Average customer rating:
- Shocking through and through
- Really cool book
- Vonnegut's first, but not his best
- Brave New World is better
- Somewhere Between Three and Four Stars
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Player Piano
Kurt Vonnegut
Manufacturer: The Dial Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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Vonnegut Jr., Kurt
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| Literature & Fiction
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Vonnegut, Kurt
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| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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General
| Science Fiction
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ASIN: 0385333781
Release Date: 1999-01-12 |
Book Description
Vonnegut’s first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a super computer and run completely by machines. Paul’s rebellion is vintage Vonnegut–wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality.
Download Description
Vonnegut's first novel, an unforgiving portrait of an automated and totalitarian future, was published in 1952. A human revolt against the machines which control life was arranged by the machines themselves to prove the futility of such resistance.
Customer Reviews:
Shocking through and through.......2007-08-20
This book is a 5-star book for engineers and technologists, particularly those working for big corporations, but probably only a 3-star book for anybody else. (You can guess from my rating what I do.) Vonnegut creates hybrid eu/dystopia brought about by the ultimate success of American ingenuity and capitalism. Dr. Proteus is brilliantly and complexly written as a successful technologist desperately aware of his relationship to his corporation and of the corporate's relationship to the world. Feels more like Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" than Orwell's "1984," but is more humane and sad and beautiful both in its hope and despair in humanity than either of them.
Really cool book.......2007-07-05
I got this book for a class but I ended up really enjoying it. Reading about a possible future written in the 50's about the 60's is always kind of hard to swallow but we live in a world like the book. Most American's don't work in factories anymore and in the book that is because of machines and for us it's because of overseas labor. Although the reasons are different some of the reactions are the same and is a good read and relevant to today's world.
Vonnegut's first, but not his best.......2007-06-27
You can definitely see some of the raunchy, outrageous writing the Vonnegut is so well known for. The story is very linear, which is very uncharacteristic of his later books (i.e. Bluebeard, Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions). His anthropological influence is as strong as in most of his work, which calls to mind his characters' struggle of man versus society. The science fiction aspect of the book is quite imaginative, even in the contemporary sense. He reflects what society would be like with machines doing all of our dirty, repetitive work, but not in the typical, glamorous way that sci-fi usually portrays. Usually robots and machines either help mankind to achieve impossible feats of stregnth or they tend to kill all humans. Vonnegut simply has them as the unknowing innocent bystander, sucking the purpose of life away from us all.
Its really a great read if you are a Vonnegut fan. But, if you haven't read any Vonnegut before, his first book isn't the one to start with. Choose from these three, you can't go wrong: "Cat's Cradle", "Breakfast of Champions" or "Slaughterhouse Five".
Brave New World is better.......2007-05-29
This novel, now more than half a century old, does not hold up, except perhaps as an indicator of what people were worrying about when the novel was published. The problem is Vonnegut's tendency to sketch so many of the details of a society run by machines. As a result, there are too many set pieces where a character whose skills have been (or are about to be) replaced by a machine ruminates, rather predictably, on his loss of purpose and dignity. You will find your eyes skimming the page. I found myself thinking a lot about that other depiction of the triumph of the scientists and engineers, Brave New World. Both novels have rather obvious plots that serve primarily as vehicles for the authors' ideas about the future, but Huxley is content to mostly suggest the domination of machines through an apparatus like the Feelies or games like Obstacle Golf, without pages of detail. And the philosophical meditiations he gives to characters like Mustapha Mond are far more interesting (and frightening) than the evidently mindless boosterism of Vonnegut's Dr. Kroner. Some of Player Piano actually sounds like the earlier book (Brave New World was published in 1932), particularly Vonnegut's description of The Meadows, with loudspeakers blaring cheery songs and suggestions the way they do in Huxley's [...] Porgy scene. Ultimately, Brave New World is the bleaker (and, to me, more troubling) book, since it predicts that human beings will always give up their personal freedoms in order to be comfortable through an abundance of consumer goods, readily available drugs, and promiscuous sex. Vonnegut, on the other hand, is more optimistic, since he seems to suggest that there will always be people to question the role of machines and even smash them up if need be (if only to turn around and build them again). In Huxley's world, life is so pleasing that dissent is almost umimaginable---and certainly doomed, as the swinging of John's feet to all points of the compass suggests. If you want to read a dystopia about the triumph of machines and engineering, start with Brave New World.
