These constitute the cutting edge of modern limericks from some of the best (or worst, depending whether you like puns etc) wordsmiths in the business. This is the ideal book to set beside your loo.
List price: $13.95 (that's 60% off!)
If the above doesn't mean anything to you, you're not a fan of the bewildering game of Mornington Crescent, and this is not the book for you. Go pick up a Bill Oddie birding book instead. On the other hand, if the above inspired you to snap out "Gants Hill" with authority and a smirk, then sprint, don't crawl, to pick up the only *authorized* Mornington Crescent companion (all others are mere shadows).
Seriously (and at the risk of ruining the joke) this is a humor book based on the popular BBC radio quiz show "I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue." British quiz shows like these, far from being a challenge to ordinary citizens to answer tough trivia, are more frequently a showcase for celebrities to show off their comic skills (think "Whose Line is It Anyway" rather than "Who Want to Be a Millionaire"). By far the most cheer-eliciting segment of ISIHAC is "Mornington Crescent," a round-table game in which the panelists must name London Underground stations, and the first to name Mornington Crescent is the winner. Sound simple? Well, it would be...if there were truly any rules other than to be funny while doing so...
If you're a fan of BBC radio comedy and you're in on the joke, this book is a must have, with Mornington Crescent history, Q&As, recipes, profiles, short stories (Charles Dickens versus Lewis Carroll in an especially ruthless and deadly game of MC)--everything a serious player of the game needs to know.
Except the rules.
Well, you can't expect them to give away *all* the answers, can you?
My main complaint about the book is the complete lack of footnotes and bibliography. This makes it difficult to impossible to substantiate some of the data or refer to his sources for further reading.
My second complaint is the author's habit of trying to weave his own theories on economics/politics/sociology into his presentation on the incidence of asthma, medical priorities, access to health care and other social services, etc. Based on his personal philosophy, he makes many assertions about cause and effect without any statistics to back him up. I would have enjoyed it more if Mr. Brookes had stuck to the facts about asthma and spared the reader his political ideology and theories on the topic.
Still, I enjoyed the book and would read other titles by this author.
List price: $26.00 (that's 30% off!)