Product Description
As one of America's preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acer-bic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life.

In 1993 George Carlin asked his friend and bestselling author Tony Hendra to help him write his autobiography. For almost fifteen years, in scores of conversations, many of them recorded, the two discussed Carlin's life, times, and evolution as a major artist. When Carlin died at age seventy-one in June 2008 with the book still unpublished, Hendra set out to assemble it as his friend would have wanted. Last Words is the result, the rollicking, wrenching story of Carlin's life from birth -- literally -- to his final years, as well as a parting gift of laughter to the world of comedy he helped create.

George Carlin's journey to stardom began in the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of New York's Upper West Side in the 1940s, where class and culture wars planted the seeds for some of his best known material, including the notorious "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." His early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best loved comedians in American history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (99)

Decent read, but don't call it a Bio.
First off, I LOVE George Carlin.From his hippie days to bitter misanthrope, I still find truth in his words...and humor - usually.A book that takes 10 years to write should have more going for it than this one.And, for a man who made "honesty" his badge of courage, he sure glosses over some major points in his life, including his wife's abortion and her death.Still, it's an entertaining read in which you'll find out things about George you didn't know...and you'll certainly laugh.I, like another reviewer, felt a bit sad when I finished it.George was always with me throughout my life, helping to me to decipher the BS...Wish he were still here.

Mr. Conductor's biggest fan...
George Carlin's autobiography was very well written, and very eye-opening.I learned about the performer that existed before I found his FM & AM album at a Goodwill when I was 10.I fell in love with him instantly, but all I knew was that my mom didn't like me listening to him, but when he showed up as Rufus, that was ok.
Considering this was culled together from half written manuscripts and audio conversations, it's mostly linear, and Mr. Hendra's introduction was brilliant.There weren't as many pictures as I would have liked, but when you take into account how private he was, it's to be expected.
All in all, I got to learn about the man that helped shape the way my brain droppings fell, and I cried when I finished it.It felt like I got the news that he died all over again.But it was worth it.

Critical Thinking
Don't miss this one.Easy to read. Made me laugh and think at the same time. Can almost see his eyes bugging out atcha!

GROSS BUT FUNNY
Carlin's lifestyle was terrible, but he was bright and funny. I found book very entertaining.

Carlin's Last Words
"Last Words" by George Carlin with Tony Hendra is an interesting and entertaining look at the life of George Carlin, a popular and brilliant comic for many years, who not only seemed to get better with age, but who also suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and heart troubles for many years.The book starts with his birth, literally, and proceeds to cover the highlights of stardom and the low points that few knew about, during his fifty-year career.

In 1993, George Carlin asked Tony Hendra, his friend and bestselling author, to help him write his autobiography.For the next fifteen years, the two discussed Carlin's life, times, and evolution as a major artist.In June 2008, Carlin, age seventy-one, died with the book unfinished.Hendra assembled the book as his friend would have wanted.I believe he did an outstanding job of capturing the brutal honesty Carlin was known for.He blended the life stories, the ups and downs, and razor-sharp comedy that was Carlin's trademark, into an engaging account of the star's life that Carlin would be proud to have on the bookstore shelves.

I've always enjoyed Carlin's stand-up routines, and his appearances in the few movies he was featured in.Sure, I knew there was some drug and alcohol use, but I never realized just how much, and how he struggled with the abuse for so many years.I also knew about the heart troubles, but didn't know the extent of the heart attacks and procedures Carlin had over the years, or how close to dying he was during a couple of the episodes.

The above topics are pretty serious, but they are handled in a humorous, but still serious manner, that is engaging and helps the reader understand the comedian at a deeper level.Equally revealing are the stories of his family relationships, often troubled, but enduring, as well as interactions and thoughts about others in the same business.

Through his life journey, we also see how his comedy developed and advanced, and how dedicated Carlin was to his craft.He worked at what he did, always attempting to hone his comedy and perform for the live crowds he stood before for most of his life.Segments of these live routines are included in the book, as we learn how the routine was developed, and I could hear in my head Carlin delivering the lines, and yes, I did laugh out loud a few times.I also liked the way the book ended, on a positive note going forward, even though we know he is no longer with us.

If you are a fan of Carlin's and want to learn about his life, the good and the bad, you'll enjoy "Last Words."It is a fitting tribute to one of comedy's most brilliant minds.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. ... Read more

Product Description
A New York Times Bestseller

Another riotous journey through the mind of one of America's premiere comic observers. Ranging from his absurdist side to his unerring ear for American speech to his unsparing views on America and its values, Carlin's legendary irreverence and iconoclasm are on full display as he vainly scours the American landscape for signs of intelligence.

