Product Description
Featuring a chapter of tributes to the late humorist by such friends as Phil Donahue, a collection of nearly two hundred of her columns includes her first and last, which treat her trademark subjects, children and family. Reprint. 250,000 first printing. AB. NYT. "Amazon.com Review
Erma Bombeck occupied a seat of honor in the homes of millionsof Americans. Hers was inevitably the column you read aloud at thebreakfast table, the piece you tore out on the bus to send to yourmother, or the clipping you stuck on the fridge as a chucklingreminder of our modern lives' sublime ridiculousness.Bombeck had aneye for our common experience and a knack for throwing it intotouching relief; we laughed because we saw ourselves in her work. Shedied last April, and this collection--the profits of which benefit herfavorite charities--pulls together some of her best loved columns. Thecolumns span Bombeck's career and the book includes tributes deliveredat her memorial service. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Gift
This book was a gift...the recipient was very happy to get it...so, I have to believe it was a positive experience!

Bits and pieces of Erma
Bought this for a friend who loves to read. Erma books were always one of my favorites! Very funny books, but this one I didn't read ...so I really can't give much of a review.

Laughter on the First Page
This is a book that will have you laughing out loud starting on the first page....do not read it on an airplane or in a crowded room as you will not be able to stop from bursting out in laughter! Makes a perfect gift, but you must have one yourself.

Nancy Whittingham

Verified Amazon Purchase

Miss You Erma
I gave this book to my Mom for a present and am trying to sneak it back to read.I've read excerpts from it and look very forward to reading it.My Mom thought it was great!

Erma at her best
Erma Bombeck was a genius. I'm sure she was far too modest to admit it, but she was one of the greatest humorists of the 20th century. And her words still resonate here in the 21st.

Most people think she wrote only for housewives, or women in general, but as a guy (and a humor columnist myself), I can say that she wrote for anyone who has ever had or been part of a family, which means everyone.

This book is, in my opinion, her best because it is undiluted Erma. Humor works better over the short haul, and these columns, grouped thematically and filled with her warm, self-deprecating, gently subversive wit, are the finest and most lasting representation of her work. Even though the pieces were written between 1965 and 1996, they still hold up. They are, in fact, timeless.

Hence, the title, "Forever, Erma." I told you she was a genius.
... Read more

Product Description
A cherished family reunion sets the stage of Erma Bombeck's predictably hilarious recollections of raising a family. Her conclusion: you can't live with them, you can't live without them...or can you...?
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Paperback
This being a paperback, I was greatly impressed with the excellent condition of the book. I am picky about the condition of my books. It also came in a timely manner.

Always Hilarious!!
Erma Bombeck is the best.Family life is challenging, but Erma gives it to you straight...there's comedy in everything.Each of her books shares stories with the others, but from different points of view.If you're up for a good laugh, read this book!

Erma Bombeck in all her glory
Quite amusing, not every single chapter great, but funny enough to keep me going.

Wonderfully funny!
I grew up reading Erma Bombeck. I have always loved her columns and her books. My parents and I would sit around the dinner table and discuss her columns ~~ but now as a mother and a wife, I have a much better appreciation of Erma's writing.

This one is about her kids coming home in 1987 and one of them announced that he's moving back in permanently ~~ and it's a rundown of all the things that family members do. Sometimes, it's funny and sometimes, it's annoying. But what are you going to do? Throw them out on the streets? Erma had me laughing all night while laying in the hospital bed with a sick preschooler. She's been there and I am going through it. It's a honest, refreshing look at parenting and marriage ~~ everyone should read Erma. She gets her points across with humor and statire.

I am reading three others of her books ~~ and can't wait to read them. She's the perfect medicine for this housewife!

5-11-06

Bound and Gagged
One of the funniest humor columnists of all time, Erma Bombeck has scored again with this funny snapshot of family life.

It's 1987, and all three Bombeck children have come home for a visit (one of whom has decided to make his visit permanent). Not only does Erma provide us with a timeline of the events of this particular weekend, she also delves back into her memories of the years gone by as she routinely attempts to defend her parenting skills (or lack of them) to us.

It's been several years since Erma Bombeck passed away. But her books continue to be as funny and relevent today as they were back then. "Family - The Ties That Bind and Gag" is no different. ... Read more

Product Description
"See if you can read a paragraph without laughing out loud."
Art Buchwald
The enchanting lady of laughter has done it again--this time taking a hilarious swipe at husbands, honeymoons, tennis elbow, marriage, lettuce, the national anthem, and a host of other domestic dilemmas.
"It's fun from cover to cover."
THE HARTFORD COURANT
... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

The Hobo Philosopher
My wife and I had stopped at her sister's home in Fort Lauderdale on one of our winter breaks from our "Hobo-ing America" adventure some time back in the 70s. Whenever I am in anybody's home, I pick up whatever books they have laying around and scan them. My sister-in-law had several books by Erma Bombeck laying here and there. I wasn't really interested but I picked one up out of shear nervousness.

I am not sure which was the first of Erma's that I read. But I do remember that I couldn't put it down and that I was constantly laughing out loud. I read this book about the Cheeries, "the Grass is always Greener over the Septic Tank" and at least 5 or 6 more on that visit.

Erma was just a funny lady. Her sense of humor and her style on putting that humor down on paper is a study in the art of writing humorously.

From that time on I read her newspaper columns and listened to her commentaries when she was on TV. Her style and her attitude have become a part of the female culture of the American housewife. She made a bigger impact culturally than she even accomplished in the literary field.

Any "funny" female writer that you pick up today will contain shades of Erma. She is now a part of Americana and deservingly so. We often hear the phrase "So and so is/was an American treasure." Well, Erma was without any doubt an American treasure. I love Erma!

