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Title: Did Monkeys Invent The Monkey Wrench by Vince Staten ISBN: 0-684-83274-7 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: 05 June, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.38 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: monkey business
Comment: Mr Staten might have worked in a hardware store but he still lacks some basic knowledge like what the difference is between a stillson wrench, a pipe wrench, or a crescent wrench.
Rating: 3
Summary: A bit of history, and nostalgia
Comment: I've been seeking out and reading books that bring back a sense of nostalgia and "what made America great" type books. I felt the author didn't put the essence of that into this book. One of the reviewers was quoted on the cover of my edition of this book - that Staten provided "odd facts and interesting tales" and there WERE some odd facts but the tales for the most part, left a lot to be desired.
Everyone has a memory of the corner hardware store, all the assorted "stuff", fasteners, paints, stains, ladders and knife display cases. The author grew up in hardware stores, his father owned hardware stores, yet there just wasn't any sense of enjoyment or adventure, nor a sense of excitement of this in the book. I know I would have been there everyday exploring and getting the scoop on everything.
I may have been expecting more out of this book than could be delivered. I recently read Tools of the Earth and Tools of the Trade, both by Jeff Taylor. I think I was looking for what Taylor was able to deliver in his books. You may want to check these titles out if you're interested in the subject.
John Row
Rating: 3
Summary: Amusing... but sloppy.
Comment: I bought this book on a whim in the middle of a major house remodeling project as a bit of a diversion from all the technical reading I was doing on architecture, construction practices and so forth. Like a lot of guys (and some girls) I'm a bit of a tool freak, so what could be better recreational reading?
Well, lots of things, actually. Staten's book isn't bad, and it does have a lot of interesting stories and a few out of the ordinary facts. But it has a few problems, too, like the huge number of factual errors. There are, for example, retellings of long refuted myths, like the one about Thomas Crapper and toilets. And then there are some downright dangerous misstatement, such as the claim that a string-type weed whacker won't cut flesh.
What I found most offputting was Staten's writing style. He likes the short. Punchy. Sentence.
And lots of new paragraphs.
Of one sentence.
Each.
After a while this really starts to grate, as does Staten's idea of what passes for a joke. But taken in small doses- and with a large grain of salt- the book is still reasonably entertaining. Keep it in your toolbox for reading on breaks, or atop the porceline convenience.
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Title: Can You Trust a Tomato in January? by Vince Staten ISBN: 0671885782 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: 06 July, 1994 List Price(USD): $15.75 |
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Title: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Everything Sold in Hardware Stores and Garden Centers by Steve Ettlinger, Robert Strimban ISBN: 0762414936 Publisher: Courage Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.98 |
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Title: Do Bald Men Get Half-Price Haircuts: In Search of America's Great Barbershops by Vince Staten ISBN: 0684867451 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: June, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Why Is The Foul Pole Fair? (Or, Answers to the Baseball Questions Your Dad Hoped You Wouldn't Ask) by Vince Staten ISBN: 0743233840 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Hardware Cyclopedia by Steve Ettlinger, Robert Strimban, Ettlinger Editorial Projects ISBN: 0762414383 Publisher: Running Press Pub. Date: 17 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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