But I Digress [Paperback]

Joe Lavin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 1999

And you thought reading humor columns was just silly fun. Reading "but i digress...," Joe Lavin's collection of humor columns, can actually change your life. Where else can you get step-by-step practical advice on how to write a "...For Dummies' book? ("In order to make your reader feel better, try to make fun of smart people. Remember, smart people suck.") Lavin also teaches you to stifle the inner pack rat by moving as much as possible and storing your most useless junk at your parents' house. (Note to self: Make sure my parents don't read this book.) This book also gives Lavin an opportunity for public service work. I'm sure many of you sports fans missed the interview with actress Jennifer Love Hewitt on the 300-hour long Fox NFL Sunday Tostitos Budweiser Prudential Super Bowl Pre-Game Show. Lavin reprints it here, just for you. ("Jennifer, who do you think will win the Super Bowl?" "Um, I really like the Yankees.") "but i digress..." takes on any topic, from trying to move a television across the country to an in-depth review of the Anna Nicole Smith biography Lavin skimmed through while the bookstore was closing. In fact, the funniest columns are the ones about the minor annoyances in life. Lavin finds humor columns in all the little glitches, surprises, and setbacks. He's even spent his time and energy reviewing a web site for people born with the shame and horror of....red hair. As a fellow redhead, I owe my life to Mr. Lavin for his courageous investigative reporting. He'd have written more about it, but he couldn't bring himself to part with the twenty-dollar membership fee. If you aren't familiar with Joe Lavin's work, it's time to get acquainted with the humorist whose web site is visited weekly by over 5,000 fans. "but i digress..." is a great introduction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Imagine my surprise... they are still as funny as when I read them the first time! -- Unknown

This book is very funny! Joe Lavin is clever,insightful, humorous and a good writer. -- Unknown

About the Author

Joe Lavin is a 28-year-old humor columnist from Cambridge, Massachusetts. His writing has appeared in many publications including The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Boston Phoenix, the Denver Post, Salon.com, and Might. His online humor column is now read regularly by over 5,000 people at http://joelavin.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Redline Press; 1 edition (December 28, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0967777100
• ISBN-13: 978-0967777108
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,609,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lavin's Laudable Laments, February 4, 2000

By 

Mike Howard (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: But I Digress (Paperback)

If you have read Joe Lavin's Internet columns, this book will not be new to you. It will, however, remind you that Lavin who some may consider to be a Dave Barry genetic mutation is truly a columnist on the rise. And I'm not making this up!

The fifty-four columns in "but i digress" are punched with Lavin's myopic brand of contemporary humor and weasel-biting prose that strips the flesh off of sacred cows and individuals (sometimes being one and the same). The book is a great read and serves to document events, happenings and headline grabbing individuals with a perspective not often considered rational...by normal thinking folks. The book is genuine Lavin. The book will be a collector's item.

Would I recommend this book to others? Not only have I recommended it, but I have given the book to those who are serious about discovering new authors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very cool book, June 12, 2000

By 

Dawn (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: But I Digress (Paperback)

Having been a fan of Joe's since his pre-interet days it was great seeing his work in print once more.

Joe's subtle, sarcastic wit has never failed to make me laugh. The "interesting" way he looks at life, the universe and everything is an inspiration to those of us who have neither his wit or charm.

Bu this book, and buy one for your friends. I promise you that they'll thank you for it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surrealism in Everyday Life, February 18, 2000

By 

Marylaine Block (Davenport, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: But I Digress (Paperback)

This is a wonderful collection of columns -- funny, hip, and irreverent. Joe has a gift for pointing out to the world, ever so politely, that, um, it doesn't actually make any sense, you know? And the world has an equal gift for paying no attention to him and continuing to be absurd. One of the funniest essays is his account of being the object of a telephone survey about the wonders of iced coffee, which he despises -- and the hapless survey giver keeps right on asking the questions, in a way that reminds you of Green Eggs and Ham (Would you like it in a boat? Would you like it in a coat?) He talks about why we should get to elect our television pundits, and why we might want to get in on the Joe Lavin for President Exploratory Committee. He tells us about the problems generated by what he believes must be a neon sign on his forehead inviting crazy people to talk to him. His columns touch on sports journalism ("What Were You Thinking While Choking in Front of Millions of People?"), the weird sort of composite TV show created by clicking through hundreds of channels, customer support lines ("Keeping Customers on Hold since 1983"), cloning, "Fighting the Inner Pack Rat," Dummies' Guides, school ("Nazi Germany and Seventh Grade: a Comparative Study"), and many other things. I've followed Joe's columns for a couple of years, and he really has selected his very best stuff for this volume. They're bound to inspire you with the urge to get on his e-mail list and keep up with his new stuff.