|
Browse categories
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a piracy-protected disc that contains every Dilbert comic strip to date and that can be updated as new cartoons are released"
This is a fantastic bit of work, worth the money just for the book, but to also get the disc with every single strip published to date is a real bonus. To those of us who endure an office based life, Scott Adams sees straight through the nonsense and produces cartoons that makes you wonder if he is sitting in on your Board meetings.
If you are a fan (and if not, why not?) then this collection is an absolute must.
Dilbert gets the Deluxe treatment, 29 Oct 2008
Like many of the recent Dilbert releases this is reusing the old material, BUT this is something special. It's a nicely bound huge book (9pounds, over 4kg) with a sturdy slipcover.
Collection starts with small biography of Scott Adams along with drawings from his childhood and adult life before Dilbert. Then it's divided into different "ages" of Dilbert, as in the early strips it really wasn't a workplace comic and then evolves into workplace and so on.
Collection has over 2 000 strips from the 6000+ Dilbert catalog. Included on the back page of the book is also a DVD containing every single strip from 1989 to 2008 and a code that allows you to download future strips from their site.
|
|
|
 |
|
Driven
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £8.93
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
On The Edge: My Story
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £2.79
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a piracy-protected disc that contains every Dilbert comic strip to date and that can be updated as new cartoons are released"
This is a fantastic bit of work, worth the money just for the book, but to also get the disc with every single strip published to date is a real bonus. To those of us who endure an office based life, Scott Adams sees straight through the nonsense and produces cartoons that makes you wonder if he is sitting in on your Board meetings.
If you are a fan (and if not, why not?) then this collection is an absolute must.
Dilbert gets the Deluxe treatment, 29 Oct 2008
Like many of the recent Dilbert releases this is reusing the old material, BUT this is something special. It's a nicely bound huge book (9pounds, over 4kg) with a sturdy slipcover.
Collection starts with small biography of Scott Adams along with drawings from his childhood and adult life before Dilbert. Then it's divided into different "ages" of Dilbert, as in the early strips it really wasn't a workplace comic and then evolves into workplace and so on.
Collection has over 2 000 strips from the 6000+ Dilbert catalog. Included on the back page of the book is also a DVD containing every single strip from 1989 to 2008 and a code that allows you to download future strips from their site.
Great read, 02 Nov 2008
really enjoyed this account of a fascinating individual. His sheer guts and determination is matched only by that of his wife who clearly supported him through the most difficult period of his life. It brings 'the hamster' into the heart of the reader.
Fran B
Less Mindy, more Hammond please, 20 Oct 2008
I didn't manage to finish this book. It goes on and on and on. I like Richard Hammond and I am :
a) Glad he survived the accident
b) Happy he has such a close loving family.
But the book is just dull. The Hammond passages read as he speaks but the Mindy chapters (and there are lots) really do go on and on. And on. And on some more.
The book feels like a short story padded out to 300 pages.
A wonderful read, 13 Oct 2008
This book was truly moving. Although I had read all about the accident in the papers, to read it both from Richard's view and his wife's brought a lump to my throat.
It was well written and a captivating read. I would recommend it to anyone.
Speed Kills! - Nearly, 03 Oct 2008
A pleasant book, charting Richard's career rise to Top Gear.Then doing wacky stunts. Richard is quite a nutter,which almost polished him off,in a near fatal crash.
It's not the most riveting book I have ever read.That said,the enduring love between Richard,his wife Mindy and their children, really shines through. If ever their was a book upholding family values,this must surely be the one. For that reason alone it is worth the read.
Motto of the story, don't drive too fast, don't use remoulds, don't tell J C, don't forget to tell your Missus you love her, especially if you want clean laundry bringing to hospital! Glad he made it through ok.
Fascinating and well written., 08 Sep 2008
I've just finished reading this book and found it thoroughly interesting and moving. I've only watched Top Gear a few times (one time happened to be Richard Hammond's return after the accident), and I'm not very interested in cars and bikes - but there's something about this guy that I like and so I wanted to read his book. It's well written - not the sort of autobiography that trails through hundreds of anecdotes before you get to the 'main bit', which is - in this case - Richard's terrible accident and all that was involved in his recovery. From the accident onwards the writing is shared with his wife, Mindy, and I thought her contribution perhaps the most moving, as I am a wife with young kids; I found myself thinking 'how would I cope in her situation?...'. Having said that, Richard's part is moving too in he gives us a rare insight into what it felt like to go through an experience like that - the struggle, the frustration. It's all written in a very 'normal' sort of way, very honest and down to earth. When I finished reading it I felt a bit like I'd sat and chatted to some very nice ordinary people (apologies for using the word 'nice' - it seems a bit bland really) who'd had something extraordinarily horrible happen to them but were relieved to be coming through the other side of it. I very much admire this family's strength and courage. I would imagine that this book would be a great help to anyone (or the family of anyone) recovering from a similar injury. However, I too found it very inspiring and uplifting just to see how this family pulled through this dreadful situation (one that was certainly much worse than anything I've ever experienced). Yes, he's a TV presenter - but this isn't a 'famous person' book, it's a book about strength, willpower, love and devotion.
