Customer Reviews

Breakfast at Bucks: Tales From the Pancake Guy

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Neither Jamis-the-person nor the story-of-his-life-to-date fit neatly into categories, boxes, bowls or baggies. This book illuminates Jamis' unique ability to explore and exploit and expand on his myriad adventures in a wonderfully personal and articulate way. I'm sure he'd loathe being tagged as "inspirational," but who cares? Anyone who does what he's done, and has the artifacts and scars and sparkle and a real life to prove it... well, that's sort-of inspiring, right?

This book is a fun read, a terrific peek at the world from Jamis' eyeballs and the fertile, creative mind behind them.

It isn't a cookbook; pancakes are irrelevant. It's mainly personal ethnography, social observation, and cultural history. It's set in the place that has probably had more impacton peoples' lives world-wide, over the past two decades, than any other spot in on the map.

So -- for those of us who miss David Sedaris (did he have to move to Paris just to smoke legally?), there's Jamis. Much closer, no passports required, and he usually speaks our language. And THIS book has terrific, scandalous, humorous photos, too.

I spilled mustard on Zsa Zsa Gabor's face and it wiped right off---the quality of paper is that good! But more importantly this book is beautifully written, engaging, and funny as hell. So if you're in the mood for a little entertainment in a serious world, a good beach read, or a book that will make that cross-country or intercontinental plane flight seem as if it took only minutes, this is the book for you.

Breakfast at Buck's is a delight. Jamis is inspirational as a writer and a person. The history of the dot-com-boom-and-bubble-and-bust is all here. Jamis explains that he is personally responsible for the bust, in fact. Such a relief when people admit their mistakes. Read it for the laughs and get a surprise jolt of true inspiration. It's a joy.

The writer has done a magnificent job entertaining the reader. Now that that goal has been met what else is there? The book itself. Well designed, great printing work, terrific cover and paper. It actually held together while reading through the entire treat that Jamis McNiven has brought us. Laugh? All the way through. If this book had been published in New York, it would have made the Times bestseller list. Bring on more Mr. McNiven.