Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, & Lawn Care [Paperback]

Diana Estill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2006

Texas humor columnist Diana Estill shares her outrageous views on everything from foreign rental cars to designer dogs and toilet repairs. In this romp of a read, she explains why men grill when they need love, what really happens to lost luggage, and how to use mouthwash to green a lawn.

Follow this failed dieter and flawed philosopher as she steers an unconventional and humorous course through chaos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . cheery, vibrant, stylish, rich humor. Diana Estill's writing style left this book critic wanting more where that came from." -- THE INSIDE VIEW(tm), book critic and host Salvador SeBasco (April 12, 2007)

"Personal slices of life served in the spirit of Erma Bombeck . . . nothing short of hilarious." --ForeWord Clarion Reviews

From the Author

Buy this book and tell at least ten of your friends about it or else you will gain five pounds within the next two weeks. Hey, don't say I didn't try to warn you.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Brown Books; 1st edition (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933285419
• ISBN-13: 978-1933285412
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Estill is the author of three humor books, one novel, and a collection of short stories. For Deedee Divine's Totally Skewed Guide to Life, she was named a ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist and an International Book Awards Winner in the humor category.

Prior to becoming an author, Diana worked for many years as a journalist and humor columnist. Her columns have appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, The Miami Herald, Road & Travel, and other publications. She has been featured in First Magazine and has appeared on a variety of TV shows and radio programs.

Diana's debut novel, When Horses Had Wings, was inspired by her life experiences as a former teen mother and high school dropout. After completing her education, she taught GED classes, worked as a consultant to the National Institute for Literacy and American Council on Education, and served as a U.S. delegate to a UNESCO conference.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sense of the outrageous..., March 3, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, & Lawn Care (Paperback)

Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road by Diana Estill is a sparkling collection of humorous vignettes that range from the anecdotal to the philosophical--and almost everything in between.

Drawing mainly from her own experiences, from youth right through to Grandma-hood, and with her tongue lodged firmly in her cheek, Diana Estill provides guidance and advice on such wide-ranging topics as wedding anniversary gifts, handling jalapeno peppers, and football terminology for dummies. Interspersed with such ruminations are hilarious anecdotes such as the Christmas Monopoly game that did not become a 'family tradition,' and the testosterone-fuelled Texas Chain Saw Adventure.

Refreshingly, political correctness is thrown out of the window. The foibles and peculiarities particular to the male and female varieties of our species are brilliantly portrayed. As a man, I heartily endorse her theories on the problems of mall navigation for men, and the ingenious solution of a male drop-off zone complete with vibrating chairs, televised sports, and attendant grannies missing their grown-up sons. Brilliant.

Unlike many humor writers, Estill does not usually laugh at other people. By and large, she pokes fun at herself, her husband, and her family, in an affectionate way that is very appealing. Occasionally, the tone becomes more reflective and serious, with a couple of particularly lyrical and touching accounts of her relationship with her father.

At a fundamental level, this is an account of ordinary incidents in the everyday lives of normal people, and this is what makes it so accessible. Painting such events in her whimsical and quirky manner, Diana Estill infuses them with a sense of outrageous craziness that helps one to chuckle at the annoyances of life. After a tiring, stressful day this is a great book to pick up.

Armchair Interviews says: This book is a reminder that laughter is indeed the best medicine.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas Gift, November 3, 2006

By 

Bonnie Neely - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, & Lawn Care (Paperback)

Driving On The Wrong Side of the Road by Diana Estill will keep you chuckling and sometimes laughing uncontrollably, as I was while sitting in the airport reading it. The book is a compilation of some of Estill's very popular humor columns, which are featured in numerous publications. She was a finalist in the 2005 America's Funniest Humor Contest. Treat yourself and your friends to this delightful book. There are so many and varied situations about which she pokes fun, you'll relate to many and have great fun reading these aloud to people of all ages. Terrific Christmas gift for others or for yourself!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Vacation Read, June 13, 2006

By 

Michele B "Michele B" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, & Lawn Care (Paperback)

This is just the kind of book I like to carry with me when I travel and/or hang out at the beach or pool. Made me laugh out loud, then read out loud to my husband. Hubby loved it too, and that's saying alot!