Everything I Know About Life I Learned from James Bond

By: Bob Blackwood, John L. Flynn

Narrated by: Matthew E Kelly

Everything I Know About Life I Learned from James Bond by John Flynn and Bob Blackwood is a light-hearted but thoroughly researched look into the world of James Bond.

For the adolescent male growing up in the 1950's and 1960's, 007 was everything that young men were not. He was sexually irresistible to women. He was well dressed and well groomed, socially astute, clever and witty, athletic, debonair, dangerous, and heroic. He drove the coolest cars, possessed the greatest gadgets, traveled to the most exotic places, made love to the most beautiful women, and had the most fun of any cinematic hero.

James Bond represented everything that authors John and Bob wanted to be. And now, as they look back over the years as middle-aged adults and college professors, both realize how much Bond helped re-define their understanding of what it meant to be manly, particularly at a time in our culture when the roles of men and women were becoming so fractured and confused.

This audiobook provides witty and insightful aphorisms about everyday things, ranging from girls to food and drink, cars to clothing and style, and life lessons to fun facts about culture and civilization, as reflected through the prism of James Bond, the world’s most stylish and cultured secret agent.

©2015 Library Tales (P)2020 John Flynn

A witless concept with Terrible delivery

This might be the most miserable treatment of an interesting subject ever. It entirely diminishes the literary and cinematic value by inserting the authors’ own mindless, sophomoric, barely adolescent opinions and “cute” humor. Entirely a waste of time. I kept listening hoping it would improve but after listening to the entire book I’m only left with the feeling of regret that I’ll never get those hours back in my life again!

My Favorite Audio Book EVER!

This is my favorite audio book. EVER! I have listened to this wonderful new audio book from doctors Bob Blackwood and John Flynn three times since I purchased this book. I laugh every time I listen to it because of the tongue-in-cheek humor so appropriate for a Bond book, and I learn so many things from the incredibly well-researched writing. These guys should do stand-up comedy in between their teaching jobs at the university. What makes this book so totally unique of other books about James Bond is the clever way their have organized their information! I have collected over the years a couple of dozen books about 007, and they are all just about identical. The other books list the films in chronological order, then comment on the plot, cast, gadgets, etc. What I like best here is the information is arranged by subject matter. So there's a chapter on James Bond girls, and the authors go into depth about the various women, discussing their favorites and why they have chosen the girl as a favorite. They also add unique Ian Fleming spin to things, by telling us what Fleming thought of each of the girls and why one was good or bad. For example, did you know Fleming thought women with cold lips were enemy agents? I would have never guessed that in a million years! Then there are chapters on cars and gadgets, food and clothing, on all those details that make James Bond Bond. You never get that kind of insightful information from those authors who list everything by the films in chronological order. Subsequent chapters look at the world order as it appears in the Bond movies, life lessons that would only appear in a Bond movie, lots of fun and witty aphorisms that most of us probably ignore when we're watching the movies. I learned more from this one book about James Bond than I ever learned from the other couple of dozen books in my collection. And I think what made this book so much fun for me is these two authors are roughly the same age as me. So when they talk about putting on the 007 music while pretending to drive their car like an Aston Martin with enemies all around, I get it! I really do. I have done the same thing. Just like John and Bob, whenever I get dressed up in a tuxedo, I always have to say Bond, James Bond to the mirror. I did read the only other review posted for this audio book, and it is obvious to me that he is a sourpuss who just doesn't get the kind of fun that the authors were trying to share with the rest of us. I also like Jeanie's review of the book. She keeps her copy of the book handy while watching her favorite Bond movies. She gets it, too. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN! I can think of no better way to have fun, except perhaps putting on 007 while I'm driving and pretending to be a spy. Bob and John will have you smiling, while also learning so much more about the Bond films. Great book!