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 enlarge | Authors: Steve Hely, Vali Chandrasekaran
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 91443
Media: Paperback
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0805087400
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.41
EAN: 9780805087406
ASIN: 0805087400
Publication Date: July 8, 2008
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Annoying Race August 15, 2008
buddyhead (Taxachusetts)
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
I picked this up on a lark and was not a fan. The authors are just so unbelievably irritating and immature, particularly Vali. They remind me of college freshmen who desperately want to be liked, and who seek attention by inventing an over the top image that wavers between bravado and self-deprecation. Both guys take pains to describe their drinking throughout their trip, in an effort to give them a rakish, Hunter Thompson vibe that doesn't work. Both liberally drop Bob Saget-style one-liners at every opportunity, to showcase how funny they are, and prove the opposite instead. br / br /Vali was like a mosquito in my ear as I read. His jokes were so bad. Examples: "By the time my flight landed, I was sick as a dog. (And I'm not talking about one of those healthy dogs)." And "Of course, you shouldn't judge a country by its cabdrivers. If you did, you'd think everyone in the country drove cabs for a living." And "As everyone knows, there are two sides to every coin (the tricky part is that most things aren't coins)." And, how about "At the edge of the garden is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I stood there for a few minutes telling everyone who passed by, `I know who's buried here. It's my friend Bob. Don't tell anyone.'" Just awful. br / br /One of the problems with The Ridiculous Race is how deliberately Steve and Vali set out to write it. Most nonfiction works describe an amazing event that befell the author, long before writing about it came to mind; things happen, and then it strikes the author that those things would be worth sharing with others. In this case, Vali and Steve got a publisher interested in their dare beforehand, who gave them an advance to spend during their race around the world. Their resulting attempts to justify the paycheck fill the pages with way too much of their forced, tepid brand of wackiness. Vali so much as lets you know a couple of times that he wanted to go to sleep in his hotel, but had the book to think about, and headed out into the town for more "adventures" (mostly talking to strangers at bars or eating exotic foods). Steve mentioned at one point that the trip was costing him way too much, and that he'd need to sell a boatload of copies of the book. How about some mystery, guys? br / br /The race was only about 50 days or so, and it wasn't all that ridiculous. Steve and Vali were more tourists than voyagers, only occasionally veering lamely off the path of least resistance. Their knowledge of the places they visit runs as deep as the Google searches they describe. No one picked up any ladies despite a lot of wasted ink thinking about it (a couple of blind dates don't count). There were no real confrontations or elements of danger- just idiotic questions asked of people, invented "imagine if" scenarios, and narratives of completely risk-free events like a Jack the Ripper tour in London, overnight train rides, a visit to the Sistine Chapel, and a week spent on a luxury cruise line. Fueling the authors' already bothersome attempts to win readers' admiration was an "Awesomeness Contest" representing a side bet to the Ridiculous Race. br / br /The most outlandish aspects of the race were the least funny (*** SPOILERS ***): Vali tries to get a head start at the race's beginning by handcuffing Steve in his apartment. Vali cheats immediately by flying and then incorporates air travel at every opportunity. Vali sets off for Mexico to meet with a jetpack hobbyist, based on the absurd and unfunny idea to cross the ocean with it, and never so much as gets a foot off the ground. br / br /Vali was at his worst when effecting an air of danger; he wants so badly for his story to read like a James Bond serial, but is way too non-threatening to pull any of it off. On the border between Jordan and Egypt, for instance, he got immigration officials to allow him to use an ATM beyond security to get money for his visa. "Even though I wasn't handcuffed, I walked with my hands clasped behind my back as if I was. I wanted everyone who saw me and my armed escort to think I was some sort of awesome internationally wanted man- the sort of guy who did away with his enemies by forcing them to gorge themselves to death on fine caviar." This is the same guy who chickened out of visiting the Kremlin armory after paying admission because some 14 year olds were glaring at him menacingly. Sorry, not dangerous. And not funny.
 These guys take the trip that many of us dream about! August 10, 2008
ClickmeClickme (North Carolina)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Brilliantly quirky and laugh out loud funny! I really really enjoyed their adventures. I could easily see myself making such a trip. Well, except for having a job...and kids...and not having a book deal to pay my way. Plus fear of dying would give me pause. So maybe that's part of why I enjoyed their stories so much. br / br /Although, as sitcom writers, it could be they just made the entire thing up?! Well, some liberties were obviously taken, but overall very believable (just like the best sitcoms!). br / br /The book is very well done and leave me wanting more---more places, more details. They both seem like guys you could be friends with. Except I think Steve would be more trustworthy. Vali has other qualities. br / br /I'm buying 2 more copies to send to reader friends. Sure it's not _____ (fill in with your favorite books), but it is an unusual, funny, easy to read, page-turning adventure.
 Steve Hely's experiences make this worth the read July 28, 2008
Gillian MacDennehy (Denver, CO)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
I had hoped to love this book as much as "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. Steve and Vali had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write something that was funny and a great ride to experience with them as we're home living vicariously. However, Vali MUST be a fairly short guy given his writting screams insecurity; thus, his excerpts tend toward annoying and petty. I'd give this book a 5 for Steve Hely's writing alone....except that Vali's obvious Napoleon complex became tedious after the first few chapters. If his family had named him Vali Napoleon, as he discussed, it would save the world from having to guess what he's all about. The saving grace of this book is Steve's writing. He's honest, insightful, interesting, charming, funny, and a million other adjectives that give you reason to take the time to read this book. If Steve wrote books, instead of comedy for some wonderful shows, I'd read them all; he's that good.
 Funny but....... July 21, 2008
Michael Schneider
2 out of 9 found this review helpful
This review contains spoilers-you have been warned. I gave this book three stars because I was entertained by it, and did laugh out loud. But I also feel cheated because co-author Vali elected to use airplanes for most all of his travels- a violation of the gentlemen's agreement he with his "friend" Steve. I was really looking forward to an actual race around the world, and when I realized this wasn't to be, I felt cheated out of my hard earned money-didn't they teach ethics at Harvard Vali? I have nothing but respect and admiration of co-author Steve who did obey the rules, and clearly had a more rewarding experience. I only wish there was a way the the publishers royalties could only be given to Steve, and not that cheater Vali! Again shame on you Vali! br /
Cockeyed optimism + international intrigue = stimulating, entertaining, and thought-provoking work July 14, 2008
E. C. Tucker
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a story about love, deception, greed, lust, and unbridled enthusiasm. Steve and Vali were simple country boys - you might say cockeyed optimists - who got themselves mixed up in the high stakes game of world diplomacy and international intrigue. In the end, trust me when I say that it is a book well worth reading.
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