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The World According to Clarkson #5
Is It Really Too Much To Ask?
Is It Really Too Much To Ask? is the fifth book in Jeremy Clarkson's bestselling The World According to Clarkson series.
Well, someone's got to do it: in a world which simply will not see reason, Jeremy sets off on another quest to beat a path of sense through all the silliness and idiocy.
And there's no knowing what might catch Jeremy's eye along the way. It could be:
-The merits of Stonehenge as a business model
-Why all meetings are a waste of time
-The theft of the Queen's cows
-One Norwegian man's unique approach to showing his gratitude
-Fitting a burglar alarm to a tortoise
-Or how Lou Reed was completely wrong about what makes a perfect day
Pithy and provocative, this is Clarkson at his best, taking issue with whatever nonsense gets in the way of his search for all that's worth celebrating. Why should we be forced to accept stuff that's a bit rubbish? Shouldn't things work? Why doesn't someone care? I mean, is it really too much to ask?
It's a good thing we've still got Jeremy out there, still looking, without fear or favour, for the answers.
Jeremy Clarkson becomes the hilarious voice of a nation once more in Is It Really Too Much To Ask?, Volume 5 of The World According To Clarkson, following bestselling titles The World According to Clarkson, And Another Thing, For Crying Out Loud and How Hard Can It Be?.
Jeremy Clarkson began his writing career on the Rotherham Advertiser. He now writes for the Sun and the Sunday Times and is the tallest person working in British television.
Well, someone's got to do it: in a world which simply will not see reason, Jeremy sets off on another quest to beat a path of sense through all the silliness and idiocy.
And there's no knowing what might catch Jeremy's eye along the way. It could be:
-The merits of Stonehenge as a business model
-Why all meetings are a waste of time
-The theft of the Queen's cows
-One Norwegian man's unique approach to showing his gratitude
-Fitting a burglar alarm to a tortoise
-Or how Lou Reed was completely wrong about what makes a perfect day
Pithy and provocative, this is Clarkson at his best, taking issue with whatever nonsense gets in the way of his search for all that's worth celebrating. Why should we be forced to accept stuff that's a bit rubbish? Shouldn't things work? Why doesn't someone care? I mean, is it really too much to ask?
It's a good thing we've still got Jeremy out there, still looking, without fear or favour, for the answers.
Jeremy Clarkson becomes the hilarious voice of a nation once more in Is It Really Too Much To Ask?, Volume 5 of The World According To Clarkson, following bestselling titles The World According to Clarkson, And Another Thing, For Crying Out Loud and How Hard Can It Be?.
Jeremy Clarkson began his writing career on the Rotherham Advertiser. He now writes for the Sun and the Sunday Times and is the tallest person working in British television.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2013
92 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Clarkson
60 books1,055 followersJeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born April 11, 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring.
He writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun, but is better known for his role on the BBC television programme Top Gear.
From a career as a local journalist in the north of England, he rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.
His opinionated but humorous tongue-in-cheek writing and presenting style has often generated much public reaction to his viewpoints. His actions both privately and as a Top Gear presenter have also sometimes resulted in criticism from the media, politicians, pressure groups and the public.
As well as the criticism levelled against him, Clarkson also generated a significant following in the public at large, being credited as a factor in the resurgence of Top Gear to the most popular show on BBC Two, and calls for him to be made Prime Minister. Clarkson himself was keen to downplay his perceived influence on the British public, stating he regularly contradicts himself, and would make a "rubbish" Prime Minister.
He writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun, but is better known for his role on the BBC television programme Top Gear.
From a career as a local journalist in the north of England, he rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.
His opinionated but humorous tongue-in-cheek writing and presenting style has often generated much public reaction to his viewpoints. His actions both privately and as a Top Gear presenter have also sometimes resulted in criticism from the media, politicians, pressure groups and the public.
