{Review} What I've Learned ... So Far, Part III: Banjos, Boats, and Butt Dialing by Mike Ball

ISBN #: 978-0914303084

Page Count: 324

Copyright: March 21, 2013

Publisher: Glendower Media

Description:

(Taken from Amazon)

Banjos, Boats and Butt Dialing is the third installment in Mike Ball's What I've Learned ... So Far series of books. In it the Erma Bombeck Award-winning humorist grapples with topics ranging from becoming a grandfather, to rabbit hunting, to the Zen of a middle-aged guy trying to cope with cleavage. The book is a compilation of 74 entries from Mike's nationally-syndicated column, What I've Learned ... So Far. His homespun wit, sharp sense of humor, and ability to connect with readers on an emotional level have been compared to Mark Twain, Erma Bombeck, Robert Benchley, and Ernie Pyle.

Charlene's Review:

Banjos, Boats, and Butt Dialing is a collection of insightful nuggets directly from the heart and mind of Mr. Ball. Some I agree with, and some I don't, but I digress. Included in his third installment of What I've Learned ... So Far are entertaining stories of everyday life, friends and family, and the occasional poignant look into what matters most.

Perhaps my favorite, "why did I never think of that" moment was his description of his smart phone, which he fondly calls "Kierkegaard." He describes "app" as "App-arently you are kind of bored and need to kill some time loading some really crazy crap into your phone." Mr. Ball tends to put a fun spin on everything we so diligently take for granted every day, like phone books and tofu.

What I did not enjoy so much is his pointedly disgraceful view of republican politics. Again, I digress, as it is a decidedly small part of the whole and obviously his personal opinion, but I did find it unnecessary and offensive. Not all Republicans are dumb hicks as portrayed.

So, I have to say, overall, a fun, light read, but I'm deducting a star, because, apparently, as a past supporter of Bush, I may have trouble counting that high.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review.