What do you think?
Rate this book
Not Taco Bell Material
In his second book, Adam Carolla€”author of New York Times bestseller In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks and chart-topping podcaster€”reveals all the stories behind how he came to be the angry middle-aged man he is today. Funnyman Adam Carolla is known for two hilarious rants about things that drive him crazy and personal stories about everything from his hardscrabble childhood to his slacker friends to the hypocrisy of Hollywood. He tackled rants in his first book, and now he tells his best stories and debuts some never-before-heard tales as well. Organized by the myriad "dumps" Carolla called home€”through the flophouse apartments he rented in his twenties, up to the homes he personally renovated after achieving success in Hollywood€”the anecdotes here follow Adam's journey and the hilarious pitfalls along the way. Adam Carolla started broke and blue collar and has now been on the Hollywood scene for over fifteen year
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2010
247 people are currently reading
2288 people want to read
About the author
Adam Carolla
21 books265 followersAdam Carolla is an American radio personality, television host, comedian, and actor. He is currently the host of The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast.
Carolla is also known as being the co-host of the radio show Loveline from 1995 to 2005 (and its television incarnation on MTV from 1996 to 2000), as the co-host of the television program The Man Show (1999–2004), and as the co-creator and performer on the television program Crank Yankers (2002–2007).
Carolla has been featured in television shows, talk radio shows, films (appearing in both independent films and those of the major film studios), internet media, podcasts, and other media outlets.
Carolla is also known as being the co-host of the radio show Loveline from 1995 to 2005 (and its television incarnation on MTV from 1996 to 2000), as the co-host of the television program The Man Show (1999–2004), and as the co-creator and performer on the television program Crank Yankers (2002–2007).
Carolla has been featured in television shows, talk radio shows, films (appearing in both independent films and those of the major film studios), internet media, podcasts, and other media outlets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
November 2, 2012
If you've listened to Adam Carolla on the radio, you've probably heard about 90% of these stories before in some form or another. I guess what you're paying for with the book is a more coherent collection that has some structure to it.
I listened to the audiobook, which was an interesting experience for a couple reasons.
1. Rather than reading his own book out loud, Carolla seems to get the beats of a story and then just retell it, which suits me just fine. I'm sure that's annoying to some people out there, but I think he himself would probably admit that his strength lies in talking more than it does in written prose, so why not play to your strengths?
2. After a couple chapters, he recorded short pieces with the people he'd written about. It was pretty cool, and it was a nice bonus to actually get the perspective of his friend Ray, who corroborated some of the stories about him, and to hear from Dr. Drew who told some stories that weren't included in the book.
3. There were parts where he actually laughed or said things in the narration that made me think he was enjoying doing the audiobook. That was refreshing.
4. At no point did he have illusions about what he was doing. So many audiobooks feel, to me, like they are performed like old time radio dramas. I mean, why does Tom Stechshulte have to read the title and then say, "Narrated by Tom Stechshulte"? He IS Tom Stechshulte, so it feels weird and formal. In this one, Adam kept referring to the fact that he was reading an audiobook, explaining the pictures you would be seeing if you actually had the book, and referring to how long he'd been in the studio recording the thing. It was fitting because it's memoir anyway, so why not add a little bit about recording the book while you're sitting in front of the mic?
I think what sold me on the audiobook originally was figuring that he's a radio guy, so a narrated version of this would make sense. But after listening to it, what I really enjoyed is that the change in format also caused a change in the material. Audio FELT like the right format for it, and I don't think that was an accident.
I'd like to see more audiobooks take this approach, adding and subtracting material or reading it in such a way that you really feel like reading it and listening to it are two different experiences, and that if they're going to take the time to record an audibook, they might as well make it something more than 8 hours of someone reading out loud.
I listened to the audiobook, which was an interesting experience for a couple reasons.
1. Rather than reading his own book out loud, Carolla seems to get the beats of a story and then just retell it, which suits me just fine. I'm sure that's annoying to some people out there, but I think he himself would probably admit that his strength lies in talking more than it does in written prose, so why not play to your strengths?
2. After a couple chapters, he recorded short pieces with the people he'd written about. It was pretty cool, and it was a nice bonus to actually get the perspective of his friend Ray, who corroborated some of the stories about him, and to hear from Dr. Drew who told some stories that weren't included in the book.
3. There were parts where he actually laughed or said things in the narration that made me think he was enjoying doing the audiobook. That was refreshing.
4. At no point did he have illusions about what he was doing. So many audiobooks feel, to me, like they are performed like old time radio dramas. I mean, why does Tom Stechshulte have to read the title and then say, "Narrated by Tom Stechshulte"? He IS Tom Stechshulte, so it feels weird and formal. In this one, Adam kept referring to the fact that he was reading an audiobook, explaining the pictures you would be seeing if you actually had the book, and referring to how long he'd been in the studio recording the thing. It was fitting because it's memoir anyway, so why not add a little bit about recording the book while you're sitting in front of the mic?
I think what sold me on the audiobook originally was figuring that he's a radio guy, so a narrated version of this would make sense. But after listening to it, what I really enjoyed is that the change in format also caused a change in the material. Audio FELT like the right format for it, and I don't think that was an accident.
I'd like to see more audiobooks take this approach, adding and subtracting material or reading it in such a way that you really feel like reading it and listening to it are two different experiences, and that if they're going to take the time to record an audibook, they might as well make it something more than 8 hours of someone reading out loud.
August 27, 2012
Oh Adam Carolla, I want to like you, but the more I get to know you, the more distasteful I find you. Some of his anecdotes were funny. I especially enjoyed the one about Natalie from the Dixie Chicks. But I think I enjoyed that story mostly because it was a masterful prank played on Carolla by Jimmy Kimmel, and not another story about how great Carolla thinks he is.
This book felt like one long rant about how shitty everything and everyone around him is, and how great he is for overcoming it all. Carolla toots his own horn for 329 pages. In this book I learned that:
•Carolla was a sports god (until he graduated high school).
•He's super intelligent but terrible at school.
•He is smarter than just about anyone, but he's especially smarter than ALL women in the world.
•He thinks his friends' scatological humor is the funniest thing ever invented.
•He is always right about everything (see item 3).
I enjoyed his tidbits about his family. They seem like they might be the most interesting part of his life. He sprinkled their withering, unimpressed reactions to his boasting and dreaming throughout the book, but really, I would have liked to hear more about his family. Surely his grandmother the sex therapist, his mother the Chicano studies student, and his philosophy-loving, psycho-analyst father could have at least supported their own chapters, if not their own book.
I've read both of Carolla's books. I've seen his work on The Man Show and Loveline. He's quick with the quip and can usually elicit a snicker out of me. But now I feel like I know him, and I just don't like him.
This book felt like one long rant about how shitty everything and everyone around him is, and how great he is for overcoming it all. Carolla toots his own horn for 329 pages. In this book I learned that:
•Carolla was a sports god (until he graduated high school).
•He's super intelligent but terrible at school.
•He is smarter than just about anyone, but he's especially smarter than ALL women in the world.
