Of Curious Workmanship: Musings on Things Mormon

Rating:
Summary: The Steve Martin of Mormondom
Review: "Of Curious Workmanship" is a collection of Edgar Snow's humorous writings on LDS culture. Some have compared him to Will Rogers, but he's hipper and funnier than that. He is obviously a faithful, believing member of the church, but he is also attracted to the odder elements of popular Mormon culture. If you crossed Hugh Nibley with Steve Martin you would get Ed.

"Bring Your Own Brigham" manages to be both amusing and enlightening about the different versions of Brigham Young floating about in LDS literature. "The Naked and the Darned" concerns controversies about nude artwork at Brigham Young University. In short, a people that can laugh at themselves is a healthy community. And Snow's work is heartily recommended for lovers of the seriously goofy.

Rating:
Summary: Hoot -n- a Holler
Review: "Of Curious Workmanship" is a collection of Edgar Snow's humorous writings on LDS culture. Some have compared him to Will Rogers, but he's hipper and funnier than that. He is obviously a faithful, believing member of the church, but he is also attracted to the odder elements of popular Mormon culture. If you crossed Hugh Nibley with Steve Martin you would get Ed.

"Bring Your Own Brigham" manages to be both amusing and enlightening about the different versions of Brigham Young floating about in LDS literature. "The Naked and the Darned" concerns controversies about nude artwork at Brigham Young University. In short, a people that can laugh at themselves is a healthy community. And Snow's work is heartily recommended for lovers of the seriously goofy.

Rating:
Summary: Mark Twain meets Joseph Smith
Review: Although Mark Twain characterized the Book of Mormon as "chloroform in print", one would have to guess that he wouldn't have slept through an afternoon of discourse with that sacred writ's author/proprietor/translator. "Of Curious Workmanship" is the equivalent of a brisk stroll through the park with Joseph Smith and Mark Twain, and is not to be missed. My only complaint is the book's brevity (it would have been longer had Edgar made more liberal use of "and it came to pass" . . .), but that flaw can be corrected by a follow-up volume to this wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: Hoot -n- a Holler
Review: I thought this might be a collection of preachy self reflection type junk, but it wasn't--it was laugh-out-loud funny. If your a Mormon, get it. Somebody needs to make this guy a GA--quick, or at least let him talk at General Conference.

If your not a Mormon, you might not get all of the inside jokes and lingo, but there's still plenty others you'll get. I think one of the reviewers complained because it was short, but it's in bite sizes and tastes better that way.