because the other books are so hilarious and entertaining.

Sure didn't seem like it was new.
Same old same old except for the incident with Angus.
I just want something to happen in this series already.
I'm mad that I ran out and spent nearly 20$ for this book and I could have just reread one of the other ones for Pete's sake!

The cover WILL get you noticed if you read this in an airplane. As someone in her 40s, I enjoyed reading about the bar scene of the young adults fresh out of college. Also the means of communication--texting, instant messaging, etc.--and the strategies around them were really fun. The protagonist is such a funny, shameless, original voice. His relationships with his circle of friends are warm, nuanced, and complicated. His search for affection is hilarious. His descriptions of living in New York and St. Louis were very specific and nuanced, which kept this novel fresh from cliches. I look forward to reading more from this young, promising novelist!

Let me start by saying that I wanted to like this book. The description made it look like a more updated incarnation of McInerney's "Bright Lights, Big City." It looked like it would be amusing and interesting.

Unfortunately, it was neither. Another reviewer hit the nail on the head when he said that Broadway Books was setting the bar low. This was my thought exactly. I'm going to take all of my elementary school book reports, staple them together and mail them to Broadway Books for publication. I'll be rich.

"I Just Want My Pants Back" could have been good, but Rosen needs to learn to write first. His prose was too boring for my taste. His writing has no depth and no style. In the hands of a better writer, such as Dave Eggers or Augusten Burroughs, this book could have been worth reading. I couldn't force myself to care about Jason Strider and his crappy job, bad luck with sleazy women, and complete inability to understand himself.

This book was a joke and Rosen should stick to writing garbage for MTV.

Jason Strider is a loser, and he's lost. He has an Ivy League English degree, but rather than taking a step forward, he's content to just skate by in zombie-mode with a meaningless job at a small-time casting agency where he spends half the time fighting hangovers, and the rest on instant messenger. He spends his evenings getting plastered, stoned, and then searching for a similarly inebriated woman who he can convince back to his place for a nightcap. A particular one-night stand, Jane - who was part of a run-in with a refrigerator and a wild-cab ride - borrowed jeans from Jason upon waking up, and the story truly begins. Life for Jason is repetitious if anything. He's just like many others, except he cares more about his favorite pants than most else, and he wants them back. Unfortunately, Jane won't return calls, texts, emails, or IMs. Through this dilemma, along with being asked to act as a rabbi (i.e. Universal Life Minister) at a friend's wedding, the book follows Jason from one humorous ordeal to the next, through the promiscuity, booze, and sleaze of the New York single life.

Essentially, it's about a post-college man drifting through life until he knows what he wants to do. At the first true turning point in life, when one must truly move into individuality and responsibility, when the growing up happens, Jason struggles with his lack of ambition, his dead-end job, his rampant drug use, and his misunderstandings with the fairer sex. He also manages to add the difficulty of dealing with and relating to a terminally-ill friend along the way, which clearly affects him deeply.

Reading "I Just Want My Pants Back" reminded me quite a bit of the movie "Knocked Up". The protagonist in each is a reefer-smoking slacker who lacks direction. Both end up going through a life change as a result of drama - specifically with a friend's medical difficulties - and eventually come through responsibly when most needed. Through Rosen's pleasant writing style and use of contemporary, hip lingo and situations (e.g. searching for a job on Craigslist, and pretentious parents giving their kids horrible names like Tristen), the story flows as smoothly as a conversation amongst friends. I highly recommend this for a light read.

I really liked this book! It's refreshing to read something in this genre from a male perspective. Jason is a 20 something New Yorker just trying to find his way. He has a job he's not interested in, he parties too much, he doesn't date, and has a slight disdain for his friends who are so anxious to grow up. Not surprisingly, this carefree lifestyle stops working for him, and he realizes that he needs to do some growing up himself.

The author has a wonderful use of language. Some of the passages are so funny and well-written that I would stop and read them again a few times. I love this - it makes the book so much more enjoyable.