As well as the criticism levelled against him, Clarkson also generated a significant following in the public at large, being credited as a factor in the resurgence of Top Gear to the most popular show on BBC Two, and calls for him to be made Prime Minister. Clarkson himself was keen to downplay his perceived influence on the British public, stating he regularly contradicts himself, and would make a "rubbish" Prime Minister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 28, 2015
Yeah I'm a Top Gear fan. It just happened; I have never cared for cars in my entire life so that I became a Top Gear fan is frankly astonishing. I don't even have a driving license.
Anyway, I was quite sad when Top Gear was put on hiatus earlier this year because of the "fracas" (that word will probably be associated with Jeremy Clarkson from now on) and then never came back because Jeremy Clarkson was fired from the show. So, I comforted myself with reruns of the show and with this book. A Jeremy Clarkson book is perfect antidote for anyone that suffering from Top Gear withdrawal because he is as outrageous when he writes as he is when he talks, and I love that. In this world of PC is it nice to have someone that just don't give a damn about that.
This is Jeremy's chronicles, collected and published as a book and I love having a book like this lying beside my bed for when I just want to read something easy before I sleep or I can't sleep because ever chapter is 3.5 pages long and that means that I can read a couple of chapters than try to sleep again. Perfect!
I enjoyed reading this so much that I feel the need to buy a new Jeremy Clarkson book soon, luckily for me do I have an unread Richard Hammond book that I now can start to read. ;)
Review also posted on A Bookaholic Swede and It's a Mad Mad World
Anyway, I was quite sad when Top Gear was put on hiatus earlier this year because of the "fracas" (that word will probably be associated with Jeremy Clarkson from now on) and then never came back because Jeremy Clarkson was fired from the show. So, I comforted myself with reruns of the show and with this book. A Jeremy Clarkson book is perfect antidote for anyone that suffering from Top Gear withdrawal because he is as outrageous when he writes as he is when he talks, and I love that. In this world of PC is it nice to have someone that just don't give a damn about that.
This is Jeremy's chronicles, collected and published as a book and I love having a book like this lying beside my bed for when I just want to read something easy before I sleep or I can't sleep because ever chapter is 3.5 pages long and that means that I can read a couple of chapters than try to sleep again. Perfect!
I enjoyed reading this so much that I feel the need to buy a new Jeremy Clarkson book soon, luckily for me do I have an unread Richard Hammond book that I now can start to read. ;)
Review also posted on A Bookaholic Swede and It's a Mad Mad World
October 14, 2013
When you pick up anything written by Jeremy Clarkson you go into it knowing it is going to be inappropriate, knowing that it will be rude, ugly and completely shameless. You go in knowing that despite all of this, it's going to be damn funny, you'll laugh at all of the inappropriate jokes and digs at celebrities and parliamentary officials (and James May) and giggle aloud while reading in public. That's why I keep coming back for more.
July 28, 2020
Typical Clarkson. If you like him, you'll love this book, if not you'll hate it. It was not as good as the first one, but hey, it was a fun way to go to sleep at night or to wake up with a cup of tea. I need more of these types of books - magazine articles on fun everyday topics written by annoyes sarcastic people :)
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September 4, 2018Top Gear patīk, bet nu šis rakstu darbs man ir.... pieklājīgi sakot- nebaudāms.
January 29, 2017
Autá ma absolútne nezaujímajú, nerozoznám ani brzdu od plynu a len hmlisto tuším, čo je to prevodovka, ale kým Clarkson hovorí/píše o autách, tak ho proste žeriem.
Nanešťastie táto kniha nie je o autách, ale o Clarksonových názoroch na život, spoločnosť a tak vôbec. A musím priznať, že mi chlapec lezie na nervy. Nie že by niekedy nemal pravdu, neudrel kliniec po hlavičke alebo ma dokonca nerozosmial. Ale proste...nech píše o autách.
Nanešťastie táto kniha nie je o autách, ale o Clarksonových názoroch na život, spoločnosť a tak vôbec. A musím priznať, že mi chlapec lezie na nervy. Nie že by niekedy nemal pravdu, neudrel kliniec po hlavičke alebo ma dokonca nerozosmial. Ale proste...nech píše o autách.
November 22, 2013
An unrestrainedly trenchant compilation of Clarkson's latest mock-serious observational articles. With views occasionally conventional but preponderantly radical, the Top Gear host's pen is as polarizing as ever.