If you can read any of her books without spiting up laughing at some point, then you do not have a sense of humor. Sorry, but that the way it is. I love Erma.

Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher:
"Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."
"A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA
"A Little Something: Poetry and Prose
"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" Novel - Lawrence, Ma.
"The Eastpointer" Selections from award winning column.
"Noble Notes on Famous Folks" Humor - satire - facts.
"America on Strike" American Labor - History

Maybe a good introduction, though not one of her best books
I remember when this book came out because my mother and I had all of her previous books and by this time were big fans of Erma.I was pretty excited to see a new book hit the stands, but when I read this one I was a little disappointed.At the time the book came out Erma was at, or maybe just past, the peak of her professional renown and was involved with a lot of different projects besides just columns and books. This book seems to have suffered a little as a result, or maybe Erma's publisher felt that people in the 80s had shorter attention spans and less time to read.The result is a shorter book with much bigger type and some of the jokes and storylines seemingly rehashed from past books.

Because this book is both more modern (by about 20 years) and less dense than Erma's first book, "At Wit's End", this book might be the one to read if you just want a quick introduction to Erma and her zany post-Phyllis-Diller sense of housewife-humor before you delve into one of her earlier, longer works.And if you're a die-hard fan you'll like it because hey, it's more of Erma.I like the book, but I think her previous books, including "At Wit's End" and "I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression" have much more meat and are more developed and funnier. This one is more like something a busy author would dash off and go on a talk show with, or something to read in one sitting on an airplane ride.

BITTER SWEET
I LOVED THIS BOOK.IT SHOWS THAT ALL PARENTS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.I LAUGHED AND CRIED THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.

bowl of cherries
I learned about Erma Bombeck from my dad, who told me if I wanted a book that showed an authors personality so perfectly, to pick up an Erma Bombeck book. And he was right. Just pages into the book, I felt like she was my grandmother telling me stories, because you get feeling of her personality so well, it's as though you've known her your entire life.

LOL :-)
considering this book was written in 1985....it is still very much up to date when it comes to some of the questioning about life Bombeck asks....it is a good read...i recommend the book ... Read more

Product Description
"Her audience is everyone who has ever married, had children, gotten to middle age, owned a dog or a duck."
DALLAS TIMES HERALD
In this book Erma comes out--out of the kitchen--with these gems:
No longer will she be the only woman on the block to wear a slip under a see-through sweater, or feel guilty if the sun sets on an empty crockpot, nor will she care that she flunked her paper towel test. Our Erma is on her way to becoming a sub-total woman.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Erma presents a soul makeover
This is my favorite from the queen of family humor. Here's what hilarity happens when the ordinary human tries on psychology fads as if they were dresses on a bargain rack.

Self-help book of a self-help book addict
Erma Bombeck chronicles a year in the 80s when she devoted her time and energy to self-help books, like the "Total Woman."

A readerboth feels sympathy for Erma's somewhat bumbling attempts to become whatthese books demand of her, and for her harried husband, who must have wokenup every morning to wonder who his wife is today. She is pressed by anapparently lunatic friend to read "The Sub-Total Woman",attempting to act sexy and wifely to save her marriage, but only ends upweirding out her husband and burning up her nightgown.

Other chaptersinvolve Transcendental Meditation, thrift, the guests from hell, astrologyguilt, other people's middle-aged pregnancies, jogging, and the ultimatefrontier: satisfaction. You'll want to jeer at the bizarre ladies at theend of this, but you definitely won't regret buying it.

Need a self-help book?Here's one with humor!
Erma Bombeck is on a quest to perfect herself in this book. As she searches for the greatsest self-help book she can find, she searches to become more sexy, smarter, thinner, and all together more perfect. I don'tknow if she reaches her goal, but she does decide to like herself anyway! This book is hilarious!"I don't want to participate in any sportthat has an ambulance at the bottom of the hill". Enjoy thiswonderful, humorous book . . . and take a second look on what it means tobe happy! ... Read more

Product Description
"She goes a long way with her book to prove that humor is the best -- possibly the only -- way to keep the world on an even keel."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Remember the things Mother used to say? Erma Bombeck remembers them all and now she's using them on her own kids! With clever illustrations by Bob Keane, these really funny, too-true observations on family and kids and why it shouldn't work but does, is a wonderful antitdote to the daily problems and crises that every family faces. With Erma Bombeck in your corner, laughter is the best coach you can have....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A fun book, although a little bit dated
Although I'm generally a fan of Erma, I remember not thinking this book was so funny when my mom had it and I was a teenager.Fortunately, I got over that phase and reached the point where I can at least chuckle at most of it again.This book is very similar to other writings and TV shows in the 1970s time frame that dealt with the so-called "generation gap" - the two that come to my mind are the old animated TV series "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" and some episodes of "All in the Family".Because the book was written in the late 60s/ early 70s, some of the jokes, such as those dealing with transistor radios and hair length, seem dated today.One wishes Erma had updated the book to deal with newer styles - can you imagine the fun she would have had commenting on neon-pink Mohawks and iPods?It's still a fun read especially for those of us who remember the 70s.

Bil Keane's drawings are an interesting addition, since they're not nearly as sappy sweet as his "Family Circus" strip - and who'd have thunk squeaky-clean Bil would be so good at drawing sexy teenage girls in miniskirts?

A must read for parents of teenagers
Yes, maybe this book is a little dated, but overall teenagers from the 70's are not much different from teens of today attitude and all!
My daughter is 15 and this book had me thinking "That sounds familiar" many times.
I especially loved the segment about the teen who spends all his time in his room and the parents never saw the kid and forgot what he looked like....reminded me of my daughter who spends most of her time in her room!

Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own!
I want this book, it's just that Amazon in so retarded they sent me the book with Erma's cover but the contents were a JEWISH COOKBOOK! I am not making this up. I returned it twice, they sent the same screwed up book, and finally I gave up. I will buy from another source. BUYER BEWARE; Amazon sells books but apparently no one who works there can read.

I bet Erma would get a charge out of the stupidity of the whole affair.

Just Wait Til You Have Children of Your Own
Erma Bombeck is great!If you have children, or even if your children are grown and gone like mine, you will still get chuckles and remember when!

so funny and witty.......
For anyone is a parent of a teenager, or anyone who is interested in reading more about that complex, and turbulent dynamic, this book is for you.I first read this book when I was eleven years old, and it just got me reading and enjoying more of Erma Bombeck's unique and broad brand of humor.To top that off, the little comic interludes, illustrating themes and common day-to-day interactions between parents and children, are drawn beautifully by Bil Keane, who went on to illustrate the successful comic strip, "Family Circus," for years.

Whether Erma Bombeck is taking on housekeeping, driving lessons, or hairstyles, she is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.Granted, this book was originally written in the 1970s and there is a slightly dated hippie quality to the look of the teenagers in this book, the themes ring true today, as much as thirty years ago.Parents and their teenage children speak different languages, diverge greatly in their tastes in music, friends, romantic partners and lifestyle.Yet, God has put them together, to teach one another lessons in adversity, communication (or lack thereof) and exasperation!

Bombeck's talent shines brightly here.I also reccomend you check out "Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession," "The Grass is Greener Over the Septic Tank," "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits?", and "When You Begin to Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home."They are also great examples of her comedic writing, and warm insight into life and its day-to-day mini-disasters! ... Read more

Product Description
"America's irrepressible doyenne of domestic satire."
THE BOSTON GLOBE
Madcap, bittersweet humor in classic Erma Bombeck-style. You'll laugh until it hurts and love it! "Any mother with half a skull knows that when Daddy's little boy becomes Mommy's little boy, the kid is so wet, he's treading water. What do you mean you're a participle in the school play and you need a costume? Those rotten kids. If only they'd let me wake up in my own way. Why do they have to line up along my bed and stare at me like Moby Dick just washed up onto a beach somewhere?"
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Erma's First and one of her best
This book was originally published in the 1960s and my mom received a copy as a Christmas present a few years after that.I ended up swiping her copy and reading it many times, not so much because I understood all the humor at age 8 - I got some of it OK, but I remember distinctly asking my mom to explain to me certain jokes and tell me why they were funny.Mom would just sort of groan and shake her head and tell me I shouldn't be reading such a grownup book that I was too young to appreciate.But, I kept reading it anyway because Erma quite simply had a magical knack for putting funny scenes and sentences together.It was like reading an adult version of Dr. Seuss.I'll never forget my favorite part of "At Wit's End" as a child, which was the description of how, the minute Mom gets on the telephone, "the children swing into action like a highly organized army on maneuvers, each marching to his favorite 'No No, Burn Burn' or whatever" that culminates in all sorts of chaos with one kid in the middle of everything climbing onto the kitchen table and taking off his clothes.

By the time I was in college I had read this and several other Erma books (a family friend kept giving them to my mom each Christmas so we got each new one as it hit the stands) multiple times and I not only had a better sense of what the books were about, but Erma had indelibly influenced my writing style with her zingy descriptions and metaphors.I thought of her especially when I wrote humor columns for a couple of school papers and tried to make it read as funny as her writing.I still think "At Wit's End", her first book, is one of her best ones, simply because it's so chock-full of text(assuming it still contains all the content of the original - I haven't looked at this latest edition to see if anything's been winnowed out in the re-release).After you get past about her first four books, when she was established as a reliably bestselling author, the print started getting bigger, the content started getting thinner, and the gags unfortunately started repeating and recycling.Although the subject matter of "At Wit's End" may be a little dated in parts, thougn not all (for example, kids have certainly not gotten any less annoying in 40 years and women still go on crash diets), I would not hesitate to recommend it based on the fast-paced, original, slightly self-deprecating writing style alone.It might not be for everyone and when it comes to Erma's writing style, people tend to either love it or hate it.Count me firmly in the "love" category.

Forced
Published in 1965, the humor (and there is some occasionally) in this book is suburban, white, middle class--and strained.Really good humor grows naturally from a situation, and that doesn't happen here.Family sitcoms are never funny to me.It's the same old stuff, forced episode after episode, or forced page after page in a book.

Obviously Ms. Bombeck had and may still have many fans.Just not me.

A little too choppy in its setup and delivery.
"At Wit's End" was the first Erma Bombeck book I read. I've been told that I write like her, so I was curious about what she had to say.I found the set-up rather choppy and her flow severly erratic.Her humor was chuckle-worthy, but I felt she was writing more towards herself, expecting the readers to fully grasp her humor.Even if you're not a wife or mother, you can still enjoy what is being said about such topics.I "sorta" recommend.

Erma Bombeck, 101
This is Erma Bombeck's first book and you can see all that talent, all that material ready to make its mark on the world.

But it doesn't read as a "first book" - all the stuff is there - the kids letting you know on Sunday night they need a costume for the school play - this happens in 2002 just the same as it happened in the 1970s - and of course, mom has no idea what she's supposed to do about a costume. That part is worht the price of admission alone.

So find a quiet spot, maybe after the kids have gone to school and you're wondering if you relaly should have sent them since it's snowing and school will probably close early - get a cup of coffee and read about what it's really like to be a mom.
Oh, and keep the radio on, too - they'll be announcing the school closings for you - and of course, the bus won't be available to pick them up;)

Still the truth all these years later . . .
I used to occasionally pick up my mother's Erma Bombeck books when I was a young teenager and read some of it -- I found it funny but didn't quiteunderstand it.