•He thinks his friends' scatological humor is the funniest thing ever invented.
•He is always right about everything (see item 3).
I enjoyed his tidbits about his family. They seem like they might be the most interesting part of his life. He sprinkled their withering, unimpressed reactions to his boasting and dreaming throughout the book, but really, I would have liked to hear more about his family. Surely his grandmother the sex therapist, his mother the Chicano studies student, and his philosophy-loving, psycho-analyst father could have at least supported their own chapters, if not their own book.
I've read both of Carolla's books. I've seen his work on The Man Show and Loveline. He's quick with the quip and can usually elicit a snicker out of me. But now I feel like I know him, and I just don't like him.
Read
July 2, 2019almost uncontrollably. The book is funny, Adam Carolla is funny, sometimes. I'll say more about what lost my interest later but first a little more general info.
I don't know where I fist became aware of Adam Carolla. He used to "co-host" a program I enjoyed on one of do it yourself, man channels called To Catch a Contractor. I've also seen him on several comedy venues/programs and I've seen him on political programs. So, not unaware of him. Thus when I saw this book from our local library I got it...wasn't aware it was an abridgment at the time. Still this is not what would be termed a favorite read for me.
Still I need to say that for some of you the entire book may be a side slapper. I know it will be for some. I think the potential audience may be a bit...younger (or maybe less mature) mentally.
Hey, don't get offended if you read this Adam, it's just my opinion as are so many things in your tomes (get that I used the word tome just like you did).
Okay so why did I get so bored with the book I dropped my rating to a stultified 2 stars?
Okay to all readers out there if you are at all sensitive maybe avoid this book...if you are what is euphemistically called a "snowflake" avoid it completely as the pure political incorrectness of it will undoubtedly melt what brain you have.
That part didn't bother me and is indeed some of what had me rolling around laughing, but...
About halfway through the book the stories about Adam and his friends becomes 100% scatological humor. No, no I don't mean humor about scatological topics. No I mean stories completely centered around defecating and urinating ON one another . This takes place in private venues, public venues, inside restaurants, in cars while driving... He/they seem to have a strange fascination with bodily waste.
I'm sure Freud would probably have a lot to say on the matter.
Anyway after a while I just got bored with it. The book was no longer funny it was simply story after story of on each other, in or on each other's possessions, each other's person etc. I was especially fascinated with the story of his friend (Ray I believe it was) who discovered that he could turn himself upside down in a Jacuzzi with his anus in front of the jet and fill "himself" up with Jacuzzi water, then get out of said Jacuzzi and shoot a jet four feet... This leads to the story of how he sprayed this Jacuzzi enema water all over a young woman (a stranger to this jolly band) with his first "full pressure jet".
I'm sure this must have pleased the young woman no end and led to a beautiful friendship.
So, while I did find some of the book humorous and get that Adam was not exactly raised in opulent circumstances, I can't say I found most of the book all that funny
Who knows, maybe you will? Do you like (literal) bathroom humor? to each his/her own as they say.
I don't know where I fist became aware of Adam Carolla. He used to "co-host" a program I enjoyed on one of do it yourself, man channels called To Catch a Contractor. I've also seen him on several comedy venues/programs and I've seen him on political programs. So, not unaware of him. Thus when I saw this book from our local library I got it...wasn't aware it was an abridgment at the time. Still this is not what would be termed a favorite read for me.
Still I need to say that for some of you the entire book may be a side slapper. I know it will be for some. I think the potential audience may be a bit...younger (or maybe less mature) mentally.
Hey, don't get offended if you read this Adam, it's just my opinion as are so many things in your tomes (get that I used the word tome just like you did).
Okay so why did I get so bored with the book I dropped my rating to a stultified 2 stars?
Okay to all readers out there if you are at all sensitive maybe avoid this book...if you are what is euphemistically called a "snowflake" avoid it completely as the pure political incorrectness of it will undoubtedly melt what brain you have.
That part didn't bother me and is indeed some of what had me rolling around laughing, but...
About halfway through the book the stories about Adam and his friends becomes 100% scatological humor. No, no I don't mean humor about scatological topics. No I mean stories completely centered around defecating and urinating ON one another . This takes place in private venues, public venues, inside restaurants, in cars while driving... He/they seem to have a strange fascination with bodily waste.
I'm sure Freud would probably have a lot to say on the matter.
Anyway after a while I just got bored with it. The book was no longer funny it was simply story after story of on each other, in or on each other's possessions, each other's person etc. I was especially fascinated with the story of his friend (Ray I believe it was) who discovered that he could turn himself upside down in a Jacuzzi with his anus in front of the jet and fill "himself" up with Jacuzzi water, then get out of said Jacuzzi and shoot a jet four feet... This leads to the story of how he sprayed this Jacuzzi enema water all over a young woman (a stranger to this jolly band) with his first "full pressure jet".
I'm sure this must have pleased the young woman no end and led to a beautiful friendship.
So, while I did find some of the book humorous and get that Adam was not exactly raised in opulent circumstances, I can't say I found most of the book all that funny
Who knows, maybe you will? Do you like (literal) bathroom humor? to each his/her own as they say.
October 16, 2024
As far as the house went, it would be tough to tell which was worse, my mom's place or my dad's. You could take a thousand people to both houses and they would split fifty-fifty on which was the bigger dump. Or, to be more accurate, the smaller dump. (PG 22)
Don't read this book if::: Trigger Warning::: a Jew of any age, person older than 20 years old, a man, a woman, transvestite, gay, lesbian, Black, Mexican, a celebrity, McDonald's worker... He covers us all.
Look, guys, this book wasn't that great or funny, a few smile crackers, but I liked that he had stories. My grandparents and 70% of my family (maternal & paternal) live in the San Fernando Valley so I know many of the areas. I don't think he's that funny or get why he's so famous but turns out he became buds with Jimmy Kimmel so it's all in who you know right?
I didn't like that he downgraded his family so much. He calls himself poor and makes his family a cast of losers and lazy degenerates but they were actual homeowners IN THE VALLEY, in CALIFORNIA. You know how hard it is to own anything in this stupid state, even a dump? He was middle class. He played football. Playing football anywhere is expensive. He claims to not even have food to eat yet be buffed up one year to make the team but where did that food come from?
I am against censorship. I do not believe people should get in trouble for saying things when they were teenagers or even 10 years ago. Nothing is funny anymore, everyone is "offended," everyone has so many feelings that need to be validated. We have an opposite opinion or we say things in jest and out comes the hate from people saying they're hated against. Words are censored or rearranged to fit a narrative, they stop being the original words in the Webster dictionary. I'm so sick of people not having a sense of humor or trauma dumping online. So my point is: GO ADAM CAROLLA! Talk all the shit you want.
This offensive book made me nostalgic for stereotypes because I am a Mexican beaner wetback that swam across the border to get to the United States and for Christmas we make tamales to open them like a present. : ) Seriously everyone thinks things. Get over it.