July 20, 2019
Jeremy Clarkson ... de man roept nogal tegenstrijdige gevoelens op. De voormalige presentator en mede-bedenker van Top Gear - gisteren nog uitgeroepen tot beste presentator van dat programma ooit (hij deed dat van 2002 tot 2015, het jaar waarin hij aan de deur gezet werd omdat hij, al dan niet echt, een producer had geslagen) - en tegenwoordig, samen met zijn, uit solidariteit met hem ook daar opgestapte, co-presentators Richard Hammond en James May, presentator van The Grand Tour, is nu eenmaal niet op zijn mondje gevallen en dan krijg je dat soort effecten.
Het feit dat hij niet op zijn mondje gevallen is, heeft echter ook een serie boeken van zijn hand opgeleverd. "Hoe moeilijk kan het zijn?", "En dan nog iets ..." en "Is het nu écht te veel gevraagd?" zijn er daar drie van. Ze bevatten telkens bundelingen van columns die hij schreef voor de Engelse krant Sunday Times en verschenen eerder in het Engels als "How hard can it be?", "And another thing ..." en "Is it really too much to ask?".
Nu zijn columns natuurlijk, door de band genomen, een wekelijks ding. De meeste columnisten schrijven niet iedere dag hun "stukje" en dat is maar goed ook. Waarom ? Omdat je al verdomd geïnspireerd moet zijn om dat ten eerste wél te doen en ten tweede de lezers geïnteresseerd te houden. Ik ben zelf jarenlang dagelijks aan het bloggen geweest en heb dat aan den lijve ondervonden. Zelfs het feit dat ik in heel erg diverse zaken geïnteresseerd ben, werd me af en toe voor de voeten gegooid. De gemiddelde lezer weet graag wat hij aan je heeft, waarover je zal schrijven en in welke stijl je dat zal doen. Een dagelijks "stukje" wordt dus op termijn een gareel en helpt op zijn minst je creativiteit en soms ook je goesting om te schrijven om zeep.
Maar als dat stukje een deel van je broodwinning is - en dat is het voor krantencolumnisten sowieso -, dan stop je daar niet zomaar mee. En dat merk je helaas ook bij Jeremy Clarkson. Ja, hij kan serieus grappig uit de hoek komen, hij kan rant 'en dat het een lieve lust is, en hij spaart de kool noch de geit (noch zichzelf overigens). En ja, als ik een lezer van de Sunday Times was, zou ik zijn stukjes wellicht ook iedere week lezen. Misschien zou ik het zelfs, als die krant voor de rest zo interessant is als, pakweg, de Vlaamse gazetten, éérst lezen. Maar ik had mezelf ervan moeten weerhouden om de drie boeken van hem die ik in mijn collectie zitten heb na mekaar te lezen.
Als je dat doet, valt je namelijk op dat hij wel regelmatig van pispaal wisselt, maar ook met de regelmaat van de klok naar dezelfde pispalen terugkeert. Het wordt bij momenten zelfs zo erg dat hij duidelijk een stukje recycleert en een jaar of twee later opnieuw gebruikt. En dan is het plezier van het lezen (net zoals het plezier van het schrijven, neem ik aan) er natuurlijk uit.
Dus, ja, ik weet de cursiefjes van Jeremy Clarkson te waarderen. En nee, het stoort niet dat hij af en toe (bad pun intended) heel erg uit de bocht gaat en wat achtergrondkennis had kunnen verzamelen over zijn onderwerp. En ja, we zien - met uitzondering van de slachtoffers wellicht - allemaal graag dat iemand afgeeft op politici, op regelneverij, op ambtenaren. Maar zoals Clarkson zich misschien zou kunnen matigen in de hoeveelheid columns (en af en toe ook in de stijl, want je kan toch niet écht iedere column opnieuw pissed zijn?), kan de lezer zich ook best matigen in de hoeveelheid die hij er van consumeert. Neem dus ofwel een abonnement op de Sunday Times (want zijn columns zitten achter een betaalmuurtje) of lees in zijn boeken niet meer dan een paar stukjes per week.
