A fond reflection and provocative portrait of the culture in which you were raised. Right on and an extremely entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book for one reason: looking at things that would otherwise be mundane and extrapolating philosophy from them until they become relevant. It's something me and my friends do quite often such as suggesting how different Pokémon reflect people we know in real life. Who knew that talks about MTV's Real World, Billy Joel, Saved by the Bell, or the Sims could help us figure out ourselves. I admit for someone in my age group(college kid here) that I could relate to all of the things he talked about fairly well.

Though this book comes across as a cynical, comedic work (and trust me, it does), it has an odd way of being very profound with its assessments on life. I really liked the social commentary that talks about the world that will live in today, with people being shown on the mass media as flat and static characters to be more easily understood.

The best parts of the book were actually when he wasn't talking about the topic on hand. Sometimes Klosterman would get off topic and start talking about esoteric revelations of how people come to label themselves; I really felt was amazing.

The essays might not flow from one chapter to the next, but every one will have you thinking and laughing.

Readers who take Chuck Klosterman at his word will have a hard time with this one. Those who can appreciate some hardcore tongue-in-cheekiness, however, will be rewarded with a highly entertaining collection of essays on a myriad of subjects. Does Klosterman overreach? Of course. Is it savvy, entertaining, and thought-provoking? Definitely.

Chuck Klosterman immediately became my favorite author after reading this book. He has a very good grasp of pop culture and deconstructs them in a hillarious way. You can read sections at a time before going to bed. But in my case, the chapters ended up being too good. It kept me up reading late into the night. Also, the stuff he wrote are good fodder for interesting discussions with friends. I especially liked the section on "questions I have to ask to know if I can fall in love with this person".

This is simply not a book. I went in thinking some kind of story would develop and that some kind of underlying theme would connect everything he wrote about. The first chapter on love even appealed to me. I liked it! Hell that's why I bought the book I thought it was rather witty and insightfull. Then the Sims review came.... Then Real World... Then Billy Joel.... each 'chapter essay' getting worse than the one before. I continued on and only found out that there was a reason this book isnt filed in the Literature section. Its filed under Rock since this cannot be considered an actual literary work.

As for Chuck,I find this man to be pathetic and not cool at all. All he does is whine and complain about things and then throw in insanely idiodic stories about how homeless people are beneath him and how they should remember if they already asked him for money, because clearly their lives aren't so hard.

This guy is just a waste of space. I read the entire book looking for what I thought was humor in his first chapter. His first rambling statements rang true to me, but the rest of the book is about pointless references to pop culture that most people dont even take a second glance over.

My advice. Read the first chapter and throw the book away. The guy thinks hes above everyone when all you ahve to do is look at his picture, the guy is a dork or writes for a magazine for dorks. Don't encourage him anymore.

Were you aware that some people are so insecure and/or vacant that they adopt one-dimensional personalities and behavioral paradigms from popular works of fiction? Did you know that some relationships don't work out because the participants have an unrealistic notion of love due to watching too many movies? If so, you probably don't need to read this book. Even if you didn't know these things, you probably still shouldn't, because you might be naive enough to believe Klosterman's implication that these are somehow distinctly late-twentieth-century, television-era phenomena. Did you know that your musical tastes don't necessarily have to be governed by how "cool" the artist is, by how the genre and style would tend to affect your "image?" I would hope so, at least if you're over the age of 22. I read the blurbs about this book and thought to myself, "Maybe this is some undiscovered genius of a cultural critic who will really shed light on the modern experience." Nope. Klosterman talks about behaviors that people have been exhibiting for millenia and pretends he's making new observations because he illustrates his points using semi-new pop culture products. This is hack work. If you're the kind of person who would be interested in reading a book on culture, you can probably skip this because you're probably already at least as observant as Klosterman. This truly is "low-culture," but not in the way the author thinks.

klosterman is a genius. now that i've got that out of the way, if you were born to live your childhood through the decadence of the nineties, than this is a book that will enrapture you in the absurdities and realties of it all experienced through one man's eyes. So true, and the hardest i've ever laughed. I can't recommend Klosterman more than the fact that his point of view, his conflicting personal drama and complete unabashed nature makes for the most entertaining read on pop culture i've ever had the pleasure of reading. If you enjoyed this book, than be sure to check out his book about eighties hair bands, Fargo Rock City. Classsssssic.