I've been enjoying reading some dark memoirs/novels that surround addiction and relationships, and this one was no different. In the flavor of Dry by Burroughs, this book chronicles the life of a young man who is struggling with life and relationships. We follow him through whats seems like an adventure seeking excitement, but it really is about growing up and finding the meaning and joy of responsibility. This book is a fun escape, but not very deep. I felt a little empty wanting more from the ending.

Compared to Laurie Notaro's humorous books, this book is a severe disappointment. I usually have a policy: if I spend money on something, I'm going to finish it. I couldn't even make myself finish the last 50 pages. This book isn't funny...its a rant broke up by interesting chapter titles.

This author really seemed to go from one extreme to the next. One minute she's proud of being Jewish, the next minute she's stating that she's really not that Jewish...One minute she's proud to be able to stand up on her own without a man, the next minute she's focusing in on how her boyfriend has changed her...make up your mind.

And the part that where staff writers only make $2000 a week? Ha, that breaks my heart. Maybe for the next book, the author should make what real America makes--which is significantly less than that.

I think the only reason I finished this book was because I had nothing else to read at the time. This is the memoir of a spoiled, rich girl to whom things have come easily. Three cheers for her, just kind of boring for the reader.

this novel was not all the entertainment weekly promised it to be. and usually they are pretty reliable. this woman is touted to be up there with david sedaris and augusten burroughs, i am sorry to say that she falls well short. not to try and sound sexist, but i think that her writing style and perspective is a little out of my range. it is hard to explain why it was difficult for me to get my head around this novel. i began to wonder if all women thought and acted like this. it is so complicated and manic. but this is my humble opinion. now dont get me wrong there were some really funny parts in the book, but at the same time i really feel like she has room to grow. give it a try, somone else may get more out of it than i did.

I made it to the sixth chapter. I didn't stop because I love dogs; I stopped because I couldn't stand to waste any more of my time. I suppose if you want to read the memoirs of a shallow woman, obsessed with celebrities and raised in a wealthy home, this would be a great book for you. Soloway's attempt at cuteness by way of footnotes and parentheticals fell flat with me, perhaps because I disliked her so much by the time I got to those parts. I feel I was roped into thinking this book might have some good feminist insight when there was very little.

I came to this book because I was a fan of Six Feet Under and Soloway of course was a writer for that great show. I don't know, perhaps I expected something more like the show instead of yet another book I feel like I've read too many times before.

Here was yet another entry in the genre of post-60s, somewhat Gen-Xy books in which the author confesses humiliating personal truths, drops pop-culture references by the hundreds, and does her best to be shocking without going too far. Some doses of feminism and political activism are thrown in without really going anywhere, and then we have the familiar life highpoints: an awkward childhood, a complicated and yet exciting sexual awakening, the hard and yet necessary pain of entering adulthood, a long list of pet peeves, the creation of an ideological fantasyland, and finally, reflections on relationships and their myriad problems. All self-involved and all predictable. Deliver all this up in a rambling and exclamatory manner, and you have this book.

Don't get me wrong, the book was entertaining, it just wasn't challenging or original. soloway advises other writers to create a persona, and that is clearly what she's done here. It just didn't appeal to me, though; it struck me as over-the-top, fake and hollow.

One thing that was interesting to read was Soloway's take on men: I'm surprised that more women haven't come around to the belief that they are unnecessary.

Fancy Pants was the first of Cathy Marie Hake's books I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the characters lovable and some of the situations quite amusing. Cathy did a great job writing this book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a clean romance with a little humor blended in. Cathy Marie Hake is definitely now on my list of favorite authors.

In FANCY PANTS, veteran author Cathy Marie Hake (BITTERSWEET) spins a cutely-conceived historical comedy, lush with romance, of a high-bred lady who disguises herself as a man and journeys from England to Texas to work on an uncle's ranch.

