For Crying Out Loud! (World According to Clarkson, #3)

‘What is the matter with people these days?’ If you've ever wondered that, you’ll find a hundred answers in this book, along with a discussion of why binge drinking is good for you, the difficult task of drumming in middle age (and, allied to this, the secret of eternal youth). Oh yes -- and America. Don't get Jeremy Clarkson started on America (in fact, it's too late… you'll find some pithy observations on the States within these pages that are likely to make quite a few people's blood temperatures rise). Ironically, if we were to get stuck behind a taxi driver who harangued us like Jeremy Clarkson, we’d be praying for a short journey. So why is it that For Crying Out Loud is so disgracefully entertaining? Perhaps it is because Clarkson -- when he is away from his beloved (and slightly boring) cars -- is immensely articulate at voicing his enthusiasms and pet hatreds (more of the latter than the former, it has to be admitted). One warning should accompany the book, though -- if you give it as a present to a loved one, be prepared to have great chunks read out loud ad infinitum (and perhaps ad nauseam) along the lines of ‘Listen to what Clarkson says about X or Y! Boy, has he got this right!’ You might not want to share a taxi journey with Jeremy Clarkson, but reading his books are a whole different experience -- and, who knows, you might just end up agreeing with him. --Barry Forshaw