Available only in Core 6 & 7. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (236)

This is great
I loved this when I read it! It brings up good points even though I'm sure that wasn't his intention (why does it always take less time to get back from where you went than it takes to get there?) It just is full of things that make you say, "I cant beleive he just said that" while showing how politicians and everyone else just treats you....its a great fast read that you'll find yourself wanting to share with a friend.

fast shipping, and almost new condition
Simply loved the way they do things. I received the book earlier than I expected, and in great condition.
thanks

georges friend
iexpected it to be a regular georgecarlincdwhich itwasandalot more to it it alsoit was just like some of the seven dirty words you can't say on tv i wouldn't let anyyouth under 16 listen to it

Carlin on my mind
Beneath Carlin's outrageous comedy routines lies deep channels of thoughtfulness. Like Mark Twain, Carlin's humor grew increasingly darker and more skeptical as he grew older. Again and again Carlin weighs the choices we Americans have made in forming our government and society. According to Carlin most of those choices were bad and have resulted in the trashing of an entire continent. This book contains outlines for comedy sketches, short paragraphs about the contradictions of daily life, zany dialogues, and snarling attacks on the hypocracy and selfishness in our politics and society. You'll be disappointed if you expect to find the Brady Bunch in Carlin's material. More likely you'll find the Brady Bunch naked on speed.

Very Very Funny!
I nearly slpit my sides laughing whilst reading this book.Obviously it not going to be everyone taste, but if you have a good sense of humour and are not a stuffy person, then you'll see the funny side of his controversial style. ... Read more

Product Description
The #1 New York Times bestseller with more than 450,000 copies in print offers up a hilarious and "entertaining" [Chicago Sun-Times] collection of razor-sharp observations -- now available in paperback!

Spending more than 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover, George Carlin, the thinking person's comic, has made it very clear how successful he is at the transition from stage to page. In Napalm & Silly Putty, Carlin's characteristically ironic and hilarious take on life shines through. He asks:

How can it be a spy satellite if they announce on TV that it's a spy satellite?

Why do they bother saying "raw sewage"?

Do some people cook that stuff?

In the expression "topsy-turvy," what exactly is meant by "turvy"?Amazon.com Review
Standup comic George Carlin follows up his dark-horse smash bestseller Brain Droppings with another compendium of cranky meditations, cinching his reputation as the Andy Rooney of boomer hepcats. "Road rage, air rage," Carlin rails. "Why should I be forced to divide my rage into separate categories? To me, it's just one big, all-around, everyday rage. I don't have time for fine distinctions." Carlin is not into the lengthy essay--he's a sprinter of the mind. Most sentences in the book could be lifted out to stand alone and provoke deep thought: "How can it be a spy satellite if they announce on television that it's a spy satellite?" Good question. "Why do they bother saying 'Raw sewage'? Do some people cook that stuff?" Yuck, but yes, Carlin's got a point.

He can do an extended bit too, most memorably the transcript of Jesus on a talk show plugging his new tell-all memoir about the Trinity, Three's a Crowd. Carlin is funny, but genuinely angry and poignant at times: "You live 80 years and at best you get about six minutes of pure magic," he says. Sad, but about right.

And how did Carlin get into his line of business, "thinking up goofy s---," as he puts it? There's a clue in one entry in this book: "As of 1995 the number of people who had lived on earth was 105,472,380,169 ... it means that at this point there have been almost 1 quadrillion human bowel movements and most of them occurred before people had anything to read. These are the kind of thoughts that kept me from moving quickly up the corporate ladder."

Thank god Carlin stayed low on the corporate food chain and high on his own utterly idiosyncratic ideas! --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (145)

Notas funny on paper...
Carlin, the great misanthropic comic of the 20th century, is ill served by the translation of his commentary to the written word. On stage, his vitriol is made more palatable by his ability to convey his disappointment with mankind through vocal inflection and physicality, particularly his facial contortions which can be truly hilarious. There is so much anger and hate in his work that without these accompaniments, this material falls flat. What your left with is pages of one liners and some weakly developed paragraphs rehashing old bits and commentary. Rather than extending himself, he basically takes stage material and puts it on the page. Some of it is funny as Carlin could be brilliant, but the older Carlin got the less joy there is in his sour remonstrances.That shows up far too clearly in this book.

Napalm and Silly Putty - Carlin was always true Carlin
George always had a tendency to get carried away with some of his rants, and in this book he was true to form. But that's what made him so darn funny! Since he takes shots at virtually everyone and everything, it's hard to be offended when he targets one of your soft spots. Some of his short takes are absolutely hilarious. His fans (me among them) truly miss him.

