Common Nonsense

by Andy Rooney

"Andy Rooney's Sunday evening observations on 60 Minutes are an American institution, shaping the way people see everything from coffee percolators to the state of the nation."

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Essays, Biography, Comedy

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Andrew Aitken "Andy" Rooney was an American radio and television writer. He became most famous as a humorist and commentator with his weekly broadcast A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney, a part of the CBS news program 60 Minutes from 1978 to 2011.

Reviews

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rooney composes his essays on minor and negligible things of life. Things that writers and journalists often find it boring to write about or they do not know how to write about those matters. Rooney not only writes about them but also make it a pleasant experience for readers of his books. The subject of his essays could be anything from car parking problem to Christmas tree. And he calls all of this "Common Nonsense".

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son says I never write a review and I give everything 3 stars, so this is for him. 5 stars! I loved this book. Although I don't agree with all of his views, it was refreshing to read. You always knew what he thought about issues and where he stood. I like books like this where you can read one or two essays a day.

[Steve Rutledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally entertaining. I found this book at a library sale, and i remembered enjoying seeing Andy on TV. This may be a good book to read a little here and there as opposed to finishing it in a few sittings. It's basically an old man ranting about things. It consists of almost entirely 1-2 page essays on all kinds of subjects. It's hard to find any deep meaning or sentiment in this short format, though there are some very meaningful ones towards the end. His political rants from when the book was released haven't aged very well imo. Some redundancy here as well given to the format. Again, it'd probably be a better read a few stories every week. That's probably why his TV segments were so enjoyable.

[Richard Crater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remembered for his curmudgeonly ending commentary segments on 60 Minutes (before the show broke and got woke), this book brings back good memories of running to the TV at the end of the program to catch him. He often spouts his opinions as facts, but even more often reminds readers that he doesn't know what he's talking about. He and I are alike in that way. His frustration and bitterness regarding "progress" often emerges, and that is part of his charm. I was often frustrated that he wouldn't trim his eyebrows. I trim mine partly because of him. He'd probably consider that progress and might not like it. Thanks for the laughs and insight Andy.

[Dennis Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember Andy Rooney with his crass, sarcastic, old man-complaining, but always comical commentaries on 60 minutes. This book is essentially his script for many of those. You can almost hear his voice when reading them. The book is about 20ish years old, so several of the essays/short stores/scripts are inappropriate for today. And several of them cover the same general topic, so they seem to repeat. They are mostly funny or interesting, but by the end of the book, you are ready to be finished.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss hearing Andrew on 60 Minutes. His musings always make me think of simpler times when my grandparents were alive and understood what was going on in the world. His stories are worth 5 stars but I dropped a star because I figured that Rooney as a writer should know better than to have so many typos in his book.

[Michael Autin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a series essays by the old Cantankerous one.... full of old time insight and the mirth yet biting sarcasm we who grew up with Andy on 60 minutes, LOVE. we would ignore most of the first 57 minutes yet come RUNNING when Andy came on.......

[MaryLucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few essays that grieve me deeply but his short viewpoint of small events and big viewpoint of world events held my attention. IMHO you would not want to read this quickly but just a few essays at a time.

[Patrick Meehan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Jennifer Seperis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny and insightful! Just one man’s take on the everyday.

[Ted Manahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always thought-provoking, often insightful, generally blunt. A good read.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some curmudgeonly, some humorous, but quite a few very cynical essays. Wasn't expecting that.