Somewhere Between Three and Four Stars.......2007-05-28
In all honesty, I don't think Vonnegut's first novel is particularly well written. Player Piano is the most traditionally novelistic of all of Vonnegut's work and it is not a skin Vonnegut seems very comfortable in. It has a beginning, middle and end, a coherent plot, doesn't putter around much with extraneous details, a third person narrator that doesn't call attention to itself and a hero of sorts. That is, it reads like a conventional novel but within the conventions is a undercurrent of whimsy and absurdity that doesn't jive with the literary rule following. All of the author's later novels that I've read are very creative and much more relaxed and better written in the way the novel form is played with. The idea of a dystopia where a huge percentage of the population is rendered useless by technology was pretty nervy stuff in the 1950's postwar economy boom. Player Piano reads like something between Orwell and Philip K. Dick. The signature flippancy, sarcasm and cynicism are here, as Vonnugut fans will note. Not a bad novel, by any means but hardly a signature work.
Book Description
Play the world's most beautiful classical music quickly and easily with this high-quality selection of short, favorite, accessible compositions by the world's greatest composers — Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Haydn, Liszt, Shubert, Tchaikovsky, and others. Includes Beethoven's Für Elise, Three Norwegian Dances by Grieg, Liszt's Consolation, Macdowell's To a wild rose, Schumann's Träumerei, and many more.
Customer Reviews:
Not for Early Players.......2007-08-06
I play piano and the pieces in this book are scaled down from the originals, but they are not easy for early players. I wouldn't recommend for this type of player. I bought it for my daughter, and she found it very frustrating. So it's on the shelf for now. The preface of the book even states that "Early Players" in the title was probably a stretch. For intermediate players, it's fine and probably just the challenge that they need.
Nice Collection But Not For Beginners.......2007-06-17
As advertised this book has ninety-seven classic compositions from esteemed composers. Included are several selections from Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and many other well known piano masters. There are really no pieces for very early beginners though perhaps 25% of the collection could be played fairly comfortably by a student who has mastered book two in most piano teaching series. The other 75% is definitely for an intermediate to advanced student and as another reviewer noted there are no guides for fingering and there are also no or few markings for pedalings or dynamics. The editor states in a note this is an asset because it makes for a "cleaner" page but again perhaps not the best format for a beginning student. A glossary of musical terms is included as well as dates of birth and death for each composer.
Beautiful piano book.......2007-05-11
As a music student, it is hard to find cheap, good quality collections, but this one is excellent. Instead of being printed on harsh, white paper, the music is printed on a softer more ivory colored paper. Makes those late nights practicing a little easier on the eyes! Great book, lots of variety!
NOT an 'Easy' piano book as stated.......2007-03-23
This is definitely not for someone with basic piano knowlege or even lessons 'a few years ago'. This is a challenging book for someone who hasn't been playing for awhile (or recently). I'm through book 2 of Alfred's adult lessons (and played as a kid) and it is challenging for me. I'll put it away for later.
misleading- more for a intermediate to advanced.......2007-03-13
This is not for the beginner. I would agree that you need to be through Alfred's third book, before attempting this.
Book Description
The Super Sight-Reading Secrets book has provided the answers to sight-reading problems for thousands of pianists and keyboardists! This self-study method teaches sight-readers how to increase their visual perception, and keyboard orientation. Specifically, the drills and exercises teach how to look ahead and to play any note on the keyboard without looking at their hands.
Customer Reviews:
So far so good!.......2007-03-23
I'm still on the first exercises. But so far so good!
I'm sure I'll be able to sight-read once I complete all the exercises.
It's straightforward and a very thin book, which is nice because I've got a lot other things to carry (textbooks, binders).
Super Sight-Reading Secrets: An Innovative, Step-By-Step Program for Musical Keyboard Players of All Levels.......2006-12-14
The exercises the author provides help improve the chain of skills needed to sight read. You work on each link of the chain separately and progressively so that the learning work is doable and at any point in the process you skills get a balanced improvement. I was fluent in treble clef, but only knew a few notes of bass. A few weeks later I can easily recognize all the notes in the bass clef.
