A Few Drops Short of a Pint [Paperback]

Chris Dowding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2007

Chris Dowding lived a quiet, solitary life as an engineer in Brisbane that only began to change when he met his future wife Kerryn who, after their wedding, persuaded Chris to move to Ireland-to a new beginning. A Few Drops Short of a Pint is the hilarious account of Chris and Kerryn's Irish experience. Capturing Chris's fascinations, frustrations and fears (did you know 58 percent of all motor accidents in Dublin occur during the day, in high visibility conditions with dry weather, on a straight road?) in his new surroundings, the story covers Irish lifestyle issues ranging from water heating to violent political factionalism. While exploring Ireland, A Few Drops Short of a Pint is also a powerful story of self-exploration and discovery, showing that sometimes a change of circumstances is all the therapy we need. Jubilant and demoralised in equal measures, this is a story oozing with razor sharp (and often self-deprecating) wit that beautifully captures the experience of transplanting yourself into a foreign culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Dowding grew up in Redland Bay, a rural seaside community thirty kilometres south of Brisbane, Australia. He attended the local school in an era when kids got excited by doing tricks with yo-yos or poorly executed stunts on their BMXs.

In the 1990s, he studied civil engineering at QUT in Brisbane. After graduating, he lived a quiet solitary existence until he met his future wife, Kerryn.

Chris and Kerryn moved to Ireland in 2001. Both Kerryn and Ireland had a sense of spontaneity and surprise that Chris had previously avoided in his life. This was so unusual for him that he began writing about his experiences.

Chris and Kerryn now live in Australia, on the Sunshine Coast, with their cat, Mia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Interactive Publications; 1st edition (December 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1876819723
• ISBN-13: 978-1876819729
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars a few Drops short of a Pint, July 5, 2008

By 

R. Cooper (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Few Drops Short of a Pint (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book! A great story about the journeys we go on and how they can impact our lives.

Chris has a great sense of humour, and his love/hate relationship with the Irish shines through ih book as I giggled my way through the pages. It is great to read a 'regular blokes' writing!! :-)

Looking forward to the next adventure!

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking Back on Times Past, June 21, 2008

By 

A. Dowding (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Few Drops Short of a Pint (Paperback)

Not only is this book written by my brother an interesting and funny account of his travels in Ireland - more to the point - it has ME in it! Woohooo I'm famous... (Note to self: tone down my narcissistic tendencies). In all seriousness though, I enjoyed 'a few Drops short of a Pint', because in many ways it reminded me of my time and travels in Ireland too. Ireland can be a frustrating place, that is for certain, but those are the kinds of things you get through and look back and enjoy in retrospect. This is what Chris has captured, an essentially personal journey (in many senses of the word) in a retrospective angle. I think, having been tested time again, his character has shone through in his writing. There is a truthfulness to Chris' book that you can admire, I highly recommend trying it and discovering everything in it on offer yourself.

A. Dowding

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly funny!, June 12, 2008

By 

J. Wright (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Few Drops Short of a Pint (Paperback)

Very well written book with a lot of humour. I found myself laughing at the craziness of the people Chris and Kerryn came across in their travels. Can't wait to experience Ireland myself!

Would recommend it to anyone interested in funny travel narratives!