|
|
|
 |
James Whitham: What a Good Do
|
James WhithamMac McDiarmid;
;
|
|
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £10.82
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a piracy-protected disc that contains every Dilbert comic strip to date and that can be updated as new cartoons are released"
This is a fantastic bit of work, worth the money just for the book, but to also get the disc with every single strip published to date is a real bonus. To those of us who endure an office based life, Scott Adams sees straight through the nonsense and produces cartoons that makes you wonder if he is sitting in on your Board meetings.
If you are a fan (and if not, why not?) then this collection is an absolute must.
Dilbert gets the Deluxe treatment, 29 Oct 2008
Like many of the recent Dilbert releases this is reusing the old material, BUT this is something special. It's a nicely bound huge book (9pounds, over 4kg) with a sturdy slipcover.
Collection starts with small biography of Scott Adams along with drawings from his childhood and adult life before Dilbert. Then it's divided into different "ages" of Dilbert, as in the early strips it really wasn't a workplace comic and then evolves into workplace and so on.
Collection has over 2 000 strips from the 6000+ Dilbert catalog. Included on the back page of the book is also a DVD containing every single strip from 1989 to 2008 and a code that allows you to download future strips from their site.
Great read, 02 Nov 2008
really enjoyed this account of a fascinating individual. His sheer guts and determination is matched only by that of his wife who clearly supported him through the most difficult period of his life. It brings 'the hamster' into the heart of the reader.
Fran B
Less Mindy, more Hammond please, 20 Oct 2008
I didn't manage to finish this book. It goes on and on and on. I like Richard Hammond and I am :
a) Glad he survived the accident
b) Happy he has such a close loving family.
But the book is just dull. The Hammond passages read as he speaks but the Mindy chapters (and there are lots) really do go on and on. And on. And on some more.
The book feels like a short story padded out to 300 pages.
A wonderful read, 13 Oct 2008
This book was truly moving. Although I had read all about the accident in the papers, to read it both from Richard's view and his wife's brought a lump to my throat.
It was well written and a captivating read. I would recommend it to anyone.
Speed Kills! - Nearly, 03 Oct 2008
A pleasant book, charting Richard's career rise to Top Gear.Then doing wacky stunts. Richard is quite a nutter,which almost polished him off,in a near fatal crash.
It's not the most riveting book I have ever read.That said,the enduring love between Richard,his wife Mindy and their children, really shines through. If ever their was a book upholding family values,this must surely be the one. For that reason alone it is worth the read.
Motto of the story, don't drive too fast, don't use remoulds, don't tell J C, don't forget to tell your Missus you love her, especially if you want clean laundry bringing to hospital! Glad he made it through ok.
Fascinating and well written., 08 Sep 2008
I've just finished reading this book and found it thoroughly interesting and moving. I've only watched Top Gear a few times (one time happened to be Richard Hammond's return after the accident), and I'm not very interested in cars and bikes - but there's something about this guy that I like and so I wanted to read his book. It's well written - not the sort of autobiography that trails through hundreds of anecdotes before you get to the 'main bit', which is - in this case - Richard's terrible accident and all that was involved in his recovery. From the accident onwards the writing is shared with his wife, Mindy, and I thought her contribution perhaps the most moving, as I am a wife with young kids; I found myself thinking 'how would I cope in her situation?...'. Having said that, Richard's part is moving too in he gives us a rare insight into what it felt like to go through an experience like that - the struggle, the frustration. It's all written in a very 'normal' sort of way, very honest and down to earth. When I finished reading it I felt a bit like I'd sat and chatted to some very nice ordinary people (apologies for using the word 'nice' - it seems a bit bland really) who'd had something extraordinarily horrible happen to them but were relieved to be coming through the other side of it. I very much admire this family's strength and courage. I would imagine that this book would be a great help to anyone (or the family of anyone) recovering from a similar injury. However, I too found it very inspiring and uplifting just to see how this family pulled through this dreadful situation (one that was certainly much worse than anything I've ever experienced). Yes, he's a TV presenter - but this isn't a 'famous person' book, it's a book about strength, willpower, love and devotion.
