Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes: Revised and Updated! Over 2,000 One-Liners, Straight Lines, Stories, Gags, Roasts, Ribs, and Put-Downs

By Barry Dougherty, H. Aaron Cohl (Compiler)

Need your funny bone tickled? Well, look no further because it will start with a smile, then a snigger and before you know it you are laughing out loud! Packed with over two thousand jokes, funny stories, and put-downs The Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes is a must-have for anyone with the need to feed their humor addiction.

Although the Friars Club has been roasting celebrities since 1950, Drew Carey holds the dubious honor of being the first to have his roast televised. He provides a witty, no-nonsense introduction to the book. Continuing in this same style, the book provides oodles of entertainment for the not-so faint-hearted. Page after page there is humor abound by literally hundreds of stars including Jack Benny, Dave Berry, George Carlin, Wanda Sykes, Red Skelton, Billy Crystal, Bob Newhart, Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy, Betty White, Lewis Black and Art Linkletter.

Each joke, from the subtle to the racy, is categorized by topic for ease in finding just the right one to break the ice at your next party or to open your next speech.

The Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes has a ton of highly amusing and at times side-splitting material for the mature audience. Barry Dougherty and H. Aaron Cohl have done a first-rate job of compiling and organizing it for browsing. There is even an index in the back of the book so you can search by celebrity if you prefer. I recommend you pick up this book for a great pick-me-up

This review was originally written for Armchair Interviews

Big Sid’s Vincati: The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime

Matthew Biberman

Published By: Hudson Street Press



Think of a Vincati as a three-dimensional puzzle assembled from pieces of not one motorcycle but two or more. The real challenge to the puzzle lies not just with completing it so it looks sharp, but making a masterpiece. One that its rider can speed down the road, wind whipping, handle bars gripped and body melded to roaring machine while the landscape flashes past and only memory is left in its wake.

Big Sid’s Vincati by Matthew Biberman is the account of a father and son building their intricate Vincati puzzle. This opus takes them years to create and years more for them to get the tools that enable them to understand one another as only a father and son can.

Truthfully, much of the technical information in this book was beyond my comprehension because I am one of the least mechanically inclined people you could meet. That said; it didn’t stop me from wanting to read more. I sought to learn more about the struggle Sid and Matthew bear to make their imagining of this legendary motorcycle into a sturdy reality. The hardship-filled journey they and their families endure leaves you crossing your fingers and routing for them to have a happy ending.

Motorcycle enthusiasts will sing praises for Big Sid’s Vincati. Those, like me, who are not bike fanatics, will gain a new respect for the passions and dreams that men hold dear.

Bravo to Matthew Biberman for pouring his life and heart onto the page for us to share.

Original Review posted for Armchair Interviews