Good book for the money.......2006-03-26
I wouldn't say that this book will make you a perfect sight reader, or even that it contains everything you need to know. In fact, it actually references a lot of different books to practice (book of scales and chords, Bach chorales). However, for $10, it is worth the buy. It contains helpful information and useful methods to follow. If you do everything he says in the book, it will take a while to get through and will provide you with needed techniques, especially if you are a beginner; you just have to stick with it until completion to see results.
Chuan Chang highly recommends.......2006-01-14
I have yet to read this sight-reading book, but I am a big fan of Chuan Chang's Fundamentals of Piano Practice, wherein he gives this analysis:
Richman, Howard, "Super Sight-Reading Secrets", 1986, 48P., no references.
This is the best book on sight reading. It contains all the fundamentals; they are described in complete detail, teaching us all the correct terminology and methodologies. It starts from how to read music, for the beginner, and advances logically all the way to advanced sight reading levels; it is especially helpful for the beginner. It is also concise, so you should read the whole book once before starting any actual drills/exercises. Starts with how to psychologically approach sight reading. Basic components of sight reading are Pitch, Rhythm, and Fingering. After an excellent introduction to music notations, appropriate drills are given. Then the sight reading process is broken down into its component steps of visual, neural, muscular, and aural processes that start with the music score and end up as music. This is followed by drills for learning "keyboard orientation" (finding the notes without looking at the keyboard) and "visual perception" (instantly recognizing what to play). Depending on the person, it may take from 3 months to 4 years to learn; should practice every day. Finally, about one page of ideas on advanced sight reading. A MUST READ.
Mr. Chang also continuously refers to and highly recommends:
1. Fink, Seymour, "Mastering Piano Technique", 1992
2. Sandor, Gyorgy, "On Piano Playing", 1995
(...)
Not very good.......2004-10-25
This "book" is more like a short document you could download off the internet. There are hardly any exercises in the book. The author asks you to exercise on other artists works using various methods. The whole book could be summarized on one page if you ask me. Also, half the book is dedicated to teaching you how to read music. Having played piano for 20 years, this half of the book was just wasted paper.
Book Description
For beginners and experienced technicians alike.
Customer Reviews:
Player Piano: Servicing & Rebuilding.......2007-09-26
This is the #1 book to own if you care about understanding how your player piano works and if you want to know how to service it. It is a classic!
Classic and Informative.......2007-05-14
This is an essential reference of player piano servicing. Very technical at points, nonetheless, it offers valuable tips for the novice do-it-yourselfer as well as for the professional restorer seeking advice. Hundreds of modern and period photos from rare service manuals enhance this book. The writing style is very clear and easy to follow.
The only negative, for me, is that it has not been updated since the 1980's. The advent of computerized solenoid player systems, and their potential for being installed on antique players, is barely covered. I would have also covered roll scanning and restoration more thoroughly.
Even if you never open your player, this book provides valuable insight into the inner workings of this most fascinating mechanical technology and helps you to appreciate the art and craft of piano rebuilding.
Great Book.......2007-03-11
This book is great for helping with your own piano. Our player is so old that people don't have any idea or parts to fix it. This book gives us some ideas on how to do it ourselves.
Very Complete.......2005-10-09
I'm very happy with this book. It's all expected and more.
It covers everything from basic cleaning and minor repairs to an absolute complete rebuild of ever component imaginable for spinets, uprights, and grand pianos. The author explains precisely how each part of a piano action works and how to properly regulate them. Moreover it also has two chapters on tuning; the first covers the theory of tuning while the second covers the actual tuning process along with exercises that teach each step of the process. It's well worth its price.
Like they used to write them!.......2004-02-19
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In a world of dumbed-down "hot to do it" books that simply tell you to hire an expert, this book is a breath of fresh air. This is the highly technical stuff that people like Audels wrote in the 1930's before America turned stupid.
Even if you're all thumbs, this will tell you what to look out for when hiring someone. If you have the skill, this will tell you the right way to do the job, just as it was done 80 years ago.