Don't read this book if::: Trigger Warning::: a Jew of any age, person older than 20 years old, a man, a woman, transvestite, gay, lesbian, Black, Mexican, a celebrity, McDonald's worker... He covers us all.
Look, guys, this book wasn't that great or funny, a few smile crackers, but I liked that he had stories. My grandparents and 70% of my family (maternal & paternal) live in the San Fernando Valley so I know many of the areas. I don't think he's that funny or get why he's so famous but turns out he became buds with Jimmy Kimmel so it's all in who you know right?
I didn't like that he downgraded his family so much. He calls himself poor and makes his family a cast of losers and lazy degenerates but they were actual homeowners IN THE VALLEY, in CALIFORNIA. You know how hard it is to own anything in this stupid state, even a dump? He was middle class. He played football. Playing football anywhere is expensive. He claims to not even have food to eat yet be buffed up one year to make the team but where did that food come from?
I am against censorship. I do not believe people should get in trouble for saying things when they were teenagers or even 10 years ago. Nothing is funny anymore, everyone is "offended," everyone has so many feelings that need to be validated. We have an opposite opinion or we say things in jest and out comes the hate from people saying they're hated against. Words are censored or rearranged to fit a narrative, they stop being the original words in the Webster dictionary. I'm so sick of people not having a sense of humor or trauma dumping online. So my point is: GO ADAM CAROLLA! Talk all the shit you want.
This offensive book made me nostalgic for stereotypes because I am a Mexican beaner wetback that swam across the border to get to the United States and for Christmas we make tamales to open them like a present. : ) Seriously everyone thinks things. Get over it.
July 22, 2013
I sat in the car the other day listening to Adam Carolla being interviewed on the radio. It was interesting enough that it kept me from going into Home Depot, which is fairly significant.
I found this book at the local library a few days later, and based on the interview and the other reviews here, I gave it a shot.
On the one hand, there were funny paragraphs that made me laugh out loud at least three times. On the other hand, even though I don't normally use foul language in reviews, this book is a huge steaming pile of shit. I've read a lot of books, and this is *easily* the worst thing that I've read. Ever. Really.
I can appreciate that Carolla came from nothing and now has a 5,000 square foot house. I can appreciate his direct, no-nonsense approach. I can appreciate that he didn't finish college and wrote a bestselling book.
What I can't appreciate is this book. Each paragraph is like a story, and none of the stories relate to each other. The minute you start getting interested, Carolla moves on to a completely unrelated topic. I start a story with you with "I once ended up naked and defending myself from Charles Bronson with nothing but a hickory stick and a stolen dildo."
You say something like, "Wait, what?"
And I reply with "The fight was weird. Speaking of mustaches, I have a canary."
Feel that confusion? Multiply that by 200 pages, and pepper the phrase, "I covered that in my other book, so I'm not going to go into it here" and you'll understand this book. The gears are constantly grinding, the writing is dead poor, and nothing potentially interesting is dug into enough to make an actual story. This book makes it look like Carolla just can't write.
But, do I blame him for writing a piece of shit book? Not really. He's a celebrity. The book should sell based on his popularity, not his writing finesse. It's not his job to write well. That's where the editor comes in. They take the pile of shit that the celebrity grunts out on their desk, dry it out, spray paint it gold, and sell it as the real thing.
The editor of this book did Carolla a massive disservice. I don't know if they misread Carolla as Kardashian, but this book makes him look like very lucky high school drop out with anger issues who couldn't string two words together if they were tattooed on a stripper's fun zone.
How the other reviewers can say it's good without being friends with Carolla is beyond me. I got this book for free from the library, and without wasting a dime on it, it made me mad just for wasting my time.
I found this book at the local library a few days later, and based on the interview and the other reviews here, I gave it a shot.
On the one hand, there were funny paragraphs that made me laugh out loud at least three times. On the other hand, even though I don't normally use foul language in reviews, this book is a huge steaming pile of shit. I've read a lot of books, and this is *easily* the worst thing that I've read. Ever. Really.
I can appreciate that Carolla came from nothing and now has a 5,000 square foot house. I can appreciate his direct, no-nonsense approach. I can appreciate that he didn't finish college and wrote a bestselling book.
What I can't appreciate is this book. Each paragraph is like a story, and none of the stories relate to each other. The minute you start getting interested, Carolla moves on to a completely unrelated topic. I start a story with you with "I once ended up naked and defending myself from Charles Bronson with nothing but a hickory stick and a stolen dildo."
You say something like, "Wait, what?"
And I reply with "The fight was weird. Speaking of mustaches, I have a canary."
Feel that confusion? Multiply that by 200 pages, and pepper the phrase, "I covered that in my other book, so I'm not going to go into it here" and you'll understand this book. The gears are constantly grinding, the writing is dead poor, and nothing potentially interesting is dug into enough to make an actual story. This book makes it look like Carolla just can't write.
But, do I blame him for writing a piece of shit book? Not really. He's a celebrity. The book should sell based on his popularity, not his writing finesse. It's not his job to write well. That's where the editor comes in. They take the pile of shit that the celebrity grunts out on their desk, dry it out, spray paint it gold, and sell it as the real thing.
The editor of this book did Carolla a massive disservice. I don't know if they misread Carolla as Kardashian, but this book makes him look like very lucky high school drop out with anger issues who couldn't string two words together if they were tattooed on a stripper's fun zone.
How the other reviewers can say it's good without being friends with Carolla is beyond me. I got this book for free from the library, and without wasting a dime on it, it made me mad just for wasting my time.
July 30, 2012
Updated Review:
Overall, this book made me happy, but I think there won't be a huge audience that loves this book. For those who want to be entertained, read his book, "In 50 years, We'll All Be Chicks". "Not Taco Bell Material" is more of those wondering about his journey and how it's possible to overcome crappy jobs and situations to succeed.
There are some very funny parts to this book and the whole concept of using a Tan Gent to go off on a tangent is one example of Ace Man's brilliance. Carolla is a genius and I'll happily put more money in his coin purse any day.
Original Review:
I was unaware this was an autobiography. However, I'm a big fan of the Ace Man. Whether on Loveline, The Man Show, subbing for Letterman, listening to his podcast or reading his first book, I think Carolla is one of the funniest guys around and has been for a long time.
Kimmel and The Sports Guy both call Carolla the funniest person they've ever met. I haven't met him, but I know one thing: this book better not let me down.
If you want to hear some good Loveline, listen to this clip of he and Dr. Drew discussing 20 years of his social security earnings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KM9l...
Overall, this book made me happy, but I think there won't be a huge audience that loves this book. For those who want to be entertained, read his book, "In 50 years, We'll All Be Chicks". "Not Taco Bell Material" is more of those wondering about his journey and how it's possible to overcome crappy jobs and situations to succeed.
There are some very funny parts to this book and the whole concept of using a Tan Gent to go off on a tangent is one example of Ace Man's brilliance. Carolla is a genius and I'll happily put more money in his coin purse any day.
