The Facts of Life : and Other Dirty Jokes

Rating:
Summary: "If you ain't crazy,there's something wrong with you."
Review:
If you pick up this book and thumb through it quickly,you may pass it up.If so, you'll make a big mistake.
I've read Willie with Bud Shrake and Willie-Behind the Music,by Clint Richmond;both excellent books;butthis is a great update and different book by and about Willie.This book is a real fun read,especially if you've been a fan of Willie for a long time like I have.;for nearly 40 years.
Reading this book is like sitting around with Willie chewing the fat. He talks directly to the reader as if you were his friend;and who wouldn't want to be one? On second thought, it is a lot easier to read and listen to Willie than trying to travel with him.Most couldn't last a week,and I must admit,me included.
The style of this book would be a good pattern for others to follow.He breaks it up with experiences and jokes.After all,really Willie just enjoys life and wishes the same for everyone else;except maybe for the IRS.The abundant photos are excellent and appreciated.
I particularly enjoyed Willie's comments about Ray Price,another legend,when he said:
"Ray Price is the greatest country singer ever,period." That's an real tribute coming from someone of the stature of Willie.It says a lot for Ray,and even more for Willie.
This book also contains a lot of Texas common sense,such as:
"There must be a better way to start the day than getting up."
"Hell,what's wrong with being lazy sometimes?"
"It's almost April 15,don't forget o file your toenails by midnight"
"Remember the early bird gets the worm,but the second mouse gets the cheese."
"No good deed goes undone."
Great compasses to guide you.

Willie has shown he can be a great writer.If you've ever doubted how talented Willie really is,try to think of a writer who can write songs and play them like Willie does.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did!



Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for any Willie Nelson Fan
Review: Don't the make the mistake of starting to read this in bed at night as it is "laugh out loud" at times and it kept me awake until the wee hours of the morning.I cannot remember when I enjoyed reading a book more than this one and I read at least a book week.There were times I felt has if I was sitting around the fireplace having a cool one with Willie as he reminisced about events in his life. At times he would interrupt his narrative to share a joke he rmembered.Not to mention the numerous photos included to enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: The Essential Willie!
Review: Even my daughter the confirmed punk rocker howled with delight when she read it. It's just Willie having fun, telling war stories, Texas tales, and some of the dirtiest jokes you'll ever read. For long-time Willie fans, it's filled with lyrics to classic Willie songs, and, even better, to his obscure, mostly long-forgotten songs. One of the lyrics has a legend not in the book attached to it: Willie and Johnny Bush are on a tour bus, Willie says something like "I can write a hit song about anything in 15 minutes." Bush says "You're on!", they bet something best left unmentioned, and hands him a newspaper story he'd been reading about a woman found strangled. "I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye" is in the book ... maybe the bloodiest country song ever ...."... the flesh around your throat is pale, indented by my fingernails, now you can't scream and you can't cry, and I just can't let you say goodbye ..." When you see the lyrics to "Crazy" in print, you realize all over again what a wonderful wordsmith Mr. Hugh W. Nelson is. It's a book I have read and re-read, gave a dozen copies of it as gifts when it first appeared, some of them to musicians who'd played and toured with Willie. "Yup, he hasn't changed a bit!"

Rating:
Summary: Willie can do no wrong, but this is close.
Review: First, let me state emphatically that I am a huge Willie Nelson fan. He is, by far, my favorite recording artist and I have seen him in concert three times. That said, there is not much in this book to recommend it. There are a few very funny jokes, although not that dirty. There are dozens of simple, yet profound, song lyrics, mostly of his lesser known works. As a reader, I would have preferred to hear Willie sing them. Willie tells you he is in favor of the family farm, God, marijuana, less government. He is against smoking. He plays golf and jogs. Everybody seems to be his best friend. But, if you are a Willie fan, you already know that. And there's the problem. I didn't read anything about him I didn't already know. Damn, I wish he would really get serious about writing an autobiography. There is so much I would love to learn about Willie, but it's not here. Save your money and buy another Willie CD.

Rating:
Summary: Willie can do no wrong, but this is close.
Review: First, let me state emphatically that I am a huge Willie Nelson fan. He is, by far, my favorite recording artist and I have seen him in concert three times. That said, there is not much in this book to recommend it. There are a few very funny jokes, although not that dirty. There are dozens of song lyrics, many of them his lesser know works. Upon reading, you discover the lyrics are indeed mostly simple, yet profound, and you wish Willie was singing them instead of you reading them. Willie tells you he is in favor of the family farm, God, marijuana, less government. He is against smoking. He plays golf and jogs. Everybody seems to be his best friend. But, if you are a Willie fan, you already know that. And there's the problem. I didn't read anything about him I didn't already know. Damn, I wish he would really get serious about writing an autobiography. There is so much I would love to learn about Willie, but it's not here. Save your money and buy another Willie CD.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Willie Nelson
Review: He has such a great sense of humor. This is a funny, quick read, perfect for summer!

Rating:
Summary: Willie Is A Genius
Review: I absolutely LOVED this book. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Willie Nelson is truly brilliant. The book is very well written. I loved the jokes, I loved the pictures. But most of all I loved the way Willie explains the lessons that life has taught him. I recommend this book to all readers. I think it should be made mandatory reading for students, like Shakespeare or Robert Frost. It's just that good.

Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: I am 33 years old and a true Willie Nelson fan (but not a country music fan per se) I love Willie's activism almost as much as I love his voice. He is a true original. This book was, above all, a chance to get inside Willie's head for a while--and I enjoyed that. And while I will disagree with the reviewer who called him "a genius," I still think the book was worth reading. Most of the jokes were funny, the lyrics are moving, and once in a while, Willie really hits his stride (the section about Farm Aid was fantastic) The book is worth looking at if only for the photographs of Willie and his family and friends. I love Willie, and chances are if you're even thinking of buying this book you do too. It's not great literature, but it's entertaining most of the time. Go ahead and buy it, what the heck?

Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: I am 33 years old and a true Willie Nelson fan (but not a country music fan per se) I love Willie's activism almost as much as I love his voice. He is a true original. This book was, above all, a chance to get inside Willie's head for a while--and I enjoyed that. And while I will disagree with the reviewer who called him "a genius," I still think the book was worth reading. Most of the jokes were funny, the lyrics are moving, and once in a while, Willie really hits his stride (the section about Farm Aid was fantastic) The book is worth looking at if only for the photographs of Willie and his family and friends. I love Willie, and chances are if you're even thinking of buying this book you do too. It's not great literature, but it's entertaining most of the time. Go ahead and buy it, what the heck?

Rating:
Summary: Peering Into The Mind Of A Legend
Review: I must be one of the few Texans who is not a huge Willie Nelson fan, yet there are times when I really enjoy listening to his songs. I always recognized that Nelson was a great songwriter, but I never thought of him before as an author.
OK, it might not seem like its too difficult to write a book like this. Mix in some song lyrics, a few jokes, a few personal stories and blend in a few anecdotes and you've got a book. Nelson actually makes it a book worth reading as he shares his wit and observations on sundry topics with his fans. The words seemingly pour from his pen with aplomb as he writes in such a winning manner that the reader will not want to put the book down before finishing it.
This is not great literature, but as you read and laugh along, you can't help but feel that you are peering into the mind of a legend.
After reading it, I came away with a new appreciation of what Nelson is all about. If you like Willie on any level, you should enjoy reading it too.