The blurb on the back of the book says:

“Everyone should have their own stupid project sometime in their life.”

This is the tale of one such project - an odyssey around some of the more bizarrely named places in Britain, by a man who maybe took it to extremes – a serial ‘pointless project’ delinquent.

More than just a laugh out loud travelogue, this charts the highs and lows (mainly lows) of a lifetime of misguided obsession. This is the tale of a marsupial Elvis, an alternative Ten Commandments, stolen inventions, the quest for the perfect dog, biscuits brown, shootings, a monkey being hanged…and much much more.

Whether the hero is corrupting cowgirls in New Orleans, enraging Russians in the Arctic Circle, disobeying orders in Berlin or reinventing legends in Washington – it doesn’t get much better than this. (Unless it’s watching repeats of ‘Sgt Bilko’ with a cup of tea and a packet of chocolate hobnobs).

Much ado about nothing or As you like it?

Shakespeare? Shakespeare My Butt!

Sent to an intrepid BookCrosser in Zurich

Received this in the post from the lovely Del-monte, a beautiful "autographed" book, no less, with some very posh business cards and a fridge magnet (which is gracing the filing cabinet as we speak, our fridge not being magnetic!!)

I will read and then pass this book on to some Zurich bookcrossers. Best of luck with your releases John and with the book in general :-) Helen | nice-cup-of-tea

This is a very funny, very amusing book. Part pointless man quest (aka Danny Wallace / Dave Gorman) and part funny dog book (aka Mark Wallace "500 mile walkies"). However, it's unfair to just describe John Donaghue with reference to other people. He has a style all his own. He loves diversions, slagging of his family (especially his poor little sister Kate), tells cracking miliary tales, adds pointless pub trivia and is just plain amusing. His love and affection for the important people in his life (Bethan, Barbara, Barney) shine though clearly. A great (if slightly diverting) read. Given the title, I'm going to leave this on one of the Teddies in Zurich, which looks like Shakespeare!

RELEASE NOTES:

318: Johann Jakob
The 2 bears outside Bank Leu (on the v. posh bit of Bahnhofstrasse!) look Shakespearean, so the book just has to be released there!

History of Bank Leu below...

<-- And here's the real photo of Johann Jakob - bears a striking resemblance to the bear, don't you think? *lol*

1755 Bank Leu is founded
Starting life as «Leu et Compagnie», a state-owned banking institute, Bank Leu takes its name from its first chairman, Johann Jacob Leu, Master of the Purse and later Mayor of Zurich. On 15 April 1755, «Leu et Compagnie» begins operations in the Interest Commission Room of the Zurich town hall. The bank accepts interest-bearing deposits from the citizens and guilds of Zurich and issues them with securities called "Town Hall Bonds" in return. The bank's clients soon included European royalty, such as the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria.

History of Bank Leu

Clutching a hot coffee and a wet umbrella I saved this plastic-encased book from (yet another bloody) rainy Zürich morning.
Will put it at the top of the TBR (to be read) pile and then release afterwards.

RELEASE NOTES:

Quite simply not my, um, cup of tea. I’m not big on hearing little ‘aint I cute/funny/unique’ stories from people I know, let alone strangers. Sedaris makes me cringe and want to reek violence upon him…so this kind of stuff…well, let’s just say I’m not the target audience.
So I left it in a place that should get an English reader, and also has the potential to travel around.