What A Good Read!, 09 Aug 2008
I've been a motorbike fan for as long as I can remember but it's only been the last few years that I've got into road racing. So I only know James Whitham from hearing and seeing him commentate on ITV and Eurosport, I never saw him race. I love the race commentary paring of James and Jack Burnicle and the way they joke and interact together. When I saw that this book was being published in Auguist it was one I knew I must have. I'm not a person who reads a lot of biographies but I had a feeling this would be good. When I saw the price that Amazon was selling it for I ordered it straight away. It arrived yesterday nmorning and I read the first chapter last night. I could just hear James narrating it in my head as i read it, it's written just the way he speaks, using northern phrases and expressions. If you like your biking it's a must get book and if you like a good read get it too, you won't regret it. When I've finished this I'm going to read the next chapter. What a good read!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a piracy-protected disc that contains every Dilbert comic strip to date and that can be updated as new cartoons are released"
This is a fantastic bit of work, worth the money just for the book, but to also get the disc with every single strip published to date is a real bonus. To those of us who endure an office based life, Scott Adams sees straight through the nonsense and produces cartoons that makes you wonder if he is sitting in on your Board meetings.
If you are a fan (and if not, why not?) then this collection is an absolute must.
Dilbert gets the Deluxe treatment, 29 Oct 2008
Like many of the recent Dilbert releases this is reusing the old material, BUT this is something special. It's a nicely bound huge book (9pounds, over 4kg) with a sturdy slipcover.
Collection starts with small biography of Scott Adams along with drawings from his childhood and adult life before Dilbert. Then it's divided into different "ages" of Dilbert, as in the early strips it really wasn't a workplace comic and then evolves into workplace and so on.
Collection has over 2 000 strips from the 6000+ Dilbert catalog. Included on the back page of the book is also a DVD containing every single strip from 1989 to 2008 and a code that allows you to download future strips from their site.
Great read, 02 Nov 2008
really enjoyed this account of a fascinating individual. His sheer guts and determination is matched only by that of his wife who clearly supported him through the most difficult period of his life. It brings 'the hamster' into the heart of the reader.
Fran B
Less Mindy, more Hammond please, 20 Oct 2008
I didn't manage to finish this book. It goes on and on and on. I like Richard Hammond and I am :
a) Glad he survived the accident
b) Happy he has such a close loving family.
But the book is just dull. The Hammond passages read as he speaks but the Mindy chapters (and there are lots) really do go on and on. And on. And on some more.
The book feels like a short story padded out to 300 pages.
A wonderful read, 13 Oct 2008
This book was truly moving. Although I had read all about the accident in the papers, to read it both from Richard's view and his wife's brought a lump to my throat.
It was well written and a captivating read. I would recommend it to anyone.
Speed Kills! - Nearly, 03 Oct 2008
A pleasant book, charting Richard's career rise to Top Gear.Then doing wacky stunts. Richard is quite a nutter,which almost polished him off,in a near fatal crash.
It's not the most riveting book I have ever read.That said,the enduring love between Richard,his wife Mindy and their children, really shines through. If ever their was a book upholding family values,this must surely be the one. For that reason alone it is worth the read.
Motto of the story, don't drive too fast, don't use remoulds, don't tell J C, don't forget to tell your Missus you love her, especially if you want clean laundry bringing to hospital! Glad he made it through ok.
Fascinating and well written., 08 Sep 2008
I've just finished reading this book and found it thoroughly interesting and moving. I've only watched Top Gear a few times (one time happened to be Richard Hammond's return after the accident), and I'm not very interested in cars and bikes - but there's something about this guy that I like and so I wanted to read his book. It's well written - not the sort of autobiography that trails through hundreds of anecdotes before you get to the 'main bit', which is - in this case - Richard's terrible accident and all that was involved in his recovery. From the accident onwards the writing is shared with his wife, Mindy, and I thought her contribution perhaps the most moving, as I am a wife with young kids; I found myself thinking 'how would I cope in her situation?...'. Having said that, Richard's part is moving too in he gives us a rare insight into what it felt like to go through an experience like that - the struggle, the frustration. It's all written in a very 'normal' sort of way, very honest and down to earth. When I finished reading it I felt a bit like I'd sat and chatted to some very nice ordinary people (apologies for using the word 'nice' - it seems a bit bland really) who'd had something extraordinarily horrible happen to them but were relieved to be coming through the other side of it. I very much admire this family's strength and courage. I would imagine that this book would be a great help to anyone (or the family of anyone) recovering from a similar injury. However, I too found it very inspiring and uplifting just to see how this family pulled through this dreadful situation (one that was certainly much worse than anything I've ever experienced). Yes, he's a TV presenter - but this isn't a 'famous person' book, it's a book about strength, willpower, love and devotion.
