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From bestselling author and host of HBO's Real Time, Bill Maher's new book of political riffs serves up a savagely funny set of rules for preserving sanity in an insane world
A follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The New Rules, The New New Rules delivers a series of hilarious, intelligent rants on everything from same-sex marriage to healthcare, from Republican agendas to celebrity meltdowns, with all the razor-sharp insight that has made Bill Maher one of the most influential comedic voices shaping the political debate today. With another presidential campaign on the horizon and a stellar set of real- life characters to have fun with-"New Rule: If Charlie Sheen's home life means he can't have a TV show, then I say Newt Gingrich can't be president"-this enlightening and important book may be the best thing you pretend to read all year.
"If conservative get to call universal healthcare 'socialized medicine,' I get to call private, for-profit healthcare 'soulless, vampire bastards making money off human pain.'" Never given to halfway statements, HBO's Bill Maher now reenters political frays with an even more emphatic follow-up to The New Rules, offering strong opinions about his three R's: Republicans, racists, and religion. Strong stuff for leftward-leaning readers.
“One of the establishment’s most entertaining critics.”
“Pundit Bill Maher courts controversy you say? He calls it telling the truth.”
Bill Maher is the host of HBO's Real Time and hosted Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect for ten years. He has created nine stand-up comedy specials, and garnered twenty-six Emmy nominations thus far. In 2008, Maher produced Religulous, the seventh highest grossing documentary in history.
On the show, which presented an unlikely foursome of celebrities and pundits debating national issues, Maher was the "moderator" -- though the self-defined Libertarian rarely refrained from excoriating guests he disagreed with before cutting to commercial. Maher's Libertarian status has been challenged (Salon did an entire piece informing Maher that he was "more or less a liberal"), but his ability to incite discussion has never been in question. The success of the show led to a 1996 book tie-in, Does Anybody Have a Problem with That?, which offered highlights from Maher's unfettered commentary targeting everything from AIDS ribbons to Howard Stern to "convenient feminism." Here's his response to secondhand smoking complaints: "It only seems fair that if I can put out my cigarette, you can tell your kid to shut up. Because if you don't tell your kid to shut up, the next time, when you're not looking, I'm gonna give him a cigarette." Maher's fans like his willingness to sacrifice tact and decorum for the sake of sheer honesty; like P. J. O'Rourke, he has an ability to make even his ideological opponents laugh.
The Politically Incorrect book wasn't Maher's first; he wrote a novelization of his standup experience, True Story, in 1994. The blunt, sex-spiked account of comedy club life is not for the squeamish, but it does deliver a realistic portrait. Of the five comedians who inhabit Maher's novel, the New York Times wrote, "They are not deep or refined characters, and the wit is not subtle or dry, but they all have charm, even if it comes from a rueful acknowledgment of their fecklessness and their failings."
Ironically, the same equal-opportunity-offender approach that made Maher such a hit may have been what finally did in his show. True to form, Maher managed to anger many even in America's all-for-one climate following the September 11 attacks. The week following the tragedy, Maher said during an argument on his show: "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." The resulting tempest in a teapot was enough to make advertisers Sears and FedEx pull out of the show, and it was cancelled shortly thereafter.
With When You Ride Alone, You Ride With bin Laden, Maher did not abandon his comedic tenor -- his promotional tour included stand-up engagements -- or his contrarian views. But he tempered the sarcasm with sincerity. "I can't deny it, I do hope you check out this book," he wrote in a note to readers on his web site. "I feel like it's the first attempt to indicate to people stuff they can actually DO to help fight the big terrorism war, so we can, you know -- win." Maher also said he donated part of the proceeds from his book to the USO and Operation USA.
Maher told US Weekly in 2000 that True Story was "the book I have in me. I'm very proud of it, but I could never write another one." This turned out to be not quite true, though it seems unlikely he'll try another novel. After his show ended, Maher told the Los Angeles Press Club (which gave him its 2002 President's Award) that though he wouldn't seek another show like Politically Incorrect, "I'm definitely still going to be talking about issues. I'm still going to be a comedian. I'm sure I'll still be controversial, but it won't be exactly me and four people every night." When You Ride Alone fulfills Maher's prophecy, and confirms his continuing ability to start conversations -- or arguments.
The title of Maher's 2002 book When You Ride Alone, You Ride With bin Laden comes from a World War II poster he saw that read, "When you ride alone, you ride with Hitler -- Join a car-sharing club today." The book contained 33 spoofs on the wartime propaganda posters that are being offered for sale, including one that reads, "Put a flag on your car...it's literally the least you can do."
