What Would Bill Hicks Say?

by Ben Mack (Editor), Ben Mack (Editor), Joseph Matheny (Contributor)

What would Bill Hicks say about the second George Bush, the second war in Iraq, American Idol, or erectile dysfunction? In 250 words (or one picture) or less, writers, comedians, musicians, cartoonists, and entrants from Austin’s annual Bill Hicks Tribute Rant-Off fulminate about the current political and cultural scene in Hicksian rants. Contributors include cartoonists Jeff Danziger and Martyn Turner; writers Neal Pollack, Robert Newman, and A.L. Kennedy; and Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

Just emerging from underground cult status when he died in 1994, Hicks redefined the boundaries of comedy in the 1980s. His biting social satire about everything from the first President Bush to rock stars who shill for diet Coke made audiences roar and censors cringe. Hicks believed that while ideas evolve, principles remain constant, and that the venues for expressing them change over time. Hicks said he was planting seeds. By providing a forum for those touched by Hicks's ideas to speak out on his behalf, this book waters those seeds. More than just a tribute to Hicks's legend, What Would Bill Hicks Say? is a thought-provoking reflection of the present moment.

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2006

About the author

A recovering advertising executive, a sales and marketing expert and a career ad-man-former Senior Vice President BBDO, J. Walter Thompson Planning Director and Memeticist for WONGDOODY.

"Bill Hicks, please forgive me."
~Ben

Although author of progressive literary art like Poker Without Cards & FreeBookWorthReading.com, Ben is not widely discussed for his Cyber Punk writing.

Instead, Ben Mack is best known for his huge accomplishments in marketing and advertising. He won an American Marketing Association Effie Award for taking Yomega Yo-Yos from $8 million a year to over $120 million dollars a year!

How? Ben has uncovered an underlying structure of branding that has never before been revealed until his best selling book Think two Products Ahead.

What you are about to learn will reinforce and leverage your inner game of success.

Ladies & Gentlemen, please help me welcome a Magic Castle award winning magician, a student of Buckminster Fuller, a former Senior Vice President of BBDO, Brand Strategy Director on Cingular…

Ben Mack!

Reviews

[Don Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Bill Hicks, which i am, this book is not necessary. It pains me to say this as I am such a fan. I always thought if you could invite any four individuals from history to have a conversation, Bill Hicks would be first on the list.

This book is just all of his observations in writing. So for someone not a fan, you need this to help you get through the nonsense of life.

He could look at any point of history and relate it as you would expect your closest friend to understand.

Part spiritual guide, prophet and funniest man in creation. What a loss.

[Ill Cosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very predictable and repetitive. May as well have just read transcripts of Bills stand up

[ReadsSometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny 😁

[Neil · Rating 1 out of 5]

What would Bill Hicks say? Using the name of the deceased Bill Hicks to sell a book isn’t nearly as effective as using the deceased Yul Brynner to sell people on non-smoking. The contributors to this book said to themselves, “I can be funny like Bill Hicks!” If Bill Hicks were alive, he would surely say that they are mistaken.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably had too high of expectations for this book. It is a damn shame that Bill is not around to comment on what is going on today, I think he would have more to say now than he did in the 90's.

[David Blaylock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this just made me miss the real Bill.