[Veach Glines · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can take five minutes of Andy Rooney and not be too bothered by his crotchety befuddlement. These 150+ essays, however, are redundantly crammed with balderdash and misspellings (which made it through spell-check, but were—obviously—never eyeballed). One strikingly obtuse slice of balderdash, which he repeats at least twice: ...more people are alive today than all the people who ever lived..., caused me to become a fact-checker. I found some plausible semi-science by using the keywords: number-of-people-who-have-ever-lived. The results indicated that maybe 100 billion+ have been born in the last 50,000 years. The current world population is less than 6% of the people ever born, Mr Rooney.
These blog-like essays wouldn’t bother me if they were posted in a free web journal (and may even receive my applause) but compile them in a book and I expect editors, fact-checkers, and publishers have earned their percentages. Not true, here.
If someone gives you this book for free (I’m re-gifting mine) stick it next to your toilet. It’s not worth buying, but a couple of the essays will maybe pass the time while you take a dump.

[Joseph F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of essays on many different topics from everyone's favorite, or not so favorite, curmudgeon. Rooney writes so engagingly that you might even enjoy the essays on the topics you don't even care about. His opinions are honest even if they are sometimes not popular with modern ways of thinking. But what I found most interesting about this book is that beneath those layers of crabbiness, I found a man that truly enjoys life, especially the little things life has to offer. Even being old didn't bother him, with the exception that he is statistically closer to death, and will have to leave it all behind.

[Scott DeVogelaere · Rating 4 out of 5]

You either appreciate Andy Rooney or you hate him. I happen to like him. "Common Nonsense" is full of short essays on everything from technology to literature and makes for a good read when you need to kill brief periods of time. Be forewarned, you probably won't agree with everything this old curmudgeon says, but maybe you can appreciate his unusual points of view. Hell, I almost wonder if he believes everything he writes about, but has to spit out his brief musings as a form of stress relief.

[Maura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I NEVER fail to finish books I start. Having said that, I completely gave up on this book. From the very beginning, it's glaringly obvious that the only reason it's in print at all is beause the name on the front cover is recognizable. The grammar and syntax are horrendous, the logic spotty, and objectivity flew out the window many trees prior to page 1. I hate to sound so harsh, but really - don't waste your time with this book!

[Maurean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays touching on all sorts of topics - from airlines, to Miss America; from handwriting to September 11th - examined as only Mr. Rooney can.

An enjoyable read. I like Mr. Rooney's ruminations, and while I don't always agree with his drawn conclusions, he always gives an interesting point of view to ponder.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good bunch of essays on everything Mr Rooney thought about..and that's everything!! However, it's tough going to read and read and read the essays like a book...can't be done..too many different ideas to absorb. Need to take lots of time, with short readings to enjoy them and so they don't become a chore. So, this is not the day I finished, but the day I put this book aside for later.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do enjoy Andy Rooney's musings, but a little of these go a long way. Some of the short essays are outdated a little, but you still 'get it'. Easy to read a little and put down; mildly thought-provoking, and I love the title.

[Keli Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love Andy Rooney on 60 minutes I always watched that before "The Amazing Race" this book was a little much for me.. a little too much of the same thing.. and I was bored by a lot of parts of it.. Let's just say that for me.. a little bit of Andy Rooney goes A LONG WAY...

[Alex Allred · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes, but a 5 minute dose of curmudgeon is vastly different than an entire book where he starts to come off as sexist, occasionally racist, and just plain grouchy. if you read this book, so it a few select essays at a time, and not all at once.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this old fart really made me laugh

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hear the big 60 minute man himself complain about all sorts of stuff. You've gotta love his observations and ability to say what he thinks

[Sarah Storjohann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall funny. However, I did find it a little challenging to sit with Andy Rooney's sarcasm for long periods of time. Book best taken in "small doses" :)

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a book that will make you think, reconsider, and laugh out loud. It's a book everyone should read to remember the little things in life that go unnoticed or disregarded.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical rants by Andy Rooney. I didn't think this was his best work.

[Jeanne Truesdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small 60 Minutes like vignettes, I could hear his voice in my head as I read.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A collection of essays on almost every subject by the late 60 minutes curmudgeon. Don't always agree with him, but for the most part, I find him interesting reading.

[Mary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Rooney was one of a kind. Loved him and loved this boom

[Angie Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comical and made me think about all sorts of things.