Scan barcode
allisonami's review against another edition
Had to return to the library. Would revisit but more interested in checking out his newer writing
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
In a stellar collection, three pieces stand out. The Alice Tax states simply that "After a certain level of income, the government would simply take everything...The ruling principle of the Alice Tax is the concept of enoughness." After all, after you make $10 million, how many more millions do you really need? Alice is also the recipient of Iran, meaning that her loving husband excused her from keeping up with the news from there - he would shoulder the burden. (In return, she gave him Cyprus, which was a more generous present in the 1970s than it would be now.) Finally, in a light collection, he jabs in the knife from time to time, notably in his poem about Roman Polanski's arrest and the outcry from some celebrities about the unfairness of it all: "How can these people get so riled?/ He only raped a single child." There will never be enough of Calvin Trillin.
inthecommonhours's review against another edition
3.0
Well, I love Calvin so it gets at least three starts. This was not a book to try to quickly read cover to cover before the library wants it back. His humor is so culturally driven, several pieces seemed a bit dated. I liked his food essays and anything with Alice the best.
muffmacguff's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Mostly stuff I’d read before, still hugely enjoyable. Definitely a good intro to his humor work for anyone new.
snowlilly's review against another edition
4.0
I quiet liked this. I'm glad I haven't read any of his stuff before because it seemed like recycled stuff. It was great stuff. So I might be missing a piece, but it was still great.
csd17's review against another edition
5.0
Not enough of Calvin Trillin! Some stories are a little more colorful than others (PG rating) but most of them are gems. Love it!
More...