Customer Reviews

Mark Steyn From Head To Toe: An Anatomical Anthology

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An anthology of Mark Steyn's work is like giving a drug addict a large supply and telling them to only use a little at a time. It's impossible and it won't happen. I received this just two days ago and have already finished it!

Mark Steyn From Head To Toe is a collection of his columns dating back to the early 1990s loosely arranged by the theme of the human body. The essays cover everything from the Clinton impeachment, popular culture and Election 2000 to politics in Canada, the U.S. and Britain. If you've ever read Steyn you know each essay is a combination of humour and erudite analysis. Word play that serves not only to make you laugh, but make real points.

There are some real standouts such as his 2001 piece on Mordechai Richler but that said there are no clunkers in the whole bunch. If you love Steyn, you'll love Mark Steyn From Head To Toe.

Mark Steyn has written some of most intensely funny and provocative political and cultural material I've read yet. This book is filled with clever, witty incisive humor and powerful observations. His essay on Sinatra is a gem and his conclusions about celebrities in general is masterful. I cannot recall reading so much laugh-out-loud verbiage in ages -- Steyn is truly divine.

But don't pass this off as simply humor. It's far more and it's brilliantly written. He rips everyone without mercy but he also tells the truth; it's not funny unless it contains a kernel of truth. Steyn's essays contain the whole cob.

His genius shines through on every page and his writing is probably better than anyone in his genre and probably better than those outside his genre.

How can he keep up such near-perfection this consistently, essay after essay, and where has he been all my life? Buy this book and give it to everyone you know with a brain.

Mark Steyn's writing is brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant. His honest, no-nonsense (yet hilarious) insights into the double troubles of Islamofacism and the West's (especially Europe's)politically and demographicaly appeasing responses are priceless ... and cost him his job in Britain ... two British newspapers just this weekend dropped him for being too hot. My conservative British friends love him ... and are distraught at this. Mark is a breath of fresh air. Always fresh. Buy this book and enjoy some fantastic writing. A true Renaissance man.

I read this book, MARK STEYN FROM HEAD TO TOE: AN ANATOMICAL ANTHOLOGY, because I was so blown away by his current bestseller, AMERICA ALONE.

HEAD TO TOE is a collection of brief commentaries, obituaries, and other brief pieces, which all contain his dry sense of humor and likeable writing style, yet, after the importance of AMERICA ALONE, (which warns of a fast growing, major threat to Western Civilization), HEAD TO TOE seems very trivial and full of mere fluff.

Most pieces are about 3 pages long. I think the longest one, "Balls"/Mordecai Richler, is 12 pages. I think the oldest piece in HEAD TO TOE is "Leg"/Breaker, from 15 July 1989; I think the the newest piece is "Jaws"/Of Defeat, from 7 September 2003. The best obituary is very informative and respectful for Frank Sinatra.

Only half of the book seems focused on any type of social/political writing, which I had expected from the author of AMERICA ALONE. The rest is about celebrities and show business, and people inhabiting different levels of fame in those areas. There is a good deal about people I never heard of.

If you like Mark Steyn's writing, then this is a good anthology that samples his career. His likeable writing style is present, and the book can be a page-turner for that aspect alone, yet still mostly shallow topics, (for me, at least). There is even a bit of an autobiographical piece, "Great BBC Departures," which gives details about Mark Steyn's work as a TV show presenter, and the office politics involved at the BBC.

It IS interesting to read about past political situations, (like Clinton/Lewinsky, Gore's campaign stupidities, etc.), to get an amusing insight from Mark, but I am just left puzzled and not interested by half of this book. AMERICA ALONE is technically Mark Steyn's first book, (as opposed to collected shorts in a book, like in this HEAD TO TOE), so HEAD TO TOE is definitely for only the most serious readers of Mark Steyn, who are interested in learning about his past writings.

Mark Steyn has another book, THE FACE OF THE TIGER, which is about the post 9/11 era. I will read this book next, and I suspect the subject matter will be closer to the importance of AMERICA ALONE, than of HEAD TO TOE.

If you are new to Mark Steyn, then you should definitely read his first official book, AMERICA ALONE, which is excellent!

If you like current affairs and politics, this is right up your alley. Mark Steyn is a real hoot and will make smile.....

Mark Steyn is the most eloquent and prolific author / commentator that I have read. I don't read much however. In my opinion, Mark is further legitimized by his ability to sicken op-ed readers of many nations on a weekly basis. This book contiains some of his best stuff.

You will read articles in this anthology that be exceedingly humorous. You will also find clearly thought out analysis of the most serious issues facing the globe today.

Cheers Mark