Trash Talk

I love great comedic novels and Trash Talk is no exception. This book was super funny and a nice, quick read... perfect for the weekend (before the game comes on, of course)! The pairing of pro athletes and environmentalists - two extremely different groups - is a great set-up for an interesting and entertaining story. Throw in some stereotypical but highly comical characters, and you've got yourself a wonderful concoction of hilarity. Plus, after a novel full of funny mistakes and misunderstandings, the two sides find a solution to their differences, adding a warm human element to the book. I enjoyed Trash Talk and will keep an eye out for more books by Gussin.

Robert Gussin, author of Trash Talk, has hit it out of the park with his >debut novel. In a case of misunderstood advertising, hundreds of major <br />>league athletes show up at an environmental meeting entitled "Trash Talk" <br />>hoping to get additional schooling in on-the-field intimidation talk. When they realize the conference is more about waste removal than head games, tempers flare and it's up to the environmentalists and a few key athletes to redesign the conference in a way that will be appealing to both sides of this unlikely pairing. The result is a comedic and charming story of two very different groups working out their differences and having a great time doing so! It was a joy to read and very funny. Good work! <br />>

As an avid sports fan and someone who is interested in environmental issues, the subject matter of Trash Talk got my attention before I even read it. I was very interested to see how these two groups would pair up and the outcome was hilarious! A quick and solid read, this book is full of laugh-out loud moments. In addition, I thought it made some good serious points too, both about the history of unsportsmanship-like conduct and environmental issues. I look forward to future books by Robert Gussin and applaud his first comedic novel!

The setup for this hilarious charmer is deceptively simple. Environmentalists (complete with Birkenstocks, low bank balances, and geeky looks) and pro athletes (complete with brawn, bling and bad manners) make a series of mistakes that lead the two groups to share a convention in a small, unprepared Florida town. How the two collide is simply hysterical. When I got to the phrase "tampons and live octopuses" I was laughing so hard I was almost asked to leave the Starbucks! A concerned waitress thought I was having a seizure. Move over Christopher Buckley. This is THANK YOU FOR SMOKING territory for anyone who thinks jocks and tree huggers need tweaking. Buy a couple. You'll want to give it to your friends.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/06) Author Robert Gussin manages to successfully combine his two passions into one book. His love of science and his love of sports created "Trash Talk." To jocks, "trash talk" is defined as athletes "insulting each other by swearing and saying bad things and insulting people on the other team so they get upset and angry and it screws up their game." It is considered an art form. To environmentalists, "trash talk" is a topic involving garbage and its negative impact on the environment. Athletes are getting a bad image because of their poor behavior and foul language at the games. The commissioners from a variety of sports decide to order them to take courses that help them to improve their image. The athletes are not happy about this. When they hear that there is a conference in Florida that is titled "Trash Talk" they get excited and sign up for it. They feel they can meet this new requirement and improve on their art of trash talk. Actually it is a conference put on by the Sarasota Environmentalist Society (SES). The people at SES are thrilled to see that they have a huge turnout for this conference. When the jocks become incensed upon realizing they are at an environmentalist conference, the SES people jump on the ball and add some new topics to be covered to meet the jocks needs. In addition to topics such as, "Trash the World Over - Let's Recycle, Reduce and Reuse It," they added "Trash Talk, Its Origins, Practice and Environmental Impact." Issues to be discussed under that topic included the question of whether or not trash talk leads to inappropriate urination and defecation. They also covered, "The Superbowl and Excremental Overload: The Local Environmental Impact." If you increase beer and hotdog sales, you increase sewage output at the games. On a positive note, the athletes start to take notice about environmental issues that they hadn't considered prior to attending this conference. The sessions are also much livelier than expected because the environmentalists are catching on to "trash talk" and having a blast. On a negative note, the environmentalists are catching on to "trash talk" and not behaving as appropriately as one would expect. This makes for a hilarious time! "Trash Talk" is a blast for everyone to read. Environmentalists who don't take themselves too seriously or don't mind being portrayed as nerds, will love it. Athletic fans will also love it because the sports characters are hysterical. Gussin does a fantastic job of developing the characters in such a way that they are quirky and fun, and that you like them. This is a fun, light read that manages to put a light hearted spin on two serious issues that we are facing today: the environment and the negative behavior of athletes. Don't miss this one!