It's a catchy idea (even if it's been done in variations before). Hake begins her story in 1890 with the orphaned 20-year-old Lady Sydney Hathwell still mourning the death of her father a year previous. She travels with her chaperone Aunt Serena Hathwell from England to New York to meet her fiancé, the despicable Rexall Hume. Hake ensures that readers will despise him from the very first page (his scowl, in the first sentence, would rival "a gargoyle's"). Rexall is after her title and the business she will bring his way, although why she will is never really convincing. Nevertheless, readers will cheer when Sydney decides to escape his clutches by dressing up as a man and disappearing. Her Uncle Fuller, who she has never met --- and who believes Sydney is a boy! --- has promised her a position on his Texas ranch until Sydney can decide what she'll do next.

Employing different points of view, Hake uses the first half of the novel to let Sydney masquerade as a boy, then the second for her to "come out" as a woman. Few females can pull off disguising themselves as men for long, and the housekeeper/cook sees through Sydney's ruse from almost the first moment. However, she helps keep Sydney's gender a secret. The tough Tim Creighton, who runs the ranch in her uncle's unexpected absence, is both exasperated and put off by the "fancy pants" prissy fop foisted on him. The other ranch-hands --- Bert, Pancake, Juan, Boaz, Gulp and Merle --- are also concerned. Tim puts Sydney to work doing the worst ranch tasks: shoveling manure, plowing a garden with a horse.

Lots of fun lurks between the covers of this book, from Sydney being taken out for a night on the town with the boys (in which she must navigate too much beer and a brothel) to having to fend off the attentions of a passel of local and eager eligible women. Romance with the right guy is telegraphed from the early pages, so readers won't be surprised by the novel's concluding nuptials.

Hake is a competent writer, and the story unfurls with just enough events to keep the narrative moving. However, a little judicious shortening and tightening would have helped the pacing; by page 300, you already know who Sydney is going to end up with, and you'd just like to see it happen. Lines such as Sydney wearing "lady's boots that constricted her feet only a fraction as much as Tim's words constricted her heart" are a little over the top. And for a historical novel, this is more heavy on romance and lighter on the historical details.

Readers who like their inspirational novels to clearly and thoroughly outline the plan of salvation will appreciate the lengthy section toward the end of the book where Tim helps Sydney understand the difference between formal "go-through-the-motions" religion and the idea of a personal, grace-filled faith. Others who like their faith elements to be more subtle may not find this as much to their liking.

However, Hake's book is a fun read, and if it seems improbable that a beautiful girl like Sydney could disguise herself as a man for this long --- well, this is fiction, right? So suspend disbelief and enjoy this comedic historical jaunt.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

I was really, really looking forward to reading this novel. While I won't go so far as to say that Hake disappointed me, I just wasn't left satisfied at the end of the novel. I liked all of the characters and the premise, it's just that it seemed to move at a very slow pace. Later, however, the book fairly speeds through the budding romance between the two lead characters. They spend a great portion of the novel fighting or misunderstanding one another and all of a sudden they want to get married. Too quick. It just seemed slightly too unbelievable to me, otherwise, the book was well written and interesting.

I picked up this book and finished it in one day. It was the first book I've read from this author.

I think the premise of the story was unbelievable and obviously couldn't happen in real life, but I read christian romances to escape and be entertained and that's exactly what this book did.

I found Syd's antics in this story to be funny. Picturing her in her fancy pants get up, along with several of the situations she found herself in, made me laugh out loud.

I enjoyed all the supporting characters in this novel as well. I found the Richardson sisters particularly funny.

There were some great scenes written that showed how Syd and Tim's romance was blossoming (the porch swing was cute).

Overall, this book was well done and will make me seek out more stories from this author.

