Mind Over Matters by Michael J. Nelson Published 2002 I quite simply love this book. I have read it several times, and laugh out loud every time. "Mind Over Matters" is a collection of essays about life and stuff, written by Mike Nelson, former writer and host of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I don't always agree with every opinion he writes, but the way this man can turn a phrase is so hilarious that he could make the history of Amish footwear engaging and entertaining. (Not that he talks about anything as dull as Amish footwear in this book. It was just an example of something I imagine would be fairly dull. Not that I've ever actually read anything about Amish footwear. Maybe their footwear is a non-stop thrill ride. Maybe it was a bad example. You don't have to get so weird about it. Oh, never mind.) The book is arranged into some topical sections, but it really could be read in any order and still be great. In fact, I could probably open to a random page right now and find something worth at least a small chuckle. Here are some of the things I learned about Mike Nelson by reading this book: He is afraid of Radio Shack clerks. He does not like to see ancient, shriveled scrotums. He thinks Howdy Doody is pure nightmare fuel. He is against parking lawn tractors on wasp nests. He's a little bit socially awkward. Basically, as this list shows, Mike Nelson is Everyman. His journey through life is everyone's journey. Or maybe it's just the journey of everyone in Minnesota. But I saw myself in his descriptions of the horrors of telephone jobs and not-very-good midwestern colleges. He is a voice of my generation of Minnesotans. Granted, the entire population of Minnesota is only about 4 million people, and my generation would probably only account for a small fraction of that total, when you consider the high elderly population and the massive numbers of "baby-boomers". Nonetheless, I will personally henceforth vow to purchase everything that Mike Nelson writes. Even ducks on icy sidewalks don't make me laugh as hard as he does. (And if you've ever seen a duck on an icy sidewalk, you know how funny that is.)

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Alana Muir © 2005