Original Review:
I was unaware this was an autobiography. However, I'm a big fan of the Ace Man. Whether on Loveline, The Man Show, subbing for Letterman, listening to his podcast or reading his first book, I think Carolla is one of the funniest guys around and has been for a long time.
Kimmel and The Sports Guy both call Carolla the funniest person they've ever met. I haven't met him, but I know one thing: this book better not let me down.
If you want to hear some good Loveline, listen to this clip of he and Dr. Drew discussing 20 years of his social security earnings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KM9l...
July 4, 2012
I used to hate Adam Carolla. I thought he was just some guy riding Jimmy Kimmel's coattails doing dumb shows like The Man Show. Then I listened to his first book In Fifty Years, We'll All Be Chicks and changed my mind. Carolla is my kind of people. The title of this book comes from him applying at Taco Bell and being told that he was "not Taco Bell material." As he points out, if you can fill out the application at Taco Bell in anything other than Crayon, you're Taco Bell material. I wish I could have listened to this one as well, as he throws in some extras on the audiobook that you don't get by reading the book. I'm already looking forward to the next Adam Carolla book.
May 27, 2017
I live under a rock. I've never seen Jimmy Kimmel, save for brief commercials, & never even heard of Adam Carolla or any of the shows he does. So why did I listen to this? I have no idea. It was interesting & generally funny, though. I wonder if we ever partied down in Baha Mexico south of Encinada? I was there about the same time, IIRC. Of course, if you were really there, the memories are pretty hazy & not just due to time.
This is a loose bunch of funny anecdotes held together by the places he was living at the time. Great idea. I had to laugh at his worst days & what he calls a bottom. I'm happy his was so high & that he's made so good. A lot of his stories were very much like ones I could tell before I quit drinking, so I do feel somewhat better about those days.
While he stayed fairly busy trying to sell the hardback book which apparently contains pictures of his various friends doing really dumb & gross stuff, the audio book is plenty for me. It's 8+ hours of drunken reminiscences & I have plenty of my own. Young men, whether east/west coast, black/white/whatever seem to have the same stupid memories. The coolest part is that we survived them (The gods only know how!) & can now laugh at ourselves.
This is a loose bunch of funny anecdotes held together by the places he was living at the time. Great idea. I had to laugh at his worst days & what he calls a bottom. I'm happy his was so high & that he's made so good. A lot of his stories were very much like ones I could tell before I quit drinking, so I do feel somewhat better about those days.
While he stayed fairly busy trying to sell the hardback book which apparently contains pictures of his various friends doing really dumb & gross stuff, the audio book is plenty for me. It's 8+ hours of drunken reminiscences & I have plenty of my own. Young men, whether east/west coast, black/white/whatever seem to have the same stupid memories. The coolest part is that we survived them (The gods only know how!) & can now laugh at ourselves.
September 23, 2020
5 Stars for Not Taco Bell Material (audiobook) by Adam Carolla read by the author. This was some really fun insight into Adam’s life.
November 23, 2012
Let me start by saying to my Goodreads friends that I am NOT recommending this book to you. I was almost hesitant to give it 3 stars because I ran the risk of one of my friends seeing that I liked it and picking it up and I didn't want to have to explain myself. I don't think that my Goodreads friends and I are the intended audience. Maybe a twenty-something immature man is really right audience. Nevertheless, I'm a forty-something year old woman and I still gave it 3 stars. Why? Well, I'll start by reminding you that my standards are lower for audio books. Next, I'll say that I found myself laughing more than you might expect. I especially found myself laughing at the frequent and intentional digressions and tangents that he included. I also appreciated the authenticity of his stories. I may not be particularly interested in drunken, idiodic behavior of teenage boys and men that act like teenagers but it's hard to not like Adam Carolla. Lastly, he did such a spectacular job of recording the audio version. I give him 5 stars for that. It was as if he wasn't even reading the book but actually telling these stories off the top of his head. He frequently was laughing as he was telling the stories. He often went "off book" and told side stories that were not part of the book and even had a couple of guest appearances from people in the book to laugh with him over some of the stories. So, if you're a fan of Adam Carolla and/or a twenty-something man who likes a good drunken/idiotic story then this is a great book for you. Otherwise, I can't be held responsible.
August 12, 2013
Okay, I only have myself to blame for this one. I've never listened to Loveline or seen The Man Show nor had any interest in seeking those out. But I liked the title, as well as the subtitle, "from a dump with a dirt lawn, a hero will rise ..." and I've seen Adam Carolla on a couple of talk shows and found him funny, so I picked this book up.
This is a memoir, each chapter begins with a photo of where he was living at the time the events took place, and it's more or less in chronological order. Fifty pages into it, I knew I wouldn't make it to the end, and by page 100, I was pretty much done, although I did read the last two chapters to see if he became less disgusting as he aged. He didn't.
His basic premise is that he grew up in the worst kind of poverty, under the most negligent parenting, yet somehow because of his awe-inspiring determination and spirit, he triumphed to become the man he is today (a C-list celebrity with a 5000 square foot home). The thing is, his family wasn't that poor. Yes, the homes his parents owned weren't the nicest, but they owned those homes. Does Carolla not understand that there are people who work seven days a week, but still have to choose every single month between paying the rent or buying enough food? He complains about how there was never anything to eat, but seeing as he bulked up from one weight class to the next in a matter of a few months for Pop Warner football, it's clear he was eating fine. (Not to mention, if you're playing Pop Warner football, you are pretty much the definition of middle-class.) As for his parents, I have no idea if they were good or bad parents; he shit-talks them throughout the entire book, portraying them as both lazy and stupid to an almost criminal degree, but he still seems to be on good terms with them, so I'm not sure what that's all about. He seems to blame them for his not attending college out of high school, but since he spent most of high school and his 20s drunk, vomiting, on road trips to Tijuana with his equally moronic friends searching for strippers, hookers, and the elusive donkey show, he might want to think about assuming a little responsibility for his own lack of academic success.
Carolla is just not a good person and if this book is an indication of what he thinks is funny when he's not reined in by the constraints of being on someone else's show, then he's not funny either. He thinks pets dying of abuse is funny. He thinks farting into a coffee can and making his friend smell it is funny. Feces? Hilarious! In general, his attitude toward women is Flintstonian; for example, forced (and I mean FORCED) to attend a sexual harassment seminar at one of the networks, the conclusion he drew from it was, and I quote, "don't hire chicks." And "chicks" is the nicest term he can come up with for women; other times it's by one or another slang term for vagina, the specific term dependent on whether or not he wants to have sex with them. He's also fond of calling people "homos" when they do something he deems lame or stupid, and he seems to be obsessed with which celebrities are gay; he professes not to care but then details all the things they do that seem gay to him, like not having children or bringing cupcakes to a party. In short, Carolla is an idiot.
I don't usually rate books I've abandoned, but my one-star rating is more for Carolla as a person than for the book.
This is a memoir, each chapter begins with a photo of where he was living at the time the events took place, and it's more or less in chronological order. Fifty pages into it, I knew I wouldn't make it to the end, and by page 100, I was pretty much done, although I did read the last two chapters to see if he became less disgusting as he aged. He didn't.