A fine resource written by a real gentlemen who is a purist in the field. If you own any instrument that plays itself, this book is a MUST!
Book Description
Once upon a time Eddie played conert piano to reverent audiences at Carnegie Hall. Now he bangs out honky-tonk for drunks in a dive in Philadelphia. But then two people walk into Eddie's life--the first promising Eddie a future, the other dragging him back into a treacherous past.
Shoot the Piano Player is a bittersweet and nerve-racking exploration of different kinds of loyalty: the kind a man owes his family, no matter how bad that family is; the kind a man owes a woman; and, ultimately, the loyalty he owes himself. The result is a moody thriller that, like the best hard-boiled fiction, carries a moral depth charge.
Customer Reviews:
A writer's writer.......2007-06-05
For something published almost fifty years ago, this book feels startling modern, not only in language but in technique. A meditation on family, obligations, and the inescapability of fate, the novel follows a former soldier and piano virtuoso who's given up on life, wanting only to play dreamy tunes in a dingy bar. But when he's dragged into a world he always fought to avoid, he's forced to face who he really is -- with tragic results.
Philly Noir .......2005-11-21
I expected more from this Goodis novel that the previous two I had read (see Blonde on a Streetcorner and Moon in the Gutter), only because it is the basis for the 60s French movie of the same name with Jean Paul Belmondo... in fact, that title is the publisher's ploy to get you to buy this book which was originally titled Down There by Goodis. Not a very glamorous title, but somewhat apropos for its setting in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia, down and dirty working class sawdust floor saloon where the piano man finds his refuge and existence. Anyway, I was disappointed despite the more accurate naming of Philly and South Jersey environs that Goodis provides to give it a more naturalistic flavor. It did not seem as humanistically developed as the other two novels I read. This time Goodis succumbed to the cliches rather than exploiting them to develop his story. Another well drawn brutal fight scene, which he seems paricularly adept at writing and that as usual goes on for pages. No remarkable sex scene, as limited as they usually are in his books. Not all that bad but not all that good. For Goodis fans no doubt a must read. Also, for Philly memories.
absolutely enjoyable.......2005-05-13
For years I have avoided reading Shoot the Piano Player because the film by Truffaut is one of my favorites. It hardly seemed fair to the book to try and read it when I liked the film so very much.
It was a mistake to have waited.
Shoot the Piano Player is a subtle and hard-hitting novel that goes beyond many of the expectations of a Noir thriller. The writing is subtle and moody, with moments of aggression and connection that flash like heat lightning.
Eddie does not need any trouble in his life. By the time trouble catches up to him at Harriet's Hut he is already a beaten man. Disengaged and detached, a single act of involvement carries him over the line and back into life. This is a dark and poor Philadelphia where the past catches up to a person and where nothing and nobody are what they seem.
Recommended for fans of Noir fiction and films. Truffaut fans should not worry about being disappointed. Even if you aren't yet a noir fan, this is an excellent book for anybody with a taste for smart and well-written literature.
Destiny can be deadly........2004-07-03
Eddie is the name of the piano player of the book's title. For the princely sum of thirty dollars a week, Eddie provides background music in a rundown dive. He figures that if he has nothing, nothing can be taken away from him. And if he stays in the background, like so much wallpaper, no one will ever bother him.
Eddie's strategy for living works quite well. That is until an untimely visit from his hoodlum brother triggers a cascade of events that threaten his very life.
Shoot the Piano Player is a short allegorical novel that is dark and unapologetically downbeat. Deceptively simple in its construction, there's a lot of truth about life contained within its pages. If you take the time to read this book, you will learn more about what makes human beings tick than you ever would by reading any ten psychology texts put together. An enthusiastic 5 stars.
You Can't Escape Fate.......2004-03-14
"Shoot the Piano Player" is quintessential American crime noir. The protagonist is Eddie, a piano player in a sleazy Philadelphia bar. He comes from a family of criminals but managed to escape that life. At one time, he was a promising classic pianist, but then he fell from grace. Now, Eddie's brother Turley literally stumbles back into his life, bringing chaos and uncertainty. At the same time, Eddie begins to tentatively woo a waitress at work. The plot is full of twists, although it's a bit of a mess at times.
