Rating: 
Summary: Tad disappointing
Review: I'm a fan of MST3K, and a huge fan of humor writing, but Nelson's book left me dissatisfied. He's got some sparks of truly funny stuff, but ultimately, I wish I had gotten the book from the library rather than spent money on it. I still haven't found a humorist who can hold a candle to Dave Barry when it comes to hilarity and the printed word.
Rating: 
Summary: Funniest book I've ever read
Review: hands down, the funniest thing I've ever read. My girlfriend kicked me out of bed because I was laughin so hard I was shaking the bed and keeping her awake. I would read it on my luch break and I swear people must have thought I was having an epileptic fit. Mike Nelson hit's the truth of our culture so squarely on the head it's almost frighteneing. Proabably this works better for males, as we can identify with school yard fights and moving couches, but still, I am goin to recommend this to everyone i know who needs a laugh.
Rating:
Summary: As quotable as the TV show!
Review: Mike Nelson was the head writer, and later the host, of TV's 'Mystery Science Theater 3000.' Here he compiles a book of short essays, and we see into his thoughts on subjects ranging from performance art to the existance of 'kitty bats.' (Are they real bats or fungus? You decide.) This is every bit as funny as Nelson's old TV show-in fact, more so at times, as he's not limited to reacting to Z-grade films. Dave Barry and PJ O'Rourke should be scared-there's new blood in the humor column world!
Rating:
Summary: Book good!
Review: Mike Nelson is a very funny fellow, all right? And that's all you really need to know. So buy this book if you know what's good for you, and I'm not just saying that because he is a rather large fellow who could easily pound me into the ground with those big beefy mits of his if he so desired. I hope I've made my point.
Rating: 
Summary: A Younger Andy Rooney...
Review: ...that's what Michael J. Nelson has become. This book is a collection of essays remarking on everyday annoyances, the wife and kids, frustrations in stores and at parties, etc. The kind of thing old Andy Rooney has been droning on about for years. The book seems to be aimed at a young audience who a)loves Mystery Science Theater (as who doesn't?), b) has no idea who Andy Rooney is, c) laughs at the obvious. The humor is sometimes strained, pointless, and obvious. As with Mr. Rooney, there ARE some funny things sparsely sprinkled about. Hey, I'm a rabid Mystie, I like Mike and am glad he's found a new career. I just don't think Mind Over Matters is very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly devoid of any content
Review: Well, I've been a big fan of fan of mst3k for a long time and I liked Nelson's first book, but this one didn't do it for me. I think it's because I just can't bring myself to care about what he's writing about. He spends pages going on about a mildly unpleasent encounter with a clerk at radio shack, advice columns,
home depots, etc. It's just an exercise in pointless irony; I don't think there was a straight sentence in the entire book. Also, Nelson sometimes comes off as peevish and hypersensitive when he writes about himself. Torwards the end of the book, as he's writing about a mud bath, I knew by then he was going to spend a paragraph going on in detail about how gross it was that other people had been in it before him. Wasn't dissapointed in that respect. The whole book could be paraphrased, eewwwwwwwww! All that said, I did laugh out loud a few times while reading it.
It's like an off episode of MST3k, a couple of good laughs, but not worth watching for 2 hours.I think if I'd read almost any one of these essays individually on the internet, I may have enjoyed it, but as a 200+ page book.. It's like eating strawberry bubbaliscious chewing gum for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book if ...
Review: you're somewhere where laughing out loud could be embarrassing! Mike's comments are absolutely brilliant. The blurb on the back cover is close to the truth when it calls Mike one of our brightest young humorists. BUT, it should read, "Mike Nelson IS our brightest young humorist, who provides us with hours of hilarious, intelligent and insightful commentaries on life." Without doubt the most delightful and enjoyable book I've read in years. Buy it and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A Great successor to "Movie Megacheese"
Review: Mike Nelson was the host of one of the longest running comedies on TV, MST3k. After its passing he took his writing talents directly to print. The previous book was not surprisingly related directly to TV/film. This one is more of a semi-random collection of essays about daily life. Whether pointing out that it's teenagers in mall focus groups that REALLY censor a movie director's vision, or that "lunch is a pretty good meal", MOST of the chapters will have you laughing out loud. Others, well, it IS a random collection of essays after all. Certainly the hits greatly outnumber the misses. Anyway, if you were a fan of the MST3k-style of humor, and don't mind mentally shifting gears from chapter to chapter, you probably oughta pick this up...
Rating:
Summary: A disgustingly mild mannered fellow indeed
Review: Reading this book was like having a rogue episode of MST3K running around in my head. Makes sense, though, because Mike Nelson's been the head writer for the show from the beginning... or somewhere around there. I gave it a five star rating not because it hits on all cylinders with every word on every page (heck, nobody's THAT funny... (sorry Gallagher)), but because the many times *I* found it to be funny it really made me laugh. If you like the humor of MST3K you should buy this. You will definitely get that old feeling now that the show's over and the re-runs have all been memorized. Even if you're too lazy to read a book (you want that quick fix of TV) get it anyway...
Rating:
Summary: Arguably better than the first
Review: I've heard a lot of people describe this book by saying: "Funny but not as good as the first." In some regards they are missing the point. This isn't supposed to be anything like the first so if you go into expecting humorous movie criticism than yes, you will be disappointed. I personally think it is a more mature brand of comedy (not that any of Nelson's other work wasn't - it's all hysterical, but...) with this book he brings his family, friends (all two of them) and kids into the book. Some would see this as a worne brand of humor "finding the irony in everyday life," however it is much different. Mike Nelson is witty to a T, and makes magnanimous exaggerations (intentional) which make him seem a little... no alot eccentric. I dunno.... It's a very funny book. Buy it. :)
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