Customer Reviews

More Information Than You Require Adapted

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I wouldn't have thought it possible, but this product is even funnier, and more, than "The Areas of My Expertise."
The product information is incorrect. This product is actually 13 CD's.
I was delighted to receive an unexpected 4-CD surplus of Hodgmanian comedy concentrate.
Also included is an audio page-a-day calendar.
If you're a fan of comedy, like to laugh, enjoy things that are funny, or you just want to feel cool because of something you bought, this product is absolutely essential.
Additionally, Paul Rudd fans, Rachel Maddow completists, Dick Cavett historians, Sarah Vowell stalkers, Ira Glass scholars, and those who can tolerate Ricky Gervais, Zach Galifianakis, Robin Goldwasser or Paul F. Tompkins should feel a strong impulse to gather and own this product.

I bought the audio version of this book instead of the paper version because of the Added Extra Awesome. I don't tend to get audio books, as I don't tend to spend that much time in the car or, I don't know, alone in my house or wherever you normally listen to audio books. But, we received Hodgman's other book on CD as a gift (after purchasing, reading, and getting signed the paper one) and it is so chock ful of extra hilarity that we decided to get this one in Pure Audio. Guests: funny. Hodg-voice-tone: extra funny. Teaching my 5 year old to shout "Were You Aware Of It?" in an echo-ey voice: also good.

The content of this book is quite humorous, very much in line with Hodgman's wry humor of his previous book as well as his "Daily Show" appearances, although his obsession with "molemen" can be a bit overdone.

It's a great audiobook due to how it uses the medium: the adaptation is so natural and use of guests is so amusing that it seems the format this material was intended for. The only exception is the "On this Date in the Past," which appear one-per-page in the book but are all presented at once in the CDs -- perhaps using them as audio chapter breaks would have maintained some of this variety.

The package actually contains 13 CDs; the main text of the book only occupies the first 7.

This listening experience is a little like watching a 12 hour fireworks show that features only ten minutes' worth of pyrotechnics: the stuff that explodes is wonderful, but oy, the dark spaces in between!

At least half of the bits go on far, far too long. The story of Jefferson and the Molemen isn't clever, isn't interesting, and certainly isn't funny. It does chew up approximately an hour of time, though. Lots of the book is like this, too long and not very entertaing.

There are really brilliant moments. The Theodore Roosevelt segments are laugh out loud funny. Jonathan Coulton is a welcome addition. Much of it just isn't all that good.