*Some Spoilers*
I really wanted to like Fancy Pants as I think that the premise has the promise of a great read. However I was terribly disappointed.
Lady Sydney is an unaffecting and unsympathetic character whose ruse is carried out farther then necessary or probable for a woman of her time. She is waiting to reach her "age of majority" yet I was surprised to find that she is 17 waiting for 18 not 20 waiting for 21 as it most defiantly would have been for that time period. Through the beginning of the book I found her to be ridiculously naïve for her supposed advanced education, making foolish assumptions and basing her impulsive decisions on them. By the end of the book I didn't find that she had improved or grown in many ways at all even though she wrestles with being a sinner and the idea of forgiveness and ultimately accepts salvation.
Big Tim really confuses me. We see ghosts of his background that we are supposed to connect to but are never fully developed; they could be powerful touchstones to explain who he is but fall flat. Tim's attitudes and actions are puzzling; he dislikes Sydney instantly and sets about to pound her into manhood, next we find him in a fury upon discovery of Sydney's true identity, suddenly he is leading her to Christ then before we know it he is thoroughly and possessively in love with her and on the way to the alter. For a man who is a respected Christian member of the community- loved by all- he comes off to me as angry, obstinate and undesirable marriage material.
The conclusion of the story and developing romance is positively rushed; the much anticipated arrival of Sydney's uncle is conspicuously lacking and the triumph over lurking evil simplistic, insufficient and anticlimactic.
Throughout Fancy Pants I was thrown out of the story by the plentiful anachronisms, words, phrases, facts and ideas that are out of place for their time. Most would say that it is a little thing and can be ignored but for me it was jarring as was the text arrangement and lack of page breaks. Overall I believe Fancy Pants could have been better written and plotted with warmer characters and believable events.

This is a great series about true friendship and its ups and downs. Great for girls 10 and up.

Vendor is ZP Books Place order on 8-4-08. Have not received books nor any explanation why not. Very upset.

I bought the first sisterhood of the traveling pants for my daughter when she was a young teen. Even now that she is 16 she still loves reading them. I was sure that even though she is older she could care less about them. But she insisted that I get the fourth book so she could see what was happening to the girls in the book... lol.. She LOVED it.

All 4 of these books are thrilling, exciting, and fun. All 4 girls a different and easy to relate to. The obstacles they face are one's that any girl may. From sporty Bridget, punky Tibby, artistic Lena and emotional Carmen, all 4 girls are real. These books are perfect for woman of all ages. I absolutely loved them and couldnt put them down. A real page turner and 4 fantastic finds.

I didn't enjoy these as much as the first book but they were still good quick reads.

Loretta LaRoche has an amazing ability to transform stress into laughter. I first saw one of Loretta's television specials about 15 years ago and it honestly changed my life. She taught me how to "lighten up" and to look at things in a way that would make me laugh instead of cry.
This book is just another fabulous example of Loretta's sound advice and ideas to help you live a happier and less stressful life. I loved her "party pants" story and have found myself retelling it to friends and family to make a point and make them laugh.
Loretta tells it like it is using loads of humor and memorable quotes throughout the entire book. If you need to learn how to reduce stress in your life, there isn't a more enjoyable way to do it than to read this book. Congratulations to Loretta for turning millions of frowns into laughter.

This is a humorous look at the shortness of life. The author identifies ten ways to lead an amazing life such as the importance of laughter and figuring out what it all means.

Her approach is that life is short and we should make the most of it. We all have different stresses to deal with. Our attitude about stress and how we deal with it will affect our health and overall life. We all need a reminder to stop taking things so seriously from time to time.

You will laugh out loud when you read this book. Loretta LaRoche tells it like it is.It's something I just couldn't put down. In fact, I've bought numerous copies to give as gifts!

I've liked seeing Loretta LaRoche on various PBS specials, but until
now, had never read anything by her . . . what a shame!

LIFE IS SHORT, WEAR YOUR PARTY PANTS made me laugh, but it also got me to think about the fact that things such
as party pants shouldn't be saved for later--they should be enjoyed now.

