Booknote: New Rules (audiobook edition)

Bill Maher, New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer. Beverly Hills, CA: Phoenix Books, 2005. ISBN: 1-59777-029-9.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: humor
Format: Audiobook on CD
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

I read this book in print back in 2007, and I made a short note of it back then. Part of what I wrote then applies today to the audiobook edition. However, I rated it lower this time because the much of the political humor does not hold up as well. The book was written in the midst of George W. Bush's presidency. A lot has changed since then, some of the better, some not so much. This is also a very lightweight book, something that is highlighted more by the audio edition. There is not much deep substance here. However, the humor on general topics still holds pretty well, and in the end, I still like the book.

Bill Maher reads the book, which works well for me. I tend to prefer books, as much as possible, where the author reads their own work. If you've seen Maher's segment of "New Rules" on his show, that is pretty much what he does in reading the book. In a way, it is a long segment of new rules. In reading the book, he can be a bit more serious at times, but it is still a good read, and it was a good choice for him to read it.

3 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2016 Reading Challenges: