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My Ox Is Broken!: Roadblocks, Detours, Fast Forwards and Other Great Moments from TV's 'The Amazing Race'
The Amazing Race is a reality show like no other and it has the best set around.
Best-selling novelist, Adam-Troy Castro, explores The Amazing Race in My Ox is Broken! one of the first books ever published about one of the best reality television programs around. From Thailand to Greenland, this show has consistently gone where no other show has gone before, and Castro continues the excitement of the Race in a book that is funny, entertaining, and unique—just like the show itself.
The Amazing Race has hooked viewers for all the right reasons and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. My Ox is Broken! is the best reading companion for any fan of this hit show or for any fan of reality television at its best.
Best-selling novelist, Adam-Troy Castro, explores The Amazing Race in My Ox is Broken! one of the first books ever published about one of the best reality television programs around. From Thailand to Greenland, this show has consistently gone where no other show has gone before, and Castro continues the excitement of the Race in a book that is funny, entertaining, and unique—just like the show itself.
The Amazing Race has hooked viewers for all the right reasons and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. My Ox is Broken! is the best reading companion for any fan of this hit show or for any fan of reality television at its best.
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2006
5 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Adam-Troy Castro
236 books165 followersAdam-Troy Castro made his first professional sale to Spy magazine in 1987. Since then, he's published 12 books and almost 80 short stories. Among those stories are "Baby Girl Diamond" (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award) and "The Funeral March of the Marionettes" (nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1998). "The Astronaut from Wyoming," a collaboration with Jerry Oltion, appeared in Analog and was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2000, before winning the Seiun (Japanese Hugo) for best translation in 2008.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 22, 2012
This is a good example of how not to write a book about a reality show: pick a title that makes no sense, have it be written by an overly opinionated fan "author" who sounds like he's blogging, fill most of the 450 pages with minutely detailed episode summaries taken straight off the screen that most people don't care about, and leave out important things like photos of the dozens of people you are mentioning! Namely, this is a mess.
The writer makes what he thinks are clever remarks throughout the book, including his opinions about players, made up corny phrases about certain aspects of the Race ("Airport Shuffle"??) and lots & lots of overblown lists ("Moments We See Again and Again--Part Two"). While he claims to be a fan of this program and of no other reality show, he clearly doesn't understand the genre and writes as if he has been on the race when he hasn't. It's frustrating to read his know-it-all comments and opinions that are often ill-informed or based on limited information.
The #1 problem with the book is the lack of pictures. If you're going to write a book that features details about close to 200 players in the first nine seasons, then you need photos to remind us who these people are. I have watched every episode of the show and had no idea who he was talking about most of the time.
The season-by-season summaries are too long and overly detailed. He decided to include his long-winded synopses and leaves out interviews with some of the participants that he conducted. Yet the three interviews he includes in the book are the best part about it--the actual players are much more interesting than the author, so why didn't he include more interviews, better research and get the cooperation of the producers of the program? For example, there's a chapter entitled "Is the Race Real?" that provides no actual specific details to provide answers to that question--he gives a few theories but doesn't have any behind-the-scenes information that gives the reader any help in answering it.
This is only a book for those who are Amazing Race freaks who don't need pictures to remember every racer since season one, want a rehash of what was on the screen, and can understand every piece of show shorthand. For the majority of readers simply reading the interviews will do.
The writer makes what he thinks are clever remarks throughout the book, including his opinions about players, made up corny phrases about certain aspects of the Race ("Airport Shuffle"??) and lots & lots of overblown lists ("Moments We See Again and Again--Part Two"). While he claims to be a fan of this program and of no other reality show, he clearly doesn't understand the genre and writes as if he has been on the race when he hasn't. It's frustrating to read his know-it-all comments and opinions that are often ill-informed or based on limited information.
The #1 problem with the book is the lack of pictures. If you're going to write a book that features details about close to 200 players in the first nine seasons, then you need photos to remind us who these people are. I have watched every episode of the show and had no idea who he was talking about most of the time.
The season-by-season summaries are too long and overly detailed. He decided to include his long-winded synopses and leaves out interviews with some of the participants that he conducted. Yet the three interviews he includes in the book are the best part about it--the actual players are much more interesting than the author, so why didn't he include more interviews, better research and get the cooperation of the producers of the program? For example, there's a chapter entitled "Is the Race Real?" that provides no actual specific details to provide answers to that question--he gives a few theories but doesn't have any behind-the-scenes information that gives the reader any help in answering it.
This is only a book for those who are Amazing Race freaks who don't need pictures to remember every racer since season one, want a rehash of what was on the screen, and can understand every piece of show shorthand. For the majority of readers simply reading the interviews will do.
February 1, 2023
This book was a great, detailed overview of the first nine seasons including a play by play of each season. His perspectives on problematic racers was especially spot-on!
I gave it four and a half stars (rounded to five) only because the author uses some outdated language that, in 2010 was iffy and in 2023 is problematic.
Otherwise, excellent book!
To note: this book is really written for die hard fans of TAR. Casual viewers will find it sooooooo dry and long. Die hards will find it a fun and easy read and wish he would write a second book about seasons 10-34!
I gave it four and a half stars (rounded to five) only because the author uses some outdated language that, in 2010 was iffy and in 2023 is problematic.
Otherwise, excellent book!
To note: this book is really written for die hard fans of TAR. Casual viewers will find it sooooooo dry and long. Die hards will find it a fun and easy read and wish he would write a second book about seasons 10-34!
March 29, 2022
Honestly I've read this book so many times. I love all of the interviews and opinions the author provides, and, while I can understand a more casual fan might find it boring, the amount of information exceeded my expectations.
August 5, 2016
Tedious and boring.
January 16, 2022
I read this book because lately I've been binge watching old seasons of The Amazing Race because it's a pandemic and I've felt like some vicarious travel. I was interested to know more about how the race is designed and filmed, maybe some interviews with past participants looking back. Most of this book is minute recaps, though, and they are written like an email forward from your kinda cringe uncle.
Read
October 30, 2020I've been reading this slowly as I've been binge-watching The Amazing Race, seasons 1-9. It's a fun companion to the series, but I find I like the Television Without Pity recaps better (now at www.brilliantbutcanceled.com), in terms of recap thoroughness/entertainment/insights. The book did provide additional information to my previous readings, and had some good interviews.
June 21, 2024
Amazing and hysterically funny
August 13, 2016
A fun read! I hadn't watched most of the first 9 seasons, so it was interesting to hear about the history and evolution of the race. It's not great documentary writing or anything, but the book has a lively and slightly irreverent tone that suits the material. Castro is just opinionated enough to be incisive, without being overly judgmental or supercilious. It made me want to go borrow some of the early seasons from the library to watch them.
May 17, 2008
I love the Amazing Race--its my very favorite current TV program. This book goes through race 9. It includes interviews with some of the racers (great), but also spends too much time retelling stories that even a casual fan would be familiar (not so great).
December 10, 2007
I love the Amazing Race so finding out some insider stuff is right up my alley.
January 23, 2008
I enjoy watching the Amazing Race, and had high hopes for this book. There were interesting tidbits, but it wasn't as good as i had hoped.
February 4, 2015
Dipped into this book while re-watching classic episodes of The Amazing Race. Only covers season 1-9.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews