Brain Droppings

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

When a stand-up comedian writes a book, the audio version enjoys a clear advantage over the printed word. Timing, delivery and vocal expression are as important to humor as the actual joke itself. So it is with this very funny collection of essays, monologues, observations and jokes by 30-year comic veteran Carlin. A one-liner like "I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed," moderately amusing in print, is hilarious in Carlin's bewildered tone. This audio contains "unabridged excerpts," which means that though it does not include everything from the book, the pieces that appear are performed in their entirety. The audio is paced nicely, alternating between long pieces (Carlin as a bureaucratic caveman calling a "staff meeting" to announce a new policy on human sacrifices), short observations and one-liners. Some of Carlin's older routines are included, such as his classic comparison of warlike football and friendly baseball. One note: this audio, like most of Carlin's humor, includes plenty of profanity, so parents may want to be cautious around the kiddies. Based on the 1997 Hyperion hardcover.(May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Kirkus Reviews

Abounding yuks, chuckles, guffaws, rip-snorts—though few side-splitters—in this free-form compendium of Carlin's comedy stylings. A growing number of modern comics, from Bill Cosby to Tim Allen, have enjoyed a profitable sideline in adapting their shtick (with varying degrees of success) to the exigencies of the written word. Now veteran stand-up comic Carlin takes his own shot at authorship. Unlike many niche comics, who focus on a limited range of subjects built around an easily typecast persona, Carlin has a protean talent, and his book is a kind of mini-encyclopedia of humor, ranging from wretched puns ('The lazy composer still has several scores to settle'), to Steven Wright style one-liners ('I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed'), to classically structured jokes ('I got a chest x-ray last month, and they found a spot on my lung. Fortunately, it was barbecue sauce'). He also offers a number of longer comic meditations on subjects as diverse as sports and grief, while avoiding such stale stand-up staples as airline food and Seven Elevens. Carlin has an unusual concern with language, combining a grammarian's precision with a sharp eye for the absurd: 'Favorite oxymorons: nondairy creamer, death benefits, holy war.' He is less successful when he examines things he deeply cares about, like politics and justice. His anger is too close to the surface, his otherwise latent didacticism too blatant. Many of the jokes, taken straight from Carlin's act, suffer from being reduced to the printed page. With the right timing, the right droll delivery, they would be hilarious, but here, without help, they fall flat. Carlin succeeds admirably, though notwithout qualification.

From Barnes & Noble

The language-obsessed, hilarious Carlin shares his all-new opinions, thoughts, musings, questions, lists, curiosities, monologues, and more. Demolishing everyday values, you'll laugh out loud at Carlin's skew on sports fans and improving the TV networks, plus his favorite oxymorons ("original copy''), redundancies ("added bonus''), and other observations. Includes the classics, "A Place for My Stuff'' and "Baseball and Football.''