Customer Reviews
a pitch perfect cultural snapshot October 31, 2008
Richard Furman (Brooklyn, NY)
Besides being laugh out loud funny, Bill Schwarz's book articulately illustrates the nascent and variable suburban cultural landscape. His response to this ever shifting and rarely understandable world is at once poignant and hilarious, no mean feat. The events leading up to the state regents exam in his junior year of high school are told masterfully and the humor continues to build throughout the passage. I loved this book.
Thank you, Mr. Schwarz January 13, 2008
Kazzrie (New York State)
I deeply enjoyed reading William Schwarz's portrait of suburban coming-of-age in the 50's and 60's. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny and historically, quirkily informative, but he writes in a voice that manages to be innocent as well as worldly wise. Thus, he fully engages the reader's heart in his adventures. You're there with him as he triumphantly fumbles his way through each hilarious rite of passage, rooting for him and, not surprisingly, revisiting your own memories of childhood and adolescence. This book is a comic gem, a beautifully written memoir, a witty and intelligent chronicle of Baby Boomer mayhem, and a great read for anyone of any era. Thank you, Mr. Schwarz.
Laugh out loud funny! November 7, 2007
Terry Bain (Rockville Centre, NY United States)
This is a dead-on description of my own childhood, growing up in the 50s and 60s in the suburbs. I'd forgotten the newness of eating TV dinners with my family in front of the TV, the prevalence of fall-out shelters, and those drivers' ed horror films. Schwarz pauses in the recounting of hilarious childhood escapades to recount the backstory of products like frisbees and lava lamps. This is required boomer reading, a wry and affectionate look back at the unique post-war times that formed us.
What a hoot! November 7, 2007
Christopher Bain (New York)
While I'm about 6 years younger than the author (I'm guessing) and grew up in the 60's & 70's more than the 50's into teh 60's, I'm actually laughing out loud at home, on the train, with tears coming down my face, as I read this book. I'm only about 80 pages into it so far and my own memories of boyhood are coming back as I read the author's various escapades. There is also a fair amount of fascinating history woven in, from Charles Atlas to Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. The writing is both engaging and convincing, reminding me of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, and others. You will enjoy this book, and probably pass it along to good friends that you want to share the fun with.
What a fun read! November 7, 2007
copperhead57 (Delafield WI)
Someone gave this to me as a gift....I'm a boomer, and the whole story really resonated with me. It's a combination of a personal memoir (funny! poignant!) and background on some of our most cherished icons....Davy Crockett, TV dinners, Rin Tin Tin (did you know he was a movie star before the TV
series?), Playboy centerfolds, Tupperware, etc. etc. I laughed out loud, and kept emailing friends with tidbits. Brought back great memories, but I definitely think younger readers would love this too.
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