I am now the stay-at-home mother of a three year old withthe second baby on the way.What she writes about is as true in 2000 as itwas in the 1970s.The environment may have changed -- not nearly as manystay-at-home moms, and the ones that are tend to be working from home, etcetera.

But there are still husbands who decide to fix the plumbingthemselves, there are still kids who want cupcakes and a costume for theschool play on Sunday night, and there are still women with collegeeducations who haven't gotten to read a book other than the Dr. Seussseries since before the kids were born.

I understand now.I comprehendfully why my mother told me, when I asked as a naïve teenager what was sofunny about Erma Bombeck, I'd understand later.There is no better authorto make mothers feel like they're not the only person in the world thatputs up with this . . . because their kids and husbands haven't noticedyet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

I Want To Grow Up, I Want To Grow Hair, I Want To Go To Boise
In the Fall of 1992, our youngest child was diagnosed with leukemia. My mom gave me my first copy of this book that following Spring. I took it with me on one of our "Weekend Vacations" in the Pediatric Oncology wing of our hospital. As I read, I realized that our experiences mirrored so much of the things Erma wrote about in the book. The more I read, the more I believed that this book could help others who were dealing with cancer by preparing them for "things yet to come".

So, I took my copy and wrote an anonymous letter in the front cover telling whomever might be reading the book that in its pages they will find truth and reassurance in dealing with cancer. And then in the margins, chapter by chapter, I commented and added my real life experiences. In the letter, I told the reader that they will find my comments and those from others who are sharing their experiences with the hope that they were helping the reader prepare for the road ahead. I invited them to add their experiences to the margins as well. Then, I slid the book onto a shelf in the "Play Room" library.

I had the opportunity to visit the "Play Room" several years later, and my original copy of the book was still on the bookshelf. I opened the pages and there, scribbled all over the place were comments from people who had found comfort in the book. I stood there and cried as I read. The concerned staff came to my side to comfort me, and as I composed myself, I told them how I had been the one who originally left the book for others to read. They told me they all knew about the book and had often advised parents and children, new the the "Cancer World", to read it. It had served my intended purpose.

As far as I know, the book is still on the shelf. I thank Erma for having had the courage to write it, I thank all those who shared their personal stories, and I thank the staff for not throwing it away, but recognizing the power it held for others. I recommend this book to anyone dealing with cancer. When you finish reading it, I invite you to liberate yourself and write your comments and experiences in the margins. Then, share the book with someone else and invite them to do the same, and when they are finished, to pass the book to someone else.

Then go buy another copy for yourself to keep. Because in the years ahead, it will be a reminder of the strength and courage you possessed that got you through your cancer ordeal. From the prospective of a parent of a child who survived cancer, I recommend you read this book when you are ready. It will be funny, enlightening, and bittersweet. Sometimes just knowing that others share your experiences helps lighten your burden.

I Want to Grow Hair Hair, I Want to Grow Up and I Want to Go
My son was diagnosed in 1989 at the age of 8 years old with three brain tumors. We were told her would die in surgery and if he did live he would be a vegetable. The doctor was wonderful and he lives and is doing wonderfully! I have been involved deeply with brain tumor suppport now for 11 years. I talk to families at least once a week.This book gives great insight into how the kids feel about their disease and the experience that goes with it. The most important part of this book is the section that the fathter's discuss their feelings. Dads have a very difficult time knowing how to help and "fix" it as they think they must! This chapter is priceless. Good Book, Good Information, Important learning here!

Only Erma Bombeck Could Make It Work
Erma Bombeck became renowned by highlighting the amusing aspects of the terrene.She did not usually make what are typically called "jokes"-just offbeat observations.Her columns more often initiated a satisfying smile than a hearty belly laugh.But even on the occasions that she was painfully funny she showed respect for her subjects and her audience.It was the proud acknowledgement that she was one of us that allowed us to chuckle at family life, grocery shopping, housework, and all the other quotidian errands that compose the bulk of our lives. Regardless of the subject she found some aspect that was good for a "laugh with" not a "laugh at."

How about the subject of children battling cancer?The thought of jocularly treating such a topic sounds comparable to the depraved entertainment regurgitated by the likes of Howard Stern.Surely, Erma Bombeck-the avatar of wholesomeness-would never approach such a subject.No, but it approached her.She was asked to write this book, and at first the thought of it repulsed her.Momentarily dropping her guard, she allowed herself to be talked in to attempting this work.We should all be thankful that she caved. The result is a reverent; inspiring read that has had a propitiatory impact on many, many children and adults battling cancer---not to mention legions of us who are blessed with good health.

Treading with great veneration for her subject, she produced a book overflowing with warmth, encouragement, and-as unbelievable as it may seem-tasteful mirth.It stands a proud addition to her rich legacy.

Wonderful!
Having grown up in an era when "the 'C' word" meant a death sentence, I was taken aback when a friend of mine suggested this little-known work of Erma Bombeck's.Why would a humerous writer tackle such a depressing subject?Kids with cancer?The book was not depressingat all.Sure I cried, but they were tears of joy.I laughed at the anticsof some of the kids. I praised the professionals who dedicate their timeand money to these kids.Cancer is no longer necessarily a terminaldisease.People beat it all the time.I was unaware of this until I readthis book, and no one could do it like Erma.I highly recommend this bookto anyone, but it is especially uplifting to someone who has a friend orfamily member with cancer.

