Becca

Have you ever done or said something stupid wish you hadn’t. Maybe you have been the witness to an act of stupidity. Well recently I was treated to the book Weirder than Marshmallows by Dan Fogg a series of essay that tackle why people do dumb things. This book was really entertaining it was like having the author sitting next to relating these tales to me. If you like a quick funny read then this book is for you. I give it two thumbs.

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jshallow01

I am always intrigued by how an author comes up with a title to a book. Sometimes they are pretty self explanatory and other times they seem more obscure. Until I dove in to this very quick read of essays, I wasn’t sure exactly what the title referred to. My curiousity as to the naming of the title was quickly answered when I read the preface and was asked to ponder why (white) marshmallows list the dye blue 1 as an ingredient. Yes, that does seem weird to me. And yes, I did check my own bag of marshmallows in the cupboard and saw it listed as an ingredient. So, I thought that this was a good start to the book and was interested to see what other essays and musings Dan Fogg had to share with us.

As I read though the section of “Do Not Stop On The Tracks”, I couldn’t help think about all the many baby products that I have read such warnings on, those warnings that were common sense and didn’t need to be spelled out but they obviously had to because more than one person lacked the common sense that was required to use such a product.

The book includes other sections titled “En Masse” “Technology Sucks” ‘That’s Just Freaky” and “Weird Stuff”. I did find some of the observations to be more critical and cynical than I am myself, but some of the other observations were entertaining to read. My favorite essay in the collection is called “The Vortex” and seemed to be the start of a movie. He did a good job describing the setting that allowed me to get a clear picture and understand his feelings. And I thought the most, shall we say – educational, was “Electile Dysfunction 2000: Heard from Florida Lately?”

I did enjoy reading though his collection of favorite quotes. Reading what inspires or provokes a person helps you to draw up a mental image of their character and provide a deeper insight to their writings.

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Jenn, Mom of Two Munchkins

I was selected to review Weirder Than Marshmallows by Dan Fogg and was surprised. Keep reading for my review.

I have to start by saying that this book was not what I thought it would be. It knew it was supposed to be funny but was expecting it to be more jokes and less real life. But I wasn’t really exactly sure what to expect.

This book was amusing and so very true. I found myself relating to many of the essays in this book. Especially on that was about elections. I thought that was had perfect timing. I found it interesting that many of my own rants were in the book. Made me feel like maybe I was not as crazy as I thought!

The book contains 5 chapters:

Do Not Stop on Tracks

En Masse

Technology Sucks

That’s Just Freaky

Weird Stuff

The first chapter immediately catches your attention and makes you keep reading out of pure anticipation of what will be said next. Brilliant!

I love how they describe the book and how the title got it’s name. “I could rant about marshmallows forever. But this book isn’t about marshmallows, this book is about stories. Stories, that are, like marshmallows, strange, mind boggling, but somehow appealing to the public at large. Hard to explain, impossible to ignore.”

I couldn’t have captured the book or marshmallows any better!

I love Daniel Fogg’s honesty throughout the book and how many of his points are things I have wondered about myself. It is a well written book that begs to be read.

Make sure you buy your copy of Weirder than Marshmallows today. This book would make a great gift or stocking stuffer!

Weirder Than Marshmallows was published by Nightfire Publications

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Rita L.

I was sent a rough copy of Weirder Than Marshmallows to review. I really wasn’t sure what to expect but the book sounded like something I would be interested in. I have a unique sense of humor and find humor in things that many people don’t. I have that 90’s Saturday Night Live sense of humor that so many people hate. I think they hate it because they don’t get it. This book is like that. Some of the stories make you have to think about it before you get the humor. Some of them are really funny, others are ok but I don’t necessarily feel a book should have been written for them. This book is very short and I literally read it in about 35 minutes. I have placed it on the back of the toilet in our guest bathroom. It would make the perfect bathroom reader since every story is only one page. I think if the book was bigger, it would be more enjoyable. It was still a fun read even though it was short. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick chuckle.

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A Wonderful Read

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I grabbed my kindle and began reading Weirder Than Marshmallows which contains a series of essays and rants by the Dan Fogg, who sadly passed away over ten years ago.

The writings are based on the author’s observation of the stupidity of humanity. In the preface, Dan talks about the ingredients of marshmallows and wonders why there is blue food coloring in it. After reading the ingredients, I’m never eating a marshmallow again.