The novel was originally released in 1956 as "Down There," which appropriately reflects the dilemma Eddie faces. Specifically, the book focuses heavily on fate, which seems to be dictating that Eddie return to "down there" from whence he came. The book's name was changed subsequently to reflect the classic 1960 movie it inspired - "Shoot the Piano Player," directed by French auteur Francois Truffaut. As with Truffaut's movie, the book's plot is secondary to character and ambience. Instead, Goodis reflects on small moments, such as Eddie's exhilaration at standing close to the waitress in an alley as they hide from gangsters. Indeed, the characters are well-delineated, and I found myself truly caring about them.
If you like Raymond Chadler, Jim Thomson or similar crime noir writers, then you'll probably enjoy this novel. Goodis is a skillful pulp writer. Unfortunately, most of his books have gone out of print - make sure you get this one while it's still available.
Book Description
All five books of The Complete Piano Player series are published in this single volume at a substantial savings over the price of the 5 individual books. Comes complete with Keyboard Chart.
Customer Reviews:
Complete Piano Player Omnibus Edition .......2007-02-21
A first class product delivered very quickly considering the item came from the USA to the UK. I would recommend this product to anyone learning to play the piano and it represents very good value over purchasing each edition seperately.
Complete Piano Player Omnibus Edition.......2007-01-16
Great book for the beginning piano player. Provides instruction from proper posture to piano exercises. I'm still working through it and don't find it boring. Written to keep student interested.
well thought out lessons to help gradually gain piano skills.......2006-10-30
I began learning the piano at the age of 5 and stopped at 10 to give time to the clarinet. Since then I have lost my coordination between my left and right hand. This book recomposes a lot of familiar, old classics (ob di la was my favorite and brought back so much memories!) in varying skill progressions so that each new lesson is a build up of a previous lesson. In just a month, I am already in book 4 and loving how the book guides one through a bit at a time. I have observed improvement in the coordination of my 2 hands and relearning how to be more familiar in reading the keys in treble clef again. I have been going through this book so fast because I can recognize each song and thus find enjoyable to play -- I have to say, I have a bit of a knack for sight reading though.
Some of the pieces I thought were strangely composed though; but perhaps it is just my lack of appreciation of the esoteric beauty of la musique.
LloydInSocal.......2006-09-16
The Book I bought is only one fifth of the "series" or complete Book that has been reviewed by some. I got ONLY Book 1 (of 5 or more) that I would retitle: "How to play songs with one finger on each hand". And that covers all 48 pages of the Book. It's fine for "starters", I suppose, but it looks to me like it defintely demands the other 4 "Books" to be worth it -- and I did not see those offered.
Certainly not for beginners.......2005-08-11
Having read another book "Listen, Look and Play" by the same author years back, and having read the praises and 5-star ratings for this book, I thought this would be good place to start.
Maybe I've not given enough time to the book yet, but from what I have read and tried so far, it looks like it's just a collection of sheet music with some legends and notes thrown in between explaining what the different terms, symbols and notation mean.
At the very least, I'd like to know the correct finger placement. I had though this book give me the formal introduction to piano but it seems like I'm better off on my own, playing by the ear.
I don't think this is a suitable beginner's book. I'd rather read something which starts me with basic explanation and some simple examples to practice rather than jumping to full-fledged songs/rhymes on the first go. And this is after I had taken a two-week course which taught me some basics on how to read music on the staff - if you are an absolute beginner, just forget it!
Another thing I didn't like about this book is that it is too thick and hence almost impossible to place it in the sheet music holder on my keyboard. I'd rather have the five "books" as actually five separately bound booklets, so that I can conveniently turn pages - at least that's how it was with another book I had.
Customer Reviews:
A great book for the jazz starter, inter. and/or advanced!!!.......1998-07-24
This is a great book written by a great jazz player. It is easy to understand for the beginner, yet at a high enough level for the more advanced player. An excellent reference for scales, modes, or any other jazz techniques. I found that if I studied this book, it helped me out memorizing and remembering QUICKLY how to apply them to the piano. A must buy!
