For Crying Out Loud: The World According to Clarkson v. 3 (World According to Clarkson 3)

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Occasionally funny toilet reading
Comment: This is a collection of Clarkson's opinion column for the Sunday Times, over the years 2006 and 2007. Each one is about 3 pages in length, so it makes good reading whilst you're doing your number twos, although I read it cover-to-cover on a cross-channel ferry.

Some of the articles are quite funny. I particularly liked "Mother knows all the best games", "An Oscar-winning village hall bash", and my favourite, "Arrested just for looking weird" where American officials regard commonsense with much less gusto than the law.

Clarkson is certainly an erudite and engaging writer. As a fan of (new) Top Gear, I can imagine him speaking the text as I read it. Some of the articles were quite thought-provoking, such as "The lost people of outer Britain", "If you're ugly you've got to be funny", "It's lies that make TV interesting", and in particular, "Schools are trying to break children", featuring the (actually very serious) story of a student being discouraged from reading "difficult" Engineering subjects for the sake of minimising risk for the school's statistical league table position.

Clarkson's abrasive, amusing laments and parodies of people taking leave of commonsense is fair enough, although it soon develops into dreary "intolerant Tory" political overtones which become tedious about 2/3 of the way through the book (e.g. "Drip-drip-drip of a revolution"). Furthermore, I felt disturbed by articles auch as "Simon Cowell ate our strawberries" and "Save rural Britain - sell it to the rich"; Clarkson is showing signs of beginning to become a NIMBY, which would be a terrible shame if he goes further down that road.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastically Funny!
Comment: Another year and another Clarkson book, and you'll be pleased to to know, they continue to get better and better.
As always the book includes a collection of newspaper articles published over the past year or so, where Clarkson gives his view on the world and on life in general.
Many of his views you'll be able to relate to and will have a similar no nonsence opinionl, other ideas will have you rolling about in laughter, where ever you are reading it.
If you have to own one Clarkson book, make it this one.
Enjoy!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Here we go again
Comment: The man used to funny and amusing. But ever since he started giving us his opinion on politics and changed his sense of humor to bad taste insults, is not worth reading any of his books any more.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Comment: Jeremy Clarkson has to go down as a national treasure. I loved his previous books, and waited with eager anticipation for the release of 'for crying out loud' and it did not disappoint. The complete political incorrectness of his writing, and his wit is the best I have yet to come across. I never re-read books, apart from Clarkson's as I never tire of them and this 3rd volume is no exception. Bring on the next installment, please!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Marmite of journalists pulls out a cracker!
Comment: Jeremy clarkson, in my eyes atleas,t is a great writer, a fantastic tv presenter and my view is unchanged after reading this installment of his literary work. Volume 3 of the world according to clarkson series is a great addition to my collection it made me laugh out loud and want to read more. From start to finish this book is hard to put down!

You either love him or hate him but his books are always funny, entertaining and a great read. HIs writing talents for observational humour are un parrelled by most moden comics.His personal reflections are key to the impact of this book and as a result im more than happy to reccomend this book to anyone i know!

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He’s difficult, argumentative but totally unafraid to express views guaranteed to tread on many people's toes -- that's Jeremy Clarkson. And it's for those very reasons why for everyone for whom his name is anathema, there are an equal number will avidly consume his every word. As For Crying Out Loud: The World According to Clarkson, Volume 3 forcefully reminds us, Clarkson’s must venomous hatreds are reserved for political correctness, and his conducting of a one-man war on ‘crimes against common sense’ has made him an unlikely hero for many, who husband their opinions with much greater care. Clarkson continues to be driven into a frenzy by a great variety of things that impinge on his consciousness, and his splenetic responses are immensely entertaining.

‘What is the matter with people these days?’ If you've ever wondered that, you’ll find a hundred answers in this book, along with a discussion of why binge drinking is good for you, the difficult task of drumming in middle age (and, allied to this, the secret of eternal youth). Oh yes -- and America. Don't get Jeremy Clarkson started on America (in fact, it's too late… you'll find some pithy observations on the States within these pages that are likely to make quite a few people's blood temperatures rise). Ironically, if we were to get stuck behind a taxi driver who harangued us like Jeremy Clarkson, we’d be praying for a short journey. So why is it that For Crying Out Loud is so disgracefully entertaining? Perhaps it is because Clarkson -- when he is away from his beloved (and slightly boring) cars -- is immensely articulate at voicing his enthusiasms and pet hatreds (more of the latter than the former, it has to be admitted). One warning should accompany the book, though -- if you give it as a present to a loved one, be prepared to have great chunks read out loud ad infinitum (and perhaps ad nauseam) along the lines of ‘Listen to what Clarkson says about X or Y! Boy, has he got this right!’ You might not want to share a taxi journey with Jeremy Clarkson, but reading his books are a whole different experience -- and, who knows, you might just end up agreeing with him. --Barry Forshaw