Bill Bryson's "Thunderbolt Kid"

[Rain Man]

I completed Bill Bryson's newest book, "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, a Memoir" last night at 4:00 in the morning. My wife said I kept her awake because I was silently laughing so hard I was shaking the whole bed.

This is Bryson's story of growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. He was born the same year I was, 1951. If you grew up during the 50s, you will relate to many of the things Bryson tells tall tales about in this book. And like "A Walk in the Woods," Bryson tells the truth about our society, government, and nation in more ways than one, mostly hilarious and realistic, but some very sobering.

The last two or three chapters introduce "Katz" who was an actual childhood friend (of a different name), and gave me some good background on the beloved character from "A Walk in the Woods."

Anyway, I recommend this book. Bryson is a great author and does poke fun, but at himself about as much as anyone.

Rain:sunMan

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[NICKTHEGREEK]

I agree, a great read.

[D'Artagnan]

Even though I was born about 20 years later, I still related to and enjoyed the book immensely. It was a little like reading some of Lewis Grizzard's writings. A very enjoyable, light read.

[FFTorched]

I was sitting in a waiting room somewhere and they had an excerpt in the New Yorker of a chapter called the Stripper Tent and I found it ridiculously funny and couldn't stop laughing. I plan on eventually reading the entire book one of these days. Right now I got some Abbey, Hemingway, Russo, and Gruber on my plate first.

[Old Grouse]

He always makes me laugh. Fact is, though, you do have to be a certain age to truly enjoy that book.