What A Good Read!, 09 Aug 2008
I've been a motorbike fan for as long as I can remember but it's only been the last few years that I've got into road racing. So I only know James Whitham from hearing and seeing him commentate on ITV and Eurosport, I never saw him race. I love the race commentary paring of James and Jack Burnicle and the way they joke and interact together. When I saw that this book was being published in Auguist it was one I knew I must have. I'm not a person who reads a lot of biographies but I had a feeling this would be good. When I saw the price that Amazon was selling it for I ordered it straight away. It arrived yesterday nmorning and I read the first chapter last night. I could just hear James narrating it in my head as i read it, it's written just the way he speaks, using northern phrases and expressions. If you like your biking it's a must get book and if you like a good read get it too, you won't regret it. When I've finished this I'm going to read the next chapter. What a good read!
Little bunnies wanna die, 29 Jul 2008
Bunnies are cute, fuzzy, cuddly, and not very bright. And in Andy Riley's works, they're also very suicidal.
In fact, you can guess just from the title of Riley's "The Bumper Book of Bunny Suicides" what it's about -- lots and lots of cute cartoon bunnies offing themselves. Both books in this set are full of one thing -- near-wordless cartoons of bunnies disposing of their cute fuzzy selves in unique, creative, and sometimes overly complex ways.
It's a running gag, but you'll never guess how many of these bunnies choose to off themselves -- just a few of their complex methods involve corkscrews, DVD players, stalactites, cigarettes, seppuku, garden gnomes, lemmings, palm trees, Harry Potter books, pointy-nose jets, Christmas trees, colanders, and many other seemingly harmless (or at least not VERY harmful) ordinary items.
Some of the methods become more and more complex as time goes on, like an elaborate contraption involving a grandfather clock, a ladder, a candle, and a can of gasoline. One even has a bunny taking the direct way out, even with a bunch of dynamite on a precarious ledge over him.
There are even some pop culture references, which are handled with utter hilarity. The bunny prepares to beam down from "Star Trek," gets toasted by the Terminator, hangs atop the Tardis, and infiltrates the legendary duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not to mention irritating the Eye of Sauron, and using Gollum for some bunny-stretching.
Yeah, it's basically a one-gag kind of humour,, but Riley manages to keep the chuckles rolling along through the entire book. Part of the humor is in the ridiculous stubbornness these bunnies have to off themselves (for no apparent reason -- it's not like they need a motive), and Riley's creativity in coming up with surreal methods for suicide.
There are a few duds, admittedly -- the deli counter one took me several reads to understand, since you have to pay very careful attention to even spot the bunny in this one. The overpass gag simply doesn't make much sense (okay, what happened there?), and some (like the cheese grater) are just squicky. They're funnier when they're clever.
Riley's artwork is simple and clean, and his bunnies are amusingly stoic as they chase down death. And he shows a variety of bunny deaths -- some are gory, some are physically impossible, and some simply involve bunny parts flying bloodlessly. Some, in fact, only hint obliquely at the bunnies' demises -- and these tend to be the most hilarious of all.
"The Bumper Book of Bunny Suicides" compiles the two deliciously dark comic books, and they're just right for people with a sick sense of humour or a hatred of bunnies. Or both.
Bringing me back to earth, 26 Mar 2008
After my friend brought his bunny suicide book to school and showed me it, i admit to having paranoia and being abit suicidal myself but this book opened my eyes and think i shouldent worry about life and just be happy.
This is for people who dont mind cartoon/comic violence or people who have abit of time in their hands and who could do with a quick laugh
Brilliant, 25 Feb 2008
If you are the kind of person not to take offense by the odd bit of comic violence, these books are literally brilliant. I have bought them for a number of my friends always with great success, and no matter how many times i look through them i always find myself laughing out loud (in a sinister and creepy way, of course). No but really - buy this book.
|
|
|
 |
|
Don't Stop Me Now
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £0.95
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a piracy-protected disc that contains every Dilbert comic strip to date and that can be updated as new cartoons are released"
This is a fantastic bit of work, worth the money just for the book, but to also get the disc with every single strip published to date is a real bonus. To those of us who endure an office based life, Scott Adams sees straight through the nonsense and produces cartoons that makes you wonder if he is sitting in on your Board meetings.