His basic premise is that he grew up in the worst kind of poverty, under the most negligent parenting, yet somehow because of his awe-inspiring determination and spirit, he triumphed to become the man he is today (a C-list celebrity with a 5000 square foot home). The thing is, his family wasn't that poor. Yes, the homes his parents owned weren't the nicest, but they owned those homes. Does Carolla not understand that there are people who work seven days a week, but still have to choose every single month between paying the rent or buying enough food? He complains about how there was never anything to eat, but seeing as he bulked up from one weight class to the next in a matter of a few months for Pop Warner football, it's clear he was eating fine. (Not to mention, if you're playing Pop Warner football, you are pretty much the definition of middle-class.) As for his parents, I have no idea if they were good or bad parents; he shit-talks them throughout the entire book, portraying them as both lazy and stupid to an almost criminal degree, but he still seems to be on good terms with them, so I'm not sure what that's all about. He seems to blame them for his not attending college out of high school, but since he spent most of high school and his 20s drunk, vomiting, on road trips to Tijuana with his equally moronic friends searching for strippers, hookers, and the elusive donkey show, he might want to think about assuming a little responsibility for his own lack of academic success.
Carolla is just not a good person and if this book is an indication of what he thinks is funny when he's not reined in by the constraints of being on someone else's show, then he's not funny either. He thinks pets dying of abuse is funny. He thinks farting into a coffee can and making his friend smell it is funny. Feces? Hilarious! In general, his attitude toward women is Flintstonian; for example, forced (and I mean FORCED) to attend a sexual harassment seminar at one of the networks, the conclusion he drew from it was, and I quote, "don't hire chicks." And "chicks" is the nicest term he can come up with for women; other times it's by one or another slang term for vagina, the specific term dependent on whether or not he wants to have sex with them. He's also fond of calling people "homos" when they do something he deems lame or stupid, and he seems to be obsessed with which celebrities are gay; he professes not to care but then details all the things they do that seem gay to him, like not having children or bringing cupcakes to a party. In short, Carolla is an idiot.
I don't usually rate books I've abandoned, but my one-star rating is more for Carolla as a person than for the book.
July 22, 2012
This is a hilarious read. If you enjoy when authors can poke good-humored fun at their upbringing, then this is the book for you!
July 23, 2012
There's a bit of retread from Carolla's first book, In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks, here, but there's a also a bit more background and detail given on the repeated anecdotes so it didn't really bother me.
Carolla, as always, is hilarious in his cantankerous, profanity-laced tirades against political correctness and other ills of modern society, but this book is much more of a real autobiography than his first. It traces his life from childhood to the present via a framework of the homes he's resided in over the years.
It's funny and at times touching, but the best thing about this book is how inspirational it is. Carolla and his friend Jimmy Kimmel both got a late start in showbiz, but as Carolla's true tales demonstrate, anyone who's willing to work for what he wants can achieve great things, at any age.
Carolla, as always, is hilarious in his cantankerous, profanity-laced tirades against political correctness and other ills of modern society, but this book is much more of a real autobiography than his first. It traces his life from childhood to the present via a framework of the homes he's resided in over the years.
It's funny and at times touching, but the best thing about this book is how inspirational it is. Carolla and his friend Jimmy Kimmel both got a late start in showbiz, but as Carolla's true tales demonstrate, anyone who's willing to work for what he wants can achieve great things, at any age.
August 12, 2012
Although some of the language was crude and the actions objectionable, I found myself laughing out loud while I read this book. It was a sad commentary about how many people think these days. I did love the ending which summed up the moral of the story. Until I read Mr. Carolla's books, I thought he was unfunny and sophomoric. However, once I got to know how his mind worked, I discovered that he really was a likable guy who made mistakes and was trying to grow up into a responsible adult of sorts. Although I tried not to, I snorted a few times and turned some heads as I giggled loudly while reading this in public. The book made me realize how quickly many of us snap to judgment without getting to know the person underneath. Thanks for the lesson, Adam!
September 20, 2012
Inspirational, good job Ace man.
November 9, 2014
If you’re like me, you really didn’t become aware of who Adam Carolla is until he appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice or subsequently Dancing with the Stars. But the author of this comic monologue got his start hosting a radio call-in program, Loveline as well as that show’s initial run on MTV. You may also remember him from The Man Show, Crank Yankers, the Adam Carolla Project and The Car Show. You may see him weekly on The O’Reilly Factor or hear his brand of comedy on his pod cast.
This second book follows the New York Times best seller, In Fifty Years We’ll All Be Chicks. In this follow-up autobiography, Carolla takes an unusual approach to organizing his life. Each chapter begins with a photograph and detailed description of the numerous apartments, houses, and yes, even garages the author has called home over his 48 years on the planet. There’s a purpose here. All of the real events Carolla records in each chapter took place when he was living in the dwelling pictured at the head of each chapter. It gives the book a Parade of Homes motif. You almost believe you’re reading a real estate sales brochure.
Besides the house profiles, I found the most interesting portion of this Carolla-thon to be stories of “all the celebrities (the author) insulted or had some sort of run-in with while (he) was living in” his Beachwood Canyon home, a $350 thousand fixer-upper. Among those encounters Carolla lists Patrick Dempsey, Marilyn Manson, Chris Penn, Gwen Stefani, Rob Schneider, Margaret Cho, Heather Graham, David Arquette, Kelly Osbourne and Alex Baldwin.
After reading this, you may want to take a cold shower or wash your mind out with soap. Carolla leaves nothing to the imagination here. The events and language used within these pages would make a celebrity roast on the Comedy Central channel sound like a convention of grade school librarians. It appears that Carolla spells comedy S-H-O-C-K. It’s all filthy language that might make a drill sergeant blush. The vast majority of the Carolla comedic mind centers on sex and potty humor. The idea is to gross you out. Think Animal House on steroids. You also get the impression that Carolla could’ve been the next Bob Vila. With all the home improvement projects Carolla has done, he seems to really know a header from a beam from a joist. America might’ve been better served if he had stuck to carpentry.
This second book follows the New York Times best seller, In Fifty Years We’ll All Be Chicks. In this follow-up autobiography, Carolla takes an unusual approach to organizing his life. Each chapter begins with a photograph and detailed description of the numerous apartments, houses, and yes, even garages the author has called home over his 48 years on the planet. There’s a purpose here. All of the real events Carolla records in each chapter took place when he was living in the dwelling pictured at the head of each chapter. It gives the book a Parade of Homes motif. You almost believe you’re reading a real estate sales brochure.
Besides the house profiles, I found the most interesting portion of this Carolla-thon to be stories of “all the celebrities (the author) insulted or had some sort of run-in with while (he) was living in” his Beachwood Canyon home, a $350 thousand fixer-upper. Among those encounters Carolla lists Patrick Dempsey, Marilyn Manson, Chris Penn, Gwen Stefani, Rob Schneider, Margaret Cho, Heather Graham, David Arquette, Kelly Osbourne and Alex Baldwin.
