Rating: 
Summary: A Modest Man
Review: Andy Rooney¹s latest book proves again that he is a modest man who has a lot to be modest about. On minor issues, his comments ring true and evoke a chuckle. But on major issues, his comments lack depth, nuance and gravitas. He wants readers to accept his views on the basis of his authority as a 60 Minutes humorist, not his reasoning. But most readers now reject superficial analyses of important issues. They have access to a wide range of opinions on cable and the Internet. They want evidence, not spin masquerading as ³common sense².. Andy Rooney is more like James Carville than H.L. Menchen.
Rating:
Summary: Inane
Review: Common? Sure. Nonsense? What else can we expect from Andy Rooney? I can't believe this silly old meatball ever got anywhere in journalism, if journalism is, in fact, what he does. The only reason Rooney is still breathing is because he's surviving on the air in his head, which is as plentiful as it is noxious. Unfortunately, that leaves his head empty except for the hollow footsteps of a long gone thought, an inane one, of course. "Inane" is the word to describe the author and this waste of a perfectly good tree.
Rating: 
Summary: Common Nonsense
Review: definately enjoyable - makes for frequent conversation - one has to almost immediately share the humor, wit, and "normalness" of Mr. Rooney's logic - my teenager & I have to schedule turns to read the book - it's very good .......
Rating:
Summary: hmmm
Review: definitely interesting and humorous, something we can all relate to but potentially be insulted by in a non-offensive way, if that makes sense. very enjoyable easy reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, that Andy
Review: Funny book with 'on target' observations (especially the Catholic Church on sex). Rooney's comments regarding the absurdities in society make us laugh AND think. He's not afraid to lambast anyone & that's a MUST in a humorist.
If you like absurdities in institutions exposed, you may also like "No One's Even Bleeding" & "Delano".
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read. Period.
Review: I am 17 years old and stumbled upon this book after seeing a few minutes of an interview with Andy Rooney. I knew of him, but found him quite interesting in the interview and decided to check out the book. I'm glad I did. "Common Nonsense" is a collection of very short essays about nearly everything in life you could think of. Sports, politics, hobbies, food-- you name it, it's covered. Although he does repeat himself occassionally, the book is very facsinating to read. When I finished, I felt that I had just read a roadmap of life-- Mr. Rooney packs in 83 years of wisdom. Most everything that he writes just makes so much sense. This is a fun book to read. The essays are short enough that you can read as many or as few as you want. He doesn't try to flaunt his writing skills with long, verbose words. When I read I felt like I was getting a couple hundred pages of pure, down-to-Earth honesty. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about life.
Rating:
Summary: Had the entire airplane laughing
Review: I bought this book at an airport on a late night flight from Las Vegas to Houston. I could not stop laughing...to the point that the attendants had me read passages out loud. There were only 25 people on the flight. This is a very funny book!!!
Rating:
Summary: Classic Andy Rooney.
Review: I enjoyed every page of this book. One critique is for the book's editors, not for Mr. Rooney: numerous small errors divert the reader's attention. Mr. Rooney deserves better. But if you enjoy Andrew Rooney (he writes that he prefers "Andrew"), you'll love this book and will already be waiting for the next.
Rating:
Summary: Edgier Than Before
Review: I think Andy Rooney is a treasure. I do not believe he is a faultless sage, I do not agree with all he has to say, or even the way he says it. I cannot think of anyone who I would enjoy reading if I agreed with everything the author had to say throughout 154 essays. The key to enjoying an opinion you may not share with an author is the intelligence of the writer and his or her ability to communicate their position acknowledging not only that there are two or more sides, but also in many instances all views have some merit. Andy Rooney does this as well as anyone, but when he is blunt, he will offend some readers, and this is as it should be. If you like Elvis or Elizabeth Taylor there are two essays that may cause you to throw the book out the window or in to the trash. He also shares very strong opinions about Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Stewart, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. His opinions have merit not only because of his reasons for holding them, but also because after living 83 years of the history of this country he has a perspective that someone that is 40 or 20 cannot hope to have. He also speaks at some length as to how his positions have evolved as he has aged, and he is to be commended for his candor on these personal thoughts whether the reader agrees or not. This book is not for those readers who equate Andy Rooney with his amusing 3-minute presentations on 60 Minutes. The book does contain many essays they will leave you on the verge of hyperventilating from laughing, but evidently, and understandably, at 83 years of age he probably feels now is a good time to share something more than issues of whimsy like his hatred of staples. He deals with Enron and corporations like them that destroy the credibility of corporate America and savage the savings and retirement funds of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Professional sports and the athletes that have turned in to outrageously paid products that make attending a ball game prohibitively expensive for families, are dismantled with exquisite care. Players rarely stay and create dynasties and loyalty from fans, opting for the highest bidder, or sulking to another city when the coach shatters their inflated egos. He also steps around commentary that he says would have him branded a racist. The tragedy is that he would be branded; the truth is there is nothing racist about his observations. Making the statement that there are thousands of children being born to persons who either have no interest in, or have yet to learn how to prevent becoming or getting another pregnant is not racist, it is not a commentary on the poor or any other demographic. It is a comment on a disaster that exists and that any reasonable person would be concerned with. One grenade he threw particularly interested me. He spoke of his concern that a well-informed voter can have his vote cancelled by another voter who is only qualified to vote because the law says he or she can. A strong statement, yes, have truer words been spoken, no. The bottom line is that Andy Rooney is a positive thinker; this fact does not mean that he needs to speak or write like a politician. As he says in one of the essays that deal with how much the United States appears to be disliked. If this country is such a terrible place, and we as its citizens are so repugnant, why is it that so many others are so anxious to come here and have their shot at a better life than the one they wish to leave. This does not mean that everyone wants to come to the USA, nor that everyone that is not here is unhappy where he or she may be. His statement is both reasonable and clear no matter how artificially complex some would like to make it. A person, who has worked and earned the experiences that Mr. Rooney has over a life that has completed its 8th decade, is a person worth listening to. There is no substitute for experiencing decades upon decades of life, of success and of failure. He is a member of a generation that is becoming increasingly scarce, their thoughts are of value whether you share them or not.
Rating: 
Summary: Irritatingly Repetitive
Review: I thought I liked Andy Rooney, I was wrong. This book is a collection of observations of Mr. Rooney, observations that have been poorly researched in some cases (Stating that police officers have a arrest quota was one of the more laughable beliefs). The book is entertaining for a few pages, then Mr. Rooney's constantly whining voice started eating at my brain and I just got sick of the whole thing. If you are a real fan of Andy's 60 Minute spots, then this would probably interest you. I, however, was nauseated by the constant bitching of a man who has more than most could ever hope to have. T
| 
