All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room

by Erma Bombeck

Identifying the likenesses between animals in the wild and human beings, a humorous reflection on the ridiculous side of life pokes fun at nutrition, talk shows, childbirth, and more

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Essays, Comedy, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Animals

207 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Erma Louise Bombeck, born Erma Fiste, was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for a newspaper column that depicted suburban home life humorously, in the second half of the 20th century.

For 31 years since 1965, Erma Bombeck published 4,000 newspaper articles. Already in the 1970s, her witty columns were read, twice weekly, by thirty million readers of 900 newspapers of USA and Canada. Besides, the majority of her 15 books became instant best sellers.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned In Loehmann's Dressing Room by Erma Bombeck. Identifying the likenesses between animals in the wild and human beings, a humorous reflection on the ridiculous side of life pokes fun at nutrition, talk shows, childbirth, and more. The attraction of Ms. Bombeck's style of humor is that it is the type that most of us can identify with because it, or something that closely resembles it, has happened to most of us; but we didn't think to write about it!

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always heard Erma Bombeck was a very funny lady, but as this was the first book of hers I've read, I was unimpressed. I've always enjoyed the books of David Sedaris and recently I've been reading Augusten Burroughs. Perhaps it was a poor decision on my part to read an Erma Bombeck book in between two by Augusten Burroughs.

Where Erma lays a funny line on you and then skips off to the next one-liner, Sedaris and Burroughs lay a funny line on you and then take a paragraph, page, or entire chapter to explain it in such uproarious detail that you're belly laughing at the end. I almost felt this book would have been better as a stand-up act. But as a stand-up act I probably would have felt it was old material that had been done one too many times before.

I once had a history teacher who blamed the short attention spans of youth on the average length of a Sesame Street skit. Assuming she was well versed in Erma Bombeck, I'm going to blame the short attention spans of middle aged, overweight history teachers on Erma Bombeck's writing style.

[JSC Shootaboot · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS AUTHOR WILL HELP YOU MAKE IT THRU DEPRESSED MODES
She is one of my favorite authors

I especially liked the healthcare jokes
Ex. A rule of thumb with medicine is...if it smells good, tastes so, and is covered by your insurance - it won't ever help you recover :) p35

or the length of time you wait to be treated by a doctor....(for me it's usually 20 min's to an hour) When you do see him - you're examined in 23 seconds..She said she "had longer visits at a toll station" on the freeway

or "alternatives to modern medicine"...Next time you think you need a hospital stay - instead check into a great hotel
the room is $150 daily (not $500)
you get a larger tv
a continental breakfast
a fluffy bathrobe (that covers the entire body)
a swimming pool
you can read till you fall asleep & no one will wake you up to take vital signs
you can skip all the forms to fill out
(you could call a squad there just to be on the safe side) :)

and she talks about animals; and how they compare to humans
Ex. a mole lives about 3 years..because its teeth don't last long enough & it starves to death

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just read Lisa Scottoline's newest humor book made me think back to the books that I have read by Erma Bombeck. I found that the library had this one so I decided to give it a try. Her chapters compare things that humans do with the actions of animals. It brought a smile to my face as I enjoyed her outlook on things. Of course, some of the items were a little dated. For instance, she discussed when she and her husband purchased an answering machine which is now integrated right into to base of the phone. It was an enjoyable walk down memory lane with a woman who made us laugh at the way we do things and act every day.

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been making my way through Erma Bombeck's books and enjoying the feelings of nostalgia they bring. I miss grabbing the Sunday paper to read her weekly column and I miss her wry look at life.