After reading this, you may want to take a cold shower or wash your mind out with soap. Carolla leaves nothing to the imagination here. The events and language used within these pages would make a celebrity roast on the Comedy Central channel sound like a convention of grade school librarians. It appears that Carolla spells comedy S-H-O-C-K. It’s all filthy language that might make a drill sergeant blush. The vast majority of the Carolla comedic mind centers on sex and potty humor. The idea is to gross you out. Think Animal House on steroids. You also get the impression that Carolla could’ve been the next Bob Vila. With all the home improvement projects Carolla has done, he seems to really know a header from a beam from a joist. America might’ve been better served if he had stuck to carpentry.
April 5, 2013
I can't say for certain, but I have an inkling that no other person in history has ever read Not Taco Bell Material, Adam Carolla's memoir and a monument to listless parenting and general unimpressiveness immediately after reading about the super-human exploits of William Stevenson. Too bad, because it's clearly a natural fit. I can picture the cocktail party conversation:
"You know, I read William Stevenson was responsible for convincing Niels Bohr to defect, thus keeping his vital nuclear research out of Nazi hands."
"How interesting! That reminds me, did you know that Adam Carolla once shared a futon with one other guy, two dwarf rabbits and a kitten named Max in a small one bedroom apartment?"
Ok, maybe I can't picture the conversation, but now the two are forever linked in my brain...which gives me a kind of literary whiplash I hope doesn't cause permanent damage. On the plus side, just looking at "A Man Called Intrepid" next to "Not Taco Bell Material" on my bookshelf kind of makes me laugh.
As for the book, it was (obviously) funny and Adam Carolla has a truly interesting and often inspirational back-story. Talk about a guy who came from nothing and got where he is thanks to hard work, persistence and, of course, the requisite amount of talent. I will say my enjoyment was tempered by the fact that, as an avid listener to his podcast, I have already heard almost all of these stories. That does make it all the more remarkable, I suppose, that I still laughed heartily throughout.
In many ways it's inevitable that a memoir deteriorates into a sort of "look at how great I am" series of stories, but I did get a little tired of what Carolla himself would call the "blow-hardy" tone of the book. Again, it's a hazard of the genre, but I think he did a better job in his first book of diluting the "Carolla's a hero" talk with bits of self-deprecation. As a fan, part of me is concerned that Carolla is getting a little too high up on the horse these days, and is due for some sort of scandal and subsequent fall. Oh well, I guess that's neither here nor there. I'll continue to read, listen and laugh until he goes down in a blaze of glory.
If you're going to read one Carolla book, I'd recommend his first one. However, this is still a funny, easy read with dashes of insight and undertones of inspiration. For a special treat, pair with war-based non-fiction. Bon appetit.
"You know, I read William Stevenson was responsible for convincing Niels Bohr to defect, thus keeping his vital nuclear research out of Nazi hands."
"How interesting! That reminds me, did you know that Adam Carolla once shared a futon with one other guy, two dwarf rabbits and a kitten named Max in a small one bedroom apartment?"
Ok, maybe I can't picture the conversation, but now the two are forever linked in my brain...which gives me a kind of literary whiplash I hope doesn't cause permanent damage. On the plus side, just looking at "A Man Called Intrepid" next to "Not Taco Bell Material" on my bookshelf kind of makes me laugh.
As for the book, it was (obviously) funny and Adam Carolla has a truly interesting and often inspirational back-story. Talk about a guy who came from nothing and got where he is thanks to hard work, persistence and, of course, the requisite amount of talent. I will say my enjoyment was tempered by the fact that, as an avid listener to his podcast, I have already heard almost all of these stories. That does make it all the more remarkable, I suppose, that I still laughed heartily throughout.
In many ways it's inevitable that a memoir deteriorates into a sort of "look at how great I am" series of stories, but I did get a little tired of what Carolla himself would call the "blow-hardy" tone of the book. Again, it's a hazard of the genre, but I think he did a better job in his first book of diluting the "Carolla's a hero" talk with bits of self-deprecation. As a fan, part of me is concerned that Carolla is getting a little too high up on the horse these days, and is due for some sort of scandal and subsequent fall. Oh well, I guess that's neither here nor there. I'll continue to read, listen and laugh until he goes down in a blaze of glory.
If you're going to read one Carolla book, I'd recommend his first one. However, this is still a funny, easy read with dashes of insight and undertones of inspiration. For a special treat, pair with war-based non-fiction. Bon appetit.
July 25, 2016
I wish this had been better. I think Adam's a funny guy, a smart guy; sadly, this doesn't translate into his being a good writer.
Each chapter begins with a photo of a dwelling where Adam lived, and then he tells about the time he lived in that place. It starts off fairly well, with Adam telling us about his early years, his relationship with his parents, etc, and that bit's actually quite good; his mom and dad sound like interesting people, if a bit wacky and unconventional. I wish it had kept going on like that.
This book is filled with stories of teenaged and early-20s Adam and his friends, and how they literally pee and shit in places they shouldn't. And how they pee and shit on each other. And how they throw their shit on each other. They also steal things and get fired from (or quit) many jobs, unsurprisingly. Much of this tomfoolery has to do with being drunk, as you'd imagine.
Adam tells us how he didn't like school, and it comes through in the writing. But that's what editors are for; why didn't someone change all those sentences that started with things like "Then me and the guys did this crazy thing?" It's 'the guys and I' for Pete's sake. Grammar 101. This was a real book, not some self-published thing, so where was the editing? It's the sort of thing that would be pretty funny if you were sitting around with Adam Carolla telling you funny stories, especially if you were buzzed, as I imagine most of his friends are when he sits around telling them funny stories and oh, how they laugh, right? But in written form it's clunky and juvenile, and most of the chapters meander with no real point.
Note: I don't remember finishing the book. I think I made it halfway before deciding I couldn't take it any more. So if it miraculously gets better, feel free to inform me that the second half is filled with insightful stories with good grammar.
Each chapter begins with a photo of a dwelling where Adam lived, and then he tells about the time he lived in that place. It starts off fairly well, with Adam telling us about his early years, his relationship with his parents, etc, and that bit's actually quite good; his mom and dad sound like interesting people, if a bit wacky and unconventional. I wish it had kept going on like that.
This book is filled with stories of teenaged and early-20s Adam and his friends, and how they literally pee and shit in places they shouldn't. And how they pee and shit on each other. And how they throw their shit on each other. They also steal things and get fired from (or quit) many jobs, unsurprisingly. Much of this tomfoolery has to do with being drunk, as you'd imagine.
Adam tells us how he didn't like school, and it comes through in the writing. But that's what editors are for; why didn't someone change all those sentences that started with things like "Then me and the guys did this crazy thing?" It's 'the guys and I' for Pete's sake. Grammar 101. This was a real book, not some self-published thing, so where was the editing? It's the sort of thing that would be pretty funny if you were sitting around with Adam Carolla telling you funny stories, especially if you were buzzed, as I imagine most of his friends are when he sits around telling them funny stories and oh, how they laugh, right? But in written form it's clunky and juvenile, and most of the chapters meander with no real point.
