Just Can't Get Enough: Toys, Games, and Other Stuff from the 80s that Rocked (Paperback)

by Matthew Robinson (Author), Jensen Karp (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this fond trip down memory lane, Just Can’t Get Enough celebrates all the awesome products kids collected, begged their parents for, threw tantrums about, and obsessed over in the 1980s. From Hit Stix to Hungry, Hungry Hippos, My Little Pony to My Buddy, this book has all the toys and games that made the ’80s one of the gnarliest decades of the century.

Packed with colorful photographs and illustrations and written in an entertaining, irreverent style, Just Can’t Get Enough is filled with personal anecdotes, funny facts, and random trivia, along with special features like the Redonkulous Meter, which measures how beyond ridiculous each product truly was. Hilarious and original, this book is a must-have for anyone who ever snuggled with their Care Bear, staged epic battles between He-Man and Skeletor, played with their Lite-Brite for hours, or all of the above.

About the Author
Matthew Robinson was born and raised on a steady diet of action figures and Saturday morning cartoons. When he’s not writing, he’s a member of the popular comedic rap group the Trilambs. He lives in Los Angeles.

Jensen Karp is a professional 1980s pop culture historian, talented rapper named Hot Karl, and owner of Gallery 1988, a pop art gallery named after his favorite year. He once met Anthony Michael Hall and lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Image (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081099433X
• ISBN-13: 978-0810994331
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #283,523 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Guilty Pleasure Book That Leaves You Wanting More, More, More..., February 23, 2008

By	CPR "xfilebuffyfan" (Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

There's a certain innocence about the 80's that seems very transparent by today's standards. But in the 80's... we all thought that we were living a revolution of cutting edge pop culture. Little did we know that those years would pale in comparison to the childhood trends of the 90's & 2000's. I really believed that I had dismissed from my mind most of the decade and rightly so, it seemed so 20 something years ago. But honestly this book made me really appreciate what I had forgotten. Being a kid of the Reagan Era, I lived through the 90's thumbing my nose at most of these pop culture icons (and listening to grudge rock). I bought "Just Can't Get Enough" as a passing fancy (being a follower of vintage toys), not knowing that the personal stories and memories of the authors would be the gems within.

The Book Itself - It's pretty neat really. The chapters are each a certain 80's icon, divided into small subsections with titles like, "The Story" or "The Products" or "What Does It All Mean?" All of this wrapped up in a suedo-Trapper Keeper style cover with a velcro clasp. When reading the chapters, you begin to appreciate how much time and effort was put into this book. With chapters devoted to Transformers, He-Man, Madballs, Scratch N' Sniff stickers, Garbage Pail Kids, etc., the book gives equal focus, regardless of obscurity. I particularly liked the toys that I remembered fondly from childhood, but also enjoyed the great details about toys I never knew - i.e. Pogo Ball or "Pogo Bal" as the writers note humorously. The authors treat us to most of the usual suspects of the decade, but there are a few rarely honored candidates such as Crossbows And Catapults, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and Hit-Stix among others. Also, there are some obvious misses such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Get Along Gang, Shirt Tales, Smurfs, Pound Puppies, etc. Hopefully these oversights make way for a follow-up volume. But what you do get makes up for anything not included. First thing you will notice is the great writing style. I particularly like the sarcastic overtone that seems to permeate from every page, pure "Gen X" humor at its best. These authors go to great lengths to make each chapter witty and nostalgic. In fact, if you are unable to feel an overwhelming sense of nostalgia after reading this book, then you most likely were born after Operation Desert Shield... or during the hay days of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Whether you relive the 80's regularly or haven't looked back since 1990 - this book is going to trigger fond memories... or at least jar something loose from the painfully hidden recesses of the mind.

My Personal Reaction - I found myself on several occasions laughing out loud. My girlfriend seemed frustrated with me continually interrupting her TV watching by loudly exclaiming, "listen to this" as I read aloud large passages time and time again. Finally she picked up the book, which was a big mistake for me... since it took me quite a while to get it back. She appreciated different sections (the My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite). It was like going to Toys 'R Us from your childhood; you either were in the boys section or over in the pink section if you were a girl - no matter which, it was fun. So I can say, there is something for everyone, boys and girls alike. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by my fascination with chapters like the game Guess Who?, which I actually hated as a child. The more ridiculous the idea the funnier the commentary became as the authors put it all in perspective. And when I say perspective, I mean being a 20 something or 30 something adult. There is some crude humor in here that is not at all pointed to the young kids we once were. But honestly, do we expect any children today to even bother reading this? I can plainly put that to rest - kids today would never "get" what this book is about. Once you start reading, remember this isn't just a book about the items; it's a book about how they all relate to us - the children of the 80's. So don't get caught up expecting a long treatise on the history of everything 1980's, that's not what it's about.

Final Thoughts - I read this only wanting more. The only fix for your "jonesing" would be to share this with others. If you buy this book, then don't forget to invite your other Gen X friends or siblings or whoevers to a fun filled day in the way-back machine. I highly recommend this book as a fan of humor and 80's pop culture. But, if you only want to see details of 80's toys - minus the nifty sarcasm, then check out Action Figures of the 1980s (Schiffer Book for Collectors) - it's loaded with great pictures. But be warned, that book doesn't have a one-tenth the laughs of "Just Can't Get Enough." If the authors do nothing else, then this book is still a masterpiece in its own right and worthy of a notable writing career. I hope this isn't the end though; there are plenty of unvisited pop culture products still lurking in our memories for "Just Can't Get Enough"... Volume 2.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So many memories..., December 9, 2007

By	M. Black "Arbiter of Taste and Justice" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book before Thanksgiving this year and after reading it through myself, I had to take it back home with me for the holiday. My cousins and I sat around reading out loud many of the hilarious comments about all the toys we loved growing up and laughing at all the ridiculous (or should I say redonkulous?) toys from our youths. The book jogged our memories on all the toys we couldn't remember on our own now and really made us long for the silliness of the toys of the 80s. It's a hilarious book and really fun to sit around with friends and just remember the good times with the redonkulous toys of the 80s. (and for the record, I STILL want the U.S.S. Flag!!)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Gift, November 29, 2007

By	Johnny Rico "Johnny Rico" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

It's just mindblowing how complete of a compendium this book is. Like being reunited with several old friends. The hilarious commentary by Robinson distinguishes this collection even further from anything else of its kind. I'm getting one for everyone in my office for Christmas.