LaRoche, a stress management consultant, presents such ideas
in a humorous, easy-to-apply fashion . . . such as this one:
keep a joy journal . . . she notes that, "Keeping a joy journal
will help you maintain a feeling of elation, the sense that you're
searing with the eagles instead of scratching in the dirt with the
turkey."

As to what to put down in such a journal, she suggests that
you try some of these ideas to move you in the right direction:

1. Think of people who have really made a positive difference
in your life.

2. List three of four things that you do well.

3. Write down at least five things that you like about yourself.

4. Think of a time in which you had so much love in your heart
that you thought it would burst.

5. Think of some of the favorite physical activities you enjoyed as a child
(swimming, jumping rope, roller skating?). List them, and think about ways
you might do them again.

6. Think of five qualities you adore in your partner or spouse.
Write them down, and tell him or her about them.

7. Think back to a time when you felt supported while going
through a challenge. How did this feel, in detail?

8. Remember three time when you felt inner peace and serenity.
Can you capture that feeling? Where were you? Why were
you feeling so good?

9. Think of someone you might forgive, and how doing so might
change your life.

10. Whom do you laugh with the most? Remember a time when
you laughed so hard you thought you'd fall over.

And laugh is what you'll do when you think of this one other
technique advocated by LaRoche . . . she says, "Don't
indulge yourself, but don't deny yourself either. It's unhealthy to
eat mounds of lasagna every day, but it's just as unhealthy
to want it and never allow yourself the pleasure of having some.
One of my favorite lines is 'Just have lasagna and shut up!' "

Thanks, Loretta . . . methinks I'll do that now; i.e., stop
writing this review now and start eating some ice cream
instead . . . I'll even be quiet when I do so.

I would highly recommend this book...practical, inspiring and funny. Loretta helps you appreciate life!

I'd first like to say that I LOVE it when anti-sex / anti-gay / anti-porn crusaders are exposed as the hypocrites that they usually are. This book is a good mini-encyclopedia on this topic.

However, the book should have done a much better job of citing references. With the possible exception of the chapter about the critics of Clinton's affair, references are often vague or not stated. For example, it might say that Newspaper XYZ quoted a person on an issue, but it doesn't give the date or name of the article. This forces the reader to hunt it down if they want further reading on the subject. Another example is the chapter on the anti-porn pastoral pair from Omaha for Decency. I am from the city where this happened, and these two pastors were exposed as hypocrites by a local website. Yet this source is not cited, and it is unlikely the authors of this book discovered it without this local website. (Although the local media outlets reported the sex scandals, the media did NOT pick up on the fact that these two pastors are anti-porn crusaders. A local website picked up on this and exposed it. This was exposed several years before this book was published).

This is a good book (exposing these kinds of hypocrites is always fun). However, it does need a bibliography at the end of the chapters so those people who might claim the book is just propaganda can be easily referred to the sources.

Which group of people should be esteemed?

A) conservatives who hold up some moral values as right

or,

B) liberals who think those values are silly and find more importance in laughing at those conservatives when they fall

If you answer "B", then this book will make you feel all smug.

This is a very entertaining and "revealing" book. It documents the MANY hypocritical actions of various conservative Republican moral wind-bags.

When one considers the ethical lapses of liberals like Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy, no one can seriously claim that liberals are "without sin." However, what makes the book truly enlightening is not the sins themselves. Rather, it is the fact that conservative "moral values" are BS to begin with. To wit:

1. Gays are going to hell;
2. Islam is the "devil's faith";
3. Pre-emptive wars based on lies are morally justified;
4. Tax cuts take precedence over almost anything else, including health care and education;
5. Global warming is a myth. Even if it isn't, don't worry about it because "God has it under control";
6. It's OK to destroy the wilderness because "Jesus is coming back soon, anyway";
7. It's OK to nuke the Middle East into a plain of glass to usher in the Second Coming;
8. The Bible is literally true, word for word. All other faiths are false;
9. "Abstinence only" education actually works;

yadda yadda yadda...

