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  <title><![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]></description>
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    <name><![CDATA[Antisocialite]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Honolulu, HI]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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  <published>1997</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Jun 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 08 01:51:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 08 01:59:04 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Entertaining essay collection. I am on the record as having issues with Christopher Buckley, but his stuff generally makes a good light read.<br/><br/>However, I would have been embarrassed to be seen reading this book in public, the cover illustration (combined with the pretty lame title -- it soun...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58831524">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>2113500</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kelly]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[cynical people who appreciate a dry sense of humor]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 19 08:26:43 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 19 08:31:05 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Okay, so he's not quite his daddy. He's different, and a hell of a lot funnier. This is the guy who wrote Thank You For Smoking. These are some essays and pieces he's written over the years for the New Yorker and The New Republic. I picked this up my senior year of high school when I was feeling sma...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2113500">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>58526471</id>
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    <id>237337</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Peter]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cambridge, MA]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jun 05 07:12:10 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 16 08:11:27 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A nice collection.  There are some hits, some misses.  Buckley is clearly a craftsman, when it comes to writing, as I expected.  A few of the essays have parts that make you want to laugh or gasp on the subway.  Definitely recommend it.  I will definitely read more of him.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58526471]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58526471]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>81984311</id>
    <user>
    <id>2372011</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Irina]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>118</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 24 20:49:10 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 24 20:50:30 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Great readings- short stories published in the magazines in 1987-1996, fun to read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81984311]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 09 06:17:01 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 12 07:03:11 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An entertaining, quick read. Especially liked his essay on his children's homework. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42443943]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42443943]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>3151965</id>
    <user>
    <id>179272</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Honore]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Springfield, MA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>2.92</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1998</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 16 19:20:33 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 00:50:21 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Before there was David Sedaris, there was Chris Buckley.  I rarely actually laugh aloud whilst reading, but some of the entries in this collection of essays had me laughing so hard, I could barely read, for the tears streaming down my face.  Buckley has a dry and wry (and highly intelligent) sense o...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3151965">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3151965]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>14615602</id>
    <user>
    <id>876818</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rachael]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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  <date_added>Tue Feb 05 07:58:17 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 05 07:58:59 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Technically I've been &quot;currently reading&quot; this book for months. I do love his short stories, but these have been dragging. I think I need to skip to another section.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14615602]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14615602]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>21178146</id>
    <user>
    <id>1095649</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kim]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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  <date_added>Mon Apr 28 11:04:22 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Apr 28 11:05:41 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Delightful, delightful, delightful.  Unbridled snark.  The reviews of Tom Clancy's novels are gems.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21178146]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21178146]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>19612476</id>
    <user>
    <id>76842</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rae]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Payson, UT]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <date_added>Sun Apr 06 20:21:11 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 14 13:48:04 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A collection of essays and magazine pieces by Christopher Buckley. I wasn't enthralled.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19612476]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19612476]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64471488</id>
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    <id>2548037</id>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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  <date_added>Tue Jul 21 21:58:33 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 21 21:59:05 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Currently reading this collection of somewhat amusing essays.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64471488]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64471488]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>80705082</id>
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    <id>2827797</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lisa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Medford, MA]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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    <![CDATA[Wry Martinis]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Wry Martinis</em> is the perfect title for this intoxicating volume--though Christopher Buckley pretends he had a hard time coming up with it. But as his fans know, effortless superiority is Buckley's main m.o. In this collection of 20 years' of occasional pieces for such magazines as the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New Republic</em>, he ranges from deadpan parody to devastating takes on all manner of American preoccupations, from celebrity to fly fishing to the <em>Times</em> bestseller list. (No. 2 in Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous: &quot;<em>Becoming God</em>, by Beepah Doolik. Self-deification in a single afternoon.&quot;) Usually all it takes is a single sentence to set Buckley off. In 1994, when <em>USA Today</em> announced the expected launch of a 24-hour conservative cable network, he happily riffed on morning, afternoon, and nighttime programming. Suffice it to say that between 9 and 11 a.m., <em>Phyllis! With Phyllis Schafly</em> will hold the screen. That day's episode? &quot;Pacific tuna fishermen explain how dolphins commit suicide by hurling themselves into the nets; also: how to tell if your son is queer.&quot; (Please head straight to page 12 for further listings.) <p>  Not that our provocateur doesn't have his serious side, too. It shows up in his explorations of his own military envy, asthma, and cluster headaches, but also in some unlikely zones--including a sympathetic profile of Eppie Lederer, better known as agony aunt Ann Landers. (When Eppie tells Buckley that her husband left her, &quot;an eyebrow arches, the right dimple deepens like a Florida sinkhole.&quot;) And then there is &quot;My Own Private Sunday School,&quot; two pages on talking to his 6-year-old daughter about belief and death. Of course, even here the mischief-maker shines through, since the beginner's Bible Buckley buys is sorely lacking in verbal panache: &quot;The chapter about the Roman discovering Jesus' empty tomb is titled 'Surprise!'--which is sort of cute, even if it does make a pretty crucial New Testament event sound a bit like a panel from <em>Where's Waldo?</em>&quot; Buckley is ever on the hunt for our foibles and endless absurdities; and despite his seemingly straight-up hilarity, his method requires the utmost skill, imagination, and--oddly enough--affection. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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