• I Drink for a Reason

  • By: David Cross
  • Narrated by: David Cross
  • Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (640 ratings)

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I Drink for a Reason  By  cover art

I Drink for a Reason

By: David Cross
Narrated by: David Cross
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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revealing the true story behind his almost existential distaste of Jim Belushi ("The Belush"), disclosing the up-to-now unpublished minutes to a meeting of Fox television network executives, and offering up a brutally grotesque run-in with Bill O'Reilly.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)

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What listeners say about I Drink for a Reason

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Oh, David

I've purchased David's albums and sought out his performances on tv, film and at live venues. I've sympathized with him when he complained that Fox failed to promote Arrested Development and when he complained that Patton Oswalt had unfairly picked on him for taking soulless gigs like Alvin, even as he peddled his relentlessly pedantic anti-corporate point of view. I love and believe everything David does, says...is. No, wait - sorry, not everything. I don't dig it when he sh*ts on his audience, repeatedly, for choosing to listen to, rather than read, his book. Specifically, I despair a bit when a guy who has made his living doing stand up and voice over work in kid flicks like "Kung Fu Panda" and "Alvin and the CGI Money Things" berates his audience for wanting to hear, rather than read, his book. It is an amusing book - some great stuff. What David fails to appreciate, however, (perhaps willfully) is that his delivery brings something unique to his work. Wait, did I say work? Sorry, I meant shtick...or bits. David's bits are so inexorably tied to his delivery, I can't imagine reading his work. Like Sedaris, it loses around, I don't know...half? Let's say half the entertainment value. When Sedaris does his Billy Holiday impression in his story about confronting homosexual bigotry while taking guitar lessons as a teen, the content is elevated by the performance. So too when Cross did his gay black assistant to OJ Simpson bit back on Joe Frank's show (long time ago). Neither would have translated well to the printed page. Hey, did I mention I paid for this audiobook? Yeah, I did. Did I mention that I read more books than the two to which I listen on a monthly basis? I do. Did I mention that many folks listen to books on their commute, trapped in their cars or crammed into subway trains? Have you ever tried to read a hardback on an NYC subway during rush hour? No? Well, try it, I'll wait...Way to lose a fan, jerk.

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Not comedy... just really bitter hatred

I guess why we know David Cross drinks, because he is bitter. He hates Christians and really hates Mormons. He really really hates those in the middle states especially if they are Christian or Mormon. He had one bad day with Jim Belushi and so now he feels compelled to run on stage and harass Belushi when he is singing and to create fake magazine articles claiming that Belushi dresses in drag in order to be a prostitute. I was expecting some humor or insight, but most of the audio consisted of Cross saying things like: "Christians are idiots. Mormons are idiots. Jim Belushi is an idiot... blah blah blah.
Considering that David Cross narrates the book, there is no excuse for poor delivery. He constantly insults the listener for purchasing the audio instead of reading his book as though it is some nuanced masterpiece. There is a good reason that David Cross should drink. He is stuck inside the small little bitter body that would seem more suitable for a 95 year old on a respirator.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Ups And Downs

David Cross is very funny. He has excellent comic timing and knows what to say.

There are a few odd things about this audiobook, though. First is that he brings (several times) how stupid and lazy he feels the listeners are who did not buy the actual book. He does not understand, apparently, why people bought the audiobook. He never explains why he is, himself, narrating the book. If he really feels all that passionately about it, he probably should have just not put out an audiobook and only took the money of the people who bought the paper copies.

The second thing that I found a little odd and off-putting was the hacky, local radio-inspired skits where he is bringing people in from "outside" and supposedly pulled into the audio booth for one reason or another.

I know it sounds overly critical of me. But I am REALLY a fan of David Cross. He is so incredibly funny... and I did laugh a lot in this book, but I was just a little turned off by these two elements.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

OMG!

David Cross always has made me chuckle. But Chapter 14 on the scrapbooking convention had me crying with laughter. Cross is the bizarre-thinking-man's comedian. Worth a listen!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Huge Fan of Cross But Extremely Disappointing

Any additional comments?

I expected a LOT better from my second favorite comedian. As much as I love David Cross, this audio book just sort of drags on with laughs few and far between. Nowhere near the quality of his stand-up material.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

he was as bored with his book as we were

Painful! The first hour and a half was great and funny, then he had a "robot" read some of it - which was not understandable. Not long after that, he had a band sing six pages of a list he had made of character ideas for indy movie directors. The idea was derivative - I've heard that on Adam Carolla - indy movie ideas... plus you couldn't understand what the band was saying. It was obvious that he was getting bored with his book, so he felt he had to put music and robot to it. We stopped 2 1/2 hours in. Also, at the beginning, the audio wasn't recorded well. You won't like it if you get it.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

ugh!!

this guy is just an unfunny jerk. I tried to make it all the way through but he's just self important and smug. I wish I could get my money and time back.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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!!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointing

I am a David Cross fan but this was fingernails on a chalkboard. There was no organization to this. It just seemed to be stream of consciousness. I listened to the whole thing, but I was constantly checking to see when the pain would end.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Should have paid better attention to other reviews

What would have made I Drink for a Reason better?

If it was not so vengeful against other people

Would you ever listen to anything by David Cross again?

I do think he is funny sometimes and I do enjoy his voice. But as for things he has written no way in hell, he is just to bitter for me.

What didn’t you like about David Cross’s performance?

His voice is fine.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Some of the names he makes up did make me laugh a little

Any additional comments?

Just not really sure why he wrote this book other then to tell the world how much he hates Jim Belushi and anything that the rest of the world likes.

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4 people found this helpful