Het feit dat hij niet op zijn mondje gevallen is, heeft echter ook een serie boeken van zijn hand opgeleverd. "Hoe moeilijk kan het zijn?", "En dan nog iets ..." en "Is het nu écht te veel gevraagd?" zijn er daar drie van. Ze bevatten telkens bundelingen van columns die hij schreef voor de Engelse krant Sunday Times en verschenen eerder in het Engels als "How hard can it be?", "And another thing ..." en "Is it really too much to ask?".
Nu zijn columns natuurlijk, door de band genomen, een wekelijks ding. De meeste columnisten schrijven niet iedere dag hun "stukje" en dat is maar goed ook. Waarom ? Omdat je al verdomd geïnspireerd moet zijn om dat ten eerste wél te doen en ten tweede de lezers geïnteresseerd te houden. Ik ben zelf jarenlang dagelijks aan het bloggen geweest en heb dat aan den lijve ondervonden. Zelfs het feit dat ik in heel erg diverse zaken geïnteresseerd ben, werd me af en toe voor de voeten gegooid. De gemiddelde lezer weet graag wat hij aan je heeft, waarover je zal schrijven en in welke stijl je dat zal doen. Een dagelijks "stukje" wordt dus op termijn een gareel en helpt op zijn minst je creativiteit en soms ook je goesting om te schrijven om zeep.
Maar als dat stukje een deel van je broodwinning is - en dat is het voor krantencolumnisten sowieso -, dan stop je daar niet zomaar mee. En dat merk je helaas ook bij Jeremy Clarkson. Ja, hij kan serieus grappig uit de hoek komen, hij kan rant 'en dat het een lieve lust is, en hij spaart de kool noch de geit (noch zichzelf overigens). En ja, als ik een lezer van de Sunday Times was, zou ik zijn stukjes wellicht ook iedere week lezen. Misschien zou ik het zelfs, als die krant voor de rest zo interessant is als, pakweg, de Vlaamse gazetten, éérst lezen. Maar ik had mezelf ervan moeten weerhouden om de drie boeken van hem die ik in mijn collectie zitten heb na mekaar te lezen.
Als je dat doet, valt je namelijk op dat hij wel regelmatig van pispaal wisselt, maar ook met de regelmaat van de klok naar dezelfde pispalen terugkeert. Het wordt bij momenten zelfs zo erg dat hij duidelijk een stukje recycleert en een jaar of twee later opnieuw gebruikt. En dan is het plezier van het lezen (net zoals het plezier van het schrijven, neem ik aan) er natuurlijk uit.
Dus, ja, ik weet de cursiefjes van Jeremy Clarkson te waarderen. En nee, het stoort niet dat hij af en toe (bad pun intended) heel erg uit de bocht gaat en wat achtergrondkennis had kunnen verzamelen over zijn onderwerp. En ja, we zien - met uitzondering van de slachtoffers wellicht - allemaal graag dat iemand afgeeft op politici, op regelneverij, op ambtenaren. Maar zoals Clarkson zich misschien zou kunnen matigen in de hoeveelheid columns (en af en toe ook in de stijl, want je kan toch niet écht iedere column opnieuw pissed zijn?), kan de lezer zich ook best matigen in de hoeveelheid die hij er van consumeert. Neem dus ofwel een abonnement op de Sunday Times (want zijn columns zitten achter een betaalmuurtje) of lees in zijn boeken niet meer dan een paar stukjes per week.
October 29, 2022
As expected from the humorous Jeremy Clarkson, this book, a solid compilation of stories and opinions packed with wit and giggles, engages the reader very well. The book consists of many articles written by the comedic genius that is Clarkson, who starts everything with a smart and comical title that summarises his opinion in a couple of words, then proceeds to lavish the audience with viewpoints that many would be surprised by, along with some satire to give people a good laugh. This is an exceptional book. The only minor issue, which is not really with Clarkson's narrating, is that a large part of the stories are set in the early 2010s in Britain, thus knowledge of the cultural context is to a certain extent necessary for the readers to understand some vague but hilarious quips that really show Clarkson's ingenuity. A lovely book nonetheless for readers worldwide!