RIP
I wish one of the greatest comics of our time would stay around a bit longer. Unabashed, hillarious, mind opening on the serious issues though some super lighthearted approaches, great read.

Better on Stage
Though the insights into various human behaviors are funny, it is more funny on stage, and left me yawning.

one of the funniest books i ever read
i got this as a christmas present a few years ago.i was a bit sceptical because i never heard of him and i thought his jokes would be too old fashioned for me to relate to.but after the first couple pages i couldn't stop laughing.when i read this at school i had a hard time trying not to laugh out loud so people wouldn't stare at me.i definitely recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
George Carlin's been working the crowd since "the counterculture" became "the over-the-counter culture" around 1967 or so; his new book, Brain Droppings, surfs on three decades of touring-in-support. It's the purest version of book-as-candy that one could imagine, serving up humor in convenient, bite-sized packages. Snack on chewy one-liners like "A meltdown sounds like fun. Like some kind of cheese sandwich." Or: "If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten." Brain Droppings also contains highlights from Carlin's concert repertoire, and that more than makes up for the occasional spray of pointless nihilism. Tell us, George, what exactly were you going for with "Kill your pet" and "Satan is cool"? Quick--hide the paper before Daddy sees it! Still, if you're a fan of this sarcastic semanticist who's given Bad Attitude not necessarily a good name, but at least a comfy bank account, by all means rush out and snag Brain Droppings. Carlin's book melts in your mind, not in your hand.Amazon.com Review
George Carlin's been working the crowd since "thecounterculture" became "the over-the-counter culture"around 1967 or so; his new book, Brain Droppings, surfs onthree decades of touring-in-support. It's the purest version ofbook-as-candy that one could imagine, serving up humor in convenient,bite-sized packages. Snack on chewy one-liners like "A meltdownsounds like fun. Like some kind of cheese sandwich." Or: "Ifyou can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten." BrainDroppings also contains highlights from Carlin's concertrepertoire, and that more than makes up for the occasional spray ofpointless nihilism. Tell us, George, what exactly were you going forwith "Kill your pet" and "Satan is cool"?Quick--hide the paper before Daddy sees it! Still, if you're a fan ofthis sarcastic semanticist who's given Bad Attitude not necessarily agood name, but at least a comfy bank account, by all means rush outand snag Brain Droppings. Carlin's book melts in your mind, notin your hand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (159)

Gorge Carlin's Crowning achivement.
I would have to say this is the comedy Genus George Carlin's best work. I know it is debatable but I think in the mid 90's he broke the all time comedian record in comedy history if there is one. A lot of routine in this book you've probably already seen in his HBO stand-up, but it's still as funny as ever. This book has no chapters so you better bookmark it. There's 258 pages of pure laughter. This book will make you want to take it with you wherever you go.

George Carlin got the last words in his life, and with it, gave us the last laugh.

Disapointed
I read Last Words and I really liked it so I bought Brain Droppings. I found this book to be very mean-spirited. George's personality doesn't come through in the book like it does in person. Brain Droppings seems to be a list of his notes on what he might put into his live act. If I had to guess his book was written to pay his huge tax bill.

Laugh-Out-Loud
A long-time Carlin fan, I found this book to have more laugh-out-loud moments than anything else I've ever read; just make sure you're not alone when you read it--people will stare and wonder just what is going on with you...

George Carlin, one of a kind


George's unique outlook on life and language has entertained me for thirty years.Some of the material in this book is in his stand-up routine, but some is not.It's great to have more of his output to appreciate.I will be reading his other books also.

George Carlin's 'Brain Droppings'
If you're a George Carlin fan this book is a must. The book is very spontaneous and can be read in one sitting or in small increments. Either way, he get's your attention with his hysterical humor, witt, and sarcasm.John Crippen,writer and photographerThe Sweet Smell of ASH in the Morning: A Twisted Look at Forensic Mental Health in Atascadero State Hospital By A Burnt-out PsychTech ... Read more

Product Description
A perfectly gift-able, perfectly cynical, slipcased omnibus of George Carlin’s trademark irreverence -- including bonus never-before-published material

For four decades, George Carlin has been one of America’s favorite comics, known as much for his willingness to take on taboo subjects as for his absurdist wordplay. As an author, he has proved equally popular: With combined sales of more than two million copies, Carlin’s three books of razor-sharp and hilarious observations have topped bestseller lists nationwide. Now, just in time for the holidays, Hyperion proudly collects all three volumes --When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, Napalm and Silly Putty, and Brain Droppings -— into one hilarious omnibus, a slipcased edition that also includes new material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great book!
I haven't finished it yet, but you can't go wrong with something George Carlin.I LOVE When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops!The stuff he comes up with is priceless.You need thick skin and a good sense of humor to read this, as those easily offended will not enjoy this book.Great to have them all together and with some bonus material on top of that.