If you are a fan (and if not, why not?) then this collection is an absolute must.
Dilbert gets the Deluxe treatment, 29 Oct 2008
Like many of the recent Dilbert releases this is reusing the old material, BUT this is something special. It's a nicely bound huge book (9pounds, over 4kg) with a sturdy slipcover.
Collection starts with small biography of Scott Adams along with drawings from his childhood and adult life before Dilbert. Then it's divided into different "ages" of Dilbert, as in the early strips it really wasn't a workplace comic and then evolves into workplace and so on.
Collection has over 2 000 strips from the 6000+ Dilbert catalog. Included on the back page of the book is also a DVD containing every single strip from 1989 to 2008 and a code that allows you to download future strips from their site.
Great read, 02 Nov 2008
really enjoyed this account of a fascinating individual. His sheer guts and determination is matched only by that of his wife who clearly supported him through the most difficult period of his life. It brings 'the hamster' into the heart of the reader.
Fran B
Less Mindy, more Hammond please, 20 Oct 2008
I didn't manage to finish this book. It goes on and on and on. I like Richard Hammond and I am :
a) Glad he survived the accident
b) Happy he has such a close loving family.
But the book is just dull. The Hammond passages read as he speaks but the Mindy chapters (and there are lots) really do go on and on. And on. And on some more.
The book feels like a short story padded out to 300 pages.
A wonderful read, 13 Oct 2008
This book was truly moving. Although I had read all about the accident in the papers, to read it both from Richard's view and his wife's brought a lump to my throat.
It was well written and a captivating read. I would recommend it to anyone.
Speed Kills! - Nearly, 03 Oct 2008
A pleasant book, charting Richard's career rise to Top Gear.Then doing wacky stunts. Richard is quite a nutter,which almost polished him off,in a near fatal crash.
It's not the most riveting book I have ever read.That said,the enduring love between Richard,his wife Mindy and their children, really shines through. If ever their was a book upholding family values,this must surely be the one. For that reason alone it is worth the read.
Motto of the story, don't drive too fast, don't use remoulds, don't tell J C, don't forget to tell your Missus you love her, especially if you want clean laundry bringing to hospital! Glad he made it through ok.
Fascinating and well written., 08 Sep 2008
I've just finished reading this book and found it thoroughly interesting and moving. I've only watched Top Gear a few times (one time happened to be Richard Hammond's return after the accident), and I'm not very interested in cars and bikes - but there's something about this guy that I like and so I wanted to read his book. It's well written - not the sort of autobiography that trails through hundreds of anecdotes before you get to the 'main bit', which is - in this case - Richard's terrible accident and all that was involved in his recovery. From the accident onwards the writing is shared with his wife, Mindy, and I thought her contribution perhaps the most moving, as I am a wife with young kids; I found myself thinking 'how would I cope in her situation?...'. Having said that, Richard's part is moving too in he gives us a rare insight into what it felt like to go through an experience like that - the struggle, the frustration. It's all written in a very 'normal' sort of way, very honest and down to earth. When I finished reading it I felt a bit like I'd sat and chatted to some very nice ordinary people (apologies for using the word 'nice' - it seems a bit bland really) who'd had something extraordinarily horrible happen to them but were relieved to be coming through the other side of it. I very much admire this family's strength and courage. I would imagine that this book would be a great help to anyone (or the family of anyone) recovering from a similar injury. However, I too found it very inspiring and uplifting just to see how this family pulled through this dreadful situation (one that was certainly much worse than anything I've ever experienced). Yes, he's a TV presenter - but this isn't a 'famous person' book, it's a book about strength, willpower, love and devotion.
What A Good Read!, 09 Aug 2008
I've been a motorbike fan for as long as I can remember but it's only been the last few years that I've got into road racing. So I only know James Whitham from hearing and seeing him commentate on ITV and Eurosport, I never saw him race. I love the race commentary paring of James and Jack Burnicle and the way they joke and interact together. When I saw that this book was being published in Auguist it was one I knew I must have. I'm not a person who reads a lot of biographies but I had a feeling this would be good. When I saw the price that Amazon was selling it for I ordered it straight away. It arrived yesterday nmorning and I read the first chapter last night. I could just hear James narrating it in my head as i read it, it's written just the way he speaks, using northern phrases and expressions. If you like your biking it's a must get book and if you like a good read get it too, you won't regret it. When I've finished this I'm going to read the next chapter. What a good read!
