Rating: 
Summary: Misleading title, I should have read the reviews first.
Review: The book is not bad, but it's not what I expected. I was expecting a book having a lot more to do with the culture differences between America and the UK. A book discussing the small differences in daily life, kind of what you get when you see a nice foreign movie. One of those where you relish the scenes of the character just going to the corner store. Instead it deals much more with a nostaltgia for what has changed for the writer in the last 20 years. It seems to languish in this nostalgia with only an occasional foray into the differences in modern daily life. (Like a visit to the post office and how these compare) I actually got this at a bookstore after only briefly reading the back cover and leafing a few pages. I would have to say that reading reviews here before buying does work better. I guess thats why I wrote this review.
Rating: 
Summary: An amusing, but unhappy, Bryson
Review: My first Bryson read was "Notes from a Small Island," and I was rolling on the floor laughing throughout. "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" was my second Bryson read. The writing, as usual, was top form, and Bryson's wit was still quite evident as he mused on the cultural peculiarities he encountered when he moved back to the US after 20 years. But Bryson was clearly very unhappy with those cultural peculiarities he encountered, and he doesn't soften that unhappiness with affection (which he was able to do in the first book I read). Overall, a good read, but I won't be buying any more of his books - when I want to read humor, I want to read humor. I don't particularly want it to be mixed in with bitterness (the last essay in the book is a structural attempt to counter balance the unhappiness). Overall, some wonderfully funny stuff, but with a bad aftertaste. Shame on the Broadway Books editor for not figuring that out.
Rating: 
Summary: Should be called a British wannabe bashes Americans
Review: I read the reviews of people who said this made them laugh, but I don't think I even cracked a smile, and I am not afraid of good honest humour. Most of the people who wrote the reviews must be his friends. The book is full of whining and complaining about things like how terrible the immigration people were for giving him a hard time about not having a picture ID when flying, while at the same time going on and on about how Americans are given too much information so they won't have to think. I'm pretty sure that the airline had given him something stating the required documents, and he didn't bother to read it. Most of the information isn't even accurate. He states that there are no pavements (British word for sidewalks) in any American suburb built in the last 30 years. I grew up in suburbs and never lived in one without sidewalks on each side of every existing street. Before making blanket statements about everything about American life maybe he should have travelled around a little first. He calls Americans stupid, fat, lazy and just about anything else negative you can think of. The only Americans he has anything good to say about are his neighbors, and that is probably only because he has to see them every day. There is nothing lighthearted or the slightest bit funny about this book.
Rating: 
Summary: You're sides will split
Review: This book is a compilation of columns written by Bill Bryson, and be warned: if you do not like attracting attention to yourself then do not read this book in public. Your imminent guffaws will surely startle anyone within twenty feet. This book is funny, hilarious, charming, and all of the above. Bryson brings to light some rather arresting statistics with humor, wit, and general good nature. The truly great thing about this book is that you can't tell if during a "personal account" Bryson is actually making the whole thing up from the very beginning. There are certain details you just can't imagine anyone going through, but then you look again and realize its plausible. In this book, you'll learn about Bryson's adventures with a "Breakfast Pizza," his shocking discovery of a few numbers on a dental floss container, the attempt to put up Christmas decorations (with guidance from Mrs. Bryson), and questions he asks that baffle him as well. (Why do they put the capacity weight limit on the inside of elevators where it's too late to do anything about it?) In short, brilliant piece of work. I part from you with a bit of advice, if you read this in a hotel room and it's late, a pillow muffles shouts of laughter perfectly.
Rating:
Summary: Honey for the Mind
Review: I bought "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" by curiosity. Returning to America after twenty years in England sounded like an interesting parrallel to my own experience, just the other way around. The book is a pure delight. I was caught in right at the first sentence: "There are three things you can't do in life. You can't beat the phone company, you can't make a waiter see you until he's ready to see you, and you can't go home again." Then, I read in no time through the 70 short essays (they were written as a weekly column to a British newspaper). Each treats one particular aspect of life in America. It is admirably well-written, always humorous and many times frankly hilarious. From the parody of an IRS tax form and of a computer manual to the discussion between two British gentlemen on the Titanic that famous last night ("Still, all in all it's not been a bad voyage, wouldn't you say?") to the reminescence of his father ("practicing for a World's Most Boring Man competition") to the multitude of little Town America life aspect, this book will delight you if you have a sense of humor. I liked it so much that I bought another book from Bill Bryson, and will probably not stop until I've read all his books.
Rating:
Summary: I guarantee you will laugh out loud!
Review: Bill Bryson continually makes me laugh out loud. My neighbors must think I'm loony. 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' chronicles Bryson's return to the United States after living abroad for twenty years. Each chapter is actually a column he wrote for a publication in Great Britian about his experiences in the good ol' USA since coming back. He writes about things that have changed since he left, things that are the same, things that are in a state of flux... His exasperation at some things, including his own foibles, is hysterical. There are so many extremely funny passages it would be impossible to try to pick out some highlights. Read this book! Also recommended: Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods,' another comical adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Super reading!
Review: As usual, this was a delightful Bill Bryson book. The book is actually a collection of newspaper columns; the columns each reflect upon some aspect of American society. Some of the topics covered include: computers, dieting, renting a car, television, the holidays, etc. There are many laugh out loud portions in this book because Bryson is able to so vividly capture the hilarity of Americans. It is a very enjoyable read, and because it doesn't have a particular order, you can skip around and read some of the columns that may hold more interest for you. I have read a lot of Bryson books, but this one inparticular reminded me a bit of the columns Dave Barry writes.
Rating:
Summary: Bryson scores again
Review: What I love about Bill Bryson is that he is a most congenial man. He is witty, observant, and has a keen eye to the foibles of our national characters.
Rating:
Summary: True to life and hysterical
Review: Bryson got conned into writing a column on returning to America after 20 years of living abroad. This is a collection of his columns. Being an American citazen who lives overseas I could totally relate to his version of the US. It would make everybody laugh. A must read for expats and Bryson fans especially.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent essay collection about the US culture
Review: In 1996, Bill Bryson was asked to write a weekly column about America for the "Mail On Sunday's Night & Day" magazine. Even though Bryson claimed not to have the time for this project, his friend Simon Kelner insisted on Bryson taking the time. The result is an often hilarious, sometimes thought-provoking approach to the unique US culture. Having been born in Iowa, but having lived many years in Great Britain, Bill Bryson has the advantage of being American and being able to see his own culture from a different perspective.
The book "I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away" contains 70 columns. In the first one titled "Coming Home," Bill Bryson tells the reader how it was for him to come home after spending nearly two decades in England. Reading the remaining 69 columns is like being taken by the hand by the author, who re-discovers the uniqueness of his own culture -- things he remembers from his childhood, things which have changed since he had left, and things which are new for him. Bryson talks about the positive sides of the American Way Of Life, but doesn't hesitate to mention negative sides. Some of the columns' headlines are somewhat telltale: "Junk Food Heaven," "Friendly People," "Why No One Walks," "So Sue Me," "The Waste Generation," "Shopping Madness," and "The Fat Of The Land" to name only a few.
Bill Bryson did an excellent job bringing out the essence of US culture in a highly entertaining way. The book is a great read both for Americans and non-Americans. Some of the essays might lead to interesting discussions -- teachers might want to use them for their English classes. All in all, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away" is a fun and also educating book for everyone interested in learning more about American culture while being aware that Bryson is also a master of irony.
| 
