101 Damnations: The Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells

by Michael J. Rosen (Editor)

Dear flappable
Do you bristle at a handshake that resembles a limp fish? Do oblivious pedestrians bring you to the brink? What about museum gift shops, superfluous courtesy (do we need a gas pump to show us gratitude?), behemoth SUVS, or inexplicable operating manuals? Have you had it with screeching leaf blowers, beseeching telemarketers, escalating movie-ticket prices, or proliferating celebrity magazines? Is it children's choirs or karaoke singers, waiters bearing pepper grinders or dinner guests blathering on about salt, that drives you to distraction?

For anyone who has recognized that this peaceful kingdom of ours has more than a few potholes, 101 Damnations is the perfect companion. It's your ticket to the nine circles of personal hell.

Armed with wit, bewilderment, and words to the wise ass, today's leading humorists conduct a brief tour of the trivial and often universal exasperations we all must endure. Among the damning, Henry Alford reveals our wanton desire to affect Britishisms. Sandra Tsing Loh has it in for people who forward "funny" e-mails. Once and for all, Merrill Markoe sets forth cell phone etiquette. And there are many, many others. Ninety-eight to be exact. Make yourself comfortable. Misery loves company.

Genres: Humor

368 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2002

About the author

Rosen's Website should provide all this and more. It's http://www.fidosopher.com.
Nonetheless: Michael J. Rosen is an American author and illustrator with over 120 books of fiction, nonfiction, humor, picture books, poetry, and more. With a strong interest in nature and animals, reflecting his animal behavior degree from Ohio State University, Rosen resides within a peaceful crease of Central Ohio with his pack of animal companions that include 2 small koi ponds he helped build on the 100 acres he shares in the foothills of the Ohio Appalachians. An avid dog lover, he was inspired by Chant, his newest Australian stumpy-tail cattle dog, which led to the creation of his newest book of fiction, The Tale of Rescue, which will be released in October 2015. With an MFA in poetry from Columbia University, Rosen also showcases his skills and talents in other projects such as The Maine Coon’s Haiku: And Other Poems for Cat Lovers (2015).

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great title, great idea.....and that would be where I stopped liking it. To be fair, I didn't make it all the way through this book. The "humor authors" asked to contribute are ones I have never heard of, and possibly for good reason. The essays were essentially like those written by bad bloggers attempting to be funny. I finally gave up after reading about 10 essays. I thought 10% was a fair chance.

Not recommended to anyone

[Abhishek Choudhary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of okay. Not very timeless or relevant anymore. Only a little funny.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great idea and a fun read. I like how some of the authors do really different things like charts or spoofs of other forms of writing. There's one chart about how every Eagles hit single was followed by a disaster within a week. It's nice to have all these different voices in one place.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely hysterical - it's kinda cathartic to read other kvetching about the things that irritate most of us. Short 'chapters', arranged into 9 'Dantean' circles of irritation, each entry individual, funny, and like an enormous inside joke.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking at other reviews, I see I'm in the minority, but I really liked this book. It was a very clever idea, and most of the essays, although I did not recognize most of the authors, were quite witty. I could identify with a lot of them, and short entries make this an easy read.

[tib · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far (about halfway) the really truly bestest thing about this book has been the title, which I think is brilliant.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Did not finish it.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collaboration of stories and tales of personal hells.