I am always intrigued by how an author comes up with a title to a book. Sometimes they are pretty self explanatory and other times they seem more obscure. Until I dove in to this very quick read of essays, I wasn’t sure exactly what the title referred to. My curiosity as to the naming of the title was quickly answered when I read the preface and was asked to ponder why (white) marshmallows list the dye blue 1 as an ingredient. Yes, that does seem weird to me. And yes, I did check my own bag of marshmallows in the cupboard and saw it listed as an ingredient. So, I thought that this was a good start to the book and was interested to see what other essays and musings Dan Fogg had to share with us.

As I read though the section of “Do Not Stop On The Tracks”, I couldn’t help think about all the many baby products that I have read such warnings on, those warnings that were common sense and didn’t need to be spelled out but they obviously had to because more than one person lacked the common sense that was required to use such a product.

The book includes other sections titled “En Masse” “Technology Sucks” ‘That’s Just Freaky” and “Weird Stuff”. I did find some of the observations to be more critical and cynical than I am myself, but some of the other observations were entertaining to read. My favorite essay in the collection is called “The Vortex” and seemed to be the start of a movie. He did a good job describing the setting that allowed me to get a clear picture and understand his feelings. And I thought the most, shall we say – educational, was “Electile Dysfunction 2000: Heard from Florida Lately?”

I did enjoy reading though his collection of favorite quotes. Reading what inspires or provokes a person helps you to draw up a mental image of their character and provide a deeper insight to their writings.

http://savegreenbeinggreen.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-weirder-than-marshmallows.html

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Leslie R.

Weirder than Marshmallows is a book of essays by Dan Fogg. It was really enjoyable and pokes a little bit of fun at everyone. It’s an easy read, which I like, and each essay is short. This is nice with a little one to chase around the house.
I like Fogg because he tackles serious ideas with humor and fun. Great read, and I was happy to receive a copy!!

http://oneyeartodisney.blogspot.com/2011/11/weirder-than-marshmallows-indeed.html

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Kelly O.

This is the fifth book I have read as part of challenge no. 21 of my 52 things in 52 weeks challenge.

Bet you haven’t ever really thought about what goes into marshmallows, have you?

I’ve only just started to get into chemistry as part of my uni, and a few of our experiments involved the modification of a colour of an item using various other chemicals. Reading this introduction from Dan literally made me stop for a bit, and wonder why blue 1 would be needed. Seriously…anyone know? Did anyone else ever actually stop and look at ingredients for any food item in particular, only to wonder why a particular ingredient was actually necessary?

The rest of the book is a collection of stories ranging from the ponderings of other everyday occurrences that we never stop to really think about, or the bizarre moments in life (being certain you were in a specific place at a particular time, and someone else who was there at that exact same time not ever seeing you). There’s a lot in there that you’ll find that you think “oh yeah – why is that?”

This was the first time I’ve used an e-book in my 52 in 52 challenge, but when an offer was made for me to receive the book for free in exchange for my honest opinion, I definitely wasn’t going to turn that down! Reading an e-book was quite a different experience to be honest. I used my iPhone, and I definitely struggled as it came in a PDF format (on the iPhone you can’t change PDF font sizes using iBooks). However, if you had a dedicated e-book reader with a larger screen (iPad, kindle etc) you wouldn’t have the same problem. In addition, if it came in a format that was a bit more friendly to the iBooks app so that I could change the font size then it would be a lot better. There’s a kindle version so I would expect this problem would be resolved using the Kindle app.

Overall the book was quite enjoyable to read, and I found with the portability of the iPhone I was able to read little bits here and there. It’s not a book that will keep you gripped to your phone until you’ve finished it, but it’s still great for those moments when you want something light-hearted that will give you a laugh here and there. There was also one moment in the book where I finished the chapter, sat back and realised how lucky I am. I won’t give it all away, but the writer, Dan, lived his life in a wheelchair and shared a story of one of those moments where he completely relies on others for assistance. It truly made me feel blessed that I have every limb in my body, and my own problems seem greatly insignificant. Sometimes we all need a bit of a wakeup call so we can reevaluate our lives, and realise that most of our problems really are quite small in the grand scheme of things.

http://amyo.id.au/kelly/booksmovies-etc/52-in-52-weirder-than-marshmallows-by-dan-fogg-plus-win-a-free-copy

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Kathleen

I love reviewing books! So I couldn’t wait to print out Weirder Than Marshmallows make a cup of coffee and get lost in a book of what I thought would be about marshmallows. Boy was I wrong! The book is actually about everything but marshmallows except for the first page. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. I found my self bursting out laughing at parts, which led to odd looks from others in the room. The book being only a short 28 pages printed front and back ended far to soon. I found myself relating to some of the chapters and thinking to myself are people really that stupid? Laughed again and said to myself yes just look at today’s television shows. This is a must read book for anyone who enjoys or needs a good laugh.

http://kathleensblogspot.com/2011/10/02/weirder-than-marshmallows-book-review/

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Melissa T.

Who doesn’t love marshmallows? You can toast them, make cute crafts and yummy treats with them. But now you can enjoy marshmallows in a different way. Read the E-book, Weirder Than Marshmallows, by Dan Fogg.

This book of essays is an E-book for your Kindle reader. It will be available in other formats in the future.