Anonymous
Posted November 16, 2011
Please check it out it makes a lot of sence
4 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DuelCitizen
Posted May 31, 2012
This is by far one of the funniest things I've ever read. So much so, in fact, that I finished it in less that 2 days. I am an incredibly slow reader with a tiny attention span, so that's kind of a record for me. If it could hold my interest, maybe it could hold yours too! That is... if you're not an easily offended conservative reader. If you are, I wouldn't recommend it. Not because it's not good, but because the voice of reason doesn't usually work on your type anyway.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 25, 2012
Rantings of a spoiled little boy..
3 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.drbcabarete
Posted December 14, 2011
Long a fan of the author, on tv or books and this one is certainly telling it like it is. Not much to complain about as a reader as long as you share his thoughts and beliefs. Sometimes his positions make one angry that the rest of the world does not see it his way but everyone has opinions. Too bad all the opinions are not his as the world would assuredly be a better place in which to live, as long as you follow the "New New Rules".
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 8, 2012
I like
Maher and his work, but this book is a disappointment. After the first 50 pages,this book turns into a sad effort to finish the book for profit.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 23, 2012
Love Bill Maher and his sense of humor! Only complaint... the book is too short.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 9, 2012
Bring problems to light and shows the ignorance of the majority of modern society today
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 8, 2012
Bill Maher is at it again with has crazy but truthful way of thinking . A quick easy read thay wil have you in stitches i recommend this book to all Maher followers.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 7, 2012
Hilarious and way too real.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 26, 2011
Funny
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.If George Carlin were still around and took a political affiliation, then he would be Bill Maher! Bill uses George's same brand of humor and spins it to his his left-wing point of view. Most of the material here is from his Real-Time New Rules segments but some of it is new. He says things that if there real ghosts they would have to be naked. This is because the person died and their soul is wandering the earth. Their pants are souless so why would they also be doomed to wander the earth?
Bill is very strong on saying that anyone not believing in climate change is living a fantasy, that the conservative Republican pundits have repeated certain untrue messages over and over that they are now accepted as being true (especially with things invovlving universal healthcare).
Though Bill is a comedian, he seems to be one of the few "liberal" voices that backs up what he says with cogent arguments (unlike the zannies at MSNBC). Nobody is immune to his ironic barbs including Democrats, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Though the bulk of his complaints are against the most conservative Republicans and pundits like Hannity and Limbaugh.
Bill has a funny preface which he even attacks the reader for being silly for reading the book's preface. In it he also states that this book is the second of a trilogy so another one will be coming in a few years (he needs time to build up more material).
If you can put all political predjudices aside and just read the book you will find it hilarious. I know I have seen several of the most Conservative of guests (Ann Coulter, Dan Issa ) laughing out loud at his New Rules segment on his HBO Real Time show.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 16, 2011
Interesting insight into the politics of yesterday & today. He is right on!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2013
Enjoyable and very funny. Try to read it over several days to avoid Bill Maher overload.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Feeling a lack of snarkiness in your life? Have no fear, Bill Maher is here. The NEW New Rules is a compilation of Maher's observations on politics, education, American culture, food, sex, sports, the economy, history--you name it, Bill's got an opinion on it and it will probably make you laugh.
The book is arranged alphabetically. In each chapter, observations having to do with a subject starting with that letter are arrayed. Photographs are used to illustrate various points. Most of the material comes from various prior writings but some material is written new for this book and each new observation is marked as such.
Love him or hate him, Maher will make you laugh. The material is R-rated so this book is not recommended for children, but adults will be hard-pressed not to find something to make them smile, if not outright chortle. This book is recommended for adult readers ready for some fun.
Anonymous
Posted August 24, 2012
A lot of truth in a funny way.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.WolfieSC
Posted July 10, 2012
Great book for the liberals
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 1, 2012
This book is both funny and true
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 17, 2012
Normaly, I don't believe that humans evolved from monkeys, but in Mahers case I think I may have to make an exception...:)
A man to be pitied for his life and what he contributes to the human experience.
0 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 27, 2012
This was a very funny read. He tells it like it is.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.hotshots
Posted December 16, 2011
I am a fan of Bill Maher, The book goes on too long about the usual subjects, however, he is funnier in person delivering those outragious
lines.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
From bestselling author and host of HBO's Real Time, Bill Maher's new book of political riffs serves up a savagely funny set of rules for preserving sanity in an insane world
A follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The New Rules, The New New Rules delivers a series of hilarious, intelligent rants on everything from same-sex marriage to healthcare, from Republican agendas to celebrity meltdowns, with all the razor-sharp insight that has made Bill Maher one of the most ...