See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

48 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time (Paperback)

by Paul Davidson (Author) "I recently made a trip to your store in Los Angeles, in the market for a set of automotive repair books, a book on how..." (more)
Key Phrases: David Paulson, South Doheny Drive, Los Angeles (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


14 new from $3.72 34 used from $0.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Idiot Letters

Idiot Letters

by Paul Rosa
More Letters from a Nut

More Letters from a Nut

by Ted L. Nancy
4.8 out of 5 stars (31)  $7.60
Letters from a Nut

Letters from a Nut

by Ted L. Nancy
4.4 out of 5 stars (130)  $6.00
Wilber Winkle Has a Complaint

Wilber Winkle Has a Complaint

by John Homans
4.9 out of 5 stars (14)  $12.95
The Lazlo Letters

The Lazlo Letters

by Don Novello
4.6 out of 5 stars (17)  $9.95
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This compendium of oddball customer query and complaint letters should tickle the ribs of anyone who's ever considered writing a letter to protest an inferior product or solve a merchandise mystery (e.g., why are Wendy's hamburgers square?). Hollywood writer Davidson, working under the pseudonym David Paulson, reprints some 100 letters he wrote to American companies, as well their representatives' responses to his rather unusual comments and requests. His letter to the Jamba Juice Corporation suggests new flavors (tuna melt, Thanksgiving Dinner) to supplement their popular healthy shots. "I can't quite understand how people are able to swallow that Wheat Grass stuff you grind up for them," he writes. "It tastes like you fell on your face in a game of soccer and just happened to have your mouth open." After Jamba writes back, expressing appreciation for his creativity and their immediate testing of his "concoctions," he follows up with another letter in which he recommends publicizing their products through an activity on Fear Factor. Other pranks include sending a five dollar bill to a "Sir or Madam" at RadioShack ("I was handed it by an elderly customer...I had believed it was stolen from an open cash register"), for which he receives a thoughtful reply and two "$10.00 'Customer Appreciation Dollars'"; harassing Ben &Jerry's ("We're sorry to hear that you are seeing a psychologist because you haven't heard from us about your flavor suggestion," their letter reads); and asking the Marshmallow Fluff folks if "nuking it in the microwave for 10 minutes and then freezing it" will make a marshmallow ice-cream pop (it won't). Highbrow humor it ain't, but it is certainly, as Davidson himself puts it, "damn good bathroom reading."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"I couldn't put it down. Some of the funniest writing since 'Seinfeld'."
-Jerry Stiller

"It's hard to know which are funnier: Paul Davidson's facetious letters to Fortune 500 companies or the corporate stooges' equally clueless replies. Read Consumer Joe yourself and decide."
-Andy Borowitz, humorist for The New Yorker and author of Who Moved My Soap? The CEO's Guide to Surviving in Prison

"Hilarious. Paul Davidson razzes corporate America with the swift sword of Michael Moore, the energy of Richard Simmons, the wit of Seinfeld and the grace of Gilligan. From all-pulp orange juice to plucking his unibrow, this book will have you laughing out loud...at least until you realize just what kind of country we live in. Then of course, you'll want to take it on the plane when you make your exile."
-Gwen Macsai, Author of "Lipshtick", NPR Contributor, Creator of ABC's "What About Joan" -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway; 1st edition (September 9, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 076791502X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0767915021
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #574,569 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I recently made a trip to your store in Los Angeles, in the market for a set of automotive repair books, a book on how to install sinks and garbage disposals in my own kitchen, and a picture book about the famous boy-band, N'Sync. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
David Paulson, South Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, Consumer Relations, Krispy Kreme, Best Buy, Magic Mountain, New York, David Paymer, Marshmallow Fluff, West Coast Region, Jamba Juice, Option Two, Federal Express, Marshmallow Magic Pop, Radio Shack, Taco Bell, United States, Charlie the Tuna, Customer Service Dear Sir, Fear Factor, Top Flight, Whistling Doughnut, Black Knight, Cap'n Crunch
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time
64% buy the item featured on this page:
Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time 4.6 out of 5 stars (14)
Extra Nutty! Even More Letters from a Nut!
19% buy
Extra Nutty! Even More Letters from a Nut! 4.6 out of 5 stars (23)
$12.89
Letters from a Nut
17% buy
Letters from a Nut 4.4 out of 5 stars (130)
$6.00

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest Thing I've Read In a Long, Long Time, October 3, 2003
By "fabepm" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
I rushed out to buy this book after listening to an interview with the author on a popular morning radio show. Mind you, this is not something I am prone to do very often, but the guy sounded really funny on the radio and some of the letters that were read on-air almost made me pee my drive-time-traffic pants.

