The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History

The United States of Absurdity by Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds is a completely irreverent look at the skeletons in the closet of US history. What could be more naked than skeletons in the closet? Nevertheless, this is not porn. There is language that might offend the prudish. To counteract that, there are cultural references that will challenge those who look to find smutty meanings in almost any utterance. The prudish will be left in the dust. Those not left in the dust will get to feel superior to those who are left at “What does that mean?” The novel, with references to true events but in the reporting of fact truisms are disguised by a slathering of snark, will amuse. This novel is a fast read of 136 pages that will take less than the two hours recommended by Kindle. The reader will be drawn by feelings of unbelief to go on to the next chapter. Six primary divisions of the story will make serious historians scrambling to find primary sources while the rest of us say “I always suspected that,” or, for the know-it-alls among us to reaffirm what we always suspected, “Of course.” Published in 2017, this novel vigorously competes with the absurdities spewed forth daily by the current Emperor Without Clothes. The only danger posed by this novel is that it might lead the sheepish among us to accept that there is not much new compared to what happened in our past. The events of the past described in this novel, the acceptance of them by society at large, were harmful and incorrect. They are not examples to be emulated. Great American Characters ***** The story of Michael Malloy is a cautionary tale to all alcoholics, both functional and the one a reader might be, to be wary of friends. As I read this, I thought of popular tales about the demise of Rasputin, a person who also drank with trusted friends. Set in the early 1930s, this story is believable because of the facts publicly available. This section also has a great story about Nixon. What do you find hard to accept about Nixon? The Best Of American Sports ***** I detest all sports and believe that the reporting and glorification of them are obvious government (s) attempts to distract a population from serious matters; like wars, recessions, and imminent economic collapse. I almost skipped this section. But the story of 10-Cent Beer Night was worth the effort of my sticking around. Cheap beer and a lot of gratuitous nudity; what is not to like? There may have been policy changes related to public sports exhibitions as a result of this. Great American Medical Breakthroughs ***** The authors give a warning about not eating while reading this section. Or not eating too soon before reading. Or not eating too soon after reading. Readers should pay attention to these warnings. They are not trigger warnings. They are common sense. Learning about Heimlich might surprise readers (really? We are talking about 2016 here). The section on The Stomach Men will put readers off their feed. Very Bad American Ideas ***** This section might be a section unto itself, but the authors have selected some examples they think outstanding. The Flying Pinto will resonate with many Baby Boomers who voted for Nader for President. There is another car comparable to the Pinto made by another manufacturer as far as disposability and austere offerings, but nothing offered the fireball displays of the Pinto. When Americans Go Wrong ***** Vampires exist. People believed that around 1900, and some believe it today. But this account of how people dealt with their non-presence is yet another example of stories you don’t want to read around the dinner table. Unless your menu includes some rather unusual organic ingredients. American Tails ***** The story of the Kentucky Meat Shower will encourage readers to come in out of the rain. Imagine receiving a mysterious, gift of plentiful meat from the heavens. What would be your reaction? The authors mention (I think promote is too strong) their Dollop podcast so for readers intrigued enough to want to do follow up activities, either for sourcing or for more interesting stories, the information is here. Snark aside, and I have no problem with it, this novel is hilarious. I give it five Amazon stars for originality and fun.

Very excited to finally get my hands on this book. It was a mother's day gift from my family. (Mother's Day is a topic I hope The Dollop covers someday.) I found out about The Dollop from listening to My Favorite Murder and it quickly became my favorite podcast. (Maybe tied for first place with You Talkin' U2 To Me?) I love the mix of The Dollop stories we know and love and new ridiculousness​ I've never heard of anywhere else. The stories are concise, sharp, and funny with a little bit of entertaining bonus trivia to wrap it up. There are new jokes and takes on the stories already on the podcast so each story feels freshly told. The artwork is amazing. I adore it. It's beautiful, which feels weird to say since it's also often bizarre and grotesque. But it is indeed very beautifully illustrated. It perfectly matches the tone of the subject. Also, this book is excellent even if you've never heard the podcast before. It's a great way to explain the podcast to a Dollop virgin. I love this book. I love the podcast. I love these guys.

The Dollop is one of the best podcasts out there. If you're not listening, you should. If you don't like podcasts for whatever reason, this book is the next best thing. They took about 30 of their episodes and turned them into funny, bite-sized essays, creating the kind of book that's perfect for getting through the aftermath of an ill-advised late-night trip to Jack in the Box.

If you're a fan of their podcast this book is a must have. If you've never heard of Dave or Gary, sorry Gareth, this book provides a great introduction to the weird, wacky, fascinating and absurd side to American history. The artwork is amazing and this will definitely be a conversation starter if you leave it on your coffee table. And the best thing is if you're interested in hearing more about these amazing stories you can check out the podcast The Dollop and listen to Dave telling these stories to his friend Gareth.

This is a perfect companion piece to the Dave Anthony and Gareth (Gary) Reynolds' podcast. Perfect for anyone interested in quirky history and true American tales, Absurdity will delight longtime fans of the show, while introducing curious readers to this world. I literally have this loveky hardcover propped at my front desk at work as a conversation piece for guests. All but one of these stories has been an episode (Elvis and Nixon has never been aired publicly), and each story is ccondensedto about three pages, so can see why some people might be disappointed. But again, this is a companion piece, a collection of the greatest hits with stunning artwork by James Fosdike. If this is volume 1 of a future series, they can take my money for the rest.

If you haven't listened to The Dollop Podcast yet, this book is a great introduction to what the podcast is all about! If you have listened to the podcast and enjoy any aspect of it, then you'll absolutely love the book. I know most of the stories by heart that are included, but the artwork and the jokes are so awesome. Also, I can't wait to show the book to a non-dollop-head/rube (inside joke). If you don't know the stories included, your head is going to explode. It's all American history...true all the way through. Dave and Gareth are both comedians, and they're hilarious. Right up there with Louis CK. They tell true stories about people that are similar to things done on It's Always Sunny, but The Dollop is about true events. And Gareth's improv is a thing of beauty!

If you're a fan of short stories or of bizarre history, this book is for you. Don't let the category of history dissuade you: you will, at most, know 1 of these stories, but not in their full grotesque, American glory. Written in a really conversational style, this is a perfect book to either pick up for 5 min to absorb one weird story, or blow through 10 weird stories. BUY IT.

If you are a listener to The Dollop then this is a great companion piece to go along with it. Hope they release more books in this series.

I've been listening to The Dollop for about six months, and looking forward to getting a copy of United States of Absurdity since it was announced! Dave and Gareth have a great rapport on the podcast and this totally comes across in the book. Was pleasantly surprised by James Fosdike's gorgeous illustrations - wasn't expecting there to be any and they're just lovely. Each story is just a few pages long, and really does give you just a little "dollop" of the weirdness Dave and Gareth are sharing. Stylistically reminds me of some of the Qi books, lovely little volume for history nerds and anyone who loves a weird anecdote.

You know what happens during transport, maybe pack your stuff a bit better. It's a Christmas gift for someone who loves the podcast or I'd return it.

Listening to the Dollop podcast from the beginning made this book an enticing read. History is so broad and vast. While history books often like to ascribe an air of dignity to world history, this book and the podcast it come from is more honest. It shares our history in all its absurd glory. It's fascinating, funny and the best thing sweet young Garry has done with his time.