Customer Reviews

101 Uses for an Old John Deere

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My father's family grew up on a farm in central Illinois where they raised corn, soybeans, cows and pigs. Naturally, one of the joys of being a youngster was to visit our grandfather and to crawl all over the farm equipment. While there, I remember a particular brand of humor that was both drier and more restrained than the humor I was used to in Southern California. Reading 101 Uses for an Old John Deere brought back all of those wonderful experiences for me.

The book is a handy size to carry around, so you can share the good humor inside its pages with those you meet.

The 101 uses are arranged as follows:

Matters of Growing Up, pp. 8-27

Matters of the Heart, pp. 28-35

Matters of Everyday Life, pp. 36-79

Matters of Fun, pp. 80-91

Matters of the Soul, pp. 92-95

Matters of Growing Old and Wise, pp. 96-108

Each use is illustrated by either a drawing, an old advertisement, a painting, or a photograph. A brief headline captures the "use" and a short sentence explains the use.

What makes the book charming is that the uses are very unexpected and humorous. Here are some of my favorites:

High Chair; Jungle Gym; Lego Set; Goal Posts; Hiding Place; Anatomy Lesson; School Bus; Flight Simulator; Driver's Ed Vehicle; Guy Magnet; Hot Date; Ride to Lover's Lane; Wedding Present; Honeymoon Cruise; Volkswagen Bug; Lamborghini; Muscle Car; Convertible; Taxi; Minivan; James Bond 007 Spy Vehicle; Stealth Fighter; Lunch Counter; Posture Builder; Beach Chair; Exercise Bike; Dog Walker; Mother-in-Law Apartment; Lawn Ornament; Insurance Claim; Fertilizer; Junk Pile Starter Kit; Sci-Fi Movie Terror; Christmas Tree; Second Husband; Sex Symbol; Time Machine; and Perfect Ending.

To give you a flavor of a "use," let's look at "Goal Posts." "The exhaust pipes on a John Deere Model D were just right for kicking field goals in a friendly game of football." The image is face on towards a tractor. "Christmas Tree" has two tractors festooned with colored lights in front of a house similarly lit on a snowy night.

If you personally love John Deere tractors, this book will bring you much delight. Even if you don't, you should give it as a gift to someone who does love this American icon.

After you finish smiling your way through the book, consider what other parts of our American heritage can regularly bring a smile to your face. Do you have enough samples of these other symbols around to keep you smiling all the time?