The Laugh Supper

by Leonard Ryzman

They're back!

You're invited to dine with some of the greatest minds in history. Leonardo da Vinci, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy, Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, Mae West, and John Lennon.

Join this dynamic dinner conversation - sparkling with laughter and
amazing ideas. Despite using quotations from many years ago (sometimes centuries!) these guests provide entertaining repartee and perceptive observations on 21st century life, while staying true to themselves and their words.

Laugh along with Groucho's hilarious comments on attitudes and behavior, West's pithy thoughts on movies, Lennon's dry observations on reality TV, plus much much more. This book is a conversation with some of the greatest and funniest minds in history, which will make you laugh, sigh and think.

Genres: Humor

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2002

About the author

Leonard Ryzman is the author of several inspirational non-fiction books, including 'Amer I CAN' and 'Make Your Own Rainbow' which has been published in translation throughout Asia. He has also written humorously for magazines, newspapers,theater and radio, as well as covering serious matters such as sport. If you don't think sport is serious, just check out Melbourne, Australia where it is a religion.

When not writing, Ryzman gives entertaining and uplifting keynote addresses at conferences. These are gatherings of people who singly can do nothing, but together are able to decide that nothing can be done. His advice to budding writers and speakers is the same:
"If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished." Also,"Don't use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice."

He has interviewed a wide variety of inspiring people from all walks of life,
from whom he has learned some invaluable lessons. He says he learned from Jack Nicholson not to name drop.

His specialty is helping people believe in themselves and convert the negative into positive. Organizations have also engaged his expertise in the use of humor for effective training and speaking.

When starting out, Ryzman had some screenplay ideas for Hollywood, where all things are created sequel. He contacted a major movie studio, telling them what he could do; and they replied, telling him what he could do. In his next phase, he spent time alone in the woods, going places where few had gone before and facing seemingly impossible challenges. Unfortunately, he did all that while playing golf.

Then, one day, he was struck by enlightening. He drew from his experience and research as a non-fiction writer on success and wellbeing, together with his work as a humorist, and delved into the area of 'faction'. The result is his acclaimed book, 'The Laugh Supper', which is a time-defying dialogue of wit and wisdom.

Ryzman believes that if he has been able to give just one person an idea, or make just one reader laugh, then he's in big trouble.

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great idea - what if the greatest philosophers, comedians, Presidents, etc. from history get together and have supper? What would the dinner conversation be like?

I liked the premise, but I would have to admit some of the dialogue was less funny than the outrageous laughter the book promised. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, just not what it was built up to be.

It's still worth a read though. It's lighthearted and as I said, the premise is quite interesting. I want to be at that supper.

[Ian Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book is that a series of people from different times in history and who were known for what they said, spend a few hours at the author's home, conversing. They duel insults (If you can imagine, Groucho Marx loses here), make jokes, and make comments on modern life as they see it. There is also a chapter on time, which I found annoying. Two examples to show the nature of these: (a) Michelangelo painted the floor of the Sistine Chapel, (b) "Years ago it took two people to carry $20 worth of groceries. Today a small child can do it." A number of the jokes appear to be quotes from the person, and the chances are you will have heard them before.
Whether it makes you laugh, I guess, depends on you. What I would suggest, though, is that if you purchase it, read it in small amounts then put it away and read something else. Humour tends to work much better when the crunch point is unexpected. Here you get a huge sequence of one/two-liners, and if you read too many at once, they will no longer seem funny. Grading this verges on the impossible, and unfortunately the first part, that you will get to check out to see if you like it, is quite atypical of the rest, as it is a sort of introduction. My grade is given largely because I have to. Different readers will view this book quite differently.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clever book should be made into a play or movie. Either of those would serve the humorous quips, quotes, and warps of those smashingly well. The cast of characters is wonderful: Leonardo da Vinci, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, Groucho Marx, Mae West, Dorothy Parker, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lennon, along with an unnamed and curious host who obliges them when they materialize at his door looking for a place to have a conversation and some vittles.

These historical figures from different time periods and countries, known for their wit and wisdom, discuss a wide range of topics. Every page is full of funny lines. Imagine these people in person in a play or movie or in your own house trading ideas and verbal jabs.

