I Guess It Wasn’t About the Bike After All!

Some titles of books come into Classics are meant to be funny (Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.   Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Waterson.  If the Gods Had Intended Us To Vote, They Would Have Given Us Candidates by Jim Hightower).

Other titles of books are funny accidentally.  (How to Start Your Own Blood Bank.  Sun-Beams May Be Extracted from Cucumbers, But the Process Is Tedious.  All About Scabs.)   (For more odd books, go to http://www.classicsusedbooks.com/?p=356)

But these three books belong to a strange subclass in which the book titles were NOT funny when they first published, but because ironically funny later on.

#1

Book:    The Trust Committed to Me by Mark Sandford

Who:     Former Congressman Mark Sanford of South Carolina just was elected to House of Representatives overcoming a sex scandal that involved a woman from Argentina, the Appalachian Trail and misuse of taxpayer money.   He also committed to never seek more than three terms in the House of Representatives.  This re-election will be his fourth term.

After writing the book, Sandford proceeded to violate the trust committed to him by his wife, his supporters and the people of South Carolina.

#2

Book:    It’s Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

Who:  After hearing from Armstrong about his use of dope to win a decade’s worth of bike races, I guess we know what it WAS about!

#3

Book: Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story

Who: Jerry Sandusky, the assistant Penn State football coach, had this autobiography published about his charity work.  The title became unfortunate after a scandal involving his being charged with sexual abuse.  (Thanks to James Sims for pointing out this book!)