The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists

This book is fun. It makes me laugh. I was neither a punk rocker nor I am I familiar with 75% of the references. But merely perusing the Table of Contents is worth the price. Healthy Living: 21 Dietary Habits of Punks" - has the AMA opined on this? Btw colon cleansing finished number 17. Did I use the word reference? I would hardly call it a reference book in the "using it to cheat on a college exam" sense because it is all opinion not authoritative. In fact, as is true of all books of lists, the best thing is disagreeing with them. For example, why is the Phil Ochs biography "Death of a Rebel" not even listed in Richard Meltzer's beatnik roots reading list? Manitoba HATES pepperoni on his pizza,? And most notably, Ray Davies and the Kinks are not listed in Nick Farren's "10 Founding Fathers of Punk" homage? Say what? I'd give the book 5 stars except I was not enamored enough with the punk musical genre/lifestyle to do so. Having said that, given how the current generation of high schoolers and college kids have embraced old school punk rock and how the genre has grown in reputation through the decades, I wouldn't hesitate to give it to one as a holiday or birthday gift. They'll wonder how you knew about it and think you're pretty cool. Just be careful not to open it first because if you start reading it you may not want to give it away. I gave it as presents to both my teenage son and his "50 something" uncle and they both enjoyed it. Neither are punk rockers. The whole point of punk rock was how ridiculously irreverent it was and this book captures that spirit perfectly.

I put this book in my bathroom "bookshelf"...Each morning, while having my coffee, I read 2 or 3 or 5 or 6 pages, and have been highly entertained for months...The very accomplished writer Amy Wallace(from the orignal Book Of Lists family, The Wallaces), put this together with Punk Rock Icon, Bar Owner, Radio Host, Handsome Dick Manitoba.Along with GREAT drawings by Cliff Mott and a forward by Danny Fields, this is a steal in terms of how much pure fun it is, and how entertaining it is. Sometimes funny, sometimes silly, many times irreverant, and occasionally downright serious, The Official Punk Rock Book Of Lists is the "Feel Good Hit Of The Year"..And....An inexpensive XMAS present, to boot! Not sure about the anger involved in the review :"Has Been-Never Was"....How angry can one get about a book this light?...A personal vendetta, perhaps?

THE OFFICIAL PUNK ROCK BOOK OF LISTS is the latest incarnation of the Wallace family BOOK OF LISTS franchise, this one by Amy Wallace & the legendary Handsome Dick Manitoba. Featuring amazing lists by a variety of Punk notables, this one is for everyone who ever hanged out at CBGB's back in "the day." Great stuff!