Beating Around the Bush [Hardcover]

Art Buchwald (Author), Garry Trudeau (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2005

Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post columnist Art Buchwald returns undaunted to examine the ridiculous people and preposterous events that we call our daily reality. Collected from his columns, with a foreword by Garry Trudeau, Buchwald’s satirical voice darts at politicians, power, corporations and the media without pause. A self-described troublemaker, Buchwald continues to represent the great American traits of skepticism, humor, and a refusal to compromise in the face of absurdity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ART BUCHWALD was the writer of some thirty-two books, including two children’s books and two novels. He was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for "Outstanding Commentary" in 1982, and in 1986 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Buchwald, by his own report, was a workaholic and had no hobbies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583227148
• ISBN-13: 978-1583227145
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,198,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Going Strong, November 23, 2005

By 

Jerry Z (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beating Around the Bush (Hardcover)

Art Buchwald is one of the most influential newspaper columnists of the past half-century and one of the greatest humorists in the history of American journalism. So when he comes out with a new collection of columns, it is indeed a cause for celebration.

Buchwald has been plying his trade, which is to make us laugh at the absurdities of modern life, for an astounding 56 years. Along the way, he has won the Pulitzer Prize, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, has built a legion of fans and has written 32 books. "Beating Around the Bush" is his 33rd. It's also one of his best.

Buchwald works in two ways: His columns are fresh and funny snapshots of our society, but when the topicality wears off and they appear in a book one to four years after they were originally published, they become little history lessons, still funny and still, amazingly, fresh. Or, at least, not stale.

Fans of the Bush administration may not appreciate some of the jabs Buchwald takes, but fans of the Clinton administration probably didn't appreciate the jabs the humorist took at Bill and Hillary in his previous collection, "We'll Laugh Again."

Buchwald is an equal-opportunity jabber. His humor is never cruel or mean-spirited, but it always hits the mark. It's remarkable considering he suffered and fully recovered from a massive stroke five years ago, recently turned 80 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Thanks for all the laughs, Art. Keep them coming.

4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rather Bland, February 13, 2006

By 

Loyd E. Eskildson "Pragmatist" (Phoenix, AZ.) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beating Around the Bush (Hardcover)

Buchwald's "Beating Around the Bush" takes jabs at politicians, corporations, and the media. It is comprised of a number of Buchwald's newspapers columns on current events.

The humor is there, but not nearly as strong as with fellow satirists Al Franken and Bill Maher. Topics addressed include Iraq (it's the only war we've got, so we have to support it), Compassionate Conservatives (someone who wants to help the working poor, the undeducated, and the unemployed - not with money, but with prayers and tax cuts), Wal-Mart (solving one of America's biggest problems - sending jobs overseas, by keeping cleaning jobs here and bringing foreigners here to do them), and Zell Miller (had a heart transplant after giving keynote speech for Clinton in '92 - this allowed him to bash Democrats at Republican '04 Convention).

I'd go with Franken or Maher instead.