God Does Have a Sense of Humor by Rob Ballister

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MWSA Review

The Author Has a Wonderful Sense of Humor! I started off reading God Does have a sense Of Humor not expecting too much more than perhaps a nice gentle little book that might make me smile on occasion. I ended up finding myself laughing out loud and almost wetting my pants! Author Rob Ballister, a Naval Academy graduate and current Naval Officer in San Diego, really has a wonderful sense of what is funny even when he is battling life threatening health issues like testicle cancer. I figured if anyone could make fun of that life situation then the rest of his book would be hilariously funny in the male “Erma Bombeck” sort of way. And his book is really all about male energy and humor that women will enjoy just as much.

The book is filled with dozens of short stories; some of which are based on true experiences while some are totally fictional creations of the wild imagination of the author. The key is that I could not tell which were what, when reading them – they all felt like real experiences because of the warm and skillful writing skills of Ballister. His subject matter goes from “Sex Education as Taught by Nuns” to “Christmas in Gingerbread Hell.” He deals with the simple things in life that men deal with like laundry protocols (separating colors) and blind date disasters. He handles all of these men’s issues like a profession male and makes his gender proud.

There are so many "just great" moments in his stories. I think most all of us guys can relate to his comments on shopping differences between men and women and the experience of buying something at Victoria’s Secret.  This book is full of little pearls of wisdom and humorous gems. The book entertains while filling the reader’s heart with a smile. That is saying a lot in these stressful times of terrorists, wars and random street crimes; it is nice to have something that allows the readers to escape, relax, smile and maybe even laugh out loud. This is one of those special books that are a true gift for your soul.

The book would be a great gift to all the men in your life – be them fathers, brothers, husbands, significant others, or just male friends. You will find however, that women will be laughing just as hard but at our male traits and behaviors when they read his stories. It is a delightful reading experience and one that is pure entertainment!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2007)

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Author's Synopsis

Author Rob Ballister delivers a touching and entertaining portrait of his journey through dating, growing up in New Jersey, and surviving cancer. Along the way, he learns that God Does Have a Sense of Humor. Follow him:

Through surgery—My understanding was that the doctor, while hopping up and down on one foot and singing the national anthem, was going to remove my lymph nodes using a butter knife, a hacksaw, and some 10W-30 motor oil.

Into the confessional—There sat Father Riener, who was technically old enough to have been one of the original apostles. As I began reciting my list, Father began falling asleep. Being only in the fourth grade, I did exactly what I did at home when my younger sister fell asleep. I kicked him.

Through family Christmas traditions—That first year, Dad put up a wreath and Mom put up a tree, and things were pretty much low key that season. Then I was born, and as I grew, so did Dad’s commitment to having the house visible from orbiting spacecraft.

With an incredibly wry sense of humor, Ballister offers a hilarious look at life, guaranteed to make you smile!

Home of the Brave by Jeffery Hess

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MWSA Review

Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform, edited by Jeffrey Hess is a collection of stories from individuals who served in a variety of military service capacities and the life lessons and experiences learned during their service experiences. Hess has collected stories from a variety of sources, including more popular writers such as Tim O'Brien, Kurt Vonnegut, and Tobias Wolff. Yet the strength of the book comes from the stories of lesser-known individual writers whose experiences and values learned from military service provide a framework for common ordinary experiences that unite us and define us as humans. The stories, at times poignant, and other times quite sorrowful and humorous, leave a lasting impression on the reader long after the last page has been turned.

Reviewed by: Elliot Parker (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Among these stories by writers, including Kurt Vonnegut, Tim O'Brien, Tobias Wolff, Chris Offutt, Benjamin Percy and many others, you'll find shipbuilders and sailors, pilots, wild dogs, battles-both physical and emotional, misunderstandings, fistfights, and the wounds of unrequited love. There are parades and hurricanes, people getting high and some merely getting by, as well as the human sacrifices made, the losses endured, the hardships faced because of or in spite of some connection to the military. If you've served, you might recognize a couple of these characters, or their situations. Maybe you will relate to some because you're just like them or because they served in the same place you did. If you've never served, but have had contact with someone who has, you may find similarities between a character here and a person you thought you knew. Each [story] is different in the way it approaches the lives of these individuals at certain points of the modern era, but each will entertain you, and challenge, and stay with you. - from the Introduction, by Jeffery Hess, editor

By Dammit, We're Marines by Gail Chatfield

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MWSA Review

The veterans Gail Chatfield interviewed spoke for themselves in their own words in this wonderful, compelling and personal history of war.  I loved the book.  I learned about the 'Iwo Jima experience' in a way I could never have imagined before reading it.  I learned about being a Marine from old-timers.  Ms. Chatfield provides a glossary of terms at the end of the book that educates about the terms and equipment used in WW2 by the soldiers of that era. The soldiers interviewed included a spectrum of veterans from combatants to all kinds of support personal, with a spattering of non-Marines, although the latter were at the minimum.  Ms. Chatfield's father was a veteran of this island battle, but she, like most of us, never learned enough from her parent.  She later sought to tell his story by telling the stories of others.  She has done it well.  

I highly recommend the book, but caution it is for mature audiences. Not because of the language--that is really pretty mild considering the topic--but because of vivid ima

Reviewed by: Mike Mullins (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Technology changes with every war, but the universal human experience of combat remains the same. Marines and soldiers from the battlefields of Valley Forge to the streets of Fallujah understand patriotism, fear, death, loneliness, and the humor that helps them through the rough times. By Dammit, We're Marines! is a collection of eye witness accounts by 52 veterans who served on the Pacific Front during World War II. When ordered to secure another Japanese-held island, these Marines grabbed their M-1 rifles, climbed down rope ladders into the waiting landing craft, and hit the beaches. They faced not only an embedded, well-equipped enemy, but also flesh shredding coral reefs, malarial and dengue fever-ridden jungles, mosquito and crocodile-infested swamps, and a noxious moonscape sulfur island. The author's father was one of those Marines who fought on Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. He died when she was 15 and never shared his wartime stories. Wanting to learn more, Chatfield sought out veterans of those conflicts. Their stories offer a literary archeological dig of sorts into 1940's culture and technology. Body armor was a canvas shirt with a metal covered copy of the Bible in the breast pocket. Camouflage clothing was do-it-yourself burlap suits stippled with Max Factor women's make-up. Cutting edge medicine was sulfa tablets to treat infection and blood plasma shipped in glass bottles to field hospitals. Canvas hammocks stacked 8-10 high served as bunks aboard overcrowded ships. They used salt water soap for salt water baths and were issued OPA tickets, V-mail, C-rations, K-rations, and helmets that served as sinks and saucepans. Creating the safest foxhole took some ingenuity and a few discarded tank parts. Most of the veterans interviewed in this book are Marines, but war is a collaborative effort. Marines were transported by the Navy, relieved by the Army, and most of the time their job was to secure airfields for the Army Air Corps. No story of the Marines would be complete without hearing from those branches of service. Chaplains, corpsmen, sailors, soldiers, and B-29 bomb crews share their stories of serving with the Marines. These veterans offer their stores as a part of our historical record with the hope that battles like Saipan, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima will never happen again.