I thought this insightful and hilarious commentary on modern sociocultural life was so great! From the beginning where he (rightfully) blames Coldplay for ruining the average person's concept of love to the end where he notices how the Left Behind series just reminds us that most of us will never reach heaven by their strict regulations and everything in the middle (The Empire Strikes back sets the tone for a life of disappointment, a Guns and Roses cover band, the Real World sectioning the population into 7 distinct personality types, and my personal favorite, an obsession with serial killers) is literarily stimulating, thought provoking, and hilarious. I wish this guy was my best friend. The book starts off stronger than it ends, but this I think is more a mistake in layout than in the essays in the book. Every chapter makes me smile and want to call my friends and read it to them. I've had several friends ask to borrow it, and after learning how long the list is, went ahead and bought their own copy, and are damn glad they did so.

well this book was pretty good, but a lot of the time i had some trouble relating to it because i'm a gen y-er not x, so i didn't grow up with those cultural refrences i guess. it was pretty readable though. i'm sure if i could better relate to the material i would have given it a higher rating, but as it is... its ok.

This is the second book of Klosterman's I've read. The first, and my introduction to Klosterman, was "IV." I like both these books equally and for similar reasons. In here, Klosterman observes seemingly mindless and inconsiquential tidbits and expands upon them in a way that inflates their importance to unprecedented levels; i.e. how "Saved by the Bell" is familiar to anyone in the X or Y generation, but totally alien to anyone outside those specific demographics.

Chuck might have you question the real importance of his subjects, but he is always a fun read (except maybe "Fargo...") and he is, more often than not, and more often than most, insightful and thought provoking.

There is one line in this book that distills its essence perfectly: "That girl who adored John Cusack once had the opportunity to spend a weekend with me in New York at the Waldorf-Astoria, but she elected to fly to Portland instead to see the first U.S. appearance by Coldplay." This is followed by a bathroom wall rant of how bad Coldplay sucks.

First off, I want to say I don't care one way or another for Coldplay. Secondly, I want to say that this entire collection of essays shows us that Chuck Klosterman just doesn't get it. But he thinks he does. It's like everything he says is off, some of it by a few degrees, the rest of it by quite a lot. It's kind of annoying to read fairly entertaining rants about things from someone who has no perspective on life whatsoever. He's writing about a fishbowl from not only inside the fishbowl, but inside the fish's digestive tract. He's panning for gold in a port-a-potty, and holding up pieces of dooky for the rest of us to see, shouting, "look what I found! It's a Snickers Bar!"

Wrong. It's dooky. The Real World neither reflects life, nor does life manifest itself as a set of Real World characters. You want to know why? Because most people have not watched every episode as Mr. Klosterman says he has. Those who have are really, really boring people. I'm sorry, but it's true. It is a very rare individual who watches a really bad television show and then assumes that person's personality (especially one that is so bland as a Real World cast member). By the way, Saved By The Bell wasn't a reflection of anything: it was a poorly made children's television show that had ridiculously thin character development and plot. That's why it was so funny: because it sucked so bad. There was no other reason. The writers were obviously desperate nitwits, or they wouldn't have written for that show in the first place. Pontificating on Saved By The Bell is like looking at an oil spill and calling it a postmodern reflection of nature in symbolic black. It's stupid.

At any rate, this book is so pathetic it's sad. It's as though he's saying, "Should I flirt with the idea of jerking with my future girlfriend/wife's emotional security? Has anyone ever done that? I'm going to be the first!"

Wrong again. This kind of thought pattern is misogyny, only reflected back toward the writer. It's like he's cutting on himself to show every woman he'll ever be with that he was already hurt by the time she met him. It's a huge, ugly tattoo that says "Brenda" or "Kelly," only it's in a book instead of on his butt cheek.

That line, the one about the woman who didn't want to romp in the Waldorf, is all too telling. It's insecurity. He puts it right there on the page. "What's wrong with me?" He asks himself in an essay, and then successfully distracts himself from the cold, bitter truth that he was, to her, profoundly undesirable, by dropping the F-bomb thirty times and telling us how much he hates Coldplay. He doesn't hate Coldplay. That's like saying you hate shampoo because some girl in high school said she'd rather wash her hair than go out with you. He hates being rejected. Everyone does. But most of us get over it. The rest of us, the sad and pathetic ones who have neither perspective nor the self-reflective powers of a chipmunk, drink Busch and ponder the relevance of The Biggest Loser as it pertains to 1980's glam rock.

I thought this book was a little bit comedic in some areas while completely over analytical in others. I don't want to read six pages of analyzing Saved by the Bell. It's a kid show, it's not meant to be taken seriously. Sometimes, things should just be looked at in the big picture, enjoyed for what it was.

Some parts were funny, interesting, but I found myself sort of drifting away... It became too rhetoric, too much like a lecture in which someone is telling you what's "uberly" important and what sucks. It became really bland, really fast.

A very enjoyable series of essays about pop-culture from a smart, clever, angry, and extremely talented writer who is a self-confessed junkie of all things Gen-X, Gen-Y, hipster, geekdom, nerdsville and otherwise.

"Billy Sim" dissects the computer gaming phenom of The Sims; "Appetite for Repetition" takes an up-close-and-personal view of a Guns-n-Roses tribute band; "Being Zack Morris" explores the odd cultural obsession with "Saved By The Bell"; and 15 variously-themed essays delve into not only the psyche of Klosterman but, by extension, the psyche of America.

In the trade paperback version, there are extra nuggets of Chuck-mania -- after each chapter, a quick shot of dialogue, banter, or, in the case of "23 Questions I Ask To Decide if I Can Really Love Them" (following Chapter 10) a hilarious, freaked-out rorshach test for the morally ambiguous. Not all the essays hit the mark, but the majority do, so a definite recommend. Cintra Wilson's book "A Massive Swelling: Celebrity Re-examined As A Grotesque Crippling Disease and Other Cultural Revelations" is funnier and wittier by far, but Klosterman works in a slightly separate universe that is equally satisfying.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is a collection of essays on popular culture and its connections to psychology, sociology, and other inner workings of society. This book is mainly geared toward Generation X'ers, and I believe that older people may appreciate it, but significantly younger people (born after, say, 1990) may not, since the references may be too obscure.

The book covers a variety of topics, from serial killers to the Lakers/Celtics rivalry to breakfast cereal to Billy Joel to "The Real World," and makes an attempt at finding deeper meaning in all of these things. The collection starts out strong with a rant on why John Cusack has ruined the love lives of everyone (men and women) born between 1965 and 1978. This is funny and promising to anyone who feels similarly.

The biggest downside of this collection is that Klosterman's writing and his skill at making a coherent point are highly variable. Some essays were very strong and cohesive ("What Happens When People Stop Being Polite," on The Real World series; "All I Know Is What I Read in the Papers," on the media and why it works; "This is Zodiac Speaking," on serial killers; "How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, on born-again Christianity), and I definitely laughed out loud several times. Other essays ("Every Dog Must Have His Every Day..." on the genius of Billy Joel; "Ten Seconds to Love," comparing Pam Anderson to Marilyn Monroe; "33" on the Lakers/Celtics rivalry) were incoherent and rambling. Klosterman insists that everything is connected and really does set out to connect, well, everything. He sometimes succeeds and sometimes I was left thinking that this is a man who likes the sound of his own voice (or pen, as it were) and tries to make a lot of pseudo-intellectual (or maybe even true intellectual references) to make the reader believe that what he's saying actually makes sense. The collection improves significantly at the last three or four essays, and I felt that Klosterman dropped any pretension or self-satisfaction and just wrote, which worked a lot better.

I definitely feel that someone born in 1980 or earlier would enjoy this collection as a whole, but I would definitely recommend skimming or skipping the ones on topics in which the reader is less than interested.

Chuck certainly has some thought provoking comments and is often entertaining; however, I would argue that he did not accomplish his goal. Overall, this is an entertaining read, but rather than being an examination of our society and public psyche through a discussion of contemporary pop culture, it is largely an expression of the authors nostalgia for the 1990's.

Also jarringly profound at times (see chapter on MTV's "The Real World.") I read this book while waiting in the hospital for my son to recover from heart surgery and it was a godsend. Bonus points to Chuck for giving eloquent voice to my personal disdain for soccer.

Klosterman is a great writer. Witty, funny, intelligent. You've never thought about these topics in this way. A good ride.

Chuck Klosterman is a smart guy. He's a funny guy. His observations on pop culture are insightful and remarkably indepth with a twist. It's the twist in his logic that kept me amused. He's an original and strong voice in the chronicle of our times. That said, some ideas ran too long. I never watched the Real World so the 14 pages dedicated to that were lost. Later, he gives Saved By The Bell the same treatment. Having been a fringe audience to that particular show, I appreciated it more but still. Are we, as a generation, what we watch? Is that the great common denominator? How sad. I'd rather read.

Love the Chuck Klosterman Books. He is a hilarious read. He is charming and witty and intelligent. He is a Pop culture genius!

Mr. Klosterman opens by stating that no woman will ever satisfy him. By the end, he's put down half of America, wants to punch Magic Johnson, slams cover bands plus Kid Rock, and even takes a jab at Jenny McCarthy (but who can blame him on this last point!). Mr. Klosterman is a very angry man; he would say he's honest, I would say he's angry. In his defense, he's a very good writer, who's analytical, has an interesting take on things, and has a creative way of expressing himself. Overall, this is actually a pretty entertaining read that I also found a bit unpleasant due to his vitriol. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

Drunken Real World skank footage is inherently worthless. Saved By the Bell storylines are inherently worthless. Tribute band road stories are inherently worthless. You'd think a book about disposable pop culture would be as worthless as its subject matter, but this book trancends all that. It is the perfect example of the whole being more than the sum of its parts. This book will frequently force you to stop reading and put it down until you stop laughing. It will also force you to try to get everyone you know within 5 years of your age to read it.

Klosterman's book is one of the most enjoyable reads I've found. He cleverly ties items from every end of the pop culture spectrum, from sports, to music, to tv, to porn and spins them all into a clever web which at the end begins to look a lot more like you and I than the characters on tv.

Laugh out loud funny, but well written. And spot on analogies.

I recommend borrowing this book from your hip literary friend, who already owns it. It has some very funny chapters, and some of the interludes between chapters are truly great. However, it's really unsatisfying in large doses; after finishing a lot of the chapters, I just felt that I had wasted my time. Klosterman has a nice dry wit, and he's good at BSing about quirky topics. But that's really not enough for me to buy a book. Skim it at the bookstore or get it from the library; this is not a book that you'll ever want to reread.

I decided to read this book after considering the many positive reviews along with the accolades of several independent book sellers. I shouldn't have. I'm not going to say this book is bad, but its certainly not anywhere near being good either.

This book is a self-described manifesto, which it is not. It is the inane ramblings of someone who does not suffer from lycantrophy. It is dysfunctional, poorly written, and is essentially about nothing at all. I liken it to a Seinfeld episode, in print form, but without the distraction that comes from actual humor or entertainment value. In hind site, I'm starting to wish Klosterman did suffer from lycantrophy.

If you don't believe me, I will let a Chuck Klosterman quote from the book serve as a one line synopsis:

"Do you not see what I am no longer not saying to you? If so-congratulations!"

Reading this book is like having a long conversation about life with the most sarcastic/ funny person you know. Klosterman is easy to relate to, even when you haven't got the slightest idea what he is talking about.

This book is only mildly funny and outdated. It seems like a bad rendition of the books he references, like "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius." The section on mixtapes is uninspired- "Love is a Mixtape," by Rob Sheffield is much more successful. This book produced no mindblowing or even relatively interesting ideas- a waste of time if you ask me.

Chuck K is undoubtedly is a very clever dude and some of the insights here will make you laught at loud. Ultimately however I would advise cherry picking through these essays, as Chuck is so enamored of his beloved
'low culture' that it will get both stultifying and extremely banal. Make sure to skip the analyses of bad tv shows (esp The Real World and Saved by the Bell). Chuck tries so hard to show why disposable pap has an influence on society that he torpeoes hiw own argument - his assertion that Gen Y behavior pettern can be correlated to a character on Real World says much more about Klosterman than anything else. Similarly, his essay on the Lakers and Celtics rivalry sets perhaps a new low in 'serious' sports journalism, as the argument that the Lakers reperesent Democratic party values while the Celtics carry the torch for Republicans (CK seems to be a fairly staunch right-winger after his addiction to pop culture is peeled away) is beyond absurd, and his assertion at the end that "if you dont' care about the Lakers-Celtics you don't care about anything" (this is said unironically) is downright embarassing.

