Book Report Time

It has been a while since my last book report simply because in the summer I go out to lunch more and do more so that my reading kind of takes a back seat. With that said here is a brief rundown of the last five books I’ve read.

The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry, by Legs McNeil and Jennifer Osborne - This 620 page tomb is the end all be all of the history of pornography in the United States. While, I am not really a porn guy I’ve always had that desire for knowledge about the seedy side of America. Well, if you have any interest in the history of porn, read this book. It is a first hand account from the people themselves in the industry. It covers all the bases and there are a million stories in it. I found it fascinating and could not put it down. I didn’t want it to end, as each story was better than the next. Just a great read.

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis and Larry Sloman - This is the life story of the lead singer of one of my favorite bands the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In this biography Kiedis tells of his lifelong struggle with drugs. Again, as a fan of the band I was going to dig all the in depth behind the scenes re-telling of the history of the Peppers. Where this book surprised me is that while I knew the author had some drug issues in his past I had no idea of the struggle he has had with it over the years. He had quit for six years and was doing great than one day he gets his tooth pulled and they drug him for it and just like that he was right back to full blown addiction. Overall if you are a fan of his music you will like the book, if not than obviously avoid it.

Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock – I am not sure why I read this as I was not a huge fan of Supersize Me and I had already read Fast Food Nation. This is a poor re-telling of that book and a 320 page snooze fest defending his movie. Sure he has some good points and I agree that as a whole we eat way too much fast food, which is horseshit to begin with. However, if you go to a Mickey D’s and expect to get a healthy meal than you are seriously misguided. We go there because the food tastes good. Being someone who likes things that make me feel good (like comfort food) I hate it when some one preaches to me the ills of eating, drinking, smoking, or shooting smack. This book was a bore and I wish I had spent time reading something else.

Silent Bob Speaks: The Collective Writings of Kevin Smith by Kevin Smith – I am a huge fan of Kevin Smith and as so have read most of the articles in this book. Basically it is a collection of various columns and other musings that Mr. Smith has written over the years. Even though I had already read most of it I was still laughing my ass off when I re-read them. This guy just has a way of tickling my funny bone. If you are not a big fan than well, most of the material will kind of be lost on you but if for no other reason than to get a first hand account of Reese Witherspoon’s personality I implore you to read that chapter. Of course I loved the book and recommend it to all.

Superstud: Or How I Became a 24 Year Old Virgin by Paul Feig – Paul Feig is the writer and creator of one of the greatest television shows of all time in Freaks and Geeks. The fact that it only got one season is proof that the TV audience is brain dead. Anyway, in this hilarious book, the author re-tells his humiliating experiences with the opposite sex. While reading this at Border’s, by myself I was laughing so hard that I was starting to get strange looks. This one I cannot recommend enough. I have often wondered how anyone could be twenty-four and still a virgin, and after reading this it all becomes crystal clear. I also recommend Kick Me his first book about growing up and getting beat up in high school.