I love Chuck! When it comes to simply sitting down and enjoying a pleasurable read, he is perhaps my favorite living author. His previous books on tribute bands, visiting places where famous rock stars died, and the wonderfully titled Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, have all been a blast to read. (The latter book was one of my top ten books of 2004 - see number 7!) When I heard that Chuck had a new book out, I was thrilled. Where else can I read a book that covers topics as diverse as Billy Joel, Britney Spears, a classic rock cruise with Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon, Goths in Disneyland Day, more tribute bands, and living seven days on an exclusive diet of McDonald's chicken nuggets. Even more close to my heart, Chuck never fails to mentions progressive rock. In this particular book he laments that Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" is the last great sad song. I resonate with many of his insights on life - especially those concerning the Olympics (Why do we mindlessly root for the home team?), the liberal obsession that other nations "don't like us" (Who cares whether others like us or not? It's better to be good than liked - which isn't to say that America is necessarily "good" but is to say that our concern to be "liked" is as superficial and silly as a grade-school kid), the mislabeling of "guilty pleasures" (Why should my enjoyment of "Dumb and Dumber" or Kiss' "The Elder" be guilty of anything?), and whiny people who blame "faceless corporate forces" for their own lack of responsibility. Chuck sees through the victim mentality of shows like Super Size Me and writes: "And that's what Super Size Me is ultimately about: it's about blaming a chain restaurant for offering a product that people choose to consume" (65). I guess I love Chuck because I not only identify with him - and especially his musical tastes - but he constantly surprises me with his opinions. He is hardly predictable, and yet, for the most part, he usually makes a lot of sense.
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