Napalm & Silly Putty

During George Carlin's four decades long comedy career he has been hailed as a comedic genius who has constantly pushed the envelope...and he is at his outrageous BEST in Napalm & Silly Putty.
If you are a Carlin fan, you will LOVE this 269-page book, take it with you and re-read it often. If you don't know who he is and want to find out what all fuss is about after reading
books on comedy, this will give you a good idea of who he is. You don't get his hilarious facial expressions here, or his act-enhancing body language, but you'll clearly see why he
has been hailed as the true successor to Lenny Bruce....except for the fact that Carlin is more often than not hilarious. If you're upset by x-rated language, this book isn't for you.
Napalm & Silly Putty is actually divided into three sections throughout. His various routines on various subjects such as driving, cats, dogs and Jesus, his Short Takes, and his
bits on the news. One of my favorites routines is his bit on the fear of germs, where he notes that "in prisons before they give you a lethal injection they swab your arm with alcohol...And you can see their point: wouldn't want some guy to go to hell AND be
sick..."
Then there are many riffs on the news. and his Short Takes. Short Takes are in the form of hilarious one liners, short jokes and blunt-but-true observations ("Joan Rivers has turned
into one of the people she used to make fun of.")
This book is GREAT for a)anyone who loves to laugh, b)fans and collectors of comedy books, c)Carlin's fans, d)anyone interested in comedy writing or comedy. I always highlight comedy and joke books, then re-read the ones I like -- and when I re-read
Napalm & Silly Putty I laugh out loud, all over again. Carlin is a treasure...and so is this book.

My father in law gave me this book to borrow, thinking I would enjoy it. He's obviously trying to get back at me for something, though I know not what.
George Carlin combines the wit and subject humor of a 12 year old boy, with the creepiness of a lifelong pedophile. His obsession with such topics as rape, molestation and child abuse raise more than an eyebrow about his personal endeavors. I can only surmise that Carlin receives such widespread acclaim because so many of his readers closely identify with many of the twisted scenarios outlined in this thoroughly mindnumbing read.
I can appreciate expletive laced humor as well as the next guy, but while this book is replete with four letter words, it lacks miserably in the most essential element to this genre: comedy.
The only way I could make this book funny was to read it aloud in an East Indian accent to my wife. Much like a train wreck, though, I kept reading much of this book, unable to turn away until morbid curiosity evolved into involuntary wretching. I feel like Carlin owe's me something, nay, society something for publishing such dreck. I want my money back and I didn't even pay for the damned thing.
If you hate yourself, read this book. Or you could save yourself some time by sticking yourself in the eye with a hot poker.

The great thing about George Carlin, is that no matter how old he gets (and he would like that I call him old, as he says in the book "simple language"), he never loses that edge.
Carlin is not for everyone. Many people might be offended by his ideas..., but then they aren't meant to buy this book.
What I love about him is how believes there are no sacred cows. He makes you shift in your seat as you realize how idiotic somethings you do are--and cry with laughter when you relize how brillant he can be. Perhaps the funniest parts are the one liners. Although his musings on abortion, religion, and "simple language" are grand. Some of this stuff will make you cringe--but he NEVER compromises. That is what makes him so amazing.
This book makes you re-examine this american life and see it as nothing more than absurd. This guy gets it right.

Napalm & Silly Putty made me laugh. A bunch. A whole bunch. Carlin's cerebral, feisty, crude humor is sometimes just what the doctor ordered in this "hypocritically correct" society. No matter how great his jokes might be his irreverent but intelligent observations are what makes him the best in his field.

Some of Napalm & Silly Putty's yard-jewels of wit and wisdom include:

"So far this is the oldest I've ever been."

"You know a business that doesn't lend itself too easily to the Internet? Pay toilets."

"Next time they give you all that civic BS about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election."

"You know something you rarely hear about? A bunch of Jews killed in a tornado."

And finally:

"America has too many fake Irish pubs. Giving your bar an Irish name doesn't make it a pub. The word pub is earned the hard way: tons and tons of puke and thousands of shattered cheekbones."

Ah, so true...

But you know what's really strange about this 2001 book? How many tragic and once funny but now cringe-inducing things Carlin jokingly wrote about have since actually happened. I won't make a list here but anyone who has read this book in the last year or two knows what I mean, right? (Okay, I will mention a couple. Buildings blowing up, buses exploding, etc etc etc...) Maybe Carlin's precognitive in a darkly comedic sort of way, huh? All I know is this is a great book!

There are three books out that I know of, by George Carlin; "Brain Droppings," This one, called "Napalm And Silly Putty," and the newest, "Will Jesus Please Pass The Pork Chops?" I have the first two, and I learned my lesson with "Droppings." Read it a little at a time, digest it slowly, and it's easier to take. The bulk of material in these books has been used in his live monologues, especially this one. The harshest critics say it's just old live stuff, rehashed; OK, I'll give you that, but I see it as a document to his work. Expect that, and it's not disappointing.