For me, there weren't laugh out loud moments, but I could see that there would be almost constant ones were this book to go "live". The book is cleverly constructed with each person speaking as they did in life and twisting some known phrases to suit the subject at hand. At the end, da Vinci attempts to explain time travel in scientific terms. That bit is interesting, to say the least.

The book might be 3-4 stars, but I gave the author credit for a novel idea, lots of work to assemble the book and study the characters and history, and the very real potential it has to be an excellent "live" work. The book can be read in a day. I had house guests and didn't find much time to read.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Laugh Supper was an interesting read. It consisted of a series of conversational topics spoken by famous people from the past. Basically this novel is a quick short series of witty quips back and forth.

For a marathon read such as I just did, it took away from the overall enjoyment, as I felt that I was simply reading a collection of humorous quotes rather than a story. However the back of the book clearly stated that this book was basically a huge conversation, so fair warning is given.

Overall I did enjoy this book, I thought the dialogue was funny and witty, if a times a little contrived. I would recommend this book however I think that it works better when read in short bursts than long hauls. 3.5/5

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review

[Jessica Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too many jokes

Laugh supper is a perfect title for this book, because it is pretty much a book of one liner jokes told between famous celebrities of our past over dinner. The jokes are funny and i did find myself laughing out loud quite a few times while reading this. I even would repeat some to friends and family and they took got a kick out of it. The subject matter is interesting, since you have celebrities like John Lennon and Leonardo Da Vinci traveling through time and having dinner at a random persons home, and they do discuss a nice variety of topics from marriage to time travel.

Okay now for some more negative remarks on this, first the jokes get to be a little too much. At some points I wished the celebrities would discuss the topics more and not just make joke or puns about them. As I stated above the topics were actually interesting ones that I feel a reader would probably really like to see what the author would think these celebrities viewpoint would be. Also the introduction is kind of not needed since it falls short, since it states along the lines that by the time you finish this book you will never look at time travel the same, and well I finished it and I feel the same about time travel and that stuff. The only thing I will say that I do view differently, only because I did not know much about some of the celebrities, but after reading this and the author doing such a great job at adding in facts with the dialogue I got to learn more about them. I especially love the section on Lincoln and Kennedy, I had not realized all of the correlations until I read this book.

So in general, I give this a solid 3 out of 5, I feel it would have been better if there were more solid topics with less jokes, but definitely do not take out any of the facts, heck more would also have been better. It is a short book and is a pretty, good steady pace so you could probably finish it in a matter of hours.

[R.C. Mulhare · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite thought exercises is what I call "the historical dinner party", in which one imagines which famous people, living or dead, one would invite to a dinner party (my one list includes a motley crowd including Oscar Wilde, Pope St. John Paul II, Flannery O'Connor and Neil Gaiman). This book is Leonard Ryzsman's riff on just such an exercise, his unexpected guests including Groucho Marx, Mae West, Dorothy Parker, John F. Kennedy and Leonardo da Vinci. And a lively, time-traveling cast, their dialogue riffing from quotes famous and not so famous, peppered with clever puns and witticisms. The bunch are out for a night of good food and good chat, at times detouring into thoughtful meditations on life, human nature, the universe and everything, reminding me of John Kendrick Bangs's "Houseboat on the River Styx" series, since both have casts of historical souls, though here they haven't crossed over to the Other Side. It's a lightweight effort, nothing earth-shattering, but a delightful read that will make you laugh, make you think, then make you laugh some more (Mae West and Dorothy Parker trade a lot of good natured jabs with Groucho Marx, while Leonardo da Vinci does his best to explain how their brand of time travel might work). If you like history and humor and you're looking for a quick, light read, this is well worth picking up!

[Julie Baswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Laugh Supper is a tale involving a group of famous people from our past, time traveling to the author’s home and having eclectic discussions about whatever subject is broached. Groucho Marx, Mae West, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John F. Kennedy, Dorothy Parker, Dr. Martin Luther King, and John Lennon were the time travelers. Even though each of these needed no introduction, the author included their history before beginning the story. The topics varied anywhere from weight loss to the internet. As one of the chapter titles insinuated, it was a war of words and a battle of the exes.