Book Description
Ernst Hanfstaengl (Putzi) was court jester, pianist, and foreign press chief for Hitler during his political climb, and later played a lead role in Roosevelt’s top-secret project to use disinformation against the Nazis. An urbane Harvard-educated German, Putzi was living in Germany in 1922 when he first heard Hitler speak in Munich. Introducing himself after the speech, Putzi began one of the strangest relationships in twentieth-century politics. As he tried to introduce Hitler to Munich high-society and polish his image in the eyes of the world, Hanfstaengl helped finance Mein Kampf, claimed to have devised the chant of “Sieg Heil,” and attempted to set Hitler up with the American ambassador’s beautiful young daughter. But he fell out of Hitler’s graces, fled to Britain where he was interned, and then transferred to America. There, he worked for his old friend from the Harvard Club, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The star of Roosevelt's "S-Project," Putzi provided information on four hundred leading Nazis, analyses of Hitler’s speeches, and a sixty-eight-page psychological portrait of Hitler. Through newly declassified documents, photographs, interviews with members of Hanfstaengl’s family, and original writing by Hanfstaengl, Peter Conradi recounts the remarkable life of history’s personal link between Hitler and FDR.
Customer Reviews:
Ouch.......2006-01-09
Readers of Djuna Barnes should pick up this important biography right away, for those of us who admire the brilliant, bisexual US modernist will discover, in Putzi Hanfstaengl, one of the central figures in Barnes' life and an original of NIGHTWOOD. When the two of them met, shortly before World War I in a very different New York City, aristocratic, thrill-seeking Harvard grad Ernst Hanfstaengl was like no one else Barnes had ever met, and even though she was already identifying herself pretty much as a lover of women, she managed still to bring him under her erotic spell. Author Conradi relays Andrew Field's story (from his authoritative Barnes biography) that he was so attracted to her that, while slow dancing with her, he suffered an embarrassing and infinitely painful little "sex accident." To put it in layman's terms, his erection exploded. Now, that's erotic enslavement!
Conradi's best guess is that Putzi and Djuna dissolved their engagement because she would not become German enough for him, but he outlines the various possibilities.
She is said to have contemplated killing herself by leaping from her window when he left her to return to Germamy at the outbreak of World War I.
There he married the unsatisfactory, hapless Helene, whom he led a merry chase till she finally divorced him to find happiness with another.
The main story of the book, Hitler's friendship with Putzi and his eventual downfall at the hands of the Allies, is competently told. How much of it shall we believe? Whatever, it is a story more thrilling than any fiction, except perhaps the EYE OF THE NEEDLE and SHINING THROUGH. The Thomas Mann of BUDDENBROOKS might have written the early part of Putzi's life, but the last half of it could only have been dreamed up by a combination of Ian Fleming and John Cheever.
important story.......2005-06-29
Besides giving us some interesting details of the relationship between "Putzi" Hanfstaengel and Hitler, Conradi describes how FDR's personal secret service, run by the mysterious John Franklin Carter, was able to smuggle the Nazi Hanfstaengel into the US and hide him near Washington without even the FBI's knowledge. As one who knew Carter well, I am pleased that this small but important piece of US and WW II history is finally being told.
Inside Adolf.......2004-09-12
At first, you think the title is a Woody Allen joke (see his famous "Schmeed Memoirs", a faux reminiscence by Hitler's barber in "Getting Even".)
But "Hitler's Piano Player" is the real thing--the story of an upper class German who became the ultimate 6th degree of separation, the common link among Adolf Hitler, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Robert Benchley, and others. Born into a wealthy family, "Putzi" went to Harvard, ran a tony art dealership in NYC, returned to Germany in the early 20s, where he met Hitler, and became his confidant, friend, source of loans, piano player, and ultimately, his foreign press secretary. After threatened with assassination, Putzi fled to Switzerland and then, ultimately, to the U.S., where he aided the OSS and wrote lengthy and gossipy dossiers on all the major players in the 3rd Reich. (FDR, who apparently read these reports with relish, called them his "Hitler Bedtime Story".)