Little bunnies wanna die, 29 Jul 2008
Bunnies are cute, fuzzy, cuddly, and not very bright. And in Andy Riley's works, they're also very suicidal.
In fact, you can guess just from the title of Riley's "The Bumper Book of Bunny Suicides" what it's about -- lots and lots of cute cartoon bunnies offing themselves. Both books in this set are full of one thing -- near-wordless cartoons of bunnies disposing of their cute fuzzy selves in unique, creative, and sometimes overly complex ways.
It's a running gag, but you'll never guess how many of these bunnies choose to off themselves -- just a few of their complex methods involve corkscrews, DVD players, stalactites, cigarettes, seppuku, garden gnomes, lemmings, palm trees, Harry Potter books, pointy-nose jets, Christmas trees, colanders, and many other seemingly harmless (or at least not VERY harmful) ordinary items.
Some of the methods become more and more complex as time goes on, like an elaborate contraption involving a grandfather clock, a ladder, a candle, and a can of gasoline. One even has a bunny taking the direct way out, even with a bunch of dynamite on a precarious ledge over him.
There are even some pop culture references, which are handled with utter hilarity. The bunny prepares to beam down from "Star Trek," gets toasted by the Terminator, hangs atop the Tardis, and infiltrates the legendary duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not to mention irritating the Eye of Sauron, and using Gollum for some bunny-stretching.
Yeah, it's basically a one-gag kind of humour,, but Riley manages to keep the chuckles rolling along through the entire book. Part of the humor is in the ridiculous stubbornness these bunnies have to off themselves (for no apparent reason -- it's not like they need a motive), and Riley's creativity in coming up with surreal methods for suicide.
There are a few duds, admittedly -- the deli counter one took me several reads to understand, since you have to pay very careful attention to even spot the bunny in this one. The overpass gag simply doesn't make much sense (okay, what happened there?), and some (like the cheese grater) are just squicky. They're funnier when they're clever.
Riley's artwork is simple and clean, and his bunnies are amusingly stoic as they chase down death. And he shows a variety of bunny deaths -- some are gory, some are physically impossible, and some simply involve bunny parts flying bloodlessly. Some, in fact, only hint obliquely at the bunnies' demises -- and these tend to be the most hilarious of all.
"The Bumper Book of Bunny Suicides" compiles the two deliciously dark comic books, and they're just right for people with a sick sense of humour or a hatred of bunnies. Or both.
Bringing me back to earth, 26 Mar 2008
After my friend brought his bunny suicide book to school and showed me it, i admit to having paranoia and being abit suicidal myself but this book opened my eyes and think i shouldent worry about life and just be happy.
This is for people who dont mind cartoon/comic violence or people who have abit of time in their hands and who could do with a quick laugh
Brilliant, 25 Feb 2008
If you are the kind of person not to take offense by the odd bit of comic violence, these books are literally brilliant. I have bought them for a number of my friends always with great success, and no matter how many times i look through them i always find myself laughing out loud (in a sinister and creepy way, of course). No but really - buy this book.
Stop him now , 19 Nov 2008
I went to school with him, and contrary to what he says in the Sunday Times, he was expelled for smoking dope at the prep school !
I am a fan , however; Top gear is great and his books are good fun to read but give me a break , they are all the same !
I live abroad , but when I come back to visit I like to go into the big bookshops and am invariably bombarded with the latest Jeremy Clarkson offering. This is getting annoying .
However funny he might be , there is only so much that can be written about cars, late seventies rock music and what there is still good about England.
Don't stop me now, 18 Oct 2008
Don't Stop Me NowWhat a fantastic read, you'd think this book would only appeal to the petrol heads. Don't be fooled. Very well written and it's super how Jeremy can twist his topic to fit the item under review.
Car reviews that are laugh out loud!, 13 Oct 2008
Firstly, this is more than a book about cars. It is Mr Clarkson's dry, witty and always cynical outlook on the world. If, like me, you find relief in discovering someone who is still politically incorrect, chauvanistic and doesn't care who knows it you will love the book. I found a lot of myself reflected in reading this
I have not enjoyed reading a book as much as this in a long time. The format of the reviews makes this an easy read to pick up and put down. Reviews are about 4 pages on average with great photography. The first 3 pages of a review are devoted to a humorous commentary on something seemingly unconnected with a car. This is always rectified in the last page with a surprisingly insightful description of the car itself. I believe all the reviews have previously been published in The Times.
