In print: Too Fat To Fish by Artie Lange

I've been a fan of the Howard Stern radio show on and off since he came to New York in the 80s. Personally, I felt that the show reached new heights with the addition of Artie Lange after Jackie Martling quit. Artie was full of stories, quick wit, and was all around funny. But in recent years he's been on a path of self-destruction.

At first I felt compelled NOT to get this book because I didn't want to send this guy my money so he can turn aorund and spend it on drugs and finally ruin his charmed life. However, the book had gotten such great reviews, feedback, and had longevity on the best sellers list, so I caved in and got the book to see what the tumult was about.

The book is written in a simple manner. It's quick and easy to read. The problem falls in the style. Artie jumps around in time a lot in his writings and it can throw you off the track very easily.

I would like to say I had a good time reading this book, but it was actually very depressing. This guy kept screwing up, getting extra chances, and STILL kept screwing up. This is definitely a cautionary tale that warns the reader that being a tough guy can really damage you. Artie is obviously in dire need of psychiatric help, but he won't get any because he probably feels that only fruits do that sort of thing. So, after reading this book, and knowing about his on-air personality, I wouldn't be surprised if this will be the only written work by Arthur Lange Jr. He will certainly die from a drug overdose or from his poor health, being hyper-obese.

If you are a fan of the Stern show, you might like to read this book. If you are a fan of Artie, you might want to read this. But I would not call this required reading unless: (1)you like getting aggravated reading about a loser who keeps derailing his life, or (2)your life is so bad that you will see that there IS someone who is a bigger loser than you.