If you like humor that makes fun of the stupid things other people do, then Weirder Than Marshmallows is for you. Lets face it we all do stupid things every now and then, but some do it more often than others. Things that no one should ever need to be told not to do. You know what I am talking about. Like the tag on the blow dryer that says keep away from water. Is that something we really need to be told not to do? Obviously because if someone hadn’t done it, the tag wouldn’t be there. Do you think someone really attempted to put a blow dryer in water, or do you think someone has a really cool job sitting around thinking up dumb things people will do with their products? I think it is the first.

These are the types of true stories told in, Weirder Than Marshmallows. I won’t give too many details, because I want you to read the book for yourself. You will laugh, scratch your head, and even wonder if something you ever did belongs in this book. I am sure I could qualify for a couple. Like the time I rode on a four wheeler with no helmet, shorts on, and no shoes. Yes, I crashed and my legs looked like burnt toast. It is things like that, for which all these safety stickers, signs, and funny books are made of. So get some tissues, you will need them from laughing so hard. These are all unique essays, of really dumb things people have done. I have never heard of these, that is how new and dumb they are. It is also not too long, so you won’t get tired of laughing at others. I had a good laugh at the expense of others, you can too. It can be our little secret.

http://melissashomeschool.blogspot.com

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Jonathan

The products keep piling up, here at The Daily Serge, so expect a lot of reviews in the next few days! Today’s is another book entitled Weirder than Marshmallows. As a compilation of short stories, Weirder than Marshmallows brings light the observations of Dan Fogg, who passed away in 2002 at 22 years old. What I enjoyed about reading these stories is that he speaks of the everyday truths we see all day. Heck, the first few chapters are about the idiocy of signs like ‘Do Not Park On Railroad Tracks’ or ‘Harmful if Swallowed’ while referring to gasoline…

There is pretty good humor sprinkled in, too. You wouldn’t feel like you’re reading a book, but rather listening to a friend while at Happy Hour after work. Each story is only a few paragraphs long, so he gets to the point, hits you with some humor, and leaves it open for your response…if this guy was at a party, everyone would want to sit near him to hear what he has to say next.

All around, I really enjoyed reading this. It is just long enough to be worth the read, but short enough so you’re never let down. It is like Seinfeld: Finishes on top….and not like The Office, which reuses ideas and should have ended four seasons ago……

Therefore, I feel compelled to give Weirder than Marshmallows 5 out of 5 Thumbs Up!

http://www.thedailyserge.com/2011/10/daily-review-weirder-than-marshmallows.html

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Nikki

This book is a great read, it is humorous, insightful and the book says what we are all thinking at some time or another but don’t actually want to say it out loud! It is a fun read and I recommend it to anyone that is looking to relax and read a book that isn’t complicated to read! I am a fan of books that are easy to read because most of the time I am reading when my crazy boys are making a lot of noise, which was the case with this one as well but it was fun and I was able to read through it without any issues understanding it.

I have to say that I am sad that the writer passed so suddenly and that it is nice that his mother has released some of his work. The story behind the book is also included in the book at different areas throughout and I appreciated the inside look at what Daniel’s life was like, who he was, and what happened to him. It makes the book more personable, I think.

Overall, a great read!

http://www.nickelanddimingwithnikki.com/2011/12/review-giveaway-weirder-than.html

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Allison L.

I have been reading a lot lately I don’t want to give you examples because I want you to read this. Dan has some great thoughts, observations, and discussions that you should read. I guarantee you that you will have conversation points as well from this book.

I decided to read and write my review before checking out what other people had to say about the book. Turns out we are almost always in a clear consensus: This book has great stories & has good flow, excellent writing. I recommend it.

I am honestly heartbroken to become a fan of Dan Fogg’s work knowing that he has passed. I look forward to other publications of his work, but based on his style of writing and frank honesty, I would have easily been a lifelong fan, anticipating his continuous work.

http://www.thehonestdietitian.com/2011/12/weirder-than-marshmallows-book-of.html

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Krista L.

I was recently sent “Weirder Than Marshmallows” to read and review.
I have to say this is a very funny and amusing book written by Dan Fogg.
It showcases some of the stupid things people say and do today in a very humorous and insightful way. You will get a kick out of knowing you are not the only one who ever said something dumb then wished they could take it back.
He very eloquently puts into words what we all think everyday when we hear or see a random act of dumb, but we don’t say out loud.

How many times have you thought to your self “wow, that person has no common sense?” Dan Fogg just puts those thoughts into words.

In this book he also covers stupid technology and even paranormal tales.
Every story in his book actually happened to a live human being. Maybe that is what makes it so interesting to read.

http://www.couponfreestuff.com/2011/11/weirder-than-marshmallows-book-review.html

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Jerri R.

Books that make fun of the inherent behaviors of human beings are popular for more reasons than one. Stand up comedians have been making a living for years making fun of themselves and others. It’s just one of those things, we do silly, sometimes stupid things and they just insist that you laugh at yourself lest you will be crying. Weirder Than Marshmallows is just one such book.

Nightfire Publications released this awesome book for the Kindle and honestly, you need nothing but time and a place to rest for some serious belly laughs. They say laughter is the best medicine and seriously, laughing at other people is a lot of fun, even if you won’t admit you partake of such fun. And, the sad thing is, you may find a story in the book that leaves you wondering if someone was spying on you. It really is that real. Again, leave room for lots of belly laughs.

Just as a side note, I don’t recommend reading this and trying to retell the stories as you read because the people listening (mainly my spouse) won’t be amused by all the laughing and moreover the laughing to the point of not being able to finish reading the story to him so he can laugh too. OOPS! OH Well, life’s tough that way.

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