Many car types are covered; supercars to the lowliest of runabouts....they're all here. Genuinely useful information can be found within the covers....not just the eye-watering performance figures of Veyrons and Diablos.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this book for both entertainment and basic information on the cars reviewed. Someone who was only a fan of humour would probably be best advised to steer clear (amusing pun intended) as this is a serious work of car journalism too.
At the time of writing (October 2008) Jeremy has been involved in a head on crash but early reports indicate that he is pretty much unscathed; "My right index finger looked like a burst sausage, my left shin was fatter than my thigh and my back felt like someone had driven over it with a pile-driver."
Good luck with the recovery, Jeremy, and lets hope another book as good as this appears soon.
Funny and funnier, 14 Aug 2008
Now we all know that Clarkson makes loads of money from selling books full of stuff he has already written in the paper but so what....who cares whether he's making extra money or not when you get to read this much funny stuff all in one book!
We all know he says he's writing about cars when in fact he just rants about complete rubbish for 3/4's of the articles....but who cares when he can make rubbish this funny!!!
We all know that Clarkson is a pompous, over opinionated, biggot....who cares....he's funnier than most other people you can read these days!!
I love this book....I think all the clarkson books are great but this one really is one of his best. I like the fact that they have made a bit more effort and actually put pictures of the cars he is talking about in the book. I probably like it more because it is more recent as well so the jokes are more topical.
If you want a bit of light reading, you know the kind of thing you can lie in bed and giggle to or sit in on a sunday morning and relax to then this is the book for you. Its light hearted, its funny, its easy to read and it offends 90% of the population which has to make you laugh doesn't to really!!
I'm not sure I will ever vote Clarkson for Prime Minister but I would certainly give him my vote when it comes to his writing. Dont think about the fact that he makes money out of this book having already been paid for writing the articles for the paper. It doesn't make any difference to you it just means you get to read all his funniest material in one go, which to be honest, is well worth the money!! In fact, with that kind of money making ability maybe he should be our Prime Minister!!!
"To everyone except John Prescott", 07 Jun 2008
Jezza's dedication, above, is a little unfair, in that he and the redoubtable Mr "two-jags" Prescott at least share a passion for cars. I like Clarkson's refreshinging un-PC attitude, although not his complancency about CO2 (although he may yet turn out to be right) and enjoy his columns on cars, and on more general matters, in The Sunday Times.
But is this a good book? Mr wife bought me it for Christmas, bouyed up no doubt by my positive reaction to "The World according to Clarkson" the year before, but I have read perhaps half of the fifty or so "chapters". Why?
Well, I can remember most of them from when I first read them, 2003 - 2006, for a start. At the same time, some of the contemporary references were so fleeting that they conjure forth no recollection at all. For example: in October 2003 "BBC bosses" decided to replace DJ Sara Cox with someone. Jezza suggested it was "The Queen". I have no recollection at all what that was about - have you?
In any case, Clarkson's humour about cars is perhaps a little intense when presented in such a format.
Whereas the content of a peperback is normally exactly the same as the hardback that preceeded it, be aware that the paperback does not include the excellent colour plates of all of the cars. As with the hardback, you don't get the number of "stars" Clarkson awarded to each car in that paper. How much would that have cost?
This is a book for the "lavatory reference section", from which to try to read one chapter before bed, or from dipping into on some other basis. Within those terms it succeeds.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
FUNNY, 19 Nov 2008
I don't even watch Top Gear that religiously but I bought the book for my brother for Christmas. I opened it to write a message in the cover and ended up reading most of it! I laughed out loud on so many occasions, it is SO funny!! As funny if not funnier than the show.
A 'Marmite' book, if ever there was one..., 17 Nov 2008
You have to be a fan of the show to even have a chance of liking it (too many in-jokes for anyone who doesn't watch it regularly) but even then it's still gonna divide readers into two groups, lovers and haters.
To love it you'll most likely have to be either a teenager or one of those spikey-haired Evo-with-big-exhaust owners (or wanabee owners) who really think all the lads' messing about on-screen is GENUINELY funny, rather than just very mildly amusing and worth putting up with in order to see the good bits of the show.
I am a die-hard fan of the show - have been for years - but honestly...
Another reviewer compared it to one of those kiddie 'Annuals' - I agree, I think what they've done here is create a niche product, an Annual for teenagers rather than kids. This is NOT the TV show in book form - the show is SO MUCH better.