The Mark Twain of our time
If you love dark, morbid and obscene humor you've come to the right place. This book belongs on the shelf of every person who loves a good insult, a kick in the nuts and a headbutt. Figuratively speaking, of course. 3 books in one and you should immediately buy it, read it and keep in the library as the new family jewel. An instant classic, this book will make Carlin enter the ranks of great humorists in American litterature.

If You Like George Carlin ...
Lots of George, at a great price ...You can open it on any page and get something worth taking away ... Deliciously un-PC, BAD, sensible, and funny.

GC at his book best!!!!
GC carries on his onstage wit and humour into the book, which you will read over and over again.

Give us more......

MASOOD

A keepsake
This is some of George Carlin's last works before his death this year.It has a collection of all of Carlin's random thoughts and his humor.Even though I will miss him and his humor I have this wonderful book to read and re-read again ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent overview of Carlin's life and career
I just finished the audiobook version of this work and learned a great deal about one of my favorite comedians. 'Last Words' is a great book, but '7 Dirty Words' added so much more to my understanding of Carlin's life and career. James Sullivan did a great job with this project and Carlin fans are indebted to him for it.

a real slow start...redeemed by the second half
If you are interested in George Carlin, first read allhis books, watch his DVDs and CDs and you will have it all...he said so himself, everything is there. If you wantfurther information his own autobiography is the place to start. I enjoyed his autobiography but felt it left out much and this book to its credit does fill in a bit of the information I was hoping to find out which pertained to the business of his career ,his switch in style and looketc..which I felt George glossed over too quickly in his own memoir.

The first nearly 100 pages of this book however were pretty grueling going and if you've read George's own book could be skipped...go to where he is a working stand up after his partnership with Jack Burns and the rest of the book has many interesting points to make and the author is good at pointingout how Carlins career relates to other events in media and our culture.

Bottom line, if you have all the DVDs, CDs and booksand want more...then by allmeans invest...but ONLY after you have exhausted the complete Carlin authored material.


... Read more

Product Description
Great comedy and a good deal, this new gift set gathers three timeless Carlin recordings including two Grammy® winners.

If one George Carlin audio is funny, then two are funnier and three must be funniest, right?That's our thinking behind this new collection.It's a HighBridge library of laugh-out-loud, award-winning recordings featuring George himself performing many of his best bits.His latest book will be out this fall. Warm up with these hilarious classics--and enjoy serious savings.The set includes:

Brain Droppings.Acerbic observations, manic musings, in-your-face questions, witty work play, and more "droppings" from Carlin's singular brain."I put a dollar in a change machine.Nothing changed."&quote;Why are there no recreational drugs taken in suppository form?"The first Carlin book on audio and a 2001 Grammy® winner.

Napalm & Silly Putty.Carlin invents Past-Tense TV ("Got Smart," "Father Knew Best," "It Was Left to Bever&quot), crusades for the Center for Research into the Heebie Jeebies, founds the George Carlin Book Club (recommended reading: Fill Your Life with Croutons), and suggest that "If the shoe fits, get another just like it."A 2002 Grammy® winner.

More Napalm & Silly Putty.Everything that wouldn't fit on the first Napalm recording--like "A Day in the Life of Henry VIII," "Sports Should Be Fixed," compelling confessions ("I couldn't commit suicide if my life depended on it"), and candid takes on life's little moments ("I'm beyond the nice day"), all delivered with wicked glee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

lots of comedy
this 6 cd set is great, its like the books become a standup act (w/o the audience).Very enjoyable.

George Carlin
It is so much funnier to listen to George read his own books, because he puts on all these different characters. I couldn't stop laughing about what he was talking about. He is so thought provoking. I love George Carlin!

The Funniest Man In America
Enough has been said about this great man - if he was running for President my wife would be forcibly made to vote for him.

Me - I'ma Brit and miss this style of real humour

Cheers

David

Still angry and unrepentant
I have been a Carlin fan since the hippy dippy weatherman days. The fact that he tells you up front that "I will read to you but you'll have to get someone else to understand it for you" is just the best. If you can't laugh at yourself don't listen to this CD. His wit and perspectives are not for the faint of heart or the tight of ass. I met Mr. Carlin several years ago going into a Ruby Tuesday resturant on the beach in Biloxi. He graciously gave me fifteen minutes of his time and was tremendously kind to listen to me rant about how much his humor has meant to me over the years. I love his body of work and I loved these three books on CD. A big thumbs up or at least one those fingers way up!