November 6, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of his weekly columns. Clarkson's take on the world around him, particularly life in today's England, is often laugh out loud funny. From the absurdities of modern life to the various petty, and sometimes not so petty, infringements of the modern nanny state into our lives, Clarkson skewers them all.
Great read from the UK's answer to Brock Yates and PJ O'Rourke.
Great read from the UK's answer to Brock Yates and PJ O'Rourke.
August 12, 2018
Over 100 articles written between 2010 and and 2013 for Sunday times. I read it from 2017 and enjoyed it. I laughed, underlined a sentence, checked a word up or pondered through what Clarkson wrote and while at it looked so cool for my brothers who are Top Gear fans...A great birthday gift from my friends Anne and Joy.
May 22, 2025
I know Jeremy from Clarkson’s Farm, and I immediately picked up this book when I saw his face on the cover. What makes his writing a page-turner is his brutal honesty, which is ridiculously annoying yet funny. Would I buy another book with his face on it? Definitely. However, I’ll be throwing the dust jacket.
February 8, 2018
Excellent toilet reading, loads of funny stuff. Must read faster.
September 28, 2019
nice book, made me laugh during my classes while I was bored.It's amazing to see how in this SJW climate a satirical book like this exists.
September 15, 2020
Better than expected, some times really hilarious
April 26, 2021
Clarkson is hilarious. Granted there are quite a few references relating to English culture that I don't understand but still a very nice read.
August 13, 2016
Jeremy Clarkson is often seen as a buffoon and a blithering idiot and of course he is those things and there's many more negative things to be said about this man but the simple fact is that none of that matters. Clarkson is funny and insightful and through his blunt humor and brilliant use of hyperbole he manages to expose many flaws in our society others can't find words for. He doesn't avoid topics because it might upset anyone, no he relishes those oppurtunities to pick away at real problems that others are too afraid to touch and he does so in such a way that you find yourself nodding along despite having worldviews radically opposed to those of Clarkson himself.
This is not a book as such, it's a collection of his Sunday Times columns roughly from 2010 through to the start of 2013 and some of it is obviously dated and it will continue to be more so the further away we get from those dates but it hardly matters as it doesn't really matter what current event he is discussing or if you know what he is talking about because the way he writes is what it's all about. Like I said I found myself nodding along with some of these columns, laughing at others, getting incensed by some and completely disagreeing with others and throughout the whole book I was just happily reading along.
This is not a book as such, it's a collection of his Sunday Times columns roughly from 2010 through to the start of 2013 and some of it is obviously dated and it will continue to be more so the further away we get from those dates but it hardly matters as it doesn't really matter what current event he is discussing or if you know what he is talking about because the way he writes is what it's all about. Like I said I found myself nodding along with some of these columns, laughing at others, getting incensed by some and completely disagreeing with others and throughout the whole book I was just happily reading along.
June 4, 2016
I used to be a big fan of Top Gear back in the day, and I was a fan of Clarkson even though I disagreed with him about a lot of issues. Clarkson is a very good writer and he has a knack of making absolutely ridiculous things seem reasonable which is a skill which could see him make a good politician no matter what he says about them. His books are easy to read and although they are a direct copy of his Times column I don’t blame him for that. If people are willing to pay money for it then good for him. It was blatantly obvious in this book however that while I can tolerate his casual xenophobia to some extent, I cannot tolerate his misogyny. It’s layered through almost every paragraph; his disdain for women masked with a veneer of appreciation. Essentially if you are an attractive, slim woman you have a use, but all other women are surplus to requirements and are fair game for abuse. The hypocrisy is blatant. One column denigrates the people online who made comments about Rebecca Adlington’s nose during the Olympics and in the very next column he criticises and makes fun of Dawn French purely for her appearance and her weightloss. He’s just not a very nice person and good writer or not I don’t wish to pay to read his opinions any more.
