'New Rules' - Bill Maher

This is a very entertaining, very quick (I read it in one sitting) book, written by Bill Maher, American comedian, tv presenter, writer and social campaigner.

Maher hosts a HBO television show called Real Time with Bill Maher, and New Rules is a segment on that show, in which he comes up with ideas for new rules to help make society run more easily.  This book is a collection of those rules.  Most of them are flippant and funny (one of his new rules involves the idea of Bob Dylan being the 'voice of a generation'; Maher makes the observation that if a generation could choose a voice, it would pick a better one than Dylan's - and that is the kind of tone which runs through most of the book). 

However, being a stauch campaigner for the Democratic party - although he did support independent Ralph Nader in the 2004 election - there are a smattering of rules which reflect Maher's opinion on certain topical issues - stem cell research and same sex marriage, are two examples.  On these matters, Maher drops the flippancy somewhat, and talks passionately about what he believes.

Overall though, this is a funny and light hearted book - with plenty of "He's absolutely right!" moments.