Customer Reviews

Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

A quick perusal of the widely varied reviews on Amazon.com shows this book has polarized those who read it into two groups: those who laughed and those who didn't. Both points of view are, in this case, quite valid.

One of the major "problems" with this book might be the title. This is, in fact, NOT a book FOR graduates. It IS a book ABOUT graduates from a parent's point of view. The point of view is very important, because it has everything to do with the prism through which the humor is presented. A been-there-done-that parent sees the world very differently from their green-as-grass new grads. A new grad who has yet to pay a rent check to Attilla The Hun can't possibly know what that's like, therefore the reference will be unfunny, maybe even a little scary. Therefore, I wonder if the title choice wasn't made by a publisher marketing suit who hadn't read the book...

Nonetheless, the book still isn't one of Mr. Cosby's strongest efforts. Doubtless, this book would be far funnier in audio format with Mr. Cosby as the reader, as his vocal inflections can paint word pictures worth 1,000 additional words. Unfortuneately, I was left with my own, quite unfunny internal voice that had me smiling alot but never laughing aloud.

I would not recommend giving this as a graduation present to your 22-year-old grad fresh out of the dorms, but their parents might enjoy it.

First for all those people who bashed this book...it's supposed to be funny. I just recently graduated college and I thought this book was very funny. Learn to laugh at yourself. If you were buying this book to learn about college life in a factual non-humourous way you bought the wrong book. Mr. Cosby isn't making college kids out to be morons. In all of his books he picks out a class of people and makes fun of them. Laugh people! As for the book it was what it was meant to be, funny! The jokes are great as they always are!

Mr. Cosby has done it again! Last year I graduated from the University of Southern California and he was our guest Commencement speaker. His speech was very entertaining yet inspirational. I was afraid I would not remember much of his speech but after reading this book I was able to recall his kind words of advice. This is a man who is very experienced in life and I think any college graduate or to be graduate should read and appreciate what he has to say.

I picked up this book as an airplane read across the country. I settled into my seat and prepared myself for a treat; several hours of uninterrupted time to savor the humor and wisdom of Bill Cosby as he addressed the products of my own professional endeavors. You see, I am a career counselor at the University of California. I have worked with new college graduates for almost twenty years. I was sure Bill Cosby would have something wonderful to say as these young people enter their working lives. I was sorely disappointed. What Bill Cosby has done is taken this crop of graduates and held them up for ridicule. He makes his points with a humor that goes beyond cynical and get down right insulting and mean. It reminded me of the story of someone tickling a little child until it hurt. This book hurts. I am afraid thousands of well meaning parents will be giving this to their already frightened college graduates with the belief that there is wisdom within. What there is are examples of how inept, stupid, helpless and ill equipped Bill Cosby, Ed.D. believes the class of '99 are. I am very sad that a man who can reach millions of people simply by his name recognition has taken the time to write such a negative and disturbing book.When I bought the book I thought no one would appreciate his humor more than someone like myself who works with college students all the time. This book is not funny. It carries no important message.It is unkind and clearly written under a publishing deadline since the book ends abruptly. The are no parting words, you are just left with the feeling that many graduates will be confused with the message. I hope confusion is the strongest reaction the readers will have. I guarantee this book will rattle the already frail self confidence of those first time job seekers and make them feel like a bunch of lemmings running off a cliff. I expected more from you Bill.

This book seems to take the parents' perspective, not the student who is getting ready to be out on his own. It's not overly helpful but a book that would be great for college grads serious about starting out right is Welcome to the Real World: You Got an Education, Now Get a Life!, Revised and Updated Edition. If the seriousness of Welcome to the Real World is too much for you and you'd like to start out with something helpful but light hearted, then you should check out 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother, a funny, easy to read guide to living on your own, whether you are a college student or just a kid who's ready to leave home but not quite into studying up on how to do it. Both of these books though, take the kids' point a view, while the Cosby book sounds more like it's parent-directed. Mr. Cosby is a very funny man, but this is not one of his best efforts.

The most booked commencement speaker seems to be out of place in this book for college graduates. Rather than giving humorous advice to graduates, he takes the role of a disgruntled parent. While I will not argue with his assessment that the college curriculum has been "dumbed down", Cosby seems to be suggesting that college lacks any purpose. As a consequence of this, graduates are not prepared for anything in the real world. This problem does not even address the greatest contradiction of this book. If this is a book for graduates, why is Cosby's voice that of an angry parent telling his children to get out of the house.

There are many better books in this mold. I have liked Cosby's other books and I am in disbelief that he wrote this book. The book is neither humorous, not does the book speak to its intended audience. In reality, the book is just as misguided as the college students that the book allegedly targets.

As Bill Cosby is one of my favorite authors and storytellers I was quite excited to read this book. Having completed this read I must admit to a real sense of disappointment; while the book tries to come across as tongue in cheek it reads more as a rant against higher education.

In fact, it is a clean alternative to George Carlin's rantings which seem also to have gone from biting and funny to just biting.

The entire book basically rants that your diploma is worthless and a slings out a "might as well give up now" attitude. The more I read, the more I kept waiting for Cosby to yell "Just Kidding!" but it never happened. No, it seems that we are getting a glimpse of the anger building up in him back in 1999 which has been driving his lectures of late.

While the book is funny in a dark sort of way I cannot recommend it as a gift for any new graduate as it would probably not deliver on your expectations.

Bill Cosby does it again. Being a recent College grad, I found this book very amusing and enjoyable to read. He hits the nail on the head in talking about apartments, job interviews, and leaving home.

Final Word: A DEFINITE buy for any graduate!

I have two sons in college at the present time. I read this thinking it would make a great present and I was sadly mistaken. His other books added humor and insight - this one added neither insight or humor. I will not be buying it for my sons, who are headed in the right direction towards a career in their chosen fields of study.

I can't believe that i rushed out to buy this book. The reviews were way off... Oprah was way wrong... I just graduated from college, who does this man think that we graduates are? Complete idiots? Mr. Cosby should know, that we are a group of very fine young men and women...there are very few of us that fit that description he writes about. I never have been so disappointed with a book ever!