Peter Davidson (4) (1942–)

TRUMPED! Beyond Politically Correct: What You Would Say if You Had the Guts
By Peter Davidson
Sweet Memories Publishing
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

The provocative title and daring call to action would have been quite the conversation piece for Peter Davidson's newest book, TRUMPED! Beyond Politically Correct: What You Would Say if You Had the Guts. Would this be a no-holds-barred take-down of PC culture? Would this be a brave independent voice puncturing the moral hypocrisies of the Left and the show more Right? Would the jokes at least be good? Sadly, the answer to all these questions is a resounding no.

It's not that Davidson has opinions that offend or repel me. There's no opinions of any kind in this. I didn't expect to be buried beneath an avalanche of outdated Dad Jokes. Another additional factor makes this book an abysmal read. He misusing the term "politically correct." It's not simply being polite. Again and again, the book has a politically correct version and a brutally honest version. Allegedly. In reality, it is an overly polite version and a less polite version. Comedy should result. I'll cite a random example. In this case, it's after a night of marital bliss following a honeymoon:

Jenny, being politically correct: "Oh, William, you were amazing. It was all I ever imagined it would be, and more. You are all man."

Jenny, being brutally honest: "William, that was the most amazing fifteen seconds of my life."

I guess that's sort of funny, except that same joke has been used by countless comedians. Protip: Don't use dated material. Also, don't use other people's material. I'd push harder on the plagiarism if the jokes weren't all lazy cliches.
I read on, hoping it would get improve. Or at least improve slightly. But every attempt at humor landed with a thud. Even a book would with a political or personal philosophy diametrically opposed to my own would have been more entertaining. This is just ... so ... beige. TRUMPED! remains a tasteless bore, not because of anything uncouth, but because it is relentlessly bland.

If you want to read or see a merciless take-down of PC culture, watch some George Carlin or Bill Hicks.

Out of 10 / 0.3

http://www.cclapcenter.com/2016/08/book_review_trumped_beyond_pol.html show less

I have read three of Peter Davidson’s books and enjoyed them all, each having a bit of comedy in it. When I came across this book, I knew I had to read it, and am so glad I did.

The premise of the book is that we follow the journey of the last penny that was minted on October 22, 1982, in Denver, Colorado. What is the significance of that date, you may ask? Penny was the last penny ever made of 95% copper with just a touch of zinc. After this date, all pennies made were 97.5% zinc and 2.5% show more copper.

It was fun following Penny from person to person, place to place. Most likely no one other than Davidson had thought about a coin’s journey. Penny sometimes changes hands several times in one day while, at other times, remaining in one person’s possession for months. Penny crossed the country, moving from person to person, sometimes wishing to remain with a person a bit longer and sometimes happy to move on. Whether traveling in a Buick Roadmaster with a salesman, in the pants pocket of a bright yellow suit worn by Reverend Brown, or in a metal can on the back of the bar at The Tap Inn, in each place there is a story. Once Penny is even the center of a murder trial.

This quote sums up the entire premise of the book:
"Next time you receive a penny in change, take a good look at it rather than casually throwing it into your change drawer...Ponder for a moment, the life that Penny has lived, the hands it has passed through, the things it has seen, and the stories it could tell."

This is just the kind of book I enjoy for a light read. It was a fast read, and I highly recommend it. show less

When Peter Davidson wrote, "This book is about....satire, and irreverence-and it's a little risque, so be prepared.", HE MEANS IT. This may not be for the faint of heart or Grandma. But, man is it ever funny! I found myself bursting out laughing more than a time or two. And, NO. There are no Donald Trump references in this book. For that, you will have to look elsewhere.

I don't know if I would call it "politically correct" as much as saying the right words as not to offend Aunt Bee of show more Mayberry. The other would be things you would say to your posse. One answer was a paragraph long. I will keep it short so you can see what you are in for.

Under "Smoothing out the rough edges", when a woman tries to make over her man to be what she expects him to be. When he asked her if she slept well, "She, being brutally honest:", it goes into a long, hilarious tirade about him letting the second fart: "you let another that was so deadly it set off the Carbon Monoxide Detector." She went on about refusing to turn on the light so the house doesn't explode. Not done yet! "The good news is that the fumes knocked me out and....." You will just have to find out the rest!

The book is full of duds (politically correct) and doozies (being brutally honest). It will leave you in pieces you will have to pick up off of the floor, it is that funny. When, on the cover, he writes "What You Would Say If You Had The Guts", you KNOW you've been warned. So blame yourself if you buy it and have to gripe. The rest of us will walk around with big smiles on our faces: a fraternity unlike any other.

Thank you to Peter Davidson and Word Slinger for giving me this book to read and give my honest review. show less

"PENNY: Hands I passed through…Things I saw…Stories I can tell" by Peter Davidson traces the life and times of a newly minted one cent piece. The book consists of a series of self-contained vinaigrettes that follow the coin’s journey across American and through the hands of the rich, poor, famous, criminal, smart and stupid. “PENNY” reminds me a little of a film I saw in the nineties called “Twenty Bucks” which followed a day in the life of a twenty dollar bill. An entertaining show more read, very suitable for holiday reading. show less