That Is All

De: John Hodgman

Narrado por: John Hodgman

John Hodgman-bestselling author, The Daily Show's "Resident Expert", minor television celebrity, and deranged millionaire-brings us the third and final installment in his trilogy of Complete World Knowledge.

In 2005, Dutton published The Areas of My Expertise, a handy little book of Complete World Knowledge, marked by the distinction that all of the fascinating trivia and amazing true facts were completely made up by its author, John Hodgman. At the time, Hodgman was merely a former literary agent and occasional scribbler of fake trivia. In short: a nobody.

But during an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, an incredible transformation occurred. He became a famous minor television personality. You may ask: During his whirlwind tornado ride through the high ether of minor fame and outrageous fortune, did John Hodgman forget how to write books of fake trivia? The answer is: Yes. Briefly. But soon, he remembered!

And so he returned, crashing his Kansas farmhouse down upon the wicked witch of ignorance with More Information Than You Require, a New York Times bestseller containing even more mesmerizing and essential fake trivia, including seven hundred mole-man names (and their occupations).

And now, John Hodgman completes his vision with That Is All, the last book in a trilogy of Complete World Knowledge. Like its predecessors, That Is All compiles incredibly handy made-up facts into brief articles, overlong lists, and beguiling narratives on new and familiar themes. It picks up exactly where More Information left off-specifically, at page 596-and finally completes COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE, just in time for the return of Quetzalcoatl and the end of human history in 2012.

16 Hours, Read by Dick Cavett, Patton Oswalt, Jon Hamm, Paul Rudd, Sarah Vowell, Brooke Shields, Scott Adsit, Robin Goldwasser, Jonathan Coulton, John Roderick, Rachel Maddow, Wyatt Cenac, Stephen Fry, Paul F. Tompkins, Prominent Ragnarok Denier Dr. Elliott Kalan.

Music by Jonathan Coulton, John Roderick, John Flansburgh, John Darnielle, Cynthia Hopkins

That Is All

That is all I needed because that is all it needed to be. thank you

Great start, slow middle, bloody long finish...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The first part of this story was brilliant. The references were funny but.... towards the middle where it jumps into a short story not associated with the actual story, the enjoyment factor started to plummet...

I would certainly listen to the first half but maybe skip the second.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Made the second half more like the first...

Wonderfully comic rantings of a sick mind

Mr. Hodgeman has a knack for making up silliness and sharing it with us, his minions.

The joke is on you: this book is a dare...

Do you accept the challenge? Keep in mind that this is nearly 17 hours of your life you will never get back!

As a fan of John Hodgman's first book, "The Areas of My Expertise" (which is, after all, my favourite audiobook -- period), I felt compelled to both begin and complete this book, even after the disappointment that his second book, "More Information Than You Require", proved to be. Nobody warned me!

Don't get me wrong. There are some bright spots in both the second book and in this third as well, but they are increasingly marginalized amid hours of remarkably unfunny material which fills the rest. I have to give it 3 stars overall because there are some gems in here and some fantastic performances, but I feel somewhat guilty doing so.

Alas, Hodgman is a comedic genius and wordsmith. But what happened here? Like Lucas and the Wachowskis before him, maybe he set the bar too high with "Expertise" and just ran out of good ideas. I know all the jokes and punchlines already, but I still find myself laughing out loud every time -- sometimes in anticipation of a joke I know is coming! Read, listen, or otherwise consume the first book, but steer clear of the rest of the series. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

AMAZING

Where does That Is All rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the best. Certainly some of the best comedy.

What other book might you compare That Is All to and why?

The audiobook for More Information Than You Require is of the same amazing style as this. The original Areas of My Expertise is read in more of a straight style, but still is great.

Have you listened to any of John Hodgman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

See above.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughter. Out loud. Multiple times.