I Laughed, I Cried, and then I Laughed Some More
This book is a wonderfully humorous and insightful look into children's experiences with caner.Although it certainly is not a humorous subject,the book really shows the powerful spirit of children and demonstrates theimportance of humor in illness.And no matter what they go through, kidsare still kids.I read this for the first time in college, and now I am apediatrician. ... Read more

Product Description

In this lovingly hilarious look at her 44-years-and-counting marriage to a man she wouldn't trade for anything in the world -- who would finish her sentences? -- Erma Bombeck offers observations as only she can, on:

Product Description
"A truly wise and funny woman; a laugh-till-you cry book."
LIBRARY JOURNAL
Erma Bombeck has learned a few things about children and family over the years--and in a way that is uniquely and wonderfully her own, she shares everything she knows with her readers. Whether it's cleaning up after the kids and him, or expendable mothers-in-law, Erma Bombeck gets to the heart of the matter and makes us laugh through our tears.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another great slice of Erma
This book mines some of the same marriage-and-family territory as the author's earlier "At Wit's End" and is very funny in a self-deprecating middle-aged way.In hindsight, you have to wonder if Erma was kind of shining us on when she wrote about things like how she doesn't have the confidence of working women and how she has social anxiety when forced to converse with strangers at a banquet table - if you Wiki her, you'll see that she was a pretty renowned and accomplished lady.But in any event, this book is still quite funny.Although you might need to look up a few names (Paul Newman used to be a sexy screen idol, not just the face on the salad dressing bottle), other situations lampooned in the book, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles experience, haven't changed a bit in 30+ years.I think this along with "At Wit's End" are Erma's two best, most classic works.

Humor writing at its best....
Erma Bombeck was, hands down, the funniest humor columnist to ever grace newspapers and bookstores. Even now, years after she passed way, her writings are still funny and topical.

In "I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression," as with most of her books, Erma Bombeck takes snippets of her life, her husband, and her three kids and relates them to us in a way that only she can. Everything from her husband's inability to start a fire in the fireplace to her own inability to cope with turning 40, nothing is sacred or forbidden when Erma writes about her life.

This book is funny, witty, relevant, and an easy read. If you're life is busy and complicated, take some time out to read this book. Erma has a way of making your life seem not so bad. If nothing else, it's a great way to spend a few minutes each day. ... Read more

Product Description
"She is marvelously funny, direct as a hypodermic, a virtuoso in the field of suburban living....Lovely stuff."
VOGUE
It's the expose to end all exposes--the truth about the suburbs: where they planted trees and crabgrass came up, where they planted the schools and taxes came up, where they died of old age trying to merge onto the freeway and where they finally got sex out of the schools and back into the gutters.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Still pretty funny, though you might need to talk to an older person to "get it"
This is another Erma book my mom had when I was a little girl in the 70s.It wasn't my very favorite Erma book because, for one thing, we lived in "suburbia" but it was a suburb with older pre-WWII bungalow housing, and therefore it was harder to relate to many of Erma's jokes being more directed towards the newer tract-development 'burbs.Those would have been the towns oh, about two towns over from ours that all the younger families were moving into - the ones where many of the houses looked alike, where buyers were lured with a low base price and then discovered that just about every feature on the house was an "extra".I remember thinking at the time that Erma's writing was funny but I would NOT want to live in that type of neighborhood even as a kid (apparently she and her husband did move their family to a tract development in Ohio in real life).

Some segments of this book also deal with long-gone features of life such as Tupperware parties (called "Suckerware" in the book).I'm not sure if anyone buys Tupperware at parties any more and in any event Tupperware did away with the kind you needed to "burp" (i.e. release air so food would stay fresh) a long time ago.If you lived through the 70s or have read up a lot on the era, you'll get most of the jokes.Otherwise you might need to call your mama, your auntie or your grandma to understand it. In spite of the above, there are a goodly number of universal topics such as weight loss, kids' behavior, dog ownership and lawn care, that should provide even younger readers with more than a few laughs.

Love this book!!
I read this book many years ago when I was a young mother and thought it was an absolute scream, so I bought it for my daughter, who is now a mom herself. She said there were lots of things she could relate to in the book, even though it was set way before her time. Erma Bombeck remains one of the funniest authors out there. I miss her!

Some Laughs
This book tells of everyday life that many parents stress out about but it presents it in a way where people will laugh about it, maybe not while it's going on but certainly afterwards. This book did bring a few laughs and any parent could definitely relate but there were parts of the book that I was bored.

GREAT TALES!
I really like this book, she is a great american story teller. Stuff is real life, if you enjoy a good laugh, i reccomend this book at anyone!

a wonderful example of Bombeck's great brand of humor.....
This book diverges from Bombeck's usual subject matter--family--to take on other compelling topics, like diet and the self image of American women.One of the greatest stand-out examples, for me, of her warm humorous take on crash diets and extreme weight loss measures, is when she talks about a case study done with laboratory rats.As part of the experiment, the rats modelled different kinds of clothing.For example, if a rat wore vertical stripes, he was more likely to look longer and leaner than his counterparts.Also, if a rat was having a dialogue with another rat, he stood on the curb, or the stairs, so he was always on a higher platform from his friend.This gave the illusion that he was taller and skinnier.I remember the first time I read this. I was rolling with laughter.

God bless Erma Bombeck.We are so lucky that her comedic gift lives on in her wonderful books.These books are best described as "slice of life" vignettes of the day-to-day experiences of American identity, through the eyes of one of the most influential people in the world---a mother. ... Read more

Product Description
Here in one volume are three of Bombeck's hilarious books on family humor. Includes At Wit's End, "Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own!" and I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression.544 pp. 6 x 9. Orig. 3 vols. $26.85. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Book in good condition
The book was in great condition. I was pleasantly surprised as this was an old book & I am picky about the conditon of my books.

