Overheard in New York [Paperback]

S. Morgan Friedman (Author), Michael Malice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2006

The streets of New York are full of characters-eccentrics, tourists, and residents-who don't care who's around to hear them. This collection offers some of the most bizarre, hysterical, and mysterious conversations overheard on the sidewalk, in the subway, or from the next table.

The website overheardinnewyork.com has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Time Out New York, the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Francisco Examiner, and the New York Post. Now site creators S. Morgan Friedman and Michael Malice have compiled the greatest moments caught in passing, to create a hilarious panorama of the unique people who populate the city. The book features an introduction by Marc Shaiman, the Tony and Grammy award-winning composer of Hairspray, as well as a foreword by bestselling author Lawrence Block.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Friedman and Malice give equal time to irreverent quips on race, sex, fashion, relationships and city life in this hilarious compilation of snippets from overheard conversations, showing how the people who live in New York give the Big Apple its irreverent charm. Presented in bare-bones dialog format, the book's hundreds of entries originally appeared on a popular and entertaining website of the same name, perhaps accounting for the book's "blog meets book of quotations" feel and the lack of any discernible organizational scheme; "Dude: I definitely said, 'no abortion jokes at dinner.'" and "Drunk guy: That girl's tits are huge! And it's snowing!" appear, for instance, on facing pages, but that's a small gripe for a book that packs a laugh on nearly every page. Although the book has a foreword by Marc Shaiman, the composer of Hairspray, and an introduction by bestselling author Lawrence Block (The Sins of the Fathers, The Burglar on the Prowl, All the Flowers Are Dying), it's solid enough to stand on its own. This is New York at its rawest and funniest.
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About the Author

S. Morgan Friedman is the creator of numerous websites, including Cliché Finder. He has been profiled in The Boston Globe, and featured in The New York Times and on CNN.

Michael Malice is the subject of Harvey Pekar's Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story, to be published by Ballantine Books in March 2006. He was named one of New York's "Most Eligible Bloggers" by the Daily News.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Chamberlain Bros. (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596092017
• ISBN-13: 978-1596092013
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,137,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Know what you are getting, April 3, 2006

By 

Adam Edwards (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Overheard in New York (Paperback)

I can't believe no one has given out the website address yet. If you haven't read the inspiration for the book, it's at www.overheardinnewyork.com. And if you have read that website, then I am surprised you haven't bought the book yet. It's just what you would expect from one of the funniest sites online, and having it in book form will change your life. Or, at least, the days when you read it because you will be hard pressed not to laugh!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ears Have It!, February 16, 2006

By 

NStephens (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Overheard in New York (Paperback)

I have been a fan of the site, because the hilarity of everyday life in New York is so real. The book is a great one to read while riding on the subway.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This would be the best Audio Book ever., March 30, 2006

By 

Dr. Tracey E. Graham (Emporia, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Overheard in New York (Paperback)

Heard about it on NPR and had to have it. It has lived up to my expectations beautifully. Reading it is great, but hearing it performed with authentic NY voices would make an excellent audio book.