Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!

July 9, 2007
Adams builds his latest book (after 2004’s The Religion War
) out of entries from his blog, which results in a lot of short chapters and abrupt changes in topic. Still, some ongoing themes do emerge, as the bestselling cartoonist discusses his wedding plans—including his fear that he’ll “dance like a drunken monkey” at the reception—and his struggle with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological condition which took away his voice during intimate conversations even though he could still give speeches to large audiences. He even tosses in a few Dilbert strips, with several examples of gags that were suppressed by his syndicate (he couldn’t show a police officer firing a gun, for example, but a doughnut that shoots bullets met with approval). Readers who only know Adams through the comics page will discover a saltier tone to his cynicism. “If you have the choice of working as the guy who craps on the carpet, or the guy who has to clean it up,” runs one bit of advice, “only one of those jobs lets you read a magazine at the same time.” The randomness of this collection may not attract many new fans, but it’s likely to keep his already sizable audience amused.

September 1, 2007
Adams, creator of the wildly popular Dilbert comic strip and 23 books, including the best-sellingDilbert Principle(1997) and Dogberts Top Secret Management Handbook (1997), ventures out to write his first non-Dilbert book, ostensibly against the best advice of his fans. Taken from Adams Dilbert blog, he offers more than 150 short pieces covering every slice of life beyond the workplace, such as tips on how not to dance like a dork, comic relief on the fears of terrorism, the not-so-subtle differences between men and women, embarrassing public-bathroom moments, appropriate uses for your own clone, and so on. One cant help comparing this random collection of quips to similar observations by Dave Barry (who gets a mention), and the results are just as witty. You will constantly find yourself thinking I wish I had said that, while you admit to sharing all of his politically incorrect thoughts that we dont dare speak of.Seemingly without consciously doing it, Adams reveals much about his personality, fears, and inner thought process. Keep this handy for your next flight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)