Chris Regan
Author of Shatner Rules: Your Guide to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large
About the Author
Image credit: Deborah Lopez Photography
Works by Chris Regan
Shatner Rules: Your Guide to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large (2011) — Author — 229 copies, 14 reviews
Associated Works
America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004) — Contributor — 7,761 copies, 63 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1967
- Gender
- male
- Awards and honors
- Emmy Awards (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), Peabody Awards (2001, 2005)
- Short biography
- Chris Regan is comedy writer who won five Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards while as a writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart between 1999 and 2006. He currently writes for the late night programs Frank TV on TBS and Talkshow with Spike Feresten at Fox. He has published humor pieces in USA Today and New York magazine and was one of the co-authors of the best-selling “America: The Book” His latest humor book, “Mass Historia: 365 Days of Historical Facts and (Mostly) Fictions” will be released by Andrews McMeel in fall 2008.
Members
Reviews
Shatner Rules: Your Guide to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large by William Shatner
William Shatner is a larger-than-life persona, and this humorous memoir will tell you exactly what you need to know to understand Shatner. Here is a list of simple rules—wisdom gained from his 80 years of life experience—that will guide you on a path of Shatneresque glory. All kidding aside, this book is funny. The writing is good, and the audio narration provided by Shatner is on point. There is a down-to-earth element, which sometimes competes with the overblown egocentrical element, show more and even here, Shatner is very self-aware and somewhat tongue-in-cheek. He shows the complicated relationship between “William Shatner” and just “Bill.” He talks about his life, his career, his family, his personality, his mistakes, and his achievements. He sort of pokes fun at, and at the same time revels in, his “big shiny ego.” Part memoir, part celebration, part inspiration—and with perfect comedic timing. show less
This book is extremely funny or extremely offensive, depending on your point of view. I'm in the extremely funny camp! Nothing (well, not much) is sacred to this author, as he lampoons everything in his path. There is one entry for each day of the year, illuminating events that happened on each day with a combination of facts and totally made-up lunacy! The satire is so thick you can cut it with a knife. This is my kind of humor! Sometimes the actual facts are so bizarre, you think he had to show more have made it up (ahem, beard tax). The book had me looking things up to compare "real" history to the author's take on it. Fun! show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Mass Historia is an astute semi-farcical reflection on the historical events to be remembered on each day of the year. The subtitle "365 Days of Historical Facts and (Mostly) Fictions" is a little off base - as there certainly seems to be more fact than fiction represented.
I laughed out loud several times, and in thinking of how to review the book I'm sorely tempted to just type quote after quote from it and just say, "See? Brilliant!". My spouse was somewhat annoyed that I would read from show more it to her on such occasions as 'trying to go to the bathroom' or 'for the love of god, it is 2 am, shut the f*¢& up'.
Memory techniques offer suggestions to attach humor or the unexpected to facts you wish to recall. This engages the senses and makes a more permanent home in your mind for things you'd like to remember. As difficult as it may be to get this book through the door of a classroom - I think it could be invaluable for any student of history (of course, about the time somebody makes you read something, you resent that thing automatically, so kindly disregard this idea of mine).
It would make a great daily calendar, as well as several other applications people unanimously disrespect and invalidate - like the Coffee Table Fixture, the Bathroom Companion and the Presser of Flowers.
Should you suffer from the afflictions that result in the cherishing of sacred cows - do consider this book as a gift idea for those annoying thinkers and progressives in your family tree (the ones that routinely scowl at your donating to the NRA and the 700 Club in their name come the holidays).
A rock solid 4 stars out of 5 from me. While laughing at such turns of phrase as: "Hitler was supposedly the one responsible for the (Volkswagen Beetle's) rounded design, which was inspired by the supple curves of Hermann Goering's abundant and aerodynamic muffin-top." I would have gone to 5 stars, for sure. Screw it, I'm going to 5 stars. show less
I laughed out loud several times, and in thinking of how to review the book I'm sorely tempted to just type quote after quote from it and just say, "See? Brilliant!". My spouse was somewhat annoyed that I would read from show more it to her on such occasions as 'trying to go to the bathroom' or 'for the love of god, it is 2 am, shut the f*¢& up'.
Memory techniques offer suggestions to attach humor or the unexpected to facts you wish to recall. This engages the senses and makes a more permanent home in your mind for things you'd like to remember. As difficult as it may be to get this book through the door of a classroom - I think it could be invaluable for any student of history (of course, about the time somebody makes you read something, you resent that thing automatically, so kindly disregard this idea of mine).
It would make a great daily calendar, as well as several other applications people unanimously disrespect and invalidate - like the Coffee Table Fixture, the Bathroom Companion and the Presser of Flowers.
Should you suffer from the afflictions that result in the cherishing of sacred cows - do consider this book as a gift idea for those annoying thinkers and progressives in your family tree (the ones that routinely scowl at your donating to the NRA and the 700 Club in their name come the holidays).
A rock solid 4 stars out of 5 from me. While laughing at such turns of phrase as: "Hitler was supposedly the one responsible for the (Volkswagen Beetle's) rounded design, which was inspired by the supple curves of Hermann Goering's abundant and aerodynamic muffin-top." I would have gone to 5 stars, for sure. Screw it, I'm going to 5 stars. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.If MyOtherBoyfriend, Steven Colbert, can give his “thumbs up” to this work, then who am I to argue? Okay… let’s be serious, I am one who argues… a lot. So here it goes: I did love this book, and like the other reviewers, I laughed out loud and mightily at the jabs poked toward some serious historical moments. Yet, when I tried to share my amusement with my 14 year old son - who also enjoys a caustic wit and is a comprehensive thinker in his own right - I realized that what made show more this work so damn funny to me also made it boring as hell to him. That was a bummer! Most of the humor is specifically targeted at my age bracket and I felt, in describing the hilarity to my son over breakfast, I also needed to rely on VH1’s decade specials “I love the…” to aid his forced-guffaws and rolling of the eyes response. And while I may be dealing with the throes of teenage angst and displacement developmental stages of my teenaged son, I was supported in my theory when I realized that I was not misplacing my copy of the text while trying to finish reading it, the book was being absconded by my husband who was also as tickled as I. This is fun read with only a few slights against Oprah and Emma Goldman… oh, and Sylvia Plath which might reveal, to a savvy women’s studies major, that maybe Regan is a touch on the misogynist side of life, but not so far as to be totally offensive ; ) Overall, this is an awesome addition to our excremeditating™ library - and our guest bathroom has some of the finest: Mommy Laid an Egg; The Day My Butt Exploded; the Life 101 series; and How to Get Along With Your Parents Without Losing Your Mind – I think that for the most part, it will be our friends and houseguests who appreciate the effort much more than my kids and their friends. And I suppose that’s what GenX lit is all about: short-attention-span theater and self-absorbed humor. I can only say, “well done, Chris Regan, Well Done!” show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Lists
Entertainment (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 4
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 304
- Popularity
- #77,405
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 31
- ISBNs
- 12
