The Alphabet of Manliness
by Maddox
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Book Reviews of The Alphabet of Manliness
Book Review: Briliant moments, but uneven
Summary: 3 Stars
Maddox's frothing fanboys will probably swamp the Internet clicking "not helpful" on this review, but I think a more balanced view of this book is needed here.
For the most part, I enjoyed the "Alphabet of Manliness". I love the concept, the organization, the art, and the attitude. There were numerous "laugh out loud" moments. HOWEVER...
Comedy always comes at someone's expense. The real heart of the book is a roast of the male gender's tendencies and habits (passing gas in public, obsession about various female body parts, general bad behavior), and associated cultural bastions of masculinity (heavy metal, pirates, Chuck Norris).
Where things tend to go off-track has to do with women. I can certainly appreciate humor that isn't politically correct, and where Maddox is mocking men's attitudes towards women, he can be brilliant. But at times he veers off into misogynistic material that is solely at women's expense, very much in the vein of "blonde jokes". Sections like "urinal etiquette" are hilarious because at a deep level, they ring true. Many of the "women" jokes don't, at least for me. They stand out.
Perhaps if I were "manlier" in this respect, sections like "Obedience" (a "training manual" for women) would be funny, but instead they simply come off as a shock-jock attempt to be as politically incorrect as possible. That kind of humor is not without merit, but it succeeds when it goes after all targets (like South Park). The "aren't women stupid / worthless / unreasonable" joke over and over again gets pretty old, pretty fast, even allowing for the fact that this is a book about MANliness and a certain disdain for the other gender can be expected.
In summary: if you have ever been offended by a "blonde joke", you'd best steer clear of this book. It has a deep disrepect for the female gender that goes a little further than it needs to. Even lumberjacks or pirates who really love women might find parts difficult to stomach.
-R
Book Review: I really did enjoy it
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been a fan of Maddox for a number of years and wasn't all that surprised to learn that he'd landed a book deal. Given the popularity of his website and his talent with biting satire...I thought he'd make a good author. He's like a slightly meaner George Carlin.
I was a bit hesitant about the book. I mean, in today's world, critics look long and hard to find a way to dump all over something...rather than giving it a chance. Given that Maddox has never authored a book and that he's not a trained writer, I suspected his chances of writing a successful book were slim...to none. At least a book good enough to please the critics. But, let's be honest: Maddox deserves to be heard. He discovered a talent within himself...and if it's something that can earn him a lot of money...hurray for him. We should all be so lucky.
I did read the book (in one sitting)...and I will be completely honest about how I felt about it. Maddox certainly doesn't need any of us kissing his hind quarters about this.
Many parts of it were genuinely good. I laughed out loud sometimes. Sometimes I simply smiled. And there were a few times where I either didn't think what he was saying was funny...or I thought it was just silly or juvenile. I like my written humor to be more intellectual than some of what he's written. But, that's just me.
His illustrators did a bang-up job. They adaquately captured the spirit of what he was saying...and it added to the book, rather than distracted.
Non-writing complaint: The font and format of the book didn't appeal to me. I didn't like the way it was laid out on the pages in many parts. The book looks larger in photos than it does in person. But, that's a minor detail.
All in all, Maddox was successful with this first effort. And the sales prove this out! And to think that all of his fame was won by nothing more than word of mouth from fans. No website advertising. You gotta admire that, if nothing else.
Book Review: Men RULE!
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a man, I certainly enjoyed this book. I have visited Maddox's website for a long time and his articles never cease to be awesome. Frankly, the book can't really compete with the website in terms of content, but that wasn't the point of the book. The book was published so Maddox could make money, which in turn would fund the website... the end. This is the greatest idea for extortion ever, tell people you are writing a book simply to make money and have them buy it whether it's good or not. I thought it was a pretty good book regardless and I am not ashamed to have it in my collection (anyone who is... probably isn't a man anyway).
