Dry, offbeat, and mostly profane, this debut collection of humorous nonfiction glorifies all things inappropriate and TMI. Arguments, lists, barsto...
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reviews
Aug 13, 2010
I'm placing this book on my "memoir" and "writing-related" shelves because the work is clearly if somewhat atypically memoiristic, and because several of the essays deal specifically, if not all that happily, with writing (work and culture).
Judging from both his Twitter feed and his posts on the "We Who Are About to Die" site, Nester is very funny and can be, yes, "inappropriate." Both qualities are present in this book, so consider yourself fore More...
Judging from both his Twitter feed and his posts on the "We Who Are About to Die" site, Nester is very funny and can be, yes, "inappropriate." Both qualities are present in this book, so consider yourself fore More...
Nov 01, 2010
My favorite essay was the almost sinister one about the highest continuous play winner of the video game themed around the rock band Journey. The one on Evangelical satire bands that replace a rock songs original lyrics with Christian ones, sort of Weird Al-style also took the ideas in more directions than I had expected. I suspect that almost everyone who bought this book got something different than they were anticipating and that certainly includes myself. Etymology and history of mooning was
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Aug 18, 2010
Mickey
rated it: 
"Books, and their characters, are treasured and entertaining. In his fourteenth cookbook, How to be Inappropriate, Daniel Nester renders striking, thoroughly civilized, tales for special occasions. Nester brings us through the lonely exigencies of human wreckage, forging connections with Kosher exactitude. If you are a long-time convert, you’ll find How to be Inappropriate appetizing, and quite appropriate. " -- Mickey Hess
Apr 21, 2010
Manintheboat
rated it: 
I was really all over the idea of a parody christian rock band, until he went on to discuss that the rock band was christian and they were parodying popular songs, "I like big bibles and I cannot lie."
Christian rock is a parody of rock to begin with.
I wanted it to be a rock band mocking christian rock bands.
I liked the first chapter, so it gets two stars instead of one.
Christian rock is a parody of rock to begin with.
I wanted it to be a rock band mocking christian rock bands.
I liked the first chapter, so it gets two stars instead of one.
Jun 20, 2010
John
rated it: 
A couple of longer, more journalistic pieces saved this book for me and earned it an extra star. Basically, I thought it needed a more aggressive editor: there are some pieces that read like sketches rather than fully-fleshed-out ideas, and some that have a good idea but go on for too long-- and these are not mutually exclusive categories.
Aug 19, 2011
Karol
rated it:
I discovered Daniel Nester's chapter from his memoir, How to Be Inappropriate, in the unsolicited submissions for Epiphany Magazine. The book came out in between issues of the magazine, which only runs excerpts of forthcoming books. I read anyway, because I was so taken with his chapter about sending an email to some 300 friends to tell them he was leaving New York City and nobody wrote back. Nobody. This grabbed me, so I read further and discovered a soulful story about the ephemeral nature of
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Jul 28, 2010
Jennifer
rated it: 
Odd. Sarcastic. Strange. Funny. Sad. Stupid. Crazy. Manic. It's all in this book of short - long - and inappropriate musings from a regular guy. My review is not all that important - because I will just re-hash what everyone else has already stated. But I do need to say this - - his writing, musings and humour are straight-forward and thought provoking in the chapter titled "Garden Path Paragraphs". He really comes into his own with this chapter and defies the expectations of the read
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Dec 29, 2009
Kaya
rated it:
Ridiculous and affecting, corny and moving, and, yes, offensive -- but sensitively offensive. There are many essays to recommend here, but my favorite was "Goodbye to All Them", an essay which every MFA poet should be forced to read.
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Oct 15, 2009
If I was ever going to be a writer, I would have written this book, but I suppose my idea's taken now.
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Oct 10, 2009
Michael
rated it:
I was surprised and delighted by the intellect and emotion in these brief essays. A great read.
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Dec 13, 2009
Geof
rated it:
See full review here: http://dbqp.blogspot.com/2009/12/inappro...
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(1 person liked it)
Feb 11, 2010
James
rated it:
Disappointing.
Great title. Great cover. Not such great content. Hardly inappropriate. Mostly misleading and inadequate.
One story is comprised entirely of comments written for student's papers aggregated over years as a teacher. Amusing.
Another story is about competitive video gaming. Mildly interesting.
But how to be inappropriate? Maybe I missed something.
Great title. Great cover. Not such great content. Hardly inappropriate. Mostly misleading and inadequate.
One story is comprised entirely of comments written for student's papers aggregated over years as a teacher. Amusing.
Another story is about competitive video gaming. Mildly interesting.
But how to be inappropriate? Maybe I missed something.
Feb 03, 2012
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