Get a Grip

by Kaz Cooke

Kaz Cooke's observations are timeless, timely reflections on almost everything important, including NASA, interior design pornography, collective nouns, lerv, weirdos and how to find your inner Nanna. Kaz has a weakness for Scottish accents, an undying hatred of cats, a devastating gift for one-liners and an obsession with the Miss Universe contest ('because, as its name suggests, people from other planets may enter). Get a Grip is fierce, funny, frank, intelligent and informative; an essential companion to life in the nineties and everything you need to know about thigh boots, political correctness, food fads, foreign policy and the sex life of clams. Kaz has an unerring eye for hypocrisy and fun.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Australia

245 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Alison Petchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat down the other day to watch the AFL Grand Final. I was appalled to find Mr Wayne Carey sitting boldly in the commentators seat. “Why do you detest him so much?” asked my partner. I couldn’t remember but I knew it had something to do with unacceptable behaviour and bullying.

Thank you Kaz Cooke for reminding me, last night, in your essay titled Up Yours Cazaly.... “But here’s the thing: a lot of people would like you to really understand what you did and express heartfelt remorse about it - and not because it resulted in bad publicity or salacious media headlines, but because what you did was scary, painful, humiliating and unacceptable to society (That’s why it’s illegal Wayne).” By the way readers, this is NOT in relation to the incident in which he screwed his team mate’s wife, it’s the one where he broke away from his pack (team mates) in the middle of the city in Melbourne, groped a young woman he had never met before on the breast whilst commentating loudly on their size. Hardly the decorum of a professional athlete to whom young men and boys look as a role model :-(

This fantastic collection of short stories is easy, entertaining reading. She commentates on everything from fashion (“as you know, I’m a sucker for a grouse tiara”), famous people (“if she were any thinner she’d be fettuccine”), nature (“cicadas .... in roving packs of up to three trillion right outside the door and everywhere else in the vicinity from first light until 8:30pm until your eardrums vibrate at exactly the frequency of insanity”) and science (... given the Nobel Prize for the Most Obvious Conclusion Possible in the Known Universe to Any Given Experiment”).

Have always loved her writing and this great little set of essays brings her wit and intelligence together in a neat little package of feminist satire.

[Katie Barr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed parts of this book but other parts were extremely outdated, which would be due to the book being quite old now. The word “aborigines” is used which is a word that isn’t used these days, but can be forgiven due to the time it was written as I believe it was acceptable back then.

[Ruth Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of Kaz Cooke's newspaper columns. It's a style of writing that may have gone out of fashion (if I'm even aware of what is in fashion) but still very funny and relevant. A great light read.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hilarious in bits but I find Kaz Cooke a bit much sometimes, she gets on her feminist left-wing environmentalist hobby horse quite a lot and just rants which I find offputting. Many of the articles consisted of her venting about some politician/animal/group of people/phenomenon she dislikes and I couldn't always relate. Still.

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

While generally short, fluffy essays on the surface, Cooke manages to hide a very pointedly political attitude through much of this book. Highly entertaining, although being 'topical' means that it will only appeal to those old enough (and possibly of particular socio-economic background) to recognise the individuals and societal mores being lampooned.

[Christine]

I love the way Kaz Cooke writes. I saw her speak the other week and she was just as good.

[Jacquie South · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing - some parts more so than others - but not hilarious. Good to keep in the bathroom for a quick read...

[Theodora Gotsis · Rating 3 out of 5]

absolutely hilarious... been a while since I laughed so hard