Chuck will also be very strident in his declarations of what is 'cool' and 'uncool'. The repeated appearance of these exact words in almost evry essay (sometimes sevral times) becomes very annoying and pointless. Klosterman (by his own admission) of course is 'uncool', but his endless obsession with coolness (and defining it)renders it meaningless.

So enjoy, but be careful.

I thought this was a good book that captured my generation in a nutshell. I wouldn't take it too seriously. It was very opinionated...most of which I agreed with. I read a lot of it on the subway and found myself laughing out loud. I definitely dont think I gained any insiteful knowledge from reading the book but found it entertaining.

This book completely describes so many people in my generation it's crazy.
Great writing, really funny at times. Just an all a round good read!

This book completely describes so many people in my generation it's crazy.
Great writing, really funny at times. Just an all a round good read!

He's incisive, Klosterman. A bit TOO incisive (Does Pamela Anderson's sex appeal deserve such time & insight? Course not!). But--I have to admit--the author makes me laugh on occasion. And this is his only saving grace. He's best taken in SMALL doses. He just goes too FAR into EVERYTHING. It makes for annoying reading. At least as far as pop culture goes...

If you've never read Chuck Klosterman, this is a great introduction; if you are familiar with - and enjoy - his work, then this is a must-read. Klosterman's unique, oftentimes hilarious social commentary is on prominent display in this collection of essays ranging from music to Pamela Anderson to soccer to serial killers. My personal favorite was the essay "Billy Sim (reality interlude)," an essay about the human relationship with the much-heralded computer game, The Sims.

Klosterman is at his best when discussing inane topics such as Pamela Anderson or soccer, where he makes observations or comments on popular beliefs that have little or no relevance or consequence in our lives. At times, he can be self-righteous, as if he is the only one smart or creative enough to come up with some of these things, but it really boils down to a formula in most of these essays:

1. Chuck identifies a common social belief/acceptance

2. Chuck at first states that he disagrees with this premise based on why everyone thinks it.

3. Chuck then tells you the real reasons why the prevailing social belief is true.

While this comes off as self-righteous as I said before, not all his essays follow this formula. Additionally, his true genius shines through in his random running commentary that he makes in trying to prove his point. He is quite hilarious, and despite his occasional pretentiousness, very funny.

In the end, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs* is an easy-to-read collection of essays that, if not highly informative at times, is at least highly entertaining and will make you think about the world in which you live. A great book to read if you only have a few moments here and there or if you have all the time in the world.

I have a 30 yo barely single professional son. He says this book is his Bible - so I read it. What better way to find out who or what this boy worships?

Klosterman is an entertaining writer, serving up a unique critique of post-modern popular culture. Although each essay contains a major theme, over 400 individual entries are in the index - songs, movies, personalities from all entertainment venues, sitcoms, concepts, rock bands, periodicals, organizations, events - even a little religion thrown in for the "Left Behind" crowd.

*Billy Joel is popular because he's so good, he doesn't have to be cool - whereas the usual rock band doesn't have to be exceptional if they are consistently cool.

*Our author got fired from being a Little League baseball coach one high school summer for trying too hard to win. I'm just impressed when a high school kid takes on that kind of responsibility - but you may have to consider an "enhancement factor" for this story.

*excerpts about self-delusion, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy - without the formal terminology, especially in his bit about Woody Allen. He wouldn't be interested in a girl uncool enough to be interested in him.

*tribute to Guns 'N Roses as he travels with a band trying to duplicate their songs and general funk.

*instructions on how to be a conversationalist (he has enough material for three dates only): "First, make an intellectual concession (makes listener comfortable). Next, make a completely incomprehensible but remarkably specific 'cultural accusation' (makes you insightful). Finally, end the dialogue by interjecting slang lexicon that does not necessarily exist (makes you contemporary). Example: When talking about sports: I mean, come on - you just know that Rodney Rogers is sitting in the locker room before every game reading Nietzsche, and he's totally thinking to himself, "If Ron Artest tries to step to me one more time, I'm gonna slap jack his brisket, Philly style."

A pervasive nihilistic attitude runs through this book - the angst of single yuppy-hood, deliciously judgemental, documenting the rites of final passage toward marriage, responsibility, and adulthood. I liked it.

I have a 30 yo barely single professional son. He says this book is his Bible - so I read it. What better way to find out who or what this boy worships?

Klosterman is an entertaining writer, although he can't seem to decide on a theme:

*Billy Joel is popular because he's so good, he doesn't have to be cool - whereas the usual rock band doesn't have to be exceptional if they are consistently cool.

*Our author got fired from being a Little League baseball coach one high school summer for trying too hard to win. I'm just impressed when a high school kid takes on that kind of responsibility - but if he's anything like my son, you have to consider this story's "enhancement factor."

*excerpts about self-delusion, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy - without the formal terminology, especially in his bit about Woody Allen. He wouldn't be interested in a girl uncool enough to be interested in him.

*tribute to Guns 'N Roses as he travels with a band trying to duplicate their songs and general funk.

*instructions on how to be a conversationalist (he has enough material for three dates only): "First, make an intellectual concession (makes listener comfortable). Next, make a completely incomprehensible but remarkably specific 'cultural accusation.' This makes you insightful. Finally, end the dialogue by interjecting slang lexicon that does not necessarily exist (this makes you contemporary).

Example: When talking about sports: 'I mean, come on - you just know that Rodney Rogers is sitting in the locker room before every game reading Nietzsche, and he's totally thinking to himself, "If Ron Artest tries to step to me one more time, I'm gonna slap jack his brisket, Philly style."'"

A pervasive nihilistic attitude runs through this book - the angst of single yuppy-hood, documenting the rites of final passage toward marriage, responsibility, and adulthood. I liked it.

I thought Chuck was right on the money with so many of the essays in this book. I am fascinated by his thought process and find his work to be highly enjoyable. He seems to be able to articulate the meaning of life's most random thoughts. If you like to think about why people play a life simulation game called, "the Sims", or ask yourself who listens to Billy Joel than I think you would enjoy this book. Then you need to really look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you had a VCR that could tape your dreams but the only way to view the footage would be to sit down and watch it all of your friends and family would you do it? I think you know the answer.

I loved this book about pop culture and all it entails. Chuck Klosterman is clever and ridiculously knowledgeable, and he makes you feel like a part of the book. I could relate to so much of the stuff he said, so I guess we have all had a lot of the same experiences with pop culture. Even when I didn't really know what he was talking about (like, say, in the sports chapters), the way he wrote this book made me feel like I did. I only gave it four stars because it is a bit pretentious and obscure in parts, but it is definitely worth reading.

Favorite chapter: Being Zack Morris. My only problem with that essay is that he underestimated the far-reaching influence of Saved by the Bell. I'm not kidding; I found that to be a serious flaw. He says, "Saved by the Bell is like this little generational secret that's hyperfamiliar to people born between 1970 and 1977, yet generationally unremarkable to anyone born after (and completely alien to all those born before." I was born in 1986, and I have seen every episode of Saved by the Bell about a dozen times. I was very young when it first came on, but they re-ran it like crazy all through the '90s, and everyone my age watched it and still makes references to it (especially the caffeine pills episode). Even the parents of my generation got a good taste of it vicariously through us. I don't think Saved by the Bell can really be called a "secret" by any stretch of the imagination. If you were alive and in the U.S. in the '90s, you know about it. (I also wish timing had allowed him to know about the Screech sex tape before writing that essay, but I can't really blame Chuck for that...)

So, try to focus on how insightful and enjoyable it is, and overlook the flaws if you can. I would definitely tell a friend!

After scouring the paperback table for a few minutes, this book caught my eye and from the quick read off the jacket I was interested. Now, however, just three chapters in, I wish I kept my receipt.

This book has no plot or story and is nothing more than the ramblings of an anybody slacker ranting about inane pop culture garbage, how he can't get laid, and most dissappointingly, sheds no light on already overworked topics. At best, this book sounds like blogspeak, which is hardly worth your money.

For example, there's an entire chapter devoted to the 'TheSims' followed by a chapter where the author expounds on his keen [sarcasm] insight regarding MTV's 'The Real World'.

He speaks with a know-nothing-know-it-all bravado but worst of all, his observations are tame and boring. Don't bother.

Does this book live up to it's hype. In a word no, but it was still an enjoyable read. Some chapters were right on, others didn't work for me. It's an interesting view, one I'd dare say I could see myself writing after a few shots of tequilla. The references are hip and often amusing. Hey, it's short...what do you have to lose.

Great book. Some interesting points were brought up by Chuck. A must read for anyone who's a fan of the 80's and 90's.

I liked this book so much that immediately upon finising it I ordered another book by this author. Klosterman has an unique, very funny view of the world around us.

