The Areas of My Expertise
by John Hodgman
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Book Reviews of The Areas of My Expertise
Book Review: A good mix of different types of humor
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, but I can see where others might not. The humor varies from intelligent and informed to stupid and silly with hardly any warning whatsoever, but Hodgman's voice nevertheless remains consistent throughout. You could call it a fake almanac in the way that America: The Book is a fake history textbook, but this theme is somewhat inconsistently maintained in a way that may be off-putting for some readers - no one, subconsciously, likes material to stray from its context. In reality, it's a collection of humorous essays, lists and charts. When Hodgman stays true to an internal context ("Jokes That Have Never Produced Laughter" and the ridiculous mock-advertisement "Top Spots for Crabs") he is at his best, as well as when he delves into fictional narrative (the history of the floating 51st state of Hohoq), but there are weak moments - the Lycanthropic Transformation Timetables beginning each chapter are largely useless besides their familiarity as act breaks, and the 700 Hobo Names are hilarious in concept, very amusing in portions but very overwhelming when read from start to finish.
In fact, those hobo names provide a good microcosm for the book as a whole. Let's take a look at an excerpt: "31. James Fenimore Cooper; 32. Twistback John, The Scoliosis Sufferer; 33. Sweet Daddy Champagne; 34. Senator Cletus Scoffpossum; 35. Horus, the Bird-Headed Fool; 36. 50-Tooth Slim; 37. Monk, the Monkey Man (which is to say: 'The Man')" All amusing names when viewed individually; all the more amusing when read within the context of hobo names; and some have a bit of extra cleverness, especially 32 and 37. And James Fenimore Cooper... what's he doing there?! But this is merely a small portion of a much larger list... not to say that reading the entire book is as daunting and sporadically amusing as reading 700 names, but hopefully you get my point.
Hodgman is a very clever man and, while the internal context of the book varies, it is always told in the very dry voice of a man who never hides the fact that all the things he tells you are made up yet very important and factual. Taken as a whole, it's a very enjoyable book.
Book Review: Sad but true, John Hodgman isn't a funny writer nor is he a hobo or werewolf
Summary: 2 Stars
I really wanted to like this book. I think Mr Hodgman is hilarious on the Daily Show and I was hoping for some truly side splitting laughs. Plus he has a whole chapter on hobos and seems to have a werewolf fetish, how could this be bad? He even mentions ninjas!
Well, let me tell you, it is pretty bad. He makes hobos humorless. The book starts out well enough, but around the middle of the first chapter he states, clearly, that he is going to make almost everything up. Ok, that can work. However if you are going to make it up, you best have some type of grounding. You need to pull in things that relate but are not quite right. You can't simply pull in the kitchen sink and hope for the best. Simply making up things like the Hobo King and the Hobo war on America aren't inherently funny. Describing hobos as if they were subhumans also isn't helping with the laughter. Nor does saying that FDR put the polio virus into the water in order to stop the hobo army. This really wasn't funny.
Making Chicago a mythical city that rises from the water also isn't funny. It makes no sense. If you are lying simply to lie, the humor tends to get lost. I don't think this fact got into the equation for this book.
Take for example the funniest line in the book. This line takes place in the last section on the states and talks about how Idaho and Oregon tried to form a super state - Or-Ida. Now that was hilarious since it had some grounding. The ninja section was also funny in a haha kind of way. There were a few funny tables towards the front but the laughs, small as they were, were few and far between.
The book was disappointing. I still love Mr Hodgman on TV but I don't think I'll read any more of his written works.
Book Review: A huge waste of time
Summary: 1 Stars
Taken on its own merits, this book is pointless and tedious. If you're a big fan of the author, you just might get a few laughs out of it. Otherwise, you'll probably think it's a real dud.
I first read this book in 2006 or 2007, soon after it came out, and I found it on my public library's "New Nonfiction" shelf. I thought it was humorless and mind-numbingly trite. I could not conceive why anyone would publish it, let alone buy it.
That was then, before I had heard of the author. Now that I've seen him on TV, I realize that he wrote this book under his onstage persona as a naive but vain know-it-all. I can understand why this book would be enjoyable to someone who already finds the guy's schtick to be hugely entertaining.
Personally, I have the opposite problem. Whenever I see Hodgman on the tube, I find myself thinking "Oh, here's the guy who wrote that tiresome book", and I can barely work up a chuckle for him. In fact, I recently tried to read the book again (it's rarely checked out at the library), and found it no better than before.
Most of the book contains arbitrary lists of mundane ideas and semi-imaginative statements. The rest of it could best be described as filler. A typical 9th-grader could write more interesting stuff.
I know my words will mean little to you if you already think the author is a very funny guy. If you do, you just might enjoy this book. But if you haven't heard of Hodgman, or you think his act is so-so or worse, do yourself a favor and steer a wide path away from this book.
Book Review: An expert in all areas, including intelligent humor
Summary: 5 Stars
I can imagine John Hodgman sitting in a very rigid, very erect position at Starbucks, or at the well appointed study desk of his home, with an extremely serious expression, earnestly typing away with concentrated but effortless relish, on a Macbook no less (which he can well afford to buy despite the fact that he effectively portrays the PC guy in the Mac v. PC commercial, or because of it), to write the book //The Areas Of My Expertise//.
As he types, the humor of the subject of his writing, and the convoluted play of words with which he writes, endlessly tumble out of his mind and into the computer's glossy screen, uncensored and unedited. He remains serious, and yet what he writes is funny. And that's the amazing thing about it--the ironic poetry or nonsensical beauty of anything and everything he dwells on and writes about. No editor, not even the well-meaning and the earnest, will want to touch his writing. For all intents and purposes, this is a seriously written book that is extremely funny. It's meant to be just that: an intelligent jumble that is delicious to read.
So, is this book a work of genius? Some think so, including his pal, Jon Stewart. In any case, why not find out for yourself. If you want a dose, nay, avalanche, of intelligent and surprisingly brilliant humor, try Hodgman, the writer using a Mac, not the PC guy on the TV commercial.
Reviewed by Dominique James
Book Review: I can't read this in public
Summary: 5 Stars
When I read "An Almanac of Complete World Knowledge Compiled with Instructive Annotation and Arranged in Useful Order by myself, John Hodgman, a Professional Writer, in the Areas of My Expertise, which Include: Matters Historical, Matters Literary, Matters Cryptozoological, Hobo Matters, Food, Drink & Cheese (a Kind of Food), Squirrels & Lobsters & Eels, Haircuts, Utopia, What Will Happen in the Future, and Most Other Subjects", I always have to be in a room alone. When I am in public or in a room with family or friends, I alternate laughing out loud and biting my lip/sweating. Forcing oneself to not laugh is a strain on the body and causes me to sweat.
I don't usually laugh out loud when I read books, but it is impossible with this one.
I bought this book after seeing Hodgman's appearance on the Daily Show as a guest to promote this book. I ordered it immediately and since then have become a huge Hodgman fan. To my suprise and great excitement, he has exploded into fame, becoming a regular contributer on The Daily Show, Apple adverts, Flight of the Conchords and appearing in a Tiny Fey film.
Wikipedia says he has a new book scheduled for October 2008... when can I preorder?