Very Funny!!!
We got this to listen to while driving on vacation-Love it!!! Very funny & I love the George Carlin is reading his books to you-it's like having him in the car with you.Excellent purchase-very happy with this product!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Converstations on the Edge of the Apocalypse
The title may make a negative impression but the book is anything but.This book has given me a lot of hope in the future and humanity as a whole.Great read! Interesting and compassionate people at work!

Intellectual & Spirtual cornucopia
This book is even better than I expected.There is a wide range of responses to various metaphysical questions.If you want to enrich and sharpen your critical thinking about the ultimate mysteries of life.... this is the book to get.

Los Angeles Times Review by Susan Salter Reynolds
"Pressure to evolve has never been greater. In interviews with leading-edge thinkers in genetics, neurobiology, linguistics, media, psychiatry and parapsychology, David Jay Brown asks the Big Questions: Will we survive? What is the effect of technology on the biosphere? What happens to consciousness after death? What gives reason for hope?...Despite their wildly varying concerns and views on specific questions, these thinkers show the power of intelligence and collective vision to change the present, reverse the past and influence the future...These short interviews offer so much to ponder and follow up on, not least of which are a fantastic reading list, new thinkers to watch, websites to check and reasons to reach beyond the boundaries of ordinary dreams. Most of all, this book offers positive visions of the future."
-- Susan Salter Reynolds, The Los Angeles Times

What is consciousness, and where does it go when we die?
Wow!Beautiful!This book was given to me by a stranger (now a friend) immediately before a long flight, and I have been traveling with it ever since.Although each interview is carefully and masterfully woven together to create a whole, each interview is also an entity in itself and short enough to lend to an interested traveler for a brief trip of the mind.

So often we pass by or purposefully ignore those deep questions about our future.Not this book; this book spills it all out naked before you.I love the odd collection of interviewees.Each is a well-respected leader from a different field, giving a diverse yet surprisingly good conglomeration of thoughts.The author is not telling you what to think, he is simply putting forth the information from many different walks of life.I love to read such a blatant clash of viewpoints right next to each other.

Beware:The ideas contained within these pages are sometimes encouraging, sometimes frightening, but always thought-provoking.

A spectacular encounter at the borderlands of science
David Jay Brown takes the reader on a stimulating odyssey through science, technology, and the mind -- a world that involves the future of humanity, the mystery of consciousness, the significance of hallucinations, supertechnologies, the afterlife, and alien life.No human being should pass up the experience of stepping through the portals of this beautiful book into fantastic new worlds that scientists, psychologists, and philosophers are now exploring at the frontiers of science and mind.
... Read more

Product Description
He's back! In a voice more cantankerous and comically pungent than ever, George Carlin spouts off on everything from British royalty ("A Day in the Life of Henry VIII") to auto racing ("Sports Should Be Fixed") to American politics ("Don't Blame the Leaders"). With his manic mind and motor mouth in high gear, he rants against anyone who tells him to "have a nice day" and skewers the euphemism epidemic ("To be honest, some of this language makes me want to vomit. Well, perhaps 'vomit' is too strong a word. It makes me want to engage in a involuntary personal protein spill").When Carlin's in a more reflective mood, he reveals, "I couldn't commit suicide if my life depended on it," and ponders the really big questions, like "Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?" and "Griddle cakes, pancakes, hotcakes, flapjacks: why are there four names for grilled batter and only one word for love?"What his candid take on "life's little moments" lacks in political correctness, it more than makes up for in gut-busting laughs. He's the guy who dares say what the rest of us hesitate even to think. And he does so in ways that are often raunchy and always riotous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Reflux disease.
Buy used, and only to complete a collection. It is funny, but it is the comedic equivalent to a reflux disease and the up-swallow of all his old work. Carlin fans already own the bulk of this in one capacity or another. If you are a female this artist often feels rough, sort of psycho, and angry bitter. As a woman you sort of wonder how his wife puts up with the madness because he has no soft or sly delivery techniques in this work. He is in your face and on a rant with no answers offered to the problems of the world he obliterates. Just complaints.

This is a created to be gift for a liberal guy in his 50's who remembers that Carlin actually HAS made a political contribution to our society through his work on free speech. If you have no idea what to get your uncle, brother, or father for his 50Th birthday get the whole set of George Carlin on CD.This as a book is sort of sad, and as a CD is best bought to complete a set. If you are buying only one item of this artist it is not stand alone quality.

RICH CHICKS specializes in media that is purchased by women. We read hundreds of books every year and are serious about or recommendations. We review materials that are of interest to our female demographic. We do not get a kick-back or commission for our reviews so they are left as an impartial judge.

