Brig Berthold

Totally fun. Plot-driven storylines are perfect brain candy and I really enjoyed this. It's the perfect pace, the right amount of downtime between action-packed sequences. I can't wait to start reading the next book.

I usually don't dig Sci-fi too much but this was a serious joy ride. Nothing flashy about the writing. Nothing flashy about the characters. But I would recommend this to anyone.

This is the most hilarious, and accurate, representation of the douche-opolis we call earth. Eyre writes in a way that makes you feel like you're listening to a buddy describe the megadouche they just ran into.

This is a perfect gift for your friends and family, especially if they appreciate a fun and snarky perspective.

If you liked “My House on the Moon,” you're going to love “A Douche Walks Into a Bar...”

This is a very interesting lifestyle choice. The author gives ample justification for beginning a meditation practice followed quickly with simple explanations and practical advice. Nothing is overly pushy, the steps to success are moderate and not overwhelming, and the language isn't hokie.
If you think meditation might be for you, this is a great place to begin. The audio disc doesn't hurt either.

This was an interesting read. I'm not sure I ever wanted to know that much information about the life of a ‘Wiseguy,' but I got exactly what I wanted out of this book.

In typical biographical form, the story of Al D'Arco progresses in a chronological, flat, and factual connect the dots game. The delivery, the language, the flow all gave this story a strong feeling of authenticity. At no point throughout the book did I feel I was being sold a load of crap that was difficult to believe. That being said, given the book's introduction by the authors, they inform the reader their intention to write whatever they think is true. They gave Al a chance to provide his story, but that he would have no opportunity to review, edit, or refute anything contained in the narrative before final print. I find this interesting and I reserve the right to being somewhat skeptical.

This book was fine, despite the obvious advertising ploys, which almost upset me to the point of putting it down. I enjoyed the stories shared and I appreciate the portion of this man's life. I am even grateful he shared them with the world, for that, I commend him. That being said, from time to time I wondered who had edited this in pre-production? It felt like a vanity project from time to time, an effort to preserve his experiences for his future family, rather than an attempt at national-level distribution. Often self-serving, I felt this achieved its original intent. Attempts to convey humility felt forced, which could have been polished to greater effect. Each time the author gave his dog the credit, he purposefully avoided assigning credit to himself, which would be fine if it did not feel fake. The biggest issue I took, came in the final pages. Dowling discusses his dog's pending retirement from military working dog life. It is Dowling's great desire to adopt Rex. However, the handler who assumed responsibility of Rex, following Dowling's service, was hit by an IED (with Rex) in Iraq. Both Rex and the new handler survived, and all is well. Dowling uses this as a pedestal upon which he firmly raises himself. I believe he justified his having let the other handler adopt Rex “because it was the right thing to do, though [he] would rather it had been him” on nearly every paragraph; sometimes twice in the same paragraph.

Was he among the first to pioneer MWDs into combat since Viet Nam?Did he do great things as an MWD handler? Is that history worth sharing with the world? Yes to all. But Dowling has now presented himself as a self-serving clown, victimized by his compulsion for justice, and unable to afford an editor to polish his journal entries upon which he placed a great photograph of what used to be his dog.

Well that was just plain ridiculous. If you like the popular television series “How I Met Your Mother” you will understand this book in all of its satirical nonsense. If you haven't been formally introduced to the persona that is Barney Stinson, you will likely be offended by nearly everything this book delivers. However, since that particular character, in that particular television series, makes me laugh, this book delivered the heralded misogynistic bravado I expected. NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, his bombastic and exploitative view of women as the pursuit of happiness I do not agree with. I do, on the other hand, enjoy the exploitation of time-honored stereotypes and the humor to be gained through well crafted satire. Listeners beware, this will make you laugh, and will make you uncomfortable at times. Just laugh it off.

This book is literally fantastic. Don't skip this. It's up there with “Cubs Way” as one of the greatest books on baseball you'll ever read.

Part autobiography and part pitching lecture series. The stories shared strike a perfect ballance of fan interest and nostalgic chronicling. Any baseball fan would enjoy this book. Its hyper-smooth delivery is a major credit to both Cone and Curry, their editing team, etc., as it never waivered for a moment.

Oh man, I really wanted to like this novel. I just couldn't get into it. I did, however, finish it; hoping until the end for something explosive or truly...meaningful.

Just as I was having this thought, I read the afterward in which I learned that this is a novelization of a true story. Which makes sense in answering to the terribly dry nature of the tale. Had I gone it with this knowledge I would have treated it differently.

It took me a short moment to get into this. But once I settled in, and started vibing with Marty's style, it was smooth as silk.

The book is seasoned with nuggets of wisdom on the single-serving stories contained within. I love long and short-form journalism. I love memoir. I love self-development. And I love sports. All of which you'll get out of this book.

Thanks, Marty. Thank you for being vulnerable, insightful an obsessed with being the most productive and accountable version of yourself.

What a Fantastic Approach.

This book took an academic approach to the study of Islam. I found it accurate and filled with nuggets of information about widely misconstrued elements of the Muslim faith and culture. I do not think this book would serve well as a primer for the first time student of Islam. Some foundational understanding will make this book everything it is supposed to be. Anyone interested in Islam for the first time would get a lot from this book if their ignorance on the subject was evened out by a comfort with the language and flow of academic research.