Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth [Hardcover]

Kinky Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2001

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Kinky Friedman is back and at his outrageous best in this hilarious guide to the Lone Star State. With George W. Bush in the White House, Americans are taking a second look at the state made famous by the Alamo, the armadillo, Willie Nelson, and, well, Kinky Friedman. As the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own any real estate, Kinky considers it his duty to educate Texans and non-Texans alike about the customs and habits of his native state. You'll never look at Texas the same way again after you encounter the real-life characters in Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette -- from hometown heroes and outlaws to rich Texas oilmen and country stars, Kinky provides an insider's view of his state's customs, history, and values.

Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette is composed of provocative essays and profiles, from "Shoshone The Magic Pony" to "Willie Nelson: The Back Of The Bus." Take Kinky's quiz and find out: "Redneck, Good Old Boy, Or Oilman: What Kind Of Texan Are You?" Read this book and you will learn how to spot a Texan abroad, which famous Texans are not from Texas, how Texas got its Lone Star, and the history of Texans' favorite drink, Dr Pepper. Filled with hair-raising quotes from Texas politicians, Ace Reid cartoons, strange Texas laws, and final meal requests by Texas death row inmates, this good-spirited book will be loved by both native Texans and the rest of us poor devils.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The commander-in-chief has called Friedman "a Texas legend," but the Kinkster hardly mentions GW a-tall, filling these pages instead with "Things You Would Never Hear a Real Texan Say" ("I'll have a decaf latte, please") and "The Texas Celebrity High School Football Hall of Fame," which reminds us that Tommy Lee Jones was guard for the Saint Mark's School of Texas Lions in Dallas. The Kinkster includes an invaluable glossary, "Texas Talk" (e.g., "'turd floater'--a very heavy downpour"); waxes poetic about the Alamo, the Yellow Rose, and Luckenbach; cracks wise about the weather, Aggies (Texas A & M students and alums), and armadillos; and quotes Willie Nelson, the Zen Texan featured in Friedman's 1997 mystery, Road Kill: "If you ain't crazy, there's something wrong with you." Interspersed with all the Texas ephemera are articles Friedman published first in such magazines as Rolling Stone and High Times, on topics ranging from the roots of Texas rock 'n' roll to the late Ace Reid, "the world's greatest cowboy cartoonist." Benjamin Segedin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Kinky Friedman is the author of fourteen novels including the New York Times bestseller Roadkill. He is also a columnist for Texas Monthly magazine. He lives with one cat, four dogs, a pet armadillo, and many imaginary friends on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066209889
• ISBN-13: 978-0066209883
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, especially for Texans, December 12, 2006

By 

K. Brantingham (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth (Paperback)

I disagree with the reviewer who stated that Texans would not find this book amusing. I am a Texan and I find This book to be absolutely fantastic, hilarious, and honest. Kinky is not disrespecting people from the lonestar state, just having a laugh. He is proud of Texas and this book shows that in addition to making fun of things we make fun of all the time! Texans, you need this book- you'll understand it perfectly. Non-Texans, you need it as well, I promise that you will laugh.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A different Kinky twist, October 24, 2001

By 

Max Swafford (Texas Hill Country) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth (Hardcover)

Kinky's "Guide..." is a bit of a twist for the author, speaking as someone who has read virtually everything he's ever written. I have to say, it's clever, features some very unusual pieces for the author, and as always, will have you laughing out every orafice.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like a "Best Of" Album, September 9, 2002

By 

"imzadi44" (Wichita, KS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kinky Friedman's Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas-Fort Worth (Hardcover)

As a devoted fan of Kinky Friedman, I've got all his books and even listened to some of his music. Of course I loved this book. It's full of the little gems that make you laugh out loud - and cause other people on the plane to look at you funny. What I noticed (because I've read all of his books several times) is that this book is like a "Greatest Hits" album, in that it is mainly composed of the good snippits from his books. That is not to say I didn't think it was great; I bought it for the same reason you buy "Best Of" albums when you've got all the songs already because you own all of the band's albums: all the good stuff is in one place! Keep 'em coming, Kinkster!