I thought that this was an interesting take on how each of these people would fair in a type of debate with one another. When the topic would change to something they were known for, it was like learning history again because there were some things I didn’t know about them, da Vinci especially. Everyone had snappy comebacks, giving me continuous humor cover to cover. There were a couple of times that the discussion was boring to me, making it seem to last forever, but all in all, I enjoyed all of the camaraderie and jest that was provided during this unusual gathering.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first year of the third millennium, nine remarkable people cheated the clock and sat together at a long dining table. They discussed everything from weight loss, the differences between the sexes, nature and space, and more. Just who are these nine people?
-Leonardo Da Vinci
-Ralph Waldo Emmerson
-Abraham Lincoln
-Groucho Marx
-Mae West
-Dorthy Parker
-John F. Kennedy
-Martin Luther King, JR
-John Lennon

The first few pages give you a quick bio into each person's background which I found extremely helpful as I didn’t know who Groucho Marx, Mae West, or Dorthy Parker were…ignorant of me, I know.


After this ensued a hilarious, witty, and delightful read. You’ll learn famous quotes these individuals said in a current, flowing conversation. The conversation does flow pretty fast as each individual offers their input. The book offered insight into the minds of these individuals and their snark had me laughing many times. If you think history is boring, reading the words of these 9 characters alone will shine a light into the past and make you realize you have more in common with these folks than you know.

[Jess Lemus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I had read the book summary, I became interested in reading the book. I had never heard of this author or the book before I received it for free. This books brings about an interesting concept but what made it interesting was the people/main characters of the story. Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Leonardo Da Vinci, John Lennon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mae West, Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, and Ralph Waldo Emerson time travel to the present where they come across the unnamed host and “narrator” who graciously allows them to spend time at his house in order to eat and talk. It works better in small increments rather than reading this for long periods of time since most of the dialogue is quick-fire witty banter between everyone. Some of it is thought provoking and some of it is funny, but it was only in a handful of places where I actually laughed out loud. They broach a wide variety of subjects and sometimes a character would answer questions about their own success or something they did that went down in history. If the author writes another book like this but maybe with a new mix of characters, I might read it. I give this book four out of five stars.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Laugh Supper is a pure masterpiece that entertained me with witty one liners and wise comments from the very start to the very end.

Originally I was sceptical about such an idea for a book, taking 9 well known historical figures and having them debate topics that have been covered plenty already is a great idea, but would be very difficult to follow through and make it work on paper.

However, the author has executed this idea to near perfection. I have been quoting the one-liners to friends and family for several days now and have recommended it to several people who like dry humour. My one criticism would be that sometimes the dialogue seemed a little stilted with some of the characters saying things to highlight their own personal history at the sacrifice of the pace and flow of the conversation. That being said, with 9 people in the conversation (10 if you include the narrator who has a minor role), the author does an incredible job overall.

Overall, this book describes itself as witty and wise, and it most certainly lives up to expectations and beyond!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Laugh Supper is most definitely a departure from the norm. For someone who loved humor, I do not get to read much of it. Based on the synopsis, I expected more originality as far as what each historical figure actually said. I feel like the majority of the conversations were various quotes strung together. It's not that it wasn't funny, it's just that having heard the quotes and jokes before, they lost their punch. It was very clever the way it was all put together, kudos to Ryzman on that part.

I kept thinking that this book was light hearted humor with a splash of intelligence. I mean Leonardo Da Vinci and JFK facing off with Groucho Marx and Mae West? The possibilities were endless. Imagine if we could get the answer about the Mona Lisa. I have about a dozen more topics that I'd like to submit to the author for the characters to spout off about. There must be more of this coming!

The Laugh Supper is a book for the beach or your hoity toity book club.

[Chris Collison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great..