Excellent value and fun!!!, 17 Nov 2008
This easy read is this years ultimate stocking filler. It will make you want to re-watch all of the Top Gear episodes, so would be the perfect accompaniment to a box set.
It is appropriate for any age, and you don't even have to be a fan of the show. Be prepared to experience `lol' moments, and don't take it too seriously. excellent value for money!!!
Unworthy..., 15 Nov 2008
It is simply nothing like as good as the TV show. Way too superficial and childish (if you think the TV show is getting a bit silly nowadays, you certainly won't like the book - but if you think the show needs more silliness, then you just might like the book...)
As for content, they just seem to have put all the 'challenges' in comic-strip form (why not watch the DVDs) and thrown in a load of childish stuff about the Stig (isn't all the Stig stuff getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, it used to be funny, but...)
Not the way to go...U-turn needed, 15 Nov 2008
I am an avid viewer of the TG show, a subscriber to the the TG magazine, and a regular reader of Mr. C's columns in the Sunday Times, BUT I have to be honest - this book is a stinker - a complete cash-in - as a throwaway stocking-filler, OK - but I was expecting something a bit meatier in terms of content (closer to TG magazine's style), especially as there's also a separate 'TG Annual' aimed at kids. All I can say is, goodness knows what that Annual is like, because most of what's in THIS should be in the annual - it just looks like someone's decided 'let's milk the name for all it's worth' - big pity...
Why am I annoyed?, 30 Oct 2008
Having read and enjoyed Mr. Hammond's previous book,'On The Edge', and being a big Top Gear fan I jumped at this second volume of autobiographical tales.
And for the Top Gear fan there is much here to digest, how things are done to make the show as great as it is, behind the scenes anecdotes and what-happened-when-the-camera-went-off revelations abound. A large section is given over to their Polar adventure.
Also covered are Mr. Hammonds actions in the floods of 2007 and his meeting child-hood hero Evel Kinevel, all relayed in readable, funny stories that will make you smile.
But...
Having been so deeply moved by the sections of the first book written by Mrs. Hammond I jusy kept getting annoyed every time Hammond did something dangerous or silly for the sake of a TV show.
Now this is all just my humble opinion and Mr. Hammond is, ofcourse, free to live his life - but I just kept thinking that for a man who was so lucky to get a second chance he seems to have not learned from it or been changed by it.
Now maybe thats a good thing, maybe not... but thats why I got annoyed by it and thats why 3 stars.
Its a very entertaining read and fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Hammond versus Clarkson, 14 Oct 2008
Read the piece below in the Evening Standard last night and it totally sums up what's great about Hammond and what's so annoying about Clarkson...
On Hammond: ...'there is a world of difference. Hammond may be doing some macho things....but his prose reveals him as a thoughtful, decent, generous-hearted man. He is capable of humility and his jokes are funny. As You Do is an unpretentious, well-built vehicle with pleasantly surprising extras and more speed and manoeuvrability than you would have thought.'
On Clarkson: ...'if Hammond's mind is open, Clarkson's is very firmly closed. The main thing to know is ...he doesn't know about anything except cars...the man knows very, very little, but is sustained by such self-belief that he expects us to applaud him. He wouldn't even be a car: he'd be the kind of noisy moped ridden by a 16-year-old berk outside your window at 2 am. Now imagine that that berk is being paid a small fortune every week to do so by the Sunday Times, and then gets even more money from the public at later date. Aren't there laws against this kind of thing?'
This book is fantastic ride - he does more in a year than I'll ever do in a lifetime! A perfect Christmas gift!
The cameramen are the real stars!, 21 Sep 2008
Uneven but fascinating to get to know the characters behind the scenes and to find out about the real close relationships with the people you never normally hear about. Very interesting about the North Pole and Botswana but peters out later and loses momentum. For true Top Gear fans only.
Brilliant Collection, 17 Nov 2008
The product description here does not do this magnificent collection justice - to lift and shift from the better description on the US Amazon:
"This special slipcased collection--weighing in at more than ten pounds with 600 pages and featuring almost 4,000 strips--takes readers behind the scenes and into the early days of Scott Adams's life pre-Dilbert and on to the success that followed when Dilbert became an internationally syndicated sensation.
Divided into five different epochs, Dilbert 2.0 gives readers a glance at some of Adams's earliest strips, like those created for Playboy, and a peek at an abundance of special content ranging from numerous rejection letters to Adams's first cartooning check, and more.
Adams personally selected the material for this collection and offers original comments and humorous asides throughout. Also included is a pi | | |