Note: I don't remember finishing the book. I think I made it halfway before deciding I couldn't take it any more. So if it miraculously gets better, feel free to inform me that the second half is filled with insightful stories with good grammar.
Read
May 1, 2012In his second book, Adam Carolla—author of New York Times bestseller In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks and chart-topping podcaster—reveals all the stories behind how he came to be the angry middle-aged man he is today.
Funnyman Adam Carolla is known for two things: hilarious rants about things that drive him crazy and personal stories about everything from his hardscrabble childhood to his slacker friends to the hypocrisy of Hollywood. He tackled rants in his first book, and now he tells his best stories and debuts some never-before-heard tales as well. Organized by the myriad "dumps" Carolla called home—through the flophouse apartments he rented in his twenties, up to the homes he personally renovated after achieving success in Hollywood—the anecdotes here follow Adam's journey and the hilarious pitfalls along the way.
Adam Carolla started broke and blue collar and has now been on the Hollywood scene for over fifteen years, yet he never lost his underdog demeanor. He's still connected to the working class guy he once was, and delivers a raw and edgy, fish-out-of-water take on the world he lives in (but mostly disagrees with), telling all the stories, no matter who he offends—family, friends or the famous.
Funnyman Adam Carolla is known for two things: hilarious rants about things that drive him crazy and personal stories about everything from his hardscrabble childhood to his slacker friends to the hypocrisy of Hollywood. He tackled rants in his first book, and now he tells his best stories and debuts some never-before-heard tales as well. Organized by the myriad "dumps" Carolla called home—through the flophouse apartments he rented in his twenties, up to the homes he personally renovated after achieving success in Hollywood—the anecdotes here follow Adam's journey and the hilarious pitfalls along the way.
Adam Carolla started broke and blue collar and has now been on the Hollywood scene for over fifteen years, yet he never lost his underdog demeanor. He's still connected to the working class guy he once was, and delivers a raw and edgy, fish-out-of-water take on the world he lives in (but mostly disagrees with), telling all the stories, no matter who he offends—family, friends or the famous.
October 12, 2014
Comedy book from, radio personality/movie star/tv star/podcast legend. Not your usual "comedy" book as it centers around true stories from Adam Carolla's life. Carolla grew up in North Hollywood with an extremely passive, poor family. An alarming number of stories contain someone being peed, pooped, or vomited on. I was constantly shaking my head and laughing more than not. Highlights include the chapter about his socially retarded friend Ray as well as a prank Jimmy Kimmel played on Adam in the last chapter. I highly recommend a solid skimming and a beer.
November 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this rather lighthearted collection of life stories structured in the form of the various homes Adam Carolla occupied from childhood up through his present life, growing up and living in Southern California. In today's 'woke' world of political correctness, it's refreshing to read something that is so unfiltered. It takes courage in today's repressive culture to not mince one's words. Bravo, Mr Carolla!
July 2, 2012
Let me begin this review by stating that I don't read autobiographies, I don't listen to audiobooks, and I don't enjoy non-fiction.
That said, my 3 star rating should be taken for more that face value.
Mr. Carolla is a man that I grew up listening to. During my high school years, when we were all affraid to talk about certain subjects, this man entertained us nightly on Love Line with Dr. Drew - while we secretly held our radios speaker-side-up under the pillow to avoid mom hearing what we were tuning in to instead of sleeping as we were so instructed.
Because of this, I was less inclined to be bored by stories from his life.
In normal situations, I would probably also not enjoy hearing someone talk about them self for 8 hours. As a credit to Adam Carolla, this was not intirely horrible an experience where this book was concerned.
He has also taught me something that I never cared to know up to this point: the difference between an unabridged vs abridged audiobooks. This one is abridged but with bonus - while there are portions that you will not know unless you read the entire physical book, with this version, you also get the loads of extra commentary as only Adam Carolla can deliver. Tangent after tangent, it became clear to me that I would not enjoy this man's life story (as so many parts were really icky) if I had not heard him deliver the stories himself.
Not bad for my non typical book.
That said, my 3 star rating should be taken for more that face value.
Mr. Carolla is a man that I grew up listening to. During my high school years, when we were all affraid to talk about certain subjects, this man entertained us nightly on Love Line with Dr. Drew - while we secretly held our radios speaker-side-up under the pillow to avoid mom hearing what we were tuning in to instead of sleeping as we were so instructed.
Because of this, I was less inclined to be bored by stories from his life.
In normal situations, I would probably also not enjoy hearing someone talk about them self for 8 hours. As a credit to Adam Carolla, this was not intirely horrible an experience where this book was concerned.
He has also taught me something that I never cared to know up to this point: the difference between an unabridged vs abridged audiobooks. This one is abridged but with bonus - while there are portions that you will not know unless you read the entire physical book, with this version, you also get the loads of extra commentary as only Adam Carolla can deliver. Tangent after tangent, it became clear to me that I would not enjoy this man's life story (as so many parts were really icky) if I had not heard him deliver the stories himself.
Not bad for my non typical book.
January 24, 2015
In the summer of 1997 I was addicted to the radio. Late one night I plugged in my headphones and turned on q101 chicago's alternative station, which was shaping my tween world.
At 11, the techno hour ended and on accident I heard my first episode of Loveline. I was hooked. Two hours go sex, drug, and relationship advice with rock and role guest stars. It was an education you can't get at school. Adam and Drew, while never gods to me, were role models and teachers of the human condition.
I follow the careers of both gentlemen because of the influence they had on me. Even now I still download episodes I listened to more than 15 years ago to relive the moments of headphones, sleepy eyes and hilarity.
Now that I am a grown up, there is a bit less hilarity. Adam is still telling the same stories I heard in the 90s, still spinning the same jokes, and they aren't quite as charming anymore.
There is something different about the scrappy guy trying to make a living and be funny now that he is a arrogant (but deserved) millionaire. He doesn't owe me anything, but I've grown up. At a certain point, dick fart and butt jokes don't carry the same weight.
If you love the guy and his work, if you are new to him, give it a shot, but know this is just a bunch of stories about a guy remembering the glory days, the you had to be there tales, the things most grownups should be embarrassed about.
At 11, the techno hour ended and on accident I heard my first episode of Loveline. I was hooked. Two hours go sex, drug, and relationship advice with rock and role guest stars. It was an education you can't get at school. Adam and Drew, while never gods to me, were role models and teachers of the human condition.
I follow the careers of both gentlemen because of the influence they had on me. Even now I still download episodes I listened to more than 15 years ago to relive the moments of headphones, sleepy eyes and hilarity.
Now that I am a grown up, there is a bit less hilarity. Adam is still telling the same stories I heard in the 90s, still spinning the same jokes, and they aren't quite as charming anymore.
There is something different about the scrappy guy trying to make a living and be funny now that he is a arrogant (but deserved) millionaire. He doesn't owe me anything, but I've grown up. At a certain point, dick fart and butt jokes don't carry the same weight.