The book is fairly short, and has Maddox influenced art all over (courtesy of some guest artists), so it's a pretty quick read. Most people can probably finish it in a single afternoon. It's just long enough. I think if Maddox had tried to stretch out this content any further he would have risked losing the audience because then it would be unfunny and boring, but Maddox is a smart man and he knows to give people just enough to want more. This will hopefully easily fund his website for quite sometime, which is now legendary!
I must say, one particularly excellent topic that was brought up was urinal etiquette. More people need to understand this. Nothing pisses me off more than when there are clearly three urinals, I take the one closest to the wall and some fool takes the one right next to me. Next time this happens, thanks to this book, I will summarily kick the crap out of the person, resulting in me actually having a semi-good day for once.
If you are a man and you have a sense of humor, you will like this book. Otherwise... if you don't like this book... you should seek execution or something, because clearly your stay on this planet isn't amounting to very much.
Book Review: The Alphabet of excellence, err manliness...
Summary: 5 Stars
As soon as I learned the book was coming, I knew I had to buy it. I was expecting the same comedic genius no-holds-barred inflammatory, caustic, and mordantly cynical observations that he is infamous for on his "Best page in the universe" site. I was not disappointed. Just the cover alone, with the Tarzan-like he-man punching a gorilla in the face is absurdly hilarious enough to crack me up. That cover is brilliant!, and that folks,...is uber-macho! I'd love a wall poster of the cover.
By the time I got to the letter "C" the book had already paid for itself. I had tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard. I have read every kind of humor novel and magazine I could get a hold of. This book is not the gentle Barry-esque humor, nor Buchwald, nor anyone else. It is 100% Maddox. Be prepared for the ultimate crotch-bomb collection of in-your-face manly-man balls of steel parody. This is one of the most flat-out hilarious books in the history of the written word. If you are easily offended, or too dense to see what he has done here and get mad about it, you need to get a thicker skin. Don't bother getting your panties in a bunch by reading this book, it's far too masculine for you. I recommend that you stick with the gentle musings of Dave Berry or Erma Bombeck.
To make a small distinction, I viewed Maddox as more a literary Viking than a pirate. Pirates steal and plunder. Vikings discover and conquer. There is nothing stolen about this book. It's a trailblazer, and I hope to see more books from Maddox. I am waiting for the day that he branches out into other media. This is just the beginning of his meteoric rise to fame and yes, fortune. At risk of inflating his apparently frail self-esteem (ummm...right!) I'd say that he is a genius, and that this is the best humor in the universe.
Book Review: Hail to The King
Summary: 5 Stars
Here are some reasons you should purchase this book.
Once you own this book (actually it owns you, you can't own anything this awesome...you should feel humbled just to be around it.)
A few reasons everyone should buy this book.
1) It really opens a room up.
This is because everything else you own like furniture or your spouse is now renedered fully disposable to make space for this fine publication in your home.
2) It identifies the quality of your character.
Being seen in public with this book separates you from the Davinci Code toting trendoids or the moronic adults that read Harry Potter. When a 35 yr old Harry Potter fan asks you what the book is about, answer honestly by punching him in the mouth and throwing him through a plate glass window.
3) Population control.
Weaklings and wimps that make the mistake of reading this will panic when they discover how much breathable air they waste ((they don't eat spicy food, or get laid, so at least they'll feel guilty about breathing)) These punks will recognize that they aren't even a viable living space for maggots and will redeem themselves promptly jumping into an active volcano.
4) Ponderous concepts.
Only the most important concepts concerning a man's life are identified and defined in alphabetical order. So you can forget everything you thought you knew before you read this book. That stuff doesn't matter anymore, so stop it already.
5) You've been getting a free ride.
I know you've seen the Best Page in The Universe, Maddox has been serving up his wisdom and wit for years now, and it hasn't cost you anything more than a few friends you don't need and time you would have spent working at the office. Time to give something back bitches.
********Pay tribute to The Pirate*********