Review: Like Listening to a Mate
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 22, 2014
I've always enjoyed non-fiction and this book is a reason why. It felt like I was down at the local pub listening to a mate tell me about his exploits as a cabbie. His hilarious and sometimes butt-clenching stories had me thanking my lucky stars that I never became a cab driver.Shortly into the book I kind of made up my mind that it would only ever be a four star book because it lacked structure. But by about the fourth or fifth chapter, I decided that was the author's voice and it made for an engaging read — I became hooked on his style and enjoyed it. I liked the random ramblings and he never lost the point while digressing and the tangents he went onto were always interesting. The personal interjections were great (whether one agrees with the author's opinion or not). It all added to the flavor of his experiences. Cab drivers are notoriously opinionated and this book proves it, and that is its great strength and charm (I'm sure Mr. Wiggins will get a giggle that a found his book charming.)I would also add for the would be readers, this is written by a Londoner and as a Londoner speaks. There are no airs and graces which keeps it authentic. Non-British readers may be slightly perplexed by some of the lingo and jargon, but trust me, you'll know what he means. Laughter is international, and as long as you're not sensitive to politically incorrectness, this book will make you laugh.