To top it all off, they tell us this garbage during the day. However, once the sun goes down, their pants go down in brothels, public restrooms, mistress's bedrooms, etc. However, because they are "sinners", they merely ask for forgiveness the next day. Problem solved! ("Cheap grace" is a problem most conservatives need to confront openly and honestly).

Those sure are great "values"! They stink to begin with, and conservatives can't even follow them when no one is looking. Way to go, guys!!

This was a good "bit of fun" to read. We've almost all heard of the relatively "serious" instances here, and it IS enjoyable to note how those "holier than thou" ones (among whom brought/promoted presidential impeachment charges (!) for similar "sins") themselves get caught. BUT - - we didn't expect anything profound here, anyway--did we.

"The Brotherhood..." describes people who have held the public spotlight as politicians or religious leaders who have railed against the lack of morality, and lost tradition of family and Christian values in our society.

The only problem is that these same people have been exposed in acts of stalking, domestic violence, sexual harassment, infidelity, and stealing as bad as, or worse than the lack of morality they were gnashing their teeth about.

These preachers and politicians have often been in the national spotlight not only being outspoken against a particular offense but also being sponsors of organizations or bills in Congress to prevent the very things they were eventually caught doing themselves.

Their responses to being caught were equally peculiar on many occasions and revealed their level of character e.g. going to alcohol rehabilitation after being exposed for sending sexually suggestive messages to minors, or stating that what they did was not so bad when compared with what others have done, but my favorite is: "I asked God to forgive me and He did." (This is what some call cheap grace).

Authors Joe Amann and Tom Breuer have divided their book into three sections: Republicanicus Libidinus, Religious Devianti, and Conservativicus Debaucheria, describing the rich peccadillos and behaviors of about seventy people who are given about two or three pages of type. The reader will quickly get the idea that the authors are disporting themselves in fits of mirth as they add metaphors and similes that cause laughter from the gut and soul.

But they impart a more important message here. While they acknowledge that democrats have often had their share of scandals and sexual escapades, they contend that republicans and conservatives have often nurtured the (false) idea that they have always been strong on defense, tough on crime, and stood up for family values and morality. This makes their peccadillos seem especially hypocritical.

This is a good read in the car (unless you're driving) or in some waiting area if you're pants are on. (It shouldn't be read in airport men's rooms). It is not meant to be deep or profound as much as enjoyable. It is meant to laugh and scorn others who spent a lifetime of scorning. It is also a reminder that the mightiest often fall the hardest, and that the meek shall inherit the earth. The cardinal sins of pride and lust lead to the greatest downfalls.

What the book doesn't explain is why they do it, and the risks they know they must be taking when they are committing unsavory or illegal acts. The book doesn't even pretend to be on this level, but there is one that does that should be considered along with this one: "Conscience of a Conservative" by John Dean is an attempt to do so. Joe Conason also reveals the hypocrisy of conservative positions in his book: "Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How it Distorts the Truth."

Why did I read this?

The devil made me do it.

In this fun, fast-moving story, Londoner Georgia (not Georgie, thank-you very much) is starting over in Australia after breaking up with her cheating fiance.

Through her job working at Glow magazine, she ends up in the middle of Sydney social life--a dazzling whirl of parties, easy drugs and sex, and friendships both superficial and strong.

She recovers from her broken heart, makes some good friends, learns about herself, love, friendship, and trust, and ends up with a romance after all, even though she'd intended to keep things light. (No, I'm not saying who it's with or what happens--you'll have to read the book to find out!

The Good:
Pants on Fire could have easily become a cautionary tale about the evils of drug use or promiscuity, but it didn't.

It also avoided cliches with Georgia's best friend, Antony, who's gay, but not a caricature.

The secondary characters, and there are quite a few of them, are neither perfect nor 2-dimensional 'types'. They're realistic--people you might expect to meet if you were part of the in-crowd in Sydney.

