Customer Reviews

Or Is That Just Me?

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

 

 

I enjoyed this book. It's a humorous look at what a man thinks about turning 40. While not as riveting as Hammond's account of his jetcar crash ("My Story: On the Edge"), it's still a fun read. Some of the annecdotes are going to make you cringe a little in embarrassment for him, and his prose can be overly wordy and tedious at times, but he's an engaging writer and you know what you're reading comes from inside.

For those of you not familiar with the BBC weekly car show "Top Gear," Richard Hammond is a one-time radio jockey and car fanatic who joined the program as a presenter in 2003. The show is a mix of car reviews, car challenges, road trips, and celebrity interviews and has become a worldwide phenomenon (except in the US). The three presenters are surprisingly famous, particularly after one of them (Hammond) almost died driving a jet-powered car in 2006. He wrote a book (mentioned above) about recovering from the resulting brain damage and the effect it had on him and his family.

Both books are worth reading. Hammond's also written a third book (chronologically between these two) about his experiences on "Top Gear." I'm looking forward to that one.

Having enjoyed other books by Mr. Hammond as well as being quite the fan of Top Gear, I added this book to my collection. The book is light-hearted and funny tale of a soon-to-be-middle-aged man in crisis and is well in contrast from "On the Edge". Which is certainly a good thing--I think one tragedy is enough to handle; although I do feel there should be a follow up to that book.

The first few chapters tend to contrast from the remaining. That is, Mr. Hammond starts trending a theme of "or is that just me" and then suddenly strays on the topics, disrupting the cohesiveness he established. I do not want to give much away regarding his stories, so I will remain vague in this area. However just note that should I ever come to meet him in person I am not sure I could look him straight in the eye (or at least with a straight face) given some intimate details he has shared regarding some, uhh, intimate places.

If you are looking for an in-depth review of issues plaguing society and an approach to their resolution that does not result in the extinction of at least 3 animal species this is not the read for you. However if you are looking for gentle humor and something light to read by all means give this a go.

Or Is That Just Me?

Excellent... who doesn't love Richard Hammond? He is not only one of the three funny guys from Top Gear he is an excellent and interesting writer. My daughter loved this gift.

Honestly, I haven't yet read on the edge which seems to be better than this one .. But I must say that if on the edge is better than this spectacular book then .. YOU must read both ! I loved the book and how funny it is in some parts .. I like the kinda small "Not very small" sizing of the book too because I was able to carry it anywhere and anytime I just grab it and walk out of my house reading it .. Love the book and I'd say it is very interesting especially to those approaching the age of 40 :p just kidding :p

After reading On the Edge and As You Do I was anxious for Richard Hammonds third book to arrive. Sadly, it was disappointing. The book didn't contain any of the humour or witty banter that As You Do had, and none of the quality writing that On the Edge had. I found the book to just drag on endlessly and seemed to be nothing more than a middle age man droning on about well, middle age. It really felt as though he was trying to fill the pages with needless words in an attempt to give the publishers the however many hundred pages they had asked for. While the book did get a bit funny toward the end, and I'm glad I read it for the fact that I won't be wondering if it's any good, it was disappointing. Read the book because it's decent, just don't expect it to be anywhere near as good as Hammonds first two books.

While I haven't finished the book yet, I find very funny and a very light read. My brother knows exactly what he's going through with the kidney stone issue, and for those of you wondering yes it is that embarrassing, although my brother reportedly didn't wake up with twelve women standing around him once it was done....Anyway, it is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who has seen Top Gear or if they would like a book that they can finish in a few days without thinking about it. It's quite fun and enjoyable.

Let me start by saying that I LOVE top gear and I love reading. I have bought several books by each of the top gear presenters and I've liked all the Jeremy Clarkson books. James May's books were dull, but that was expected since they were very pedantic and dry which comes off way better on screen than writing.

I expected Richard Hammond's books to be good, but unfortunately I haven't liked any of them. They are dull to read and I haven't been able to make it through them. Also this book has a lot of stories about shows he's done other then Top Gear and that's not interesting to a top gear fan. The only book of his that was interesting was the one about his accident and even then I found his wife's chapters to be good and his chapters to be dull.