March 30, 2016
There's something about Jeremy Clarkson that I can't quite put my finger on. Everything should suggest that I should hate him and not even want to pick up one of his books or watch one of his shows. But yet I do. His brand of tired misogyny and out of touch dad stupidity and his obsession with gas guzzling cars is everything that I hate. Yet I'm still drawn to him. Even some of his opinions I don't agree with. Yet I'm transfixed by his books, I laugh my balls off and sometimes even find myself agreeing with him. And I hate myself for it. His books are great though. There I go again. I mean, honestly...
January 13, 2014
This collection of Jeremy Clarkson's scribblings had fewer highs and more lows for me than usual. Coinciding with the Leverhume enquiry and The One Show storm-in-a-tea-cup some of the columns appeared too personal; written with spite and malice rather than his usual detached sense of observation. When he gets it right though he's still a superbly witty and erudite columnist. Hopefully this collection will remain an aberrance and he won't stay too long in the realms of self-parody.
April 7, 2015
I think JC is an amazing person, proficient in his domain, and a great entertainer, both on TV and...in writing. His articles are full of witty comments about different people, (especially British) society, customs and manners, both good and bad, and virtually about every- and anything life comprises. As he writes about what he knows/lives/witnesses, Mr. Clarkson's strong opinions are even more convincing; the fact that he uses plastic and informal examples in order to illustrate and emphasize his ideas just makes his writing even more attractive and sapid.
May 10, 2016
This is another collection of Jeremy's columns for the Sunday Times, this one covering 2011 to early 2013. This is when I first began watching "Top Gear," so I'm familiar with some of the descriptions of the travels he did for some of the episodes.
As usual, I find myself agreeing with some of what he has to say, and other times I want to shake my head. But he's earned the right to his opinions, even if I don't always see eye to eye with him. And he can turn a phrase very well indeed.
As usual, I find myself agreeing with some of what he has to say, and other times I want to shake my head. But he's earned the right to his opinions, even if I don't always see eye to eye with him. And he can turn a phrase very well indeed.
June 7, 2014
When Clarkson writes a book, you have several expectations. For instance, that every other line will mock Ed Miliband, or that references to cyclists in death camps will open every chapter. This book did not meet those expectations. It excelled them, and so I thoroughly recommend it to any Clarkson fan, be they petrolhead or anarchist.
July 1, 2014
if you've read any of his previous books or read his articles in the press, you'll know what to expect ..... and this collection doesn't disappoint. he's like Marmite - you either love him and his views or you hate him. this covers articles from 2010 through to early 2013, and usually feature him going on about something topical at the time or whatever he has a bee in his bonnet about that week.
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July 11, 2014I loved this book! It was so funny! It is one of those books you can't take out in public, because you will laugh yourself silly and have people look at you like you have two heads...
What I really enjoyed about this book was Jeremy's observations of things,and how they could be improved, or garbaged.
What I really enjoyed about this book was Jeremy's observations of things,and how they could be improved, or garbaged.
August 22, 2014
Loved this book! It's a collection of his editorials from the papers and as such is a book full of his rantings and opinions sprinkled with the whit and humour we all know love and expect off Clarkson. I found my self laughing at most and agreeing with almost all of the book!
If you like Clarkson then read this book!!
If you like Clarkson then read this book!!
October 15, 2016
It's a funny book. It really is. But I think that if you, like me, live somewhere that is not Britain, most of the jokes will pass you by. I don't know nearly enough about their culture and politics to follow some of the stories.
October 21, 2014
As with his other books they are a compilation of his Sunday Times articles over the last 4 years.
I like the books / articles as they are short and to the point but all written in Jeremy's particular witty style.
I like the books / articles as they are short and to the point but all written in Jeremy's particular witty style.
November 4, 2013
Exactly what I expected, no surprises. Still really enjoy Clarkson's view of the world and can't help but agree on a lot of things!
August 4, 2014
This is Clarkson at his best. Hilarious, controversial, outrageous, and all while still being thought-provoking. This is definitely a great read from "the tallest TV presenter in Britain".
January 2, 2015
Clarskon does not disappoint his readers, really good read for the beggining of the New Year.
A lot of references to the news, British life, travels.
A lot of references to the news, British life, travels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews