Colin Quinn

I like Colin Quinn because he is very educated and makes me laugh out loud about stuff most comedians don't even understand like the US Constitution, American history and the political differences between the states. For example, he sums up Louisiana with the motto "Three can keep a secret if two are dead." I have to admit I read the part about my home state of Texas first. He is right that Texans are as arrogant as New Yorkers. And I was impressed that he quoted Davy Crockett's "You can all show more go to hell, I'm going to Texas." He does fall down in my eyes when he says there are no trees in Texas. Obviously he has not been to the right place as we have ancient oak trees by the millions and a whole forest called The Big Thicket, which I think refers to the clouds of mosquitoes that live there. show less

Sometimes insightful. Sometimes funny. Quinn, however, has a problem making both work in tandem perhaps because the real story he is telling is a sad one.

From my first exposure to Colin Quinn, way back on Remote Control, I loved him. Even as a kid in junior high, I got his sensibility. I knew there were things I wasn't fully appreciating, but I also knew I'd get there.

So I'm pretty much down for any project that involves him. Even when it isn't "the best", I can see enough good in it that I always glean some enjoyment.

That's true here, too. And for a fan of Quinn, this is probably a 5-star book. Especially as an audiobook -it's like having a show more conversation with Quinn for 5 hours - not a bad way to spend a day.

For people who remember the New York that Quinn delineates, this is at least a 4-star book. Quinn's memory is long and detailed, his observations sharp and all-encompassing with just a phrase or two.

But in judging the work as a whole, I gotta say... He goes off on tangents, making this more of a memoir; I think a lot of what he offers is specific to NYC and the areas in its shadow; and I don't know how much he helps in race relations. So if you're looking for groundbreaking insights, you won't find it here.

But you will hear how, not that long ago, (and even still in urban areas with immigration populations), different groups formed their character and identity, and how other groups accepted and interacted with each other. Quinn comes across with a lot of cred here, a lot of confidence, no apologies, and perhaps that's why he gets away with saying what he does. The other thing that comes across to me is that, no matter what he's saying, it isn't mean. None of it is a put-down to any other race or group; it's simply his experiences and observations. And having lived his whole life in the melting pot of the world, he has lots of both.

And maybe you can appreciate the honest and forthright way Quinn speaks about these issues. I'm not sure what he's arguing for here, besides the ability for us all to watch, listen, and learn from each other, give each other the latitude to speak freely, and allow for some mistakes from time to time. That's just good common sense for all interactions. And maybe that's all we need to improve race relations, after all. show less

Not something I would normally buy but Barnes and Noble had it on the 50% off table so I thought it would be funny and anything American History is right up my alley. It was good but not great. There are some interesting factoids in there but it could have been even better if he would've left out the MAGA-friendly references. From early in the book I got the impression Colin Quinn is a Trumper, or at the very least a Trump sympathizer, and that made me enjoy it less by knowing that. A book show more this small usually doesn't take me an entire week to read and that alone shows my level of excitement for it. show less