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oohsarracuda's review against another edition
1.0
I wish I could give it no stars. Or negative stars. As with all other Lileks books, the pictures are fantastic and the commentary is grating, juvenile, lazy, and not funny. Worse, though, is that it's offensive. Rape jokes? Check. Racist jokes? Yep. Ethnic jokes? 'Fraid so. Classist jokes and stereotypes? Yes. Casual, multiple jokey references to the KKK (as if they are a funny little group and not a centuries-old terrorist organization responsible for countless murders)? Yes, and how. Honestly, none of this is necessary in what is supposed to be a light-hearted book about terrible foods from America's (and Australia's this time, too) past. More importantly, none of it is at all acceptable. Shame on James Lileks.
kristennd's review against another edition
3.0
This was just as fun as his first food collection. There are always a few hysterical pages, and the rest range from meh to funny. I think he's definitely funnier when he's riffing on the people and/or the setting. The highest proportion of misses are when he's coming up with alternative ingredients.
cmbohn's review against another edition
4.0
So dang funny! The most frightening foods I've ever seen. Some of the commentary is over the top vulgar, but some is hilarious. So be warned before letting your kids see what has you laughing so hard. Just let them know whatever you're making for dinner, it could be much, much worse.
averagegal's review
When I picked this up, I expected a bit of snarkiness but I also expected actual recipes. I was looking forward to trying to recreate a few of these crazy dishes myself and passing my own judgment on them. What I actually got was pictures from vintage cookbooks with captions that were supposed to be funny. In fact, it can be funny in small doses -- say, as individual entries on a blog. Take said blog and compile all the entries in a book, and the humor becomes annoying. I have three other books by Lileks on my TBR list, but now that I am familiar with his style I'm not in a rush to read them.
moreadsbooks's review
4.0
Bill questions my claim that "I read non-fiction" when he views titles like these, but hey, we keep it in the 641s. It counts. Not all non-fiction has to be heavy war stuff like he likes.
emilyjbridges's review
3.0
I know, how could I be so exacting as to lowball a book of pictures of food from the 50's with a mere 3 stars? Have I no soul?! The problem is the commentary. Lileks is about one tenth as funny as he thinks he is. The pics are admittedly amazing and I resent his bringing me down with his trying too hard.
satyridae's review
3.0
Amusing little confection. Man, we sure eat funny stuff- and here are the photos to prove it. Mostly from the 50s, the concoctions here are cringe-worthy and hilarious.
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