Normally I don’t read essay books, but I really enjoyed reading Weirder Than Marshmallows as the author used common sense that seems to be lacking in our culture today. I’ve never noticed the “Not Stop on Tracks” sign at railroad tracks before, but I’ll look for them the next time I cross one.

I laughed aloud as I read each humorous essays that dealt with real life situations. I’m a Garfield fan, so I got a kick out of the incident with his mother’s Garfield watch. The essay about the girl who couldn’t figure out how to heat a Hot Pocket, reminded me of my cousin, who would have done the exact same thing. Dan must have been an intelligent and funny person to write a short, but perfect book. I’m sadden to hear about his passing as he had a bright future in writing. I recommend Weirder Than Marshmallows to everyone!

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Jonathan

The products keep piling up, here at The Daily Serge, so expect a lot of reviews in the next few days! Today’s is another book entitled Weirder than Marshmallows. As a compilation of short stories, Weirder than Marshmallows brings light the observations of Dan Fogg, who passed away in 2002 at 22 years old. What I enjoyed about reading these stories is that he speaks of the everyday truths we see all day. Heck, the first few chapters are about the idiocy of signs like ‘Do Not Park On Railroad Tracks’ or ‘Harmful if Swallowed’ while referring to gasoline…

There is pretty good humor sprinkled in, too. You wouldn’t feel like you’re reading a book, but rather listening to a friend while at Happy Hour after work. Each story is only a few paragraphs long, so he gets to the point, hits you with some humor, and leaves it open for your response…if this guy was at a party, everyone would want to sit near him to hear what he has to say next.

All around, I really enjoyed reading this. It is just long enough to be worth the read, but short enough so you’re never let down. It is like Seinfeld: Finishes on top….and not like The Office, which reuses ideas and should have ended four seasons ago……

Therefore, I feel compelled to give Weirder than Marshmallows 5 out of 5 Thumbs Up!

http://www.thedailyserge.com/2011/10/daily-review-weirder-than-marshmallows.html

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Nikki

This book is a great read, it is humorous, insightful and the book says what we are all thinking at some time or another but don’t actually want to say it out loud! It is a fun read and I recommend it to anyone that is looking to relax and read a book that isn’t complicated to read! I am a fan of books that are easy to read because most of the time I am reading when my crazy boys are making a lot of noise, which was the case with this one as well but it was fun and I was able to read through it without any issues understanding it.

I have to say that I am sad that the writer passed so suddenly and that it is nice that his mother has released some of his work. The story behind the book is also included in the book at different areas throughout and I appreciated the inside look at what Daniel’s life was like, who he was, and what happened to him. It makes the book more personable, I think.

Overall, a great read!

http://www.nickelanddimingwithnikki.com/2011/12/review-giveaway-weirder-than.html

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Allison L.

I have been reading a lot lately I don’t want to give you examples because I want you to read this. Dan has some great thoughts, observations, and discussions that you should read. I guarantee you that you will have conversation points as well from this book.

I decided to read and write my review before checking out what other people had to say about the book. Turns out we are almost always in a clear consensus: This book has great stories & has good flow, excellent writing. I recommend it.

I am honestly heartbroken to become a fan of Dan Fogg’s work knowing that he has passed. I look forward to other publications of his work, but based on his style of writing and frank honesty, I would have easily been a lifelong fan, anticipating his continuous work.

http://www.thehonestdietitian.com/2011/12/weirder-than-marshmallows-book-of.html

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Krista L.

I was recently sent “Weirder Than Marshmallows” to read and review.
I have to say this is a very funny and amusing book written by Dan Fogg.
It showcases some of the stupid things people say and do today in a very humorous and insightful way. You will get a kick out of knowing you are not the only one who ever said something dumb then wished they could take it back.
He very eloquently puts into words what we all think everyday when we hear or see a random act of dumb, but we don’t say out loud.

How many times have you thought to your self “wow, that person has no common sense?” Dan Fogg just puts those thoughts into words.

In this book he also covers stupid technology and even paranormal tales.
Every story in his book actually happened to a live human being. Maybe that is what makes it so interesting to read.

http://www.couponfreestuff.com/2011/11/weirder-than-marshmallows-book-review.html

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