Thanks For Years of Good Humor
I have always loved Erma Bombeck's books.

As a kid when I lived with an abusive neglecting mother I used to love reading her books because it's always comforting to know there's someone out there who is more miserable than you.

GREAT READ!!!
ANYONE WHO LIKES TO LAUGH WILL FOREVER ENJOY ERMA BOMBECK.SHE TAKES LIFE IN THE BURBS AND MAKES EVERYONE OF US LAUGH. SHE IS GONE BUT THANKS TO HER BOOKS NOT FORGOTTEN

PLEASE-give Erma to future generations!
Erma Bombeck will always be one of my heroes. I still have her picture from the cover of Time magazine hanging on my "Wall of Fame" in my laundry room, along with my college diploma, a picture of the first woman to run for Vice-President, and various cards with special significance from family and friends. When I was a young mom, her writing always reminded me that laughter is better than tears. Whenever I thought that I could not possibly survive this child-rearing thing, I would pick up one of Erma's books and find out that she already survived the same hair-raising incidents and still had brain power. I still treasure many quotes I have picked up from her books. She wrote an article once about children becoming the parents to their own parents. She stated that she knew that was happening the time she hit the brake on her car and instinctively put out her arm in front of her mother who was riding in the passenger seat. How that image tugged at my heartstrings when it happened with my own mother. She wrote about everyday life, common to most of us with humor, poignancy, and great love. I will be giving her books to young parents as long as I live. Her words should be treasured by every generation.

Great collection
Truly the best of Bombeck! A great addition toyour bookshelf if you are a Bombeck fan! ... Read more

Product Description
A housewife turned humorist, Erma Bombeck delighted America with a wry humor that turned everyday annoyances into familiar and funny anecdotes that won places of honor on America's refrigerators. Here is Erma Bombeck, laughing her way through childhood, marriage, motherhood, and celebrity status, even keeping her sense of humor as she battled terminal illness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bombeck biography
This book was recommended to me by a friend who enjoys biographies.I learned many new things about Erma Bombeck and it was very readable. ... Read more

Product Description
Identifying the likenesses between animals in the wild and human beings, another humorous reflection of the ridiculous side of life pokes fun at nutrition, talk shows, childbirth, and more. 500,000 first printing. $300,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Some funny pieces, though not all hit the mark
Heard the taped version of Erma Bombeck's ALL I KNOW ABOUT
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR I LEARNED IN LOEHMANNMN'S DRESSING
ROOM . . . this is a collection of 38 pieces where she compares and
contrasts animal behavior with that of the human species.

Not everything hit the mark, but those that did had me laughing quite
a bit . . . for example, when she compares the show-off behavior
of gorillas to the attention-getting ploys of Madonna, Howard Stern,
Roseanne, and other "professional exhibitionists, I kept thinking to myself
that there are indeed amazing parallels.

I also liked her observation about the fact that the female elephant
calf carries here calf for 660 days before giving birth and continues
breeding until she is 90 days old . . . however, Bombeck says not
to feel too sorry for the elephant; after all, her height enables her
to carry the extra weight quite well.

And then she tells the story of four dolphins who got lost and
were trapped in a New Jersey river. Of course, she contends, they
had to be men . . . which leads to the author's advice on ending
all wars: "Let men give directions on how to get there."

Bombeck, who died in 1996, was always one of my favorite
humorists . . . this book will help remind you just how funny she
was . . . narration by Barbara Rosenblatt was fine; however, I would
have preferred hearing the author herself.

Maybe the animals have us beat?
Of all the animals, man is only one that blushes -- or who needs
to. He is also the only one that laughs, or at least that's what
the naturalists claim. Perhaps it is because we humans are the
funniest of the animals, and who better to point that out than
the late Erma Bombeck?

In "All I Know About Human Behavior I Learned in Loehman's
Dressing Room", Bombeck shares some of the observations made by
the naturalists and then shows how humans are alike. The female
elephant, for example, carries her calf for 660 days before
giving birth and continues breeding until she is ninety years
old. But Bombeck doesn't feel too sorry for the elephant; after
all with her height she carries the extra weight quite well!

In the old days pregnancy was a real event in a woman's life; she
was told to give up exercise and could eat whatever she wanted.
Today, however, she has to exercise more than ever and everyone
is watching what she eats. Birth is so ordinary that a female

jockey delivered only a few hours after her third race. Surrogate
mothers made the old joke "Are you pregnant? No, I'm carrying it
for a friend" reality, and frozen embryos are part of the divorce
settlement!

Another notice tells of four dolphins who got lost and were
trapped in a New Jersey river. Of course we all know they had to
be men. Bombeck knows how to end all wars: "Let men give
directions on how to get there." Why don't men ask for
directions? It would compromise their masculinity.

Of course animals are involved in many laboratory experiments.
After wondering who got their permission, Bombeck continues: "I
have never been in a laboratory where mice are involved in
research. So when someone tells me they are being used to test
the effects of cigarette smoke and alcohol and the consequences
of too much sun, I have to believe there's a group of mice
sitting around the pool, smoking and drinking Mai Tais and
working on a tan."

When she thinks of animal speed, she thinks of the IRS cashing
your check (the fastest animal on earth) and giving a refund (the
snail is faster). When she reads about the devices that are used
to track animals in the wild, she remembers the various
electronic devices we have to stay in touch. What should you
record on that answering machine? "We're not home right now?"
That's obvious. "We'll return your call?" What if it is a
aluminum siding salesman?

This is not a connected narrative, but a series of sketches, each

based on a different piece of information about the animal
kingdom. As a result, you can read this in a hurry or stretch it
out. There are a few dry places, but this is a good book to bring
with you while you are waiting for your appointment with the IRS.

