139 ratings | 46 reviews | avg rating:3.87

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John C. Oliva

Goodreads Author

Born

in Milwaukee, The United States

Twitter

Oliva_JC

Genre

Humor and Comedy, Nonfiction

Influences

David Sedaris
Steve Dublanica
Justin Halpern
Sarah Vowell
Bill Bryson
Mary ...more

Member Since

November 2012

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John Oliva has found relative success for himself despite working seven years during high school and college at his family’s self-service car wash. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and has had his engineering research published in peer-reviewed engineering journals and conference proceedings. John spent the first half of his career as an engineering professor. He has since held several different engineering positions in the fields of defense, nuclear physics research, and currently the solar industry. At each step of the way, he manages to attract strange characters, unlikely circumstances, and hard-to-believe occurrences while just trying to live his life. John resides in mid-Michigan with his wife and daughter…both of whom t ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Have any of the clients alluded to or mentioned in your book "Washing Cars & Wasting Time: Misadventures at a Family-Run Car Wash" ever recognized themselves and said anything to you? Any backlash from any of the more unsavory characters?

John C. Oliva Haha! Some of the likable characters, most notably Ron, gave permission to tell their stories in the book. In cases like that, I used their actual nam…moreHaha! Some of the likable characters, most notably Ron, gave permission to tell their stories in the book. In cases like that, I used their actual names. Those characters that are more villainous in my stories, if they have recognized themselves, they have not told me about it! Although, let's be real, based on the behaviors that earned them prominence in my stories, I would go out on a limb and guess that they are not avid book readers to begin with.(less)

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A question I have often been asked about my book “Washing Cars & Wasting Time” is on the order of ‘I was shocked during the final chapter of your book to find out what happened to Scott. Why did this only get such a brief mention, and why did you not elaborate on the matter further?’

John C. Oliva

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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Combine Editions
John C. Oliva’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 47 ratings · 12 reviews · 1 distinct work

Washing Cars & Wasting Time

3.77 avg rating — 47 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions

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6 posts
John C. Oliva's Blog

Coming Together to Serve

For all of my bookish friends out there in Goodreads land, please check out this short article I wrote for BustedHalo. It was published earlier this week. I write about my time serving with Alternative Spring Break trips, and the impact it has had on me and my family:

https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resou...

Enjoy! Read more of this blog post »

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Published on March 17, 2018 04:16

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John is Currently Reading

John is currently reading

Einstein's God: Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit

by Krista Tippett

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 12, 2023 06:34AM

John is currently reading

Poverty, by America

by Matthew Desmond (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 12, 2023 06:30AM

John is currently reading

The True Meaning of Christmas: The Birth of Jesus and the Origins of the Season

by Michael Barber

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 22, 2023 12:23PM

John’s Quotes

“I can't help but think about things critically. Sometimes it can be a curse. What I wouldn't give every once in a while to be a blithering idiot skipping through life with shit in my pants like it's a goddamned party.”
― Justin Halpern, I Suck at Girls

tags: humorous-quotes

10 likes

“Joy, humor, and laughter should be part of everyone's spiritual life. They are gifts from God and help us enjoy creation.”
― James Martin, Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life

tags: humor, laughter, religion, spirituality

8 likes

“You stand in front of an electric fence and whip your dick out to take a piss on it, it's pretty clear you're about to make a mistake. Other than that, you pretty much have no way of knowing.”
― Justin Halpern, I Suck at Girls

tags: humor, mistakes

7 likes

“Advice is bullshit. It's just one asshole's opinion.”
― Justin Halpern, I Suck at Girls

tags: advice, humor

14 likes