Carlin at his best
It's difficult for people like George Carlin to live in such a crazy country. Anyone with a logical and objective mind can see the silliness of religion. It is the greatest scam ever pulled on mankind. The religious right with their backwardness and ignorance have plenty of time on their hands hence all the bad reviews here. Well if you lot want to chant on a daily basis to an invisible man in the sky that's your business.... the rest of us will just laugh our heads off at you and make sure your moralistic and hypocritical rules don't invade our wonderful free country. Go and join the taliban and form your own country and enjoy many hours a day chanting at the sky. It's a wonderful book from an american genius.

Why would You Get This Published
WHAt Kind of an as*h*** writes down 300 pages of questions and doesnt give one f***ing answer. Think About that Eh!

Too much recycled material here
Much of this - and I mean MUCH of this - most Carlin fans already own in one capacity or another.A lot of this consists of material drawn from his "You Are Diseased" record and other older stuff as well, so if you're already a fan, steer clear.Having his material prsented in an audiobook format (him in a studio reading into a microphone with no crowd interplay) just deadens much of the material and makes you overly conscious of how he does the magic.There are times when he reads off stuff that, when you hear it live, you think is aside material (the errant curse word, the witty follow-up).When presented here, this normally dicey flavor just comes off scripted and flat.

Stick to his live records.This is just an attempt to stay in the mix because the book versions do so well (bearing in mind, the books basically codify his stage material beyond the excellent "Brain Droppings" tome).

Classic unapologetic Carlin
People probably thought I was insane as I drove past them in my car laughing at this very funny audiobook.I have to guess that the audio version is better than the text because Carlin's delivery is so fantastic.You really have to hear the way he says it to get the full impact of the humor.

Carlin is a master at two things:
1.) Carefully choosing the exact words to describe stupid things about life
2.) Expression and delivery

In this book he talks about some of the silly things we say like, "Give my love to so and so" and "Do you have the time"?Both very funny sketches.

Its not a live comedy show so there is no laugh track which I find makes the silly nature of the subjects even more amusing.

At times, he goes overboard and I think his far left political commentary will offend but I'm sure he doesn't care.Some of the jokes aren't that funny and I think he was running short on the "A" material.Nevertheless, there is plenty of hilarious stuff here and if you're a fan of George Carlin you won't want to miss it. ... Read more

Product Description
A unique illustrated memoir by Sally Wade, George Carlin’s wife of ten years, THE GEORGE CARLIN LETTERS: THE PERMANENT COURTSHIP OF SALLY WADE is a collection of never-before-seen writings and artwork by the late great comedian (representing at least 1/3 of the text in the book), woven into Wade’s beautifully told chronicle of the last ten years of their life together. The book provides a rare glimpse into the man behind the legend. George Carlin wrote to his wife daily—notes, postcard, letters…he even started fights on paper; the title is taken from his very last note, which Sally found propped up on her computer upon returning from the hospital the day he died. One of the greatest love stories ever told…hilariously, until the release of this book, no one but Sally has ever seen this side of George Carlin. And everyone is guaranteed to fall in love with both of them. ... Read more

Product Description
Paul Krassner has been making countercultural history for more than forty years. He was a cofounder of the Youth International Party, the Yippies. A former Merry Prankster, he has counted among his friends Ken Kesey, Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx (who took LSD with the author), Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, John Lennon, and Larry Flynt. Founder/editor of the journal The Realist, funded by Lyle Stuart in the late 1950s, Krassner is considered by some to be the most outrageous cultural critic of his era.

Writings collected in this volume include recent articles from the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Playboy, George, High Times, In These Times, and Penthouse.From John Lennon to JonBenet Ramsey, from Charles Manson to Monica Lewinsky, from Timothy McVeigh to America's New War on terrorism, Krassner once again proves that he is one of the smartest, funniest, and most incisive political and cultural critics writing today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent collection of Krassner writings
This is a great collection of Paul Krassner writings, some of which have been turned into standup material on his recent CDs. While a number of the pieces in this book have been published elsewhere, this collecton is quite distinct from most of Krassner's other books, with the exception of a few stories that appear in different form in his autobiography (one of my favorite books of all time). I recently read Ronald Kessler's book on the "secret history of the FBI," and was disappointed that he missed some of the FBI dirty tricks recounted in the first section of Krassner's book, "The Federal Bureau of Intimidation." Other highlights of this book include the sections on Krassner's friends who have died (Jean Shepherd, Robert Spencer, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsburg, Anita Hoffman, Terence McKenna, and John Lilly), a section of articles on the "war on some drugs" and the section on "countercultural icons" (Lenny Bruce, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Garcia, Ram Dass, and Ken Kesey). Highly recommended.
On a side note, this book recounts a prank by Jean Shepherd that may have been the first instance of a "flash mob" (pp. 78-79).

a fine wine
The cultural revolution we know as the Sixties happened because a unique breed of creative activist/anthropologists gotinvolved in making American culture live up to its ideals. Some of us were "trained" while others developed and applied their own exceptional intuitive anthropological self-cultural awareness.

