Customer Reviews

In Our Humble Opinion: Car Talk's Click and Clack Rant and Rave

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Tom and Ray are as funny in print as they are on the air. But this book, focused on issues other than cars, is much more than humor. It is surprisingly insightful, thought-provoking and revealing. I especially enjoyed their biographical commentary because, like so many millions of other listeners, I have wondered what they are really like, what kind of lives they have led, etc. And the rants - usually funny and often presenting truely unique viewpoints - come pretty close to wisdom. Not too well hidden behind their comedic act are a couple of first rate minds with huge hearts and a wonderful zest for life. Wish they lived next door!

Sheesh, talk about pigeonholing actors into a genre, you folks are being way to hard on the brothers here. Why are you upset that they think about other things besides cars? I guess they have a life and you don't.

Incidently, I really did enjoy this book, lame jokes and all. If I want to hear their opinions on Ford Explorer transmissions and Chevy being a rock, I'll turn up my public radio station and kick back. Or pick up one of their other books that focus more on their "car show."

THIS book is something different -- it is part autobiography part political essay. It is a witty, intelligent take on life (from two different points of view, two for the price of one! Where else do you get a deal like that?) and the problems we face in America today. AND what to do about them. They cover the predictable traffic laws of course, but also education and Hollywood violence. And they even have the guts to disagree with each other! Great book for the college student trying to find topics for a position paper...

I recommend this book heartily, for anyone who is interested in what really makes the Tappet brothers click and clack.

Tom and Ray are very funny people, but what they're really up to in this book is taking a stand for things that matter to all of us. For example, don't we all wish that our educational system were more practical? Don't we all wish that people adhered just a little bit more to traffic laws? Don't we all wish that our laws had more bite so that we wouldn't have to live with those dangerous people called "repeat offenders"?
If you're like me, you'll agree....and will love this book! I think it should be given to all high school graduates--it's that good.
I'm going to assign it to my college composition class next year. Tom and Ray tell the truth...and funny jokes besides!

As a long time fan of the show, I was a little bit hesitant to pick up the book. I read the introduction in the store and knew it would be about more than cars, and car repair. I bought it, and I have to admit, this book was the best purchase I've made in a while. I enjoyed their interesting philosophical perspectives and convincing logic. Though, their rants and raves are often presented tongue-in-cheek, they are true. Their solutions to problems, though often inpractical and perhaps a bit gestapo - logically seem to work. I've always been of the mindset, if something is true, the logic behind it must be true. These guys do a magnificent job of connecting the dots, and bringing clarity to their thoughts -- all the while injecting humor into the book. I'd definitely love to sit down with them and have a cup of coffee.

I'm not sure if I can give a general recommendation for this book. However, if you are a fan of Car Talk, you can get to know Tom a bit more (and Ray a tiny bit more). While not the greatest piece of comedic literature, it is a very short book (many pages are blank or half-blank ) and does not require a huge investment of your time. It seems that 75-80% of the text is written by Tom with Ray filling in the rest. It is virtually all rants-there are precious few raves. Tom is definitely the more agitated of the two brothers. The rants cover topics like overpaid Hollywood actors, aggressive driving habits, our system of government, the shoddy education system, etc. Some of it is tongue-in-cheek material, such as the Big Bang Theory being completely made up. The type of humor seems consistent with the personalities on car talk. Reading the text, you can practically hear Tom's (and occasionally Ray's) voice.

Most of the material can be tied to experiences in the brother's lives. Perhaps the publishers instead should have asked the brothers to write an autobiography and merge their opinions into it. We get teased with a little of their life stories in this book. They both were educated at M.I.T.. Tom lived as a genuine bum for a couple of years. He stretched a diner's "all you can eat" deal from breakfast to lunch. He was a college professor for many years. We don't learn a whole lot about Ray, but both brothers came up with a do-it-yourself auto repair shop that was in essence the precursor to Car Talk

The read is fairly quick and light except for a Tom's rant about how the police do not enforce the speed limit. It is at this point that the book gets a bit boring and repetitive. Fortunately, the pace picks up again after that.

Bottom line: it is worth a look for Car Talk fans.

Not being a car buff,I had never heard of these two guys or their show Car Talk.The notes on the back of the book convinced me it might be a good read. I was very pleasantly surprised and thuroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end.
\ Particularly, their musings on the education system hit the nail on the head with me.I have been singing the same song for many,many years.Although there is a lot of humor in this book,there is a lot of deep down common sense in this book.Like the authors ,I had the benefit of attending university and earned a Degree in Electrical Engineering.There is no doubt in the minds of the authors that the stuff that is taught in schools and universities is selected by and for the educational establishment and not necessarily for the benefit of the student;and I am in complete agreement with them. I found most teachers were very defensive,and operated from a position of correcting rather than trying to inspire the student.Of course it is much easier and secure for the teacher to correct than inspire,and the system provides a perfect atmosphere for them.That may be well and good for the teachers,but the purpose of education is to serve the students,not the teachers and the establishment.
the authors cover a lot of everyday things in their Rants and Raves.Here are a few one-liners to give you a bit of flavor of their stuff:
"If you don't think too good,try not to think too much."
"This touch-screen technology takes the multibutton philosophy
to a whole new level of stupidity."
"Only the mediocre are always at their best."
"If God had wanted me to run,he'd have had someone chasing me."
"Do 2 people who don't know what they are talking about know
more or less than 1 person who doesn't know what he's talking
about?"
"Time is more important than money;you can always acquire more
money."
"Enough is as good as a feast."
"Man can't just sit around."
"It's much more important to think about what you're doing
than doing it."
"It means you got a perfectly right answer,but you asked the
wrong question."
"Education should be a preparation for life-not preparation
for school!"
"Tell me,and I will surely forget.
Show me,and I might remember.
Make me do it,and I will certainly understand."
And to top it off,he gives us the Murky Research firm of
Dewey,Cheetham and Howe and its director,Paul Murky.
All in all, a great entertaining and insightful read.

Well, "genius" may be getting carried away, but I thought the book was inteligent, insightful, and very funny (what a book should be). I liked a lot of their ideas and found their arguments amusing.

I'm a big fan of Car Talk and love Ray and Tom's sense of humor. I wanted to love this book. The opening chapters of their biographies and opinions on things like driver's licenses were well done, interesting and funny in parts. In the true rant section, things got a bit unfocused, unfunny and "out there." If you want a coherent "rant" book, try The O'Reilly factor which is much better done and much funnier and pointed.

I'm not trying to be uncharitable -- there are funny parts, but next to geniuses like David Barry or Dennis Miller, this book pales. The most interesting part was about their lives, not their rants. A mediocre book from the still funny guys on Car Talk. I'm still a fan of their show, but not a huge fan of the book. At least it took less than an hour to read!

Be warned that this book does *not* contain the type of fun that you will hear on their NPR show. Good or bad, this is a collection of their personal pets and peeves and has nothing to do with car repair, their radio show, or humor. This book is a collection of vents and rants against everything from people who drive too fast, people who drive too slow, the educational system and other topical subjects. As a longtime fan I was disappointed because I expected something along the lines of "Women Are From Ford, Men are from GM"-type humor. Want rants and raves? Check out Ed Anger's "Let's Pave The Stupid Rainforests & Give School Teachers Stun Guns."

Delightful, witty, insightful, intelligent fun.