This latest focuses on comparing human behavior to the behavior of animals in the wild. It is both humorous and thought-provoking at times. I like her look at mothering, children, marriage, society at the time and the funny anecdotes. I prefer her earlier books, but this one was could still bring some chuckles.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite funny. Her essays on alternative medicine, survival, and attitude are particularly funny. I especially liked her rules of the jungle:

*Never eat anyone larger than you.
*If you're not a tree climber, don't climb trees.
*Know your territory. If the urine isn't yours, you're not home.
*There is a time to fight and a time to run. Know the difference.
I*f a human attorney puts a sign on a hut that reads "Animal Law A Specialty," eat him.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lady was a favorite of mine for so many years. She brought humor into the drab dull world of moms everywhere which is so important when you're surrounded by rugrats and don't get to speak or think words of three syllables for hours at a time, let alone say them to someone over 4' tall. My favorite, naturally, was "Motherhood...the Second Oldest Profession" but this one is worth reading just for kicks and giggles.

[Judy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can you say about Erma? She has always been amazing.

On keeping her mind young:
The article made me think that I should make some changes in my life. I resolved to start working crossword puzzles at least once a week, walk every other day, and get me a toy-possibly Harrison Ford.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erma Bombeck has been my #1 author for a huge part of my life. Her books are my calorie-free comfort food. I've always wished that I could write even a little bit like her.

[Mary Eve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Erma Bombeck is ALWAYS funny. This book was published in the 90's and I just got around to reading it. It was entertaining and had it's "ha ha" moments but I've read better from Erma.

[Donna Dalziel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the world lost a fun, fun author when Erma Bombeck passed away.
She was funny, insightful and right on.

[Pat Camalliere · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot argue that Erma Bombeck has a way with exaggeration and metaphor that had me laughing out loud a number of times, but unfortunately I found the vast majority of this book annoying. Although it was published in 1995, it wasn’t because I found it dated, as I could easily relate to the time period. I just felt for the most part she was trying too hard. This doesn’t turn me off of Erma Bombeck, who I respect a great deal, but not this particular book. I will be keeping it on my bookshelves, just for the fact that I can use it as a reference on those occasions that I may want to look up an extreme metaphor.

[Kate Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not finish this book but what I did read gave me a good chuckle. Erma is a funny woman.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love her.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a fun read.

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erma Bombeck looks at the funny and charming side of life and encourages readers to laugh at themselves. Ironically, this book is set up in a format similar to a non-fiction book I just read about animals and their comparisons to humans. Bombeck does the same thing but in a very humorous way. She compares animals storing food to women saving clothes with shoulder pads. She notices that animals fitted with transmitters by scientists is similar to people with portable phones, pagers, and fax machines at their sides. She considers animal migration to be very much the same as Midwesterners heading to Florida for vacation. I liked the format of beginning each chapter with a bit of information about animals, then comparing it to human behavior in a humorous way. Not my favorite Bombeck book, but very entertaining just the same.

Laugh out loud moments, oddly enough, about death, "Grief is not instinctive in our species. Children rarely have a clue what is going on. In northern California, a woman lost her pet and felt bound to explain the life/death cycle to her 5-year-old daughter. She drew the child close to her and whispered, "We can all be happy now that Frisky is up in heaven with God." Her daughter looked at her without emotion and asked, "Mom! What's God going to do with a dead dog?"

Quote about exhibitionists and celebritydom and referring to lottery winners. She says, I will never forget the story of the lottery winner from Ohio who won $50 million. When asked what he was going to do with all that money, he was quoted as saying, "I've always wanted one of them 8-slice toasters."

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a parent, you need a humor first aid kit to help you stay sane. I know. I have 9 children here on earth (and 6 children in Heaven who died before they were born). And I know as much as we love our little darlings all relationships are hard at times and children tend not to be rational in the same way that adults are and can be very demanding at times. So when you need a humor break pick up this book, or any other one of Erma Bombeck's books, lock yourself away for a few minutes, and read away. I guarantee you that you will laugh, that you will come back refreshed and recharged, and ready to love on your family a little more!

**Talking points - what other books would you have in your humor first aid kit? Marjory Paye Hinckley once said that there are two ways to get though life: Laughing or Crying. And that she prefers laughing because crying gives her headache. Which do you prefer? How have you learned to look at the funny side of situations (even hard situations) and laugh?