This is a bird's eye view of Germany and Hitler in the 20s and 30s--a bizarre home movie that almost humanizes Hitler and at the same time, gives hint to the sources of madness that soon savagely expressed itself.
An unexpected personal view of Hitler before he was the Fuhrer. Well written, compelling, a one-of-a-kind story.
Average customer rating:
- Very funny! Must read book
- Must read for anyone wanting a laugh and is interested in the oil game.
- Change of Pants Required
- One of the funniest books I've ever read!
|
Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse
Paul Carter
Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Adventurers & Explorers
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Memoirs
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Drilling Procedures
| Petroleum, Mining & Geological
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Oil & Energy
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ASIN: 1741146984 |
Customer Reviews:
Very funny! Must read book.......2007-02-07
I laughed out loud at this book. I found I could not put it down until it was finished. Even if you are not familiar with the oil industry (I'm not) the book is a must read.
Must read for anyone wanting a laugh and is interested in the oil game........2006-08-29
Did not put it down until I had finished. Definitely ¨laugh out loud¨funny. I don't recommend reading it in bed while your partner is trying to sleep. After a few too many stifled laughs and resultant kicks, I had to go to another room to finish reading it :)
Very readable, very funny Australian humour.
Change of Pants Required.......2006-08-06
I almost wet my pants laughing my way through this book. The other patrons at the resort pool were giving me strange looks as tears ran down my face and I struggled to catch my breath. I couldn't put it down till it was finished!
One of the funniest books I've ever read!.......2006-02-10
Paul Carter tells his tales of working on oil rigs like very few others can. This book is literally "laugh out loud" funny. Written by an Australian and from an Aussie view point, non-Australian readers may not enjoy the humour as much as I did, but I guarantee that you will like the book and will probably read it more than once and pass it on to friends. It has been selling very, very well here in Australia since its release. It's really is a "don't miss" book.
Product Description
The story of life in Ilium, New York where people have been replaced by machines. The computer revolution has conquered man, granting him dreariness and boredom. Dr. Paul Proteus revolts against the new electronic age, and the novel takes a strange hilarious turn toward an incredible climax!
Customer Reviews:
Perhaps the most accurate prediction of Modern Times...........2006-06-18
It is hard to believe that this novel was written over 50 years ago. I remember that I was working as an engineer back when I first read it. This was appropriate since most of the main characters are engineers. I remember being struck at how close Vonnegutt's predictions about society actually were. Now that I've reexamined them 20 years later, I am even more impressed.
The basic premise of the story is that American industry is run by a tiny group of wealthy and powerful managers and engineers, while the vast majority of the population are stripped of their well-paying industrial jobs and forced to live as poor, powerless menials.
This elite of managers and engineers live in closed, gated Orwellian communities, where they watch each other closely for the slightest hint of nonconformity or disloyalty to the system.
Vonnegut shows how most managers and engineers have always had a contempt for the average American worker and have been looking for a way to replace them even before WW2. He thought that this would primarily be by automation (as opposed to simply shipping the jobs out of the country.)
Vonnegut also assumed that agriculture would be totally mechanised by large corporations and the small farmer made extinct.
There is also the eerie prediction that the President would be a man of low intelligence who would get elected on the basis of a "three hour television show." It would make no difference because there would be no connection between who was elected and who actually ran the country. Remenber, this was in 1952....
Oh yes, he also prdicted that no one would be able to get any job worth having without a graduate degree.
I know that some people will say that this novel is dated based simply on the repeated mention of vacuum tubes (transistors were not in commercial use in 1952.) However, if you substiute "integrated circuit" or "computer chip" for every place he uses vacuum tube the obsolescence vanishes. Simularly, a modern reader may laugh at the idea of a computer large enough to fill Carlesbad caverns. Believe me, even today the Cray supercomputers and their support equipment take up quite abit of space.
My only real criticism with Vonnegut's projections is that he thought that engineers would have alot more power and influence than they actually have. From my own experince MBA's, CPA's, and lawyers have much more power.
Books:
- Princess Academy
- R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
- Rachel's Holiday
- Replay
- Riding Lessons
- Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues
- Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter (Hinges of History)
- Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints
- Salem's Lot
- Saving Faith
Books Index
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