Customer Reviews

Apocalypse Wow

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A terrific send up of the end-of-the-world timers and prophets. Putting all the enlightement (new age) and biblical end-of-time predicitons in one spot just highlights how ridiculous the lot of them are. Nicely written with a great combination of 'Oh Gosh, isn't this wonderful' straight man approach and sly digs hidden (or not so hidden) throughout the text.

Okay, so the millenium has passed, but there are still some who say that apocalyptic doom is just around the corner. James Finn Garner has taken all this doom and gloom and dissected it with a satirist's wit, hopefully putting all your fears to rest. Imagine the skepticism of a James Randi combined with the irreverence of a Michael Moore as he tackles everything from the Bible to UFOs. Maybe now you'll be able to sleep at night. I recommend reading this with Stephen Jay Gould's QUESTIONING THE MILLENIUM.

The book's setting is Chicago, Illinois. The author is the main character and parades around Chicago to learn about the Apocalypse and the signs that hint the end. He starts the book by explaining the philosophy of other prophets such as the well known Nostradamus.He explains the different dates of Apocalypse according to Nostradamus' most famous book.

In search of an answer James Finn Garner read books written by philosophers who tried to predict the end of the world.He tries to prove the theory of several different philosophers. While attempting to prove the theories of the philosophers right he also realizes that they are also absolutely inaccurate. James Finn Garner also conducted a tiring but hilarious analysis of almost every source available for predicting the future, such as boiled tea leaves, crystal balls, and severed donkey heads. Garner looks to uncover the truths behind crop circles, harmonic convergence, and channeling. It was a humorous take on the end of the world. Ganer seems to change a disaster to what one would call a grade A comedy.While using comedy he also may offend some readers as he does insult almost every religion ranging from Christianity to Judaism. Using his politically incorrect gestures he makes a reader laugh. Garner will jump from serious to humor but certain theories maybe confusing for readers as he tends to use scientific terms which a reader would never understand.His book is a comedy but a politically incorrect comedy. The question is why does the cover clearly state a that it is a politically correct story. The book really should never be given to a religous or fanatic person. This book has clearly been written for a person who is not easily affended.

"Apocalypse Wow!" is probably the funniest book I have read so far this year. Garner totally debunks every apoclayptic prophecy and superstition from The Revalation to Nostradamus by sarcastically pretending to believe them. This book was an incredibly light read, I read it cover to cover at a coffee shop near my college. I think this is a vastly underrated book. I hadn't even heard of it until I noticed it on the library shelf as having a catchy title.

I would say this book is a hilarious and engaging work of common sense and skepticism in society obsessed with the "X-Files" and "Unexplained Mysteries". I found particularly funny the way he parodied the obsession with names and prophecy by rearranging names in the book (i.e. Nostradamus = Stud Oarsman, Roast Us Damn!) No supersition or archaic belief is spared here, including UFOs, reincarnation, or the lost city of Atlantis.

Perhaps the only downfall of this book was the last chapter, which was somewhat anticlimactic and didn't cover anything previous chapters already didn't. But a great book nonetheless.

I highly recommend this book to any skeptic with a sense of humor.

Chris

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

If you have a sense of humor for wit and riotous sarcasm, then this book is perfect. A combination of facts with sarcasm, this book had me laughing the whole way through. However, If you're as closeminded and slow-witted as some of these other reviewers then maybe you shouldn't be reading any books. OUCH!!!

Garner has some fun with "New-Age" sensibilities and so will the reader. A comic look at some trends that are sometimes so innately amusing it seems to be redundant to make fun of them.Think of it as an issue of The Skeptical Inquirer (with a sense of humor)

This was an enjoyeable book. It gets kind of weary at times and some of the jokes have worn thin, but over all, it is good for a few laughs

This is a very funny book with lots of great insights.
If you take it too seriously, however, you'll get mighty paranoid about the end of the world!
I recommend you buy it immediately

This one is just for the fun of it! What did you do the night the millennium ended? This author has some hilarious ideas about what to do & how we did it when the odometer clicked over from 999. If you're religiously sensitive I advise you to give this little book a miss, if on the other hand, you have a lively sense of the absurd, love to have your tongue tied up in exuberant language & take humor literally you will get much irreverent & novel comedy from those burning questions that cropped up. Will the warranty still be valid in 00? A little outdated now as we all know we've survived yet good enough for a laugh or three.