Monster Trucks & Hair In A Can: Who Says America Doesn't Make Anything Anymore? [Hardcover]

Bill Geist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 1994

Entrepreneurship is alive and well and living all over America in a study that shares discoveries of pig racing, the dog-eat-dog traffic school, the cable Fish Channel, and other slightly warped, uniquely American delights. 75,000 first printing. $30,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 19 profiles, Geist proves in a humorous way that Americans have not lost their entrepreneurial spirit. His collection of offbeat endeavors ranges from the king of infomercials (Ron Popeil) to the man who conceived the idea for the Houston Astrodome (Judge Roy Hofheinz). Geist (Little League Confidential) is at his best in relating the more unusual antics by the likes of the men who make a living diving for used golf balls or how the idea for a fish channel on cable television was developed ("fish niche"). No matter what the subject, Geist's touch is light, and he has the ability to come up with unusual facts, such as that the manicure market is a $4.5 billion industry. In his chapter on the evolution of talk shows, he elicits the response from the creator of several talk programs (Burt Dubrow, who discovered Sally Jesse Raphael) that the greatest influence on his work was Howdy Doody. Geist clearly admires those who have the guts to follow their dreams.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Geist, a commentator for CBS Sunday Morning and 48 Hours and the author of Little League Confidential (LJ 3/1/92), introduces readers to America's unsung entrepreneurial heroes in this collection of short profiles. His subjects include the legendary Ron Popeil (of Pocket Fisherman and Veg-O-Matic fame), as well as the creative minds behind cable television's surprise hit Fish Channel, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the book's titular monster trucks and spray-on hair products. Geist coaxes excellent comic mile-age out of this material, writing with an easy, entertaining flair. Fans of Dave Barry and Lewis Grizzard should enjoy Geist's brand of one-liner journalism. Recommended for mid- to large-sized general-interest collections.
Alex Wright, Harvard Coll. Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons; 1st edition (November 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399138838
• ISBN-13: 978-0399138836
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A serious look at American industry, told with great humor!, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Monster Trucks & Hair In A Can: Who Says America Doesn't Make Anything Anymore? (Hardcover)

Mr. Geist takes an extremely interesting look at entrepreneurs in America, proving things still are produced here and the American dream is alive and well. While he has obviously done his research and the underlying theme of the book can be serious, Mr. Geist has a wonderful, delightful sense of humor that permeates the book. After I finish this review, I'm going to seach for more books by him!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Regicide and the monster truck hair in a can conspiracy, February 24, 2005

By 

D. Mckell (at home) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monster Trucks & Hair In A Can: Who Says America Doesn't Make Anything Anymore? (Hardcover)

In this seminal work Bill Geist explores the evidence surrounding the worlds oldes and best known conspiracy. From the dawn of humanity those who have tradtionaly run the monster truck and hair in a can conglomerates have conspired to kill the king of England. Not only does Bill Geist elucidate the vast conspiracy between these two infamous groups he spies on the British Royal Family and digs up some smelly dirt on Oliver Cromwell. I was lucky enough to have met Bill Geist (or a man who really looks like him) in a mens restroom in Queens and told him how much his book ment to me. He told me to get lost, so... but I really think that this book should be required reading for every school child or old person, heck evern forigners you know if they can read english.

Amen