[TOEC] PileUP! 13(1) SUPPLEMENT - Review of Hogwash for Hamsters (VE6CNU)

[Ilkka Korpela]

Hi

PileUP! supports humor.

I promised Jerry, VE6CNU to include a review of his book in PileUP! 13(1).
OM Chris G1VDP promised to do it, but the book never made it time for that
issue. Next PileUP! is scheduled in September, so here's the review in the
form of a supplement. You all have time to order the book for your  
summer holiday reading. Thanks Chris.

-- REVIEW --------------------------------------------------------

Hogwash for Hamsters by Jerry Spring VE6CNU
Review by Chris Colclough G1VDP

When I was first asked by Ilkka to do this review, I thought ?hmm, not  
really my thing but why not?? So I ordered the book from Trafford  
publishing and waited for it to arrive in the post.

Having now read the book I can honestly recommend it. Jerry has a  
similar background in the hobby to me, he took his test at a similar  
time to me, and through the fact of getting married and moving homes  
he put the hobby on a back burner for a similar period of time. So I  
thought maybe this guy is seeing the hobby from a similar angle to me.

The book itself is a light hearted or humorous look at the hobby with  
some very funny stories, poems, limericks and jokes. There are too  
many people who take the hobby way too serious these days, not that  
this is a bad thing but sometimes it is better to look at the hobby  
from a humorous side too, and I think Jerry has got this balance just  
right.

Once the reader gets past the Americanisms and the American/Canadian  
sense of humour ? we all find things funny in different ways in the  
many differing countries ? it is a very funny book. I found it hard to  
put down, especially one night when I got in bed at 22:00 and started  
reading it, looking at the clock only to see it was almost midnight  
and I had to be up for work at 05:30!

Jerry starts the book off introducing himself, which as I said earlier  
is very similar history to me, and then leading with a story where I  
am sure we can all relate to about that elusive DXpedition and that  
starts the tone of the book off.

We find jokes like; what do you call a CW operator equally good at  
sending with his left or right hand? AmbiDXterous (one which I had to  
read twice before getting the joke). There are takes on the Nursery  
Rhymes we knew as children;

Little Bo Peep,

Has lost too much sleep,

Chasing Dx until three,

Too many nights,

As she kept on the lights,

Trying for DXCC.


Jerry has also come up with his own Murphy?s Law for hams, a page full  
of true statements of ?Remember When? which again most of the readers  
who have been licensed for more than 10 years will relate to. Adverts  
for equipment for sale, questions from the foundation exams written in  
Jerry?s own way and many other light hearted looks at the hobby.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but it would be nice to be able to get the  
book from say the RSGB/ARRL book shops, rather than ordering and  
waiting as each book is printed to order so I am led to believe. Some  
of the stories and jokes will be heard at many of the conferences and  
meetings around the world, each being told by the orator in their own  
way. I know I certainly will be taking it with me to this years RSGB  
conference and will be quoting one or two of the stories and jokes in  
the bar ? if you want to stop me just buy me a drink!

--REVIEW ----------------------------------------------------

-- 
Ilkka Korpela
http://www.helsinki.fi/~korpela