His live shows are about an hour or so each, but to sit through one of these books in one sitting, will take up more than that, and then you start to lose sight of how good his material is. The vulgarity is way over the top, and when you understand that his social commentary is a reflection of what's out there, put through the wringer as Carlin does, anyone can see it's not always pleasant; in fact, it's crude, nasty, and in spectacularly bad taste.

I saw him in person about a year and a half ago, and some of what I read in my two books was used in the show, as well as a good bit of his "Grievances And Complaints" program from HBO. He does some familiar material in the small venues, while honing the new material for the HBO shows, to be taped at the bigger places.

Personally, I much prefer the style he used in the 1970's on his records before the HBO days. I loved his appearances on the "Tonight Show," when he substituted for Johnny Carson, the monologues were par excellence, and even when the material wasn't funny, per se, this was intentional. His style has evolved over the years, it's gotten a lot more harsh, and even the sound of his voice has gotten harder. He comes off as a bitter old man, but he's been around the block many, many times, and has earned his right to cuss out the rest of us, I get what he does, he throws the junk at the world that it throws first, and I don't think other reviewers got it when they say he decries capitalism, then sells rehashed material, talks about death with a cavalier attitude, and then says he wants to be kept on life-support, at all cost. He's a comedian, a commentator on the human condition, and even though he says he wants no part of it, he IS part of it. I share his disappointment with our failed species, and I think we all, at some level, root for the things he seemingly cheers for.

As you read any of the books he's written, just know that here's a guy who has a lot of righteous contempt for the failings of humanity, and has the nerve to push that envelope, to its extreme.

Nobody else can say, "Simon says, go F**k yourself," and get an honest laugh from an adult audience.

I was very dissapointed with this book. I think that I only laughed out loud maybe five times while reading it. Don't get me wrong I still think that George Carlin is still one of the greatest comedians of all time, but this book is mostly recycled material from his old stand-up routines. It has been a few years since I read Brain Droppings but I definatly remember flying on a plane and having to put it down because I was laughing too hard. I gues that I would reccomend this book only if you are not familiar with any of Carlin's stand-up. Otherwise check out Brain Droppings.

First of all, I want to say that when I first came across this book, I had very little idea of who George Carlin was. My brother bought it, and I happened to pick it up one day and read "A Day In The Life Of Henry VIII," and was absolutely floored. After finishing the book, I was floored again. Here is a pithy, cynical man who has no regard to political correctness, one who constantly questions everything in today's society. I love it!!! Although the book does bounce haphazardly from topic to topic, most of Carlin's observations are dead on. Like Airline Announcements, Sanctity Of Life, The Royal Family, and Don't Blame The Leaders. Pure genious. Now I can understand why old Carlin fans would be disappointed, but as a newbie the material was completely fresh to me. But this book isn't for everybody, as the reviews indicate. Don't buy this book if you are into political correctness, take life too seriously, or are detached from reality. Problem is, when reading this book people tend to forget that it is intended as humor. Well if you don't think its funny because the topic is "how America is one big bullsh*t story", you either need to move on with your life or get an enema. Because if George tells us that the founding fathers were full of sh*t because they said "All men are created equal" (except Indians, Blacks, and Women), it's not being said because it's shocking. Or for humor's sake. It's being said because it's true. Like it or not, people, it's just a book. Don't take it so seriously.
Recommended rants: all on Sports, Children, Seven Death Wishes, Euphemisms, Capital Punishment

I am a 44 year-old guy who has been a life-long George Carlin fan. I could see the "end" coming with "Brain Droppings" when he began to mix the morose, macabre, and grotesque into his act. Carlin's early appeal was based upon his "likeability" and his good-natured jabs at things we do and say every day that under the semantic microscope, seem silly. Unfortunately, his unmatched style and wit have given way to a perverse "stream of consciousness" that leaves me depressed and cold. He has become inhuman. There are too many references to his love of death, destruction, and evil. He attacks well-known people with a fervor that suggests that Carlin has become absolutely miserable. This book saddens me. A man that I once revered as a lively, brilliant, and hilariously funny entertainer has become a crude and viscious curmudgeon. NOT a funny book. Just a book with a couple of funny lines.

George Carlin is a great stand-up comedian on network television, because the networks can control his perchant for profanity. Without it, he is enormously funny. Sadly,the book publishers did not exercise that control. With the unnecessary profanity, he is like a thirteen year old boy who is just learning the bad words.

George Carlin is one of the best known comics in the world, and parts of this book are very funny. However, there are two things that may deter you from buying this. First of all, for those not familiar with Carlin, he is extremely vulgar. I'm one who does not mind, and feels that it can and does often add to the humour. However, I also feel Carlin takes it a little too far. Sometimes he seems to swear just because he can, and it adds nothing to what he's trying to say.
Second, if you are a long time fan of Carlin, you'll be familiar with many of these rants, as many are taken from his stand up shows. Thus, a good portion of the book may seem old, and not worth it.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very funny parts, but there are also some parts that makes you wish it would just stop. Borrow this book from a friend, but spare yourself 10 bucks and don't bother buying it.