Dr. Kookie, You're Right!

by Mike Royko

The popular syndicated columnist provides a look at topics ranging from the Reagan White House to Wall Street, the lifestyles of the rich to California jads, in an acerbic look at modern life

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Humor

275 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 1989

About the author

Pulitzer prize columnist, Mike Royko was nationally known for his caustic sarcasm. Over his 30 year career he wrote for three leading Chicago newspapers, "The Daily News", "The Sun-Times", and "The Chicago Tribune", and was nationally syndicated.

The Polish-Ukranian son of a cab driver, Royko grew up on Chicago's southside and never left the city. At age 64, he died in Chicago of complications arising from a brain aneurysm in the spring of 1997. Royko was survived by his wife, Judy, a 9-year-old son, Sam, and 4-year-old daughter, Kate, as well as two grown children from his first marriage. His first wife, Carol, died in 1979.

Reviews

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of Mike Royko's columns is always a treat, and this is no exception. He skewers everyone, including himself. The man knew no mercy, and it was wonderful to see him in action. It's also interesting because the columns in this book were written in the 'Eighties. A lot of the stuff he writes about are the very same issues that we're dealing with today. It's almost as if nothing changed. He's such an old school kind of guy, but at the same time, no matter how tough he is, he's also a caring humanitarian. That might not come through in his piece on how he misses the glory days of covering the '68 DNC in Chicago, but it shines through when he talks about specific victims of society. He was one of the greats. We don't have anyone like him these days. (PS: in his day, cell phones didn't have caller ID popping up on a screen. He wanted this so badly so he could ignore people he didn't want to talk to. I think he would have been happy with cell phones today.)

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Kookie, You’re Right! includes a smattering of Royko’s Chicago Tribune pieces from 1984 through 1989. This would be immediately following his leaving the Sun-Times because he couldn’t stand working for Rupert Murdoch. In order to avoid working for Murdoch, he went to work for the “conservative” Chicago daily, and I have a suspicion his work here is extra-shrill because he wanted to distance himself from the paper for which he’d once promised he would never work.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, and now historical, views from Chicago's curmudgeon.

[Anne Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is amazing how many of these essays from the '80s seem timely. Further proof that civilization is descending into the next dark age.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final Royko collection published during his lifetime. Not as essential as his mid-career work, but still good, and sometimes very good, but if you’re new to Royko—one of the best newspaper columnists America ever produced—go find Sez Who? Sez Me instead.

[Therese Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Royko's columns. Didn't always agree with him and his somewhat male a chauvinistic attitude - BUT, he was not too proud to show his vulnerability. He made some errors in judgement AND called himself out on it. He was accountable. That was respectable.

[A100junky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to see how much the world has changed in 40 years, some for the better some not so much. Definitely worth reading.