Customer Reviews

Texas Hold 'em: How I Was Born In A Manger, Died In The Saddle, And Came Back As A Horny Toad

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Texas Hold'em is Kinky Friedman at his best. Full of annedotes and commentary. No subject is off limits. I must admit, if you are from Texas (which I am not) you will surely get more laughs then a Yankee. Kinky takes the reader on a variety of rides through his mind, refusing to stop even when the trails become muddy. The book is so good, you will have to reread it just to make sure you got all it. Texas Hold em' is easy to read -- whether on a horse or on a train or sitting in a recliner. Nothing complicated, just a bunch of a essays that make the book very difficult to put down. I hope this isn't the last we've heard from the Kinkster.

I've been a long time fan of Kinky and read all of his novels.Now, he has gotten away from his 'off the wall' mysteries with their wonderful characters.Kinky is one of the most gifted and entertaining authors around today.He can come up with a one-liner as good as anyone around.Without even a seconds pause,he can make the political correct run for cover.As a Jewish Country singer he has no equal,especially when you realize he comes from New York and is completely at home in Redneck Texas.

Right now he is in the process of runing fot Governor of Texas.One can never tell what the results of an election will be,but somehow I think that worse things could happen than he wins.

In this book he explains many facets of life, as can be seen in some of these quotes,and even gives us some insight into how things will be done under his Governorship.

"The question is whether a candidacy is a joker or whether the current crop of politicans is the joker."

"My platform is to fight the wussification of this great state and bring back the glory of Texas."

"To be elected in Texas one must believe in a Supreme Being."

He also passes on other wisdom;such as:

"You know you're from Texas if you've been married and divorced five times and still have the same in-laws.

"I had the rare distinction of being introduced by the Rev.Jimmy Snow as the first full blooded Jew to appear on The Grand Ole Opry."

"Saddam's a thug with an excellent tailor."

"As old Austinites used to say;"Onward through the fog."

I guarantee ,if you pick up this book;you'll have a hard time putting it down.

Kinky is running for Gov. Well why not? Do you really think he could do any worse? If nothing else, his press conferences should be funny enough that the networks should carry them nationwide. It would be good to hear him talk to the press rather than a true politician who has studied not to not say anything for years.

This book is a series of little stories, a bit of philosophy, a bit of wisdom, a bit of knowledge (where else would you learn that Dr. Pepper is the oldest of the major brand soft drinks in America - started in Texas of course).

Most of his commentary relates to Texas. I particularly like his words on Texas drivers. But he shouldn't say that they are all in Texas. I know a lot of them in several other states. Maybe they're all from Texas.

I'm going to finish this review with a quotation - after this, what else is left to say: 'if English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for Texas.

Every now and then you need a diversion and this book gives it to you. It is hilarious, off the wall and right on the money all at the same time. Nothing for the serious reader but something we all should read in our world today. Kinky for Governor for sure ... look out Texas!

Well now, Kinky Friedman and I have spent some time now in my bathroom and I have finished the contents of his book "Texas Hold 'Em: etc." It's quite a ride. I literally laughed AND cried and had to skip a couple of parts that were just too repetitous for me (the dictionary part). You can't ask much more from an author than to touch your emotions and lift your heart and he does both very nicely. I must admit that a big drawing card for me to buy this book was that it had drawings by Callahan. They do NOT disappoint. Wonderful. I so hope Kinky wins in Texas and maybe even moves on from there. I am just positive that he would do no more harm than the folks they have in there now if Mr. Delay is any example. Hooray for American politics to have such creatures in it.

I picked up Texas Hold `Em and started reading it and it rolled along so pleasantly that before I knew it I was halfway done. I was amused, enlightened, irked a time or two, and I hope a tad bit wiser somehow for the ninety minutes I spent between the front and back covers of this book. If the highest praise for a writer is to finish one of his works and find yourself wanting to read another, then Kinky Friedman warrants that praise. Until recently I'd never heard of the man and now it seems, suddenly, I'm hearing about him everywhere. Former candidate for Governor of Texas, back porch philosopher magna cum laude, musician, friend of the famous and quietly colorful alike, raconteur extraordinaire, speaker of his own mind, I find myself rapidly gaining respect for Friedman. Self-billed as a Texas-Jewish Mark Twain, Kinky Friedman's laid-back/stirred-up approach to life and politics as told in this meandering book makes for thoughtful light reading. Whether imparting the logic of avoiding Eagle Scouts and men named Wayne, dishing up original thoughts on politics, religion, life, or listing various peculiarities about the Lone Star State (the Texas assembly once infamously passed a resolution honoring the Boston Strangler...so much for the content of bills being read by elected officials) Friedman's dry wit and original antiheroic wisdom combine to make Texas Hold 'Em a book worth reading.

All I knew about Kinky Friedman before reading this book was that he was a little known entertainer who ran for Governor of Texas in 2006. "Probably a disgruntled liberal," I thought. I didn't know that Kinky was Jewish, had kinks in his hair, was better known as an author than as a western musician, or that he was much more intelligent than I had imagined. After reading this book I now know a bit more about Friedman and respect him a lot more than I did when I didn't vote for him in 2006. But I'm still not sure what this book is about.

In the beginning, it touches lightly on politics and in the end briefly revisits the subject. In between, it covers a wide range of seemingly unrelated topics in a humorous vein vaguely reminiscent of S. J. Perlman. Friedman can be funny, yet, at the same time, his humor is often profound and sometimes revealing.

I learned a bit about a lot of things "Texan" while reading this book. I learned, for example, how to rig your truck and the slang used by those incarcerated in Texas prisons in their attempt to communicate with one another. I hope I never have to use this particular jargon. I also learned how to tell if you're a real Texan; some of the "firsts" for Texas; the rather tenuous relationship between eagle scouts and mass murderers; why one should stay at the Menger Hotel when in San Antonio; and much more.

So, if you want to learn a bit about Texas or just enjoy reading books by ex-candidates for governor or Texas, this book might be for you. As for Kinky, he appears to be too funny to be successful in politics. Politicians, as everyone knows, stopped being funny a long time ago.

A friend who had the same taste in reading as me recommended this book so I bought it. I was in a few spots funny, but more dumb then anything. Save your money.