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this funny, quick-to-read book Bombeck compares the human animal to those of the true animal species. The similarities between an aging dog's bladder and that of a post-menopausal woman are right on the mark. Bottle-nosed dolphins that were trapped in ice for a short time near New Jersey lost their sense of direction and swam south instead of north; too proud to ask for directions guys? A wildebeest will stop at nothing to get where he wants to go - swim through rivers infested with crocodiles, endure floods and enemies to reach his destination. Similarly will a woman with a 'standing' appointment for a hairdresser overcome any obstacle to make her slotted time. Yes, some of the comparisons are far-fetched but the outcome is a fun book full of Bombeck's humor. Maybe you'll even be laughing like a hyena when you've finished.

[Deb Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't review a lot of the books I read, but Bombeck's writing is fun, easy to read, and laughs at the everyday things in life. I dust read one of her books as a young teen. I couldn't remember why, but I did remember I enjoyed it. I still enjoy her writing and this book anyway manages to not sound too dated. Teenagers still being home clunker first cars, women go crazy for a good sale and men still seem like a foreign species sometimes. And above all, we aren't so far removed in behavior from our animal coinhabitors here on earth.

[Stephy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erma Bombeck is not the great American novelist. What she is, is a wonderfully witty observer of everyday life, with a rich sense of humor. I can always count on her to present me with a new perspective on almost anything. "All I know About Animal Behavior I learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room." is every bit as silly as another of her books, "The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank." Lots of social commentary, lots of humor. I liked it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on recommendation. Completed about one-third of it. Not as humorous as I expected, but very easy reading. This is what I would call broad humor. I think my tastes run more to dry humor, like the David Lodge trilogy I read recently. There are some funny bits, though, like the ones on weight-loss/gain/body-image. I suspect this would work better as humor if one listened to it as an audiobook.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing from her viewpoint the similarities between us and the animal kingdom. I do believe that chapter 25 was my favorite in this book. I cannot compare this one to her other books as this is the first one I have read. Short chapters make this an easy read and it is easy to pick back up after putting it down. I did laundry, read a couple chapters, hung the clothes out and picked the book back up. I kept up that cycle for awhile and it made the whole process go by a bit faster.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can either laugh or cry at the problems life throws your way, but if you look at life through Erma Bombeck’s eyes, you can’t help but laugh. Everyday life never seems as funny as when Erma examines it. In this novel offering, her comparison of human behavior to that found in the animal kingdom leaves me wondering who really is having more fun. But since animals can’t enjoy these Bombeck vignettes, I’d have to say humans are ahead of the game. But barely.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although her humor is timeless, the scenarios are dated. E.g., my girls can't relate to the Loehman's Dressing Room, even with a current example of their own in the Jessica McClintock outlet store. But a nice, essay per chapter, go-to-sleep with a chuckle read for a certain age-set. (From my mother's collection.)

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up in response to my mom's nagging "Can't you read something mindless and not so depressing??' Well, I am glad I listened to her for once. It's an easy read. Funny in a laugh-out-loud kinda way. I even read some parts aloud to my boyfriend and he laughed. I would suggest someone read this book when they have a lot of stress going on and need to LOL.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erma Bombeck is a hoot and this book is no exception: full of her original pithiness and sarcasm, most of it self deprecating.

But I have to say that I'm in the wrong age group to fully appreciate this particular Bombeck book, and I'm not sure I even want to.

Menopause. Adult diapers. Losing your car in the mall parking lot.

No thanks.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Erma Bombeck’s writing, so I feel a little bad just rating this book 2.5 stars. I think this book might have been the last book she wrote. Her early writings were side-splitting funny. This book, however, was just okay. It did bring a few smiles and even two or three chuckles. She is still my favorite humor writer.

[Beth Laug]

I have always liked this author. She is funny and pokes fun at everyday life without being sarcastic or mean. I wish she had lived longer than she did. I believe she died of cancer several years back.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book in cassette form at the Rockford Public Library sale. I used to read Erma Bombeck's column. I enjoy Erma's humor. Erma compared animal behavior to human behavior in this book. The book is three cassettes long, so it went quickly. It was enjoyable.