Paul Krassner, besides being a child prodigy musician, a funny stand up comic, an outrageous satirist and founder and editor of the Realist, sometimes described as "the first underground newpaper", and a great friend to many great people, is also one of the key Sixties activist anthropologists who was present and involved with just about every important juncture of the cultural revolution. To this fellow participant observer, he was/is a model culturally aware activist and unlike most anthropologists, he was and is funny. Best of all Paul is still going strong into the new--rapidly aging-- millenium

Reading Paul's stories in "Murder" about his fascinating Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties, friends--Lennie Bruce, Steve Allen, Abbie Hoffman, John Lilly, Ken Kesey, Jerry Garcia, Ram Das, and best of all, other fabulous people you haven't heard of- is like sharing a great bottle of Burgundy wine or some fine grass. Read this book...

PS. (The Seinfield viagra scenario is hilarious--Classic Krassner.)

Great Book
This is my first encounter with Paul Krassner's work.He is a '60s legend, and he still manages to write fresh, entertaining pieces, that really offer a different perspective.I enjoyed the pieces about Ken Kesey, Lenny Bruce, Hunter Thompson, Abbie Hoffman.I wasn't bored with any of the topics he covered, even the Monica Lewinsky affair, which is old news by now.It would have been boring if it wasn't dealt with Krassner's wit, humor, and knack for coming up with original story ideas, and ways to tackle an assignment.As a journalism student, I've learned a lot from Krassner, and I want to say, Thanks for the great book man. ... Read more

Product Description
Great comedy at a great value! This gift set gathers three timeless Carlin recordings including two Grammy® winners, plus an interview from public radio’s Fresh Air.

d three must be funniest, right? That’s our thinking behind this collection. This laugh-out-loud program includes:

Brain Droppings • 2001 Grammy® winner
Acerbic observations, manic musings, in-your-face questions, witty word play, and more “droppings” from Carlin’s singular brain. “I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed.” “Why are there no recreational drugs taken in suppository form?”

Napalm & Silly Putty • 2002 Grammy® winner
Carlin invents Past-Tense TV (“Got Smart,” “Father Knew Best,” “It Was Left to Beaver”), crusades for the Center for Research into the Heebie Jeebies, and suggests that “if the shoe fits, get another just like it.”

More Napalm & Silly Putty
Everything that wouldn’t fit on the first Napalm recording—like “A Day in the Life of Henry VIII,” “Sports Should Be Fixed,” and candid takes on life’s little moments (“I’m beyond the nice day”), all delivered with wicked glee.

Plus a bonus interview from Fresh Air. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

America's Funniest, and favorite, Philologist frankly reads his droppings and napalms
This collection of unabridged readings of his Napalm & Silly Putty, and his More Napalm & Silly Putty and his BRAIN DROPPINGS originally found blessed release in 2004 as George Carlin Reads to You, but late last year, just a few months ago, precisely upon the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, found happy re-release in this expanded edition, augmented by an interview with Carlin from Terry Gross's Fresh Air.

I wish of course that Gross had told Carlin not to worry about being on the air, Carlin whose recordings had gone all of the way to the Supreme Court after an obscure FM radio station put out his Seven Words You Can't Say On Television on the air. So George with Terry pulled his punches and self edited heavily and consciously and explicitly rather than exploring fully issues Terry raised. She would have done better to let him roll, and then save the parts not ready for broadcast with us here.

Be that as it may, the readings of his three books are great. The structure seems to follow some philology, some reflections, some jokes, some stories, followed by a rapid-fire climax of one-liners. Each disc ends with a little announcement from Carlin specific to the recording, which ends with things like " . . .and always remember:" followed by dead air, waking you up wondering, "hey, what happened to my CD player! George?!!"

We find Mr. Carlin much in the spirit of the opening sections of Cyrano de Bergerac urging precise and creative language, very much in the heritage of The Misanthrope, and precisely Timon of Athens (Oxford World's Classics), raging for sanity among insane society, amongst a sleeping race of sheep.

But don't get me started. Get this recording instead, and enjoy.

I confess I use these audiobooks as bedtime reading, to read me to sleep. I love for this to listen to James Joyce: The Dead And Other Stories (Great Authors) as read by the gentle Mr. Setlock for Commuter's Library, or None of Maigret's Business (Simenon) on Audiobooks. Each morning I awaken to the fountainhead, the Donal Donnelly recording of the immortal and infinite world of Ulysses, and quite frequently this accompanies me to sleep as well. And so I put on George.