This is the first Klosterman book I've read, and I mostly enjoyed it. I absolutely could not put it down through the first half to three-quarters, but I felt it lost steam towards the end. Even so, I would recommend it. Klosterman often made me laugh out loud, and the essays about The Sims and the GNR tribute band alone make it worth the purchase price. Enjoy!

This book started off wonderful and had me laughing out loud. And I continued laughing heartily into the first three chapters. Then, things went downhill for me, and while I still had a few laughs here and there it wasn't consistent.

The central idea of this book is a great one. Take pop culture, something that interests nearly everyone, and write a critique of it and make comparisons with your own life. Really great idea. Where the problem lies here is that the subjects are so varied. I'd be reading a chapter about Saved by the Bell that was thoroughly enjoyable, and then you jump to sports. This is fine if you know all about everything he talks about, but if you don't...it's a really tough read. Klosterman makes the assumption that his reader knows everything about every subject he writes about down to the inside jokes. Herein lies a problem. It's hard for me to keep my interest in a subject if I have no idea what you're talking about.

But hey, that's just my opinion. Other's may thoroughly enjoy this book, but for me, some parts were just lacking.

Klosterman is a fine writer- his essays are wonderfully unique, with an underlying silliness that keeps the work laid-back. From deconstructing "Saved By The Bell" to getting stoned with a Guns and Roses tribute band, this collection is simultaneously intellectual and goofy. Even the oldest ideas, including the irony of missing out on real life while playing a virtual one, come across as clever and one-of-a-kind.

Having said that, there are a couple of issues I have with the book. First, an inevitable problem with any collection of pop-culture essays is that pop-culture is always shifting. It makes one wonder about how lasting this book could be in the end. It's easy to assume how outdated the book will feel given the right amount of years.

Second, Klosterman's desire to sound edgy and different makes him seem... well... the same as every other hipster I've met. One is reminded of the Dennis Miller quote, "You've got to be different. Otherwise, how would you fit in?" He also feels personally shortsighted. He accuses people of making sweeping generalizations about country music, and then makes similar generalizations about *those people*.

Regardless, I think this is a fantastic book. I highly recommend it.

If you're well versed in pop culture, if you love the quirkiness of modern day comedians and television, you're definitely going to love this book. Chuck Klosterman flows freely between the genuinely outrageous and the surprisingly close to home for the whole length of the book. His chapter on 20 questions that can tell you more than everything you could ever want to know about someone you meet is absolutely genius. And if you're like me, you're going to love getting to all the quick quips and references he makes, making you feel like you two have an understanding that transcends words on a page.Try reading a few pages and you'll be hooked.

'A Low Culture Manifesto' is an excellent subtitle for Klosterman's tome on pop culture. Klosterman is an excellent writer that combines personal memoirs with witty analysis on recent pop culture. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and Fargo Rock City are 2 of the funniest books I've read in recent years. Fargo is a great read, especially for a reformed metal-head. Cocoa Puffs tackles a wider variety of subject material, thus appealing to any one that's watched a reality tv show, was ever curious about Internet porn, or was a closet Saved by The Bell fan...I'd say that includes just about everyone.

Interesting, original book where the author takes superficial pop culture topics and tries to relate them to real life in an intellectual manner. Quick read, very entertaining.

Klosterman is definitely an intelligent writer, and I enjoyed his style. Some chapters were beyond meaningless-- to the point that I just skipped ahead-- but overall you're bound to learn a thing or two and still be entertained.

this book sucks you in from page one! it's entertaining and witty! no need for more detail.

I love to read anything Chuck Klosterman writes, even if he can sometimes be inconsistent. That being said, this book is frickin' great and is not the reason I find his writings occassionally inconsistent. I always recommend this to people who enjoy anything about pop culture and or just generally funny reads. So far everyone I have recommended it to has become Chuck fans!

When I read Chuck K., I feel like I'm coming home. It's like I'm having a deep, intense discussion with a college friend as Dark Side of the Moon is tripping in the background. I mean, I am a Gen X RAWKER about the same age, and with every page comes a new delight. When he mentioned "All For Leyna", a track on Billy Joel's Glass Houses I about Busted A Gut...it was my first vinyl at age 9. Chuck and I are soulmates. If you don't like his stuff, you just don't get it, and you weren't there.