Way to go Erma
I love Erma Bombeck.She is the best author I've read.This bookcontinues that tradition.Every chapter is a laugh.The best part is, youcan reread and reread the book and still laugh.Only Erma could do such athing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Satisfied
I ordered this book for a baby shower gift for a first time mom, the book arrived in excellant condition and well within the time frame given.The transaction was smooth as well.Thank you!

Great condition..even greater price!
This book is an oldie but a goodie. And it was in great condition especially for it's age. I would buy another book any time.

Funny and a must read for Moms
This is my favorite Erma Bombeck book. She tells it like it is being a Mom in a humorous way. I've read this book many times over the years and never tire of it.

laugh it all away
This one is guaranteed to make you feel great about your chosen profession. As you laugh away the Purgatorial moments you realize how much you love your kids.

Wonderful, hilarious and insightful ~~ a must read!
If it wasn't for someone raving about Erma's books ~~ and her insights, I would have never thought of picking her books up again. I remember very vividly reading her columns in my hometown newspaper every day till I moved to college. She is what I consider to be part of the American scene, Mom, Apple Pie and Erma Bombeck.

This book, which I read in one day over this past weekend, is just as wonderful as her other books. It made me laugh and roll my eyes (I don't have teenagers yet) and cry. The one chapter that made me cry the hardest is the letter from a mom whose son is a criminal. I had studied a little bit of criminals and their families in sociology in college, and that letter hit home. I love the letter from a teenager asking how did moms get their bionic and super powers. I love her insights on traveling and coming home. Let's face it, I just love Erma. She really is a woman who has her finger on the pulse of the nation's heart.

This is a wonderful must-read for all moms and their children. This is a book to read in different stages of your life too. I plan to read it again in several years when my two are tweens and again when they're teenagers. I am sure her insights will still help me grow through rocky patches. This is a timeless book. And one that I plan to share with the new moms in my life.

5-15-06 ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of Erma Bombeck, tracing her life from her early childhood in Dayton, Ohio, through her current life as one of America's best-known humorists and columnists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The kid's review
In the 1950's there were a lot of women breaking free of the "housewife" reputation. Erma Bombeck was one of them. When Erma was a kid, she wanted to be a writer. She worked hard all through school to accomplish her goals. During this time she was a copygirl for a local newspaper. When she got to the point of college, she struggled to get in because she didn't have enough money. When she got in, she struggled to stay in. During her college experience, she advanced her writing. Erma strongly disagreed to `housewife' name give to women. She fought this title in the later years of her life. Erma was a writer and a humorist. This is a great book that gets inside the head of a woman for equal rights.
Erma Bombeck fulfilled her goals and dreams. She preserved all through high school and worked at a local newspaper as a copygirl. She did a great job balancing them. She struggled to get into college but when she did, she worked her butt off to stay in. She faced the challenges of college and surpassed them. Erma fought the image which men gave the world, that said all a woman was supposed to do was clean, garden, and take care of kids.
The author didn't make her actions seem good or bad. When she fought for women's rights, the author kept a clear head and didn't state whether she agreed or opposed the issue. Lynn Colwell didn't set the mood or environment to seem like Erma was a saint or demon. Lynn told the truth about every event in Erma's life.
It talks about a woman who accomplished a lot but wouldn't be recognized. She wrote many books including If Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries, Why am I in the Pits? Erma had a show series out called Maggie on ABC. She guest starred on many shows like The Cosby Show and Good Morning America.
In conclusion, Erma lived a good, full life. Lynn Hutner Colwell portrayed Erma Bombeck in a way which you can make your own opinions about her. Erma Bombeck is a great person to do a biography on because no one else would have noticed her even though she had and impact on how women are treated. A.Elliott
... Read more

Product Description
Heart-Tugging Stories about Families. Reading these tender stories is like discovering timeless treasures. They captivate the heart in a wonderous way that appeals to parents, grandparents and children of all ages. Whether you read them together as a family or curl up on the couch and read them alone, you'll find yourself feeling deeply thankful for what's really important in life. ... Read more

Product Description
When it first appeared in Erma Bombeck's Mother's Day column in 1974, When God Created Mothers was an instant success, clipped from newspapers, tucked into purses, and tacked onto refrigerators all over America. Now in this beautiful keepsake edition, Bombeck's moving words are paired with original art that bring to life the warm portrait of motherhood contained within.

An angel marvels at the detail and overtime that the good Lord is putting into his creation of mothers. Despite the six pairs of hands and the three pairs of eyes that every mother needs, the angel thinks she has discovered a flaw:

"There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear."

"What's it for?"

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."

"You are a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there."

Every mother will treasure this moving tribute, penned by America's most beloved expert on motherhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Erma Bombeck - When God Created Mothers
Purchased this as a type of card for my grandchildren to give to their Mother for Mother's Day.It was lovely and she enjoyed reading the bits of wisdom.Item arrived as promised and in condition agreed.

A MUST FOR ALL MOTHERS
I bought this book for my wife from her 2 beautiful daughters.It is very fun and is all true.My wife cried when she read it.This is Erma at her best.All of her books are fantastic.If you love her writings or are a mother or a daughter and want to show you mom how much you love her, buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
"Groundbreaking.Here are the voices of women whose wisdom and experience have much to say to other women and to health-care professionals about what it means to live with breast cancer.And I mean live.These are women who live busy, productive, meaningful lives as they confront breast cancer.At once practical and philosophical, these active, professional women share their experiences, knowledge and feelings generously." -- Sandra Morgan
Director, Center for Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon

"A very insightful and dynamic book!As an oncology nurse and professional woman, it spoke both to me and for me.This book emphasizes beautifully the need for understanding and compassion for any woman dealing with breast cancer who desires to pursue her goals, whether professional or personal, and to lead as normal a life as possible." -- Jo Ann Vergnolle, RN, OCN
Cancer Treatment Center, Greenville Hospital System ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The book I really needed
This book addressed one of the primary issues for me, as a newly diagnosed cancer survivor - how to keep up with my job while still taking the time needed for medical treatments and recuperation.The book focuses on ten fairly high-powered women with executive and professional jobs, but the preface notes that nowadays most mid-life women are working outside the home and have to balance work responsibilities with their personal needs.Many of us are single and self-supporting; employer-provided health insurance is essential to cover the considerable costs of treatment.So this book helped to answer my overwhelming need to know how to communicate with people at work and how to balance my work schedule with the time I needed to deal with the cancer.

