Rating: 
Summary: Not enough originality to carry buying a whole new book.
Review: I had gotten Brain Droppings and enjoyed it immensely. However, this book was a dissappointment. (Thankfully, it was a gift.) The material is standard course for George Carlin- mostly because it's almost all found in his other various works (especially his latest Complaints & Grievances show). Any die-hard Carlin fan that keeps up with his shows will want to skip to the middle and later parts of the book/CD, or skip this work altogether and wait for the few unoriginal parts to be included in a new show.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book only if you hate yourself
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Get Out o' Here!
Review: George Carlin is truly a national treasure. He is one of the few American comedians who will say exactly what he thinks and follow it through to its illogical, but hilarious conclusion. The longer passages in this book are the ones to truly treasure. Carlin's combination of wit, social criticism and insanity translate well to the page, but if you don't appreciate Carlin's stand-up please don't get the book. "Napalm & Silly Putty" is a laugh-a-page.
Rating:
Summary: Carlin at his best
Review: I highly reccomend this hilarious book to anyone seeking hours of side - splitting laughs. Carlin's "Short Takes" are a wonderful touch - a collage of miscellaneous sentences and comments that, while a bit random occasionally, are a humurous addition. Filled with funny stories, such as "Rice Krispies," in which he narrarates getting into a fight with a particurly offensive bowl of the unsinkable cereal. A brilliant collection of laughs!
Rating: 
Summary: Carlin at his most angry and hilarious
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Carlin....at his BEST!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Book equivalent of a sitcom 'clip show'
Review: I love the comedy and acid wit of George Carlin, I always have, and I always will. So this book was a bit disappointing to me, because so much of it is just his old routines written down in book form. In one sense, it's fun - as I read along, his voice plays along in my head, recreating the memorable pieces in my mental VCR. But serious Carlin fans already know the majority of material in this book. If you're looking for new material, you'll have to look pretty hard. There isn't much, and where there is, it's mostly in the form of his "Short Takes" sections dispersed throughout the book - sections that are comprised of one liners. There's lots of great stuff, don't get me wrong, but this book seems like it was conceived in some executive's mind as a way to make some more cash. It's the book equivalent of a sitcom clip show - very little new material passed off as otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Buy "You Are All Diseased" instead
Review: This book appears to be a 50/50 mixture of two things: angry rants transcribed from his earlier "You Are all Diseased" CD, and miscellaneous short, (mostly) new material. While some of the new material is funny, I personally prefer the rants. So, my suggestion would be to skip the book and just get a copy of "You Are All Diseased" instead. Identical material, but with the added bonus of Carlin's great delivery. Read reviews of the CD for more.
Rating:
Summary: A sometimes funny, but always angry, old man
Review: Despite the image he presents to his audience and the world, George Carlin is well into his 60's. So perhaps he can be forgiven for being somewhat cynical - but some of what he talks about in "Napalm & Silly Putty" sounds like the rantings of a potential anarchist (or worse). Dennis Miller was never this angry. My reaction to this book is somewhat surprising, because I've seen and heard Carlin do his thing on several albums and HBO specials and laughed myself silly. But I do have to admit that his more recent efforts have had a tinge to them that I'm not sure I like - and this book only confirms that suspicion. Admittedly this book was written well before the events of September 11, so Carlin can be forgiven for some of the things he writes about. But even so, he left me with my jaw dropping at times. For example, his routine about "Airport Security". Pre-9/11, it might have drawn a few chuckles. Post-9/11, it is completely sickening and not worthy of the man who told us about the "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television". His "Interview With Jesus", even pre-9/11, is totally unfunny, and I rapidly turned the pages to find his next topic. There are some real gems in here, though. For example, "It's Not a Sport". This might be taken completely from his stand-up routine, but even on paper it's still incredibly funny. I wish he'd accompanied it with his comparison of football and baseball, but that's OK - this will do. The same goes for "Icebox Man". And some of his "Short Takes" had me rolling on the floor. A lot of them are too dirty or too sick (funny/sick) to publish here, but my absolute favorite is: "One of my favorite things to do at a party is smoke a bunch of PCP and start taking people's rectal temperatures without permission". Believe me, that's mild compared with some of the other stuff in this book. Some of the other "Short Takes" aren't as funny, but they're dead-on. All told, if you can't stand George Carlin, avoid this book. If you like George Carlin, go ahead and buy it - but be warned that it's a very mixed bag, and that there's a lot of anger in that bag.
Rating:
Summary: Just like his previous book - good
Review: Carlin's rambling thoughts are always amusing.
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