I Drink for a Reason

By: David Cross

Narrated by: David Cross

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The star and creative force behind Mr. Show and Arrested Development pens his "first and final book, chronicling his meteoric rise and abysmal fall in the literary world."

After a decade spent in isolation in the Ugandan jungles thinking about stuff, David Cross has written his first book. Known for roles on the small screen such as "never-nude" Tobias Funke on Arrested Development and the role of "David" in Mr. Show with Bob and David, as well as a hugely successful stand-up routine full of sharp-tongued rants and rages, Cross has carved out his place in American comedy. Whether deflating the pomposity of religious figures, calling out the pathetic symbiosis of pseudo-celebrity and its leaching fandom, or merely pushing the buttons of the way-too-easily offended PC left or the caustic, double standard of the callous (but funnier) right, Cross has something to say about everyone, including his own ridiculous self.

Now, for the first time, Cross is weaving his media mockery, celebrity denunciation, religious commentary, and sheer madness into book form, revealing the true story behind his almost existential distaste of Jim Belushi ("The Belush"), disclosing the up-to-now unpublished minutes to a meeting of Fox television network executives, and offering up a brutally grotesque run-in with Bill O'Reilly. And as if this wasn't enough for your laughing pleasure in these troubled times, some of the pieces splinter off with additional material being created online in exclusive video and animated web content created solely for the book - a historical first (presumably)!

With a mix of personal essays, satirical fiction posing as truth, advice for rich people, information from America's least favorite Rabbi and a top-10 list of top-10 lists, I Drink for a Reason is as unique as the comedian himself, and cannot be missed.

©2009 David Cross (P)2009 Hachette

Critic reviews

"One of the funniest books I've ever skimmed!" (Paul Rudd)

"It is inappropriate for me to write a 'blurb' for Mr. David Cross, as he is rightly a legend - utterly fearless, absolutely brilliant, and a longtime inspiration to me. My endorsement would be like the weed endorsing the sun, which is to say: I live in the dirt and require David Cross (plus water) to live. But I can grow right through sidewalks, so that's something." (John Hodgman, Daily Show resident expert)

"David's writing in this audiobook for the eyes is every bit as funny, honest, and observant as the man himself-and, oddly, twice as smart. It's surprising and funny dot dot dot, a triumph!" (Mitchell "Arrested Development" Hurwitz, co-creator, The Ellen Show)

Very funny!

I would recommend this to any David Cross fan. The audio version was very enjoyable as David Cross narrates his own work wonderfully. There are extra bits with the audio version as he makes the experience of recording the book part of the listening fun.

Like a David Cross performance in your living room

Where does I Drink for a Reason rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Smart, inciteful, hilarious - just what you'd expect from David Cross.

What other book might you compare I Drink for a Reason to and why?

Patton Oswalt - "Zombie, Spaceship, Wasteland."

A bit rough, but enjoyable & entertaining.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. It was entertaining. Many topics were touched on & it did mesh well.

Would you recommend I Drink for a Reason to your friends? Why or why not?

Probably not to many of my friends. Most will not be open to the

Any additional comments?

I find it very welcoming to have the author as the reader, especially if the author is a comedian or performer.

Hilarious but a little preachy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, the audiobook had many additions to the book that were hilarious, but it gets really preachy, so I'd have to recommend it to someone very open minded.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

There wasn't any story. It was a collection of essays.

What does David Cross bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

LOTS of things. He ad-libbed a whole lot, and there were TONS of changes (an entire chapter was put to music, special guest stars etc) that made it SO much better than the book.

So glad I got the Audiobook

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES! This book was hilarious!

What about David Cross’s performance did you like?

He complains that we're listening and that he doesn't understand why anyone would listen to a book rather than read it but then he adds so much while reading it. There are guests and asides and even a song added! And the part with Jon Benjamin?! C'mon, kill me now! My life is complete!

Funny But Good Be Better.

I love David Cross and enjoyed this book but Cross is much funnier to watch than to read.

wished for the abridged version

Sometimes brilliantly spit-out-your-drink funny and fresh, sometimes self-indulgent and boring. Always well narrated, although not all of the audio add-ons worked for me (list of movie character ideas set to music and sung! why? WHY?). Audio chapter divisions made it difficult to skip parts that were making me mental and arrive safely at the start of a fresh new chapter. (Yeah, yeah, I know: I should have bought the print version.)

Still funny

A comic genius, Cross is witty, hilarious and has always been one of my favorite comedians. And, there are many times in this book, where his brilliant comedy undoubtedly, proves me right... and his narration of his own book, makes it that much funnier for the most part. With that said though, the audio book version can at times be almost unbearable to listen to as Cross constantly points out how one should be reading his book rather than listening. At first it funny but by the ninth or tenth time it's outright annoying. Even still, great whether reading or listening!!

Very entertaining... but

I was laughing a lot throughout this book. he has very interesting veiws and points for all of us to think about (and laugh about). BUT there were points where I had to fast foward (robot voice reading the review of this stand-up) i could not follow anything going on with the robot voice. there was another part where a group sang a song, and the words were muddled and it was too long.
There were a few other points where he thought of quirkly skits during the book reading, and although some of them were funny, it was too much. It only proved distracting from the content of the book, which is funny without all the extras. I do appreciate his comedy and he is a genius, but i do think less is more when recording the audio version of your book.

Just what I expected.

David Cross is one of my favorite comedians. This book is a lot like listening to stand up or sketch comedy. It is exactly what I expected.