Some of the technical information in the book is a little outdated, since the experience of some of the women went back into the 1980s and the book itself came out in 1997.However, I found the book enormously useful in addressing the work-related issues that often are given little attention in other cancer books I've read.

Prima donnas with breast cancer? Well, sort of.
This is a concept book, as you might guess from the title. I didn't much care for the concept.Ten busy professional women, all initially diagnosed withStage I or II breast cancer, were invited by McCarthy MedicalMarketing and Innovative Medical Education Consortium, Inc. to form a focusgroup that would help to foreground the needs of their special category -busy professional women with breast cancer - for the edification of medicalpersonnel and other cancer care providers. The resulting book, put togetherin-house by MMM and IMEC, "is intended to provide health-careprofessionals with insight into what makes this group of women 'different'and, in turn, to enhance their relationships with them." And how arethese women "different?"The book explains, "For all tenauthors, the diagnosis of breast cancer was a major inconveniencebecause...it interrupted their busy, active, and fulfilled lives."Itturns out none of them felt comfortable crying in doctor's offices orlosing control. Nor enjoyed the disagreeable task of"comfortingdistraught well-wishers" such as their friends and extended family. Nor - back to the title -easily found time for treatment and othermedical visits.Why, one woman had the unimaginable experience of beingput on hold 15 minutes for her lab results! Whew, what a relief that therest of us don't have any of that to worry about. As the book progressesand this offensive start-off impression recedes into the background, thecharacters become more sympathetic and their medical and professional fatesinteresting. So I'm inclined to hope that these 10 authors didn't quiteanticipate how the final draft would make them look. Every woman who hasbreast cancer has a right to our sympathy and concern. That goes for busyprofessionals too.Will appeal to: Obsessive fact-gatherers trying toassess their options and eager to learn what happened to other people witha similar lifestyle.

Ground-breaking, insightful, dynamic!
From the foreword written by Erma Bombeck:

I do not know nor have I ever met the ten women who authored this book.

But we share a common bond. All of us were watching our prime-time lives pass by when a voice announced,"We interrupt this life to bring you cancer." We didn't even havetime to turn the dial.

I have read a hundred books on breast cancer - warstories of women who did battle with the most frightening adversary intheir lives. But BREAST CANCER? LET ME CHECK MY SCHEDULE! is different.These are personal stories of ten women, all over thirty, who pursuecareers outside their homes......the way they accepted their diagnosis, thedecision sthey made, their approach to therapy and the way they coped allreflected their experience in the workplace.

I wanted to be part of thisbook mostly because of its title. It fits me to a "T." I too am aworking woman complete with a little calendar that tells me when to have aheadache. If it isn't penciled in, I don't have one. On April 23, 1992under "Things to Do Today" I jotted down, "radicalmastectomy, noon."

.........

As I read this book, I was hoping itwould address the one emotion that all cancer patients rarely speak about:the uncertainty of our future. It did. We are a unique group who have beenallowed to face our mortality, and oddly enough, it has made us betterpeople for it. There isn't a survivor who doesn't admit she has changed.........

I've heard women say, "I can't read cancer books. They'redowners. BREAST CANCER? LET ME CHECK MY SCHEDULE is not a downer. How couldit be when you enter the lives of these ten women who triumph over aninvasion of their bodies. These are women with drive and purpose who aren'tready to give up. Cancer? It's a full week. I'll have my people call yourpeople and set something up. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1979, someone asked humorist Erma Bombeck, “If you had your life to live over, would you change anything?” Her immediate answer was no, but once she thought about it, she changed her mind. The result was a classic column full of Bombeck’s signature wit and warmth. Now the beloved column that has hung on hundreds of refrigerator doors has been cheerily illustrated and designed as a handsome gift book, Eat Less Cottage and More Ice Cream. In it, Bombeck gently reminds us of what is really important in life:“If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.”“I would have cried and laughed less while watching television . . . and more while watching real life.”“But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it . . . look at it and really see it . . . try it on . . . live it . . . exhaust it . . . and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it. . . . ”Long-time fans of Erma Bombeck will be thrilled to have this favorite column in the form of a beautiful keepsake. Readers discovering Bombeck for the first time will become fans instantly. Eat Less Cottage and More Ice Cream offers wisdom to inspire all of us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Typical Bombeck Humor
While I was not sure of the type of book I was ordering I loved the title and after all it was Bombeck, so how could I go wrong. I even ordered copies for friends.I was delighted with the content but wished for more.It seemed like so little when I wanted to continue to enjoy the humor I remember from Erma Bombeck. Guess I will have to buy more Bombeck books.

Not the best of Erma
This a cute coffee table book, but I didn't realize that it was just a few words per page.

Good for what it is
I had hoped that this book would be another collection of Bombeck's columns or pieces from several of her books... It is a little gift book edition of some of her best phrases. With whimsical illustrations and a lovely design, this makes an excellent small present for a true Bombeck fan or for someone who enjoys a little escape and encouragement. ... Read more