I've never been to Australia (my husband did have the opportunity to be stationed there at one point, but we opted for Germany instead), but Pants on Fire made it come to life for me.

The Bad:
Be warned: lots of promiscuity, and drugs in this one. I had a bit of trouble with all the casual drug use--that's not something I see in fiction much at all, unless it's the villain, and it's a cautionary tale.

Entertaining, but it was more of a "slice of life" story than one that actually went somewhere.

The Verdict:
A quick, fun read, as long as you know what to expect.

In London Georgiana "Georgia" (not Georgie or George) Abbott catches her fiancé with his erect penis, but someone else is giving him the lift. Needing to move on and mend her broken heart, Georgia accepts a job at Glow magazine in Sydney, Australia though her friends and family think going Down Under to turn one's life upside down seems excessive.

In Sydney, Georgia joins the party scene as expected by someone who works for a magazine that offers information on orgasms for the 18-26 (by 27 you know or are too frigid to matter) female. Georgia realizes the men she meets are clones of the cheater she left behind; even the tongues are as slimy as that limey she dumped. Though Billy Ryan's tongue makes her reconsider having a first born with him, he introduces her to Rory Stewart who mourns the loss of his three older brothers in a plane crash. Rory cares for his devastated family taking up farming and having given up art. He and Georgia are attracted to one another, but he fears commitment feeling overburdened with his family load.

Though the disproportionate promiscuity and overindulgent drug usage is over emphasized, fans will appreciate this chick lit tale as the English transplant does Sydney (and a few males). The story line is often amusing, but the support cast for the most part comes across as superficial. Rory is the only person who truly cares about others, which leads to his dilemma of choosing between the woman he loves and tending to his broken family. He keeps Maggie Alderson's tale alive with his deep feelings especially his frustrations of that of the caretaker who has abandoned his desires sacrificing his life doing the good deeds.

Harriet Klausner

This is one of the best chick lit books I've ever read. The narration is sharp and the plot keeps one constantly turning the pages. One of the things I like about this book was the portrayal of a glamourous, if insular lifestyle. While many characters are superficial drug aficianados, the narrator doesn't preach about the evils of a fast life but rather enjoys the characters for what they are.

Only two problems with the book: the narrator doesn't seem to have much of a "presence:" this is made up for by the many memorable (if vaguely annoying) people that she meets and befriends. But thinking back on her, I can't remember what she's "about." My other problem is that the romance at the end is tied up a bit too neatly. But come on, it's chick lit, and this is a damn good book!

i loved this book!!! if you're a fan of jane green, jennifer weiner, jennifer crusie, sophie kinsella, or marian keyes, you'll love maggie alderson. this book is charming and funny. it should be read by everyone who is a fan of chick-lit.

This book absolutely appalled me. It claimed to beat Bridget Jones as a bit of chick fiction, but the Jones novels never tried so hard to be "cool". It's depiction of life in Australia was so cliche that I find it hard to believe the author was Australian. It seemed more like a complete regurgitation of the "Australia" that is fed to foreigners by our tourism industry! On top of this, the protagonist in this piece of crap annoyed me to tears with her superficiality and gullibility. Not only that, but she constantly went along with things she didn't want to do as though she had no will of her own! Not a good example of what a woman should be. She was unwilling to really work at any of her relationships, as soon as any of her friends or romantic interests made a mistake she was ready to throw them on the rubbish heap. That's the exact opposite of the kind of values our society needs! At least Bridget Jones taught (through those jailed Thai women) that many shortcomings can be forgiven. Moreover, the protagonist in POF was constantly surrounded by drugs and homosexuality and promiscuity. The author is obviously lacking in morals to such a degree that she is willing to sink to glamourising these things in order to make a quick buck! The characters were all so cliche and unconvincing. They just didn't ring true and seemed to me more like figments of some teen's fantasy. This Maggie Alderson should never be published - she should just go back to her superficial and contrived life of sniffing coke with all her suferficial, contrived, insecure and empty friends.