Customer Reviews:
 Entertaining Read May 1, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
An entertaining read, but not laugh out loud, sniggeringly funny like "The World According to Clarkson", which I am currently reading, and savouring slowly, because I don't want to run out of chapters.
In "I Know You Got Soul", Mr Clarkson makes some interesting analogies, man to machine, machine to history, and some typically pointed jabbing funny barbs.
He basically takes what he considers to be the most beautiful, impressive, or powerful machines of the last century, and gives his take on how they did (or should) have affected the world and citizenry around them.
For all the ribbing he gives James May, he himself reveals a lively appreciation of history, but don't expect anything particularly introspective.
But overall a fun read, and I do not regret the time spent quaffing milk and cookies glued to the book over a couple of nights (not a particularly challenging read, I might add). I would sincerely like to sit down to dinner with Jeremy Clarkson and listen to him run on.
Next on your agenda, go buy "The World According to Clarkson". Now THAT's a good book.
I don't think he is a bad writer at all April 9, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm not much of a motor enthusiasts. I don't even know how to drive so what do I know about engines? But I'm reading his book because of his literary genius. His combination of humor, sarcastic and sentimental notations brought those otherwise boring old machines into life. Hence, the machines with souls. No, I still am not interested if the spark plug in one car is different than the other.. but this book sure is keeping me occupied during those long transits.
Witty and wicked... basically it's Jeremy. April 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
To those who is not familiar with JC, he is BBC's host for Top Gear a motoring TV show, since 2002 ([...]). He is what I would say the original Simon Cowell (of Pop Idol/American Idol); direct, brute, no-added-sweeteners critiques, witty, & entertaining (as long as you are not the subject matter).
In this book he listed down 20 man made machines (1 of which was the fictional Millennium Falcon) in which he thought had their own individual souls. Why? What's the purpose? I guess simply because he could, I don't see any other reason for him writing this book. Really what is the point of discussing the individuality of a B-52 or the Hoover Dam. I can just imagine him narrating the words of the book while I read it.
For me it helped to kill time at the airport, and keeping me company while having lunch alone. It's entertaining in JC's own sort of way. Anyone finds Simon `entertaining' may enjoy this book.
I give it 4/5 just because I like it.
 HE'S GOT SOUL June 18, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
It just doesn't get much better than Clarkson. PC? The only PC in his day was Dixon of Dock Green. Says what most of Britain thinks but is getting increasingly badgered out of saying. Dave Armitage's Born to be Mild is the only thing which comes close - a novel which could have been written by Clarkson. It's uncanny.
|