I feel it is my duty to inform the potential purchaser that a certain series of blood-curdling and prolonged shrieks at one point in this recording discourages such abuse of these disks like a cat encountering falling water. Certainly caught my comfortably dozing attention.

I found hearing Mr. Carlin read, privately, surpasses reading him to myself, although this also is great. I found his reading privately, intimately, like this to lack the edge of his high energy public performances such as George Carlin - Jammin' in New York, as if confronted by an unmoving mike he cannot gauge his effects and thus just reads, but this is George, and this is good, too.

WIth Terry we discover his early work on radio, and hear that distinctive radio voice. Sometimes we hear traces of others such as that once ubiquitous comic voice from SNL and the Simpsons silenced tragically by his domestic partner but here evoked tantalizingly. We hear several other personae from the Carlin stable, including Jesus with a Mafioso voice in a very interesting interchange. In fact there are several reflections on the life of Jesus, and on how institutionalized religion kills, which require listening. Terry Gross, of course, refers constantly to Carlin's When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (6-CD BOX SET).

Truly worth a listening, but avoid the shrieks while sleeping. These six CD's serve as strong language restorative from a guy with a much stronger mastery of language than he ought to have, a product perhaps of Parochial schooling, the fruit of what he calls "white Harlem" and growing up on the edge of Harlem, on the edge of an Irish Catholic enclave, near Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics, and alongside all of the huge churches, synagogues and universities nearby. A potent mix for the transcendence which is his work.

Hear him, at least once. A great bargain here.

Now in a new expanded edition featuring an interview from "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross
Now in a new expanded edition featuring an interview from "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, George Carlin Reads to You is an audiobook selection of comedian George Carlin's hilarious read-aloud musings, jokes, riffs, and (sometimes twisted) narratives from two funny books, including three complete recordings together for the first time: Grammy winners "Brain Droppings", "Napalm & Silly Putty," and "More Napalm & Silly Putty". A real treat for anyone who needs a dose of laughter during car trips, air travel, or anyplace one can go with a portable CD player, highly recommended. 8 hours, 7 CDs. ... Read more

Product Description
rock babe- BEBE BUELL & George Carlin interviews ... Read more

Product Description
Ozzy Osbourne & George Carlin interviews/Amanda Paige centerfold ... Read more

Product Description
ALYSSA MILANO cover feature, George Carlin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Quirky fun
Published in limited quantities in 1984, Carlin's first literary effort is a quirky collection of jokes, lists and routines; in fact, some of the same material appears in "Braindroppings" and "Napalm and Silly Putty."However, as a piece of Carlin memorabilia, "Sometimes a Little Brain Damage Can Help" is worth the effort in tracking down.It's not as focused a work as "Braindroppings," or "Napalm and Silly Putty," but still entertainting and a great piece of Carlin history.

his first literary attempt....
....and it came out pretty well, with some funny stuff mixed with silly stuff.Wild photos.He has a good scoreboard of world hostility and a good predictions section, and of course there's the Book Club...The back cover sums it up pretty well:"Please buy this book, or I'll killyou."

George's first book- a minimalist dream
I remember my parents getting this book as a Christmas gift when I was ten. Even at that age, I was already a casual fan of Carlin's standup performances, and was curious about what was contained within this thin(about 60 pages long) coffee-table size paperback. But, being at thatimpressionable young age, the folks made every effort to hide the book frommy eyes. Luckily for me, without much success.

As I matured, I found thebook to be somewhat interesting and insightful, if not overtly funny.Extensively illustrated with a fair amount of text, Carlin's first literaryeffort is a minimalist's dream. My favorite parts are the two bits,"Tumors and Sports" and "Tumors and Food". Both pokefun at peoples' tendencies to compare the sizes of tumors to sports balls("It was the size of a volleyball"), and different citrus fruits("It grew from the size of a tangelo to a small grapefruit in a matterof days!"). Another weird, to say nothing of sacrilegious, moment, isJoseph and the pregnant virgin Mary wondering what they should name theirchild.

A little bit of the material contained within the covers of"Sometimes A Little Brain Damage Can Help" was reprised inCarlin's second tome, "Brain Droppings". His strange littlerandom thoughts known as "Short Takes", as well as "George'sBook Club", "People I Can Do Without", and "Things YouNever See", have been re-hashed and even expanded on in his secondbook.

The chapter that warped me the most is The Incomplete List ofImpolite Words, featuring hundreds of dirty and suggestive words &phrases. I managed to memorize most of them, and still to this day use themat opportune moments...

'Late ... Read more