I thought that this book would be funny and it would offer me an escape from the troubles of real life but it was basically just a book of sentences. It is a good premise, to have several historical figures all talk amongst themselves about generic topics but it came to be annoying instead of fun or an escape. I feel like maybe if Groucho Marx wasn't one of the characters it would have been better. According to the authors description, he didnt just play snarky characters trying to be funny, he actually was a snarky man trying to be funny. Reading the book portrays the actors as the roles they played instead of who they may have actually been in he real world. Mae West seems like a wily seductress instead of maybe just a normal woman who is pretty and also a regular woman. I have another book by this author so I guess that will determine whether I just didn't like this book or if maybe I just don't like this authors style of writing.

[Shanell Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry humor but interesting.

So this is an interesting read. While definitely not a new favorite it passed the time and kept me entertained for a little bit. I expected more of a funny keep me laughing kind of read. Instead I got a book full of dry humor. Though I suspect that if the characters portrayed were still alive that would be the type of dinner they would have. I feel like Ryzman fairly accurately described the characters and their personalities exactly how’d I’d imagine them to be. The players of the game were well known and active historical figures. Since most of them are not from this era I guess I wouldn’t fully expect modern day humor. So the dry jokes and undertones seem pretty fitting. This wasn’t a page turning “had to know what happened” kind of book for me. It took awhile to get through it but it was still worth reading.

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A successful dinner party depends on a good host, good food, good discussion, and a good mix of guests. THE LAUGH SUPPER supplies them all as the unnamed host finds Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, Groucho Marx, Mae West, Leonardo da Vinci, Dorothy Parker, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lennon at his door looking for a private location to gather and spend the evening together. During that time, the host realized “Anything I knew about ‘time’ up until then not only went out the window, it took the whole window with it.”
The guests share their opinions on subjects ranging from television, art, free expression, transportation, the battle of the sexes, diets, exercise, time travel, flowers/weeds, black holes and a good deal more with wit, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. There is also a section pointing out coincidences between Lincoln and Kennedy ending with both having sons who later lived at 3104 N Street in Washington, DC.
As the characters were introduced, Leonard Ryzman noted Leonardo da Vinci’s “imagination was so vivid, his thirst for knowledge so powerful, he conceived of inventions that came into being only in the 20th century.” Later they question whether Leonardo, who was very much a Renaissance man proficient in science, music, and painting, would have painted the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper had he been born 500 years later.
The actual story began on page 21, following the introductions. The first of my many laugh out loud moments came on page 24 with a quip by Groucho. After a short discussion with Groucho, he realized “If I were simply interested in having the last say, it would have needed to be with his brother, Harpo.”
They cover a wide range of topics:
The battle of the sexes:
Parker: “For every woman with a curve, there are several men with angles.”
Television and movies:
Marx: “People are watching a lot of thought-provoking TV shows today. The thought it provokes is: ‘Why am I watching this show?”
Kennedy: “In a typical home, the TV set is better adjusted than the children....”
Lennon refers to a show as Survivoyeur.”
West: “Sometimes a movie hero is the one who sits through it.”
People’s attitudes and behavior:
Parker: “Perhaps the penalty of success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you.” “Televangelists more interested in the fleece than the flock.” “It’s strange that people who didn’t even know their next-door neighbor were curious about what was on the other side of the moon.”
Marx: What’s wrong with the world isn’t the people trying to get something for nothing. It’s those who are succeeding.’ “Far too often a speech is like a wheel. The longer the spoke, the greater the tire.”
Smoking:
Emerson: “Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs.”
Parker: “The trouble with people who have broken a habit is that they often have the pieces mounted and framed.”
Education, invention, and changing times:
Emerson: “The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.”
“Many ideas certainly grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up.”
Kennedy: “If George Gershwin were composing today, he might have needed to call his celebrated opus, Rap City n Blue.”
Da Vinci talks about his painting process, purpose and thoughts on restoration as well as what he could do now with his knowledge and resources now available: “But as for taking back things I did not discover, I would not want to deprive subsequent generations of the pleasure of searching for and finding solutions.” The guests also prove that the most well known phrase in The Gettysburg Address, “The government of the people, by the people, and for the people” was not original.
Life:
Da Vinci: ”But a life well spent is long.”
Lincoln: “Life is a process of learning how to live.”
Emerson, “...and we are always getting ready to live but never living.” War:
Ryzman: Leonardo da Vinci “Wasn’t committed to the philosophy of the pros or cons. His primary focus was in establishing what was creatively possible....He couldn’t resist the opportunity to invent more efficient weapons purely to meet the challenge of overcoming existing flaws. It didn’t actually make him pro-war.” That reminded me of Tom Lehrer’s ditty:: Once the rockets go up, who cares where they come down. That’s not my department says Wernher von Braun.” The guests also note that John Lennon’s “Hey Jude” was on flip side of ”Revolution.”
Peace:
King: “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and unguided men....It’s is not the difference between us that is the difficulty; it is the indifference.”
Lincoln: “The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.”
Puns and one-liners are mixed in with more serious discussion. One section offers cross humor
Lincoln: If we cross a carrier pigeon with a woodpecker, we could have a bird that knocks on the door before delivering a message.”
West: “I’d cross an owl with an oyster to get pearls of wisdom.”
Often I try a new product because I sampled it first. This review is a sample. I appreciated the unlikely mix of personalities and topics. Some of the quotes were authentic. Others could have been as the guests generally stayed in character. The discussion flowed naturally.
My copy of this book via Goodreads includes a signed inscription from the author: “May you always remember the happy times and always make happy times to remember.” There are two happy faces inside his signature. THE LAUGH SUPPER delivers happiness.

[Babajaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this gem thanks to a Goodreads giveaway. Funny and clever. I liked the premise, I liked the funny remarks and observations. I was quite entertained. I can easily imagine many of the witticisms being used in a standup comedy performance. They'd get great laughs.

[Rand McGreal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh Journey

This book is an Intellectual passage with ten historical figures who banter about life, art and physics. The dialogue is a jostling romp with laugh out loud wit. I am adding this book to my Top
Ten.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like it enough to keep reading it. Not a concept I enjoyed. I didn't find it funny.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not overly impressed with this book. I really did not find it too funny most times it was a bore to read.

[Shiela · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the book The Laugh Supper the author brings 9 famous historical people together in his home for dinner. Nine of the greatest and funniest minds throughout history. Leonardo da Vinci, Martin L King Jr, Emerson, Pres. Lincoln, Pres. Kennedy, Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, Mae West and John Lennon. Each uniquely remembered for their part in history sit down for dinner and conversation. In the thirteen chapters in the book they discuss everything from weight loss, restoration prospects for ageing people and paintings, free expression, transportation, understanding the difference in the sexes, the relationship between time and space and many more. The humorous intent of the author is missed. As example “The reason that TV is called a medium explained Kennedy, is because it is seldom rare or well-done.” I don’t see any humor in this and also, don’t see Kennedy making such a comment. The book is mainly full of one liners that make the historical character appear to be immature and adolescent. This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. Based on this one I will not be seeking out his self-help books. This is definitely not a book that I would recommend to friends or family.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt The Laugh Supper was a pretty good idea, and I do appreciate the work that goes into taking a pile (or, in this case, 9 piles) of quotations and quips and reconstituting them into a coherent conversation. I was already familiar with most of the quotes, so, in a sense, this was a bit of a rehash for me, albeit an enjoyable rehash. Because the quips were fast and furious, I found that the best way to enjoy The Laugh Supper was to pick it up, read a few pages, and put it down for a bit. When I tried to do some sustained reading, I found I wasn't enjoying it quite so much, as it was simply too much, too fast. The purpose of the quotes and one-liners was originally to spice up the conversation, not constitute the main course.
My favorite part of the book is the last chapter, "Hello, I Must be Going". It is a little heavier than the rest of the book, bringing in concepts of space and time, and seemed a bit better balanced.
One hopes this book encourages readers to seek out more works from the personalities involved. They are justifiably renowned for their quotable quotes, but each one is fascinating in their own right. The Last Laugh presents the highlights.
My thanks to the Goodreads First Reads program for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Patricia Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the program "YOU ARE THERE" when I was a little child, it was so delightfully relevant and realistic. The Laugh Supper by Ryzman accomplishes these goals of realism and relevancy but by a different path. Famous people time travel and arrive at his house, each commenting on personalities, events of the day with humor. I so enjoyed this; it was 'crammed with wisdom and laughter'. I would 'hear' the voices of Kennedy, or Lennon, or Grouch, or Mae West giving their respective perspectives on a topic. E. g. on TV: Mae West " in a typical home, the TV set is better adjusted than the children" , Kennedy" I suppose children who do nothing but watch TV very night will go down in history, not to mention science and geography", Da Vinci "TV is marvelous deve, but it also brings into the house characters that many people would never allow into their house ( PERSONAL Note: THIS is a very very wise statement!! Think about it for a while.) Kennedy again : the reason that TV is called a medium is because it is seldom rare or well-done,". There are some particularly uproarious moments while Ryzman entertains his supper guests, and I'd recommend this book for a light entertainment to just sit back, relax, enjoy... I received this book from Goodreads for an honest, open review.