Well, after reading through it a total of one-and-a-half times (some pages were so funny, I had to read again), I am very pleased to report that the book did not disappoint - and in fact, far surpassed my expectations.

The letters he writes to major corporations are truly hilarious. These are all companies that I use, or have used on a regular basis, so reading the letters was not only entertaining, but also a kind of wish-fulfillment on my part. And then, the corporate replies.... Just knowing that someone had to spend the time to write a straight-faced response (and in some cases, not-so-straight-faced) tickled me to no end. Although I do have to express my surprise that some of the companies actually displayed a little sense of humor.

Bottom line: If you like to laugh, buy this book! I've already more copies for Christmas presents!! Sure to become a fave coffee table book in your house as well. And word to the wise: be sure to relieve your bladder before you read!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars As a gift for my husband, September 7, 2007
We were getting something to eat on our honeymoon and my husband picked up this book. He cracked up! I made a mental note that it would make a great git for him later on. After a little hunting, I found it. It is a perfect book for the sarcastic person. He still pulls it out every once in a while for a chuckle.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Consumer's letters represent mainstream America, June 19, 2007
As the corporate customer service writer featured on the book's 49th page, I was surprised when David Paulson contacted me a second time to say that his November 6 letter was actually a "test," so to speak. To those working in the airline industry during the dark days and months that followed 9/11, some of the questions that passengers asked--and the scenarios about which they (and he) wrote--were especially mind-boggling. But, when now re-reading Mr. Paulson's letter (on Page 48 of Consumer Joe), his concerns about tweezers are honestly no more outlandish than some seriously written letters that passengers send to airlines on an average day--which only goes to show the mindset of the traveling public!

Consumer Joe is good, lighthearted reading that makes me chuckle whenever I open it. Thanks, David!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Ad
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Times
I keep this in my guest bathroom. You can hear people giggling in there as they read the stories. I thought it was fantastic, because someone finally asked the questions I wanted... Read more
Published on December 13, 2006 by Teach

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally fresh humor
This is the funniest, wittiest and original book I've read in ages. With so much mundane humor out there it's refreshing to see some fresh and original humor. Read more
Published on March 23, 2004 by Richard E. Abruscato

4.0 out of 5 stars An idelible character
Sure the letters are funny, but the best thing about Consumer Joe is the guy who ostensibly wrote them, David Paulson. Read more
Published on October 8, 2003 by Oliver Oertel

5.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee table book...
I purchased this book after hearing the author on KROQ. I absolutely loved it. It was a combination of funny yet realistic situations. Read more
Published on October 4, 2003 by M. Shaw

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughing Out Loud
So I heard about this book from a friend, so I picked it up for a recent trip to NYC. I cracked it open @ the airport as I waited for my flight. Read more
Published on October 3, 2003 by nbwulf

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny, Enjoyable Book
A previous reviewer complains that this book adds nothing new to the prank letter book genre. While I respect the opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree. Read more
Published on October 3, 2003 by jaimesanchez

1.0 out of 5 stars Consumer Joe Blows!
I bought this book hoping to enjoy a different take on the whole prank letter thing. Boy was I wrong. Read more
Published on October 2, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious! Dissing corporate America has never been so funn
This book is a collection of send-ups that will keep you laughing for quite awhile. What happens to marshmallow fluff when you microwave it for ten minutes, and then freeze it... Read more
Published on September 15, 2003 by Kevin Kelly

5.0 out of 5 stars Consumer Joe Comedic Genius!
Consumer Joe is hands down, the funniest book I have ever read!
If you are the type of person that is uncomfortable losing control of your bladder or not into making a... Read more
Published on September 10, 2003 by Carrie Jablonow

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh Until You Wet Your Pants!
Ok, you might not have to change your shorts, but you'll at least have to wipe away some tears of laughter after reading the brilliant letters from the twisted mind of Paul... Read more
Published on September 10, 2003

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Listmania!



Look for Similar Items by Category


Great Deals on Magazines

Visit our huge selection of magazine subscriptions often to see the latest special offers and bonuses. Check out magazines like The New Yorker, Wired, and Vanity Fair.
 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
 

Best Books

Best of the Month
See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.
 
Ad

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Free
Free by Chris Anderson
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Glenn Beck's Common Sense

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates