Drunk Talk is a one of a kind book with something for everyone and will have you laughing hysterically as you are forced to question what you believe to be true. Included are forty-eight short discussions about different aspects of life with a twist of humor, your drunken fortune, and unique quotes to keep you focused. To those who think they have heard it all, be prepared to be shocked.
Mike Davis was a social commentator, urban theorist, historian, and political activist. He was best known for his investigations of power and social class in his native Southern California. He was the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the Lannan Literary Award. He lived in San Diego.
When I first saw the title of this book, I wasn’t sure what to think. I guess I was expecting a ridiculous book where a couple of drunks babbled on about life. In some cases that may be funny but, in most cases, I would expect that to be a complete waste of paper and ink. In the case of this book, however, I was very happily wrong. This definitely has some amusing anecdotes where the drunks just babbled on, don’t get me wrong, and I spent a lot of time just sitting there reading and laughing out loud. What surprised me the most was the serious topics that are covered and the insightfulness that the authors brought out in their discussions about each topic.
In “Drunk Talk,” co-authors Mike Davis and TL Banks give readers a group of short essays that are written on forty-eight different topics; from God, to art, to racism, to what you eat. Each of these brief moments will leave you, in most cases, laughing while they actually push you into questioning what you truly believe as a person. The authors spend the book dealing with very serious subjects, the things that we as people have to deal with every day and they do it with humor, insightfulness, and a blunt honesty that is something I think all should use when looking at life and problems, whether they are drunk or sober at the time. These men just put their thoughts on paper and it really gets your mind working overtime. I was impressed with the perceptive way they looked at everything, with an underlying amount of humor. I think that this humor is what really makes the reader want to read and think about what they are reading. Otherwise, the topics would just be your normal depressing essays that no one wants to delve into very deeply.
“Drunk Talk” is a very thought-provoking book that I would recommend picking up when you are looking to read something regarding a pretty heavy set of topics, but you do not want to be overwhelmed with depression and detailed, weighty talks about life. For those, however, that are not partial to cursing or life lessons about the upsetting social norms that we now see in the world, it might not be the best choice of reading material. I, for one, thought it was great.
If you’ve ever been sitting in a bar minding your own business when suddenly some blowhard deep in his cups staggers onto the stool next to you and launches into a rambling tirade about everything in the world that bothers him, then you get the general ethos of Drunk Talk by Mike Davis and T.L. Banks.
Furthermore, I’m guessing that if you’ve experienced this awkward situation, you quickly invented some pretext to escape without having to listen to the entire harangue. If that’s you, this isn’t the book for you.
However, if you are equally drunk and glean wisdom in this fellow’s righteous indignation, and perhaps even add a few scintillating insights of your own to the discussion, then you and the narrator are comrades in spirit—or should I say, spirits, as in 100 proof. For from the beginning, the narrator unapologetically declares, “each section [of the book] is a conversation I had with other drunks while we were...well...drunk. Our eyes were open, and we were able to articulate the deeper aspects of our existence, thanks to cases of liquid smarts.”
In vino veritas? Perhaps. But I think that in “Drunk Talk” it is even more a case of in vino jactationes, or for those not versed in Latin, that’s loosely translated as “in wine, bullshit.” It contains 48 short, topical, egregiously opinionated essays on subjects like, Evil, Destiny, and Racism.
To give you a sense of the book’s tone, consider the following observations...
From Money: “A vicious cycle has sucked you up. So after food, shelter, and maybe a few drinks, money my friends is just a trick to keep a society of slaves from doing what they really want to do, which is absolutely nothing. It’s our glamorized way to make monkeys pay for sex.”
From Passion: “Passion is a way to block out psychological pain because passion in one area suppresses pain in another, in other words, a natural intoxicator.
From Philosophers: The Problem with Philosophers is THEY THINK TOO MUCH AND DON’T DRINK ENOUGH. To prevent paranoia, we should drink up.
There is also a smattering of “random drunk thoughts,” many of which are reflections on the age-old question of whether a glass is half full or half empty. My personal favorite section, though, is "Drunken Quotes to Keep You Focused," where the narrator provides a list of zippy one liners, many of which contain some sober perspective, like:
“Dwelling on mistakes leads to more mistakes.” “An hour to climb, a second to fall.” “A comfort zone is a danger zone. ”
This book is somewhat of an oddity in its very conception. A co-authored collection written in the singular first person, with odd discussions that seem more compatible with online media, like a blog, than in the pages of a book. Sure, there are moments of wit, acumen, and hilarity, but there are also many passages where it might reasonably be argued that the narrator doesn’t know what he is talking about. In some cases a reader may wish for a chance to shout back. Still, all in all, “Drunk Talk” feels more cathartic for the authors than entertaining for the readers.
The mind of the average human is a powerful thing, able to invent and create, to study, and to progress. But it also has the capability to fill us with dread, panic, and fear. Above all, though, it gives us the ability to question. Is there a God? What is out in the far reaches of space? Did I return that book to the library? Since the dawn of time, humankind has been gifted and cursed with curiosity, and as life advances, its people and their problems advance with it.
Drunk Talk is a book brought to us by Mike Davis and TL Banks. It is not so much a story in its traditional sense, but more a study of humans told through stories. Its premise is that of a drunk sitting at a bar and listening to the various topics being discussed around him.
I enjoyed this book. It was nice to read something different from other fiction, and I liked the style of writing. It’s humorous, sharp, and authentic. This made it more engaging and a breeze to read. The topics and themes of the book were immensely enjoyable. The questions posed here were all very real, from the mysterious to the mundane. We have all experienced these same things and asked the same questions, but here, we get another perspective on them, which is remarkably refreshing.
Drunk Talk is a work of satire fiction stemming from the truth. Readers will find something in these forty-eight short stories that they can relate to. In my opinion, Davis and Banks have delivered a hit with this book. It’s thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. I would be extremely interested in reading any other material they have. A highly satisfying book that I would highly recommend.
There are 48 short discussions looking at subjects such as celebrities, swear words, passion, and struggling. The stories are communicated directly to the readers, offering subjective opinions on various topics. The ultimate discussion concerns being drunk and venting about happiness, religion, and philosophies. This is a casual read with sections that can be read in any order at any time.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily. Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
I didn't finish it. This book sounded like it could be humorous, and sure, it gets close in parts. In the beginning, I was enjoying the resemblance to a roast, except that it's for the entire human race rather than a specific person. But it degenerated into an anarchistic, unhappy diatribe about everything in the world. Suddenly, I could understand why the author wanted to be drunk because that's pretty depressing. So while there is some valuable, hard-hitting, should-be-said smack talk, there's also a deep sense that this is a lot of unhappiness being spewed onto pages to either drag other humans down or commiserate with those already there. But as the author also intimates, it's my opinion, get over it.
So funny and true. Highly suggest you read with friends; "While Drunk". Its a book with "discussions" on a wide range of topics that opened me up to a whole other way of thinking about the common things that I encounter in my daily life. Of course, its from a drunks point of view. Read this book with an open mind and just enjoy. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Introduction to reality from a buzzed state. I got to say, this book is truly a treat. It delivers illogical things we consider normal in a humorous way. Most of them we know are ridiculous, but we accept it any way. Yet some others, we will be left questioning after reading this book. A thought-provoking satire that challenges a sober mind while being drunk. Kudos!
This... This book had me laughing so hard I had my husband interested in what I was reading and that man don't read! And do not read it with a glass of wine unless you really want a good laugh..