[John Hanscom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this book; I had so looked forward to it. Perhaps, it is because I am old [68]. When TV was new, in the late 50s to early 60s, the entertainer Steve Allen [whom I consider to be a genius] had a program where actors representing people from the past, in period costume, sat around a table and discussed issues, based either on what they did say or what the TV writers felt were logical extensions of their writings. Instead, what is in the present book are mainly jokes, mostly placed in the mouths of what could be any random group of celebrities. There were serious statements as well, but even they were constantly interrupted by quips. Though I did recognize a few of the quips as from the celebrity speaking, most are quips the person could not have said [or, in my opinion, would not have said, but what do I know?]. I rated this a 2 as some of the humor was very funny and some of the non-humor very good, but, overall, this book was a disappointment.

[Miles English · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Laugh Supper is a fun, light-hearted, funny little book. It’s basically just one long conversation between a bunch of famous people from history where they mostly just tell each jokes. The author does a great job in capturing the distinct voice of each character. There were a few times when, say, Lincoln told a joke that I actually looked it up to see if he said it in real life, because it captured his personality so well. If there’s one weakness, it’s that everyone mostly talks in one-liners. That makes Mae West and Groucho Marx really shine, since that’s what they’re famous for. But long-winded characters such as Hemingway or Dorothy Parker are kind of invisible, and seem superfluous. Short and sweet, this book doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Honestly, I thought I would hate this coming in to it, but I actually rather enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to fans of Groucho Marx style humor.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a first reads giveaway. I thought the book would be funny and it was. Leonardo da Vinci has solved the puzzle of time travel and he arrives in the narrators yard with several others in tow. He requests a place to "gather for a short private meeting", meaning that they prefer a private residence to a public establishment, the narrator is invited to join them. Da Vinci and his guests: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, Groucho Marx, Mae West, Dorothy Parker,John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lennon spend a pleasant evening discussing various subjects. The conversation is witty, sometimes sarcastic and at times insightful. It was a fun read and I would recommend it to others.

[Neil Higgins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The problem with this book in not that it is unfunny, but that it is just a series of quotes and one-liners strung together to form a conversation.
As a result, the dialogue is at times forced, as quotes from the (mainly American) celebrities are stretched to fit the subject matter at hand.
If you want to read the wit and wisdom of Groucho, Lennon et al, you may be better off with a book of quotes, and skip the time-travelling conversational format..

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads for this Kindle giveaway. That was a fun book. Now I just need two things.
1) An annotated version pointing out all real quotes and perhaps hyperlinks to indicate original context. Wow, that was a lot of dialogue.
2) An audio version complete with impersonators. I don't care if I could hear the voices in my head. I want to hear them better than I can imitate and in full, argumentative surround sound.

[Billie James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really neat idea for a book.. I really liked it so fun to read!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads first-reads contest.

This book has a fresh and unique story, which is filled with thought-provoking ideas and witty repartee.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a homerun for me. I had a very hard time putting it down. Very well written and very witty. I have leant this out to four of my friends and all of them have enjoyed it as well.

[Scott Haraburda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing set of discussions amongst famous historical figures, each with a unique perspective.