If you love the guy and his work, if you are new to him, give it a shot, but know this is just a bunch of stories about a guy remembering the glory days, the you had to be there tales, the things most grownups should be embarrassed about.
August 16, 2012
While not as sidesplittingly hilarious as his first book, Not Taco Bell Material still does not disappoint. The book takes you on a tour through the progress of his life, as symbolized by the houses he lived in. Each chapter represents another “chapter” in his life as roughly defined by his house. So, earlier on, for example, you find him living in a garage, while struggling to find odd jobs. Later on, to give another example, he talk about the period of life when he finally owned his first house and things were a bit more stable in his life. Throughout it all, though, he keeps the narrative hilarious with anecdotes, commentary, and rants in his typical style.
My only complaint was that coming off of his first book (In 50 Years We’ll All Be Chicks), this was just not *quite* as funny to me as the first one. Earlier on in the book, it even seemed in some places as if he was trying a bit too hard to be funny. As I got through the book, though, it seemed to be either getting funnier, or else I subconsciously readjusted my expectations since the first book. Either way, it started out as a 3-star book, and ended as a 4-star book. And, either way, I recommend it for another funny read (although if you haven’t read the first one, I’d still recommend that even more highly).
My only complaint was that coming off of his first book (In 50 Years We’ll All Be Chicks), this was just not *quite* as funny to me as the first one. Earlier on in the book, it even seemed in some places as if he was trying a bit too hard to be funny. As I got through the book, though, it seemed to be either getting funnier, or else I subconsciously readjusted my expectations since the first book. Either way, it started out as a 3-star book, and ended as a 4-star book. And, either way, I recommend it for another funny read (although if you haven’t read the first one, I’d still recommend that even more highly).
October 25, 2013
Adam Carolla obviously has a different way of writing, though all authors do. in the book "not taco bell material" Adam goes through many impacts on his life and many hilarious story's to go with it underlining his strengths and weakness through a new way of expressing it, through detailed stories of his past, the book is a detailed biography that usually stays on topic but that's what makes the book so interesting. its not completely focused on one part of his life, it details most of it till the point of when he writes the book and how Adam was raised and shaped to be the person he is today through these experiences.
a few things that i really enjoyed about the book was how modest he was and truthful on how he felt about the situation at the time and how he feels about it now. most of his stories are either shocking and completely hilarious, most of the time through word choice and situation awareness. i know many people will and do enjoy many of Adam corollas stories and experiences.
i would warn younger less mature readers to stay clear of this book due to vague language and inappropriate context, even if it is startlingly hilarious. the other thing is that he goes off topic or jumps ahead to later stories instead of a period of time.
a few things that i really enjoyed about the book was how modest he was and truthful on how he felt about the situation at the time and how he feels about it now. most of his stories are either shocking and completely hilarious, most of the time through word choice and situation awareness. i know many people will and do enjoy many of Adam corollas stories and experiences.
i would warn younger less mature readers to stay clear of this book due to vague language and inappropriate context, even if it is startlingly hilarious. the other thing is that he goes off topic or jumps ahead to later stories instead of a period of time.
July 6, 2012
ribald, funny & inspiring, rotating cast of degenerate roommates, redemption & success, and a call to action. "Tell your sh*tty neighbors to shut the ef up and take a hike."
7...if there was such a thing as 3rd hand, the Carollas would have jumped on that train
70..Mexican guy who made fred sanford look like the Monopoly man
118...Frisky, 50's nudie mag..topless chicks in huge panties w/huge beehive hairdos & huge cans w/huge saucerlike nipples. No internet, any porn in a storm.
125..Ray pissing on Snakes leg at a breakfast joint
....sh*t into my ear..
134...Ray butt against Jacuzzi jet, squirt it later
...wrestling double amputee in wheelchair ("No man is strong enough to separate my stubs, once I put them together.")
156...padded toilet seat...hi mileage puffy brown vinyl-covered foam. A horrible invention. What's the plan? To create a toilet seat so comfortable that you can fall asleep while youre taking a sh*t?
228...dr drew, botched circumcision
274...kimmel prank, natalie maines...flowers, cookie, 6' sub, panties
286...mom, grandma...have the downgrade gene
319..touchdown dance
7...if there was such a thing as 3rd hand, the Carollas would have jumped on that train
70..Mexican guy who made fred sanford look like the Monopoly man
118...Frisky, 50's nudie mag..topless chicks in huge panties w/huge beehive hairdos & huge cans w/huge saucerlike nipples. No internet, any porn in a storm.
125..Ray pissing on Snakes leg at a breakfast joint
....sh*t into my ear..
134...Ray butt against Jacuzzi jet, squirt it later
...wrestling double amputee in wheelchair ("No man is strong enough to separate my stubs, once I put them together.")
156...padded toilet seat...hi mileage puffy brown vinyl-covered foam. A horrible invention. What's the plan? To create a toilet seat so comfortable that you can fall asleep while youre taking a sh*t?
228...dr drew, botched circumcision
274...kimmel prank, natalie maines...flowers, cookie, 6' sub, panties
286...mom, grandma...have the downgrade gene
319..touchdown dance
December 19, 2014
I read President Me, or whatever, and it was terrible. This wasn't half that bad. They're both just transcripts of Carolla rants and stories from his podcast, as is In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks, which seemed entirely too familiar and not interesting enough for me to spend the few hours it would take to read. Not Taco Bell Material is all rants, so there's less BS, quasi-right wing (but more hateful than genuinely conservative) political BS. The stories themselves aren't anything those of us who spent their 20s not doing meaningful work haven't experienced, but he does have a certain knack for storytelling. It might be the thing he does best. If only he could either somehow have more life experiences or learn how to write fiction.
January 25, 2013
Corolla told a great story based on all the different places that he lived throughout his life. It was a neat look into his back-story. Nice to see a normal blue-collar guy make it & yet stay pretty humble. He referenced his earlier book, which now I wish I had read before because there are many references to it in the book. I did enjoy the style in which he writes - just like I do, I write like I speak - so I have a feeling I will be reading that at some point as well.
This is a great book if you like biographies and need a good laugh.
This is a great book if you like biographies and need a good laugh.
July 22, 2012
I'm a big Carolla fan and I like the concept of this book. But between Loveline and his own shows, I heard pretty much all these stories (and many of them multiple times) before reading the book. If you've been listening to the Aceman for a long time, this may not be worth your time.
BUT, if you're just getting aboard the "pirate ship" and want to learn about Adam's life and times, then this book is a fantastic source of fun and info.
BUT, if you're just getting aboard the "pirate ship" and want to learn about Adam's life and times, then this book is a fantastic source of fun and info.
June 16, 2014
Unlike his first book, Carolla doesn't just rant about various issues, but gives us his life story "built" around descriptions of the houses/apartments he lived in on his way up the ladder. It is actually very heartfelt and thoughtful, though with his trademark humor spliced in. I especially liked his tales of growing up without A/C and describing taking a cold shower then going to bed dripping wet (something I could relate to).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews