“Follow The Money”
Author: Ross Cavins
I don’t normally read books that are a collection of short stories. However, after reading the jacket blurb for “Follow The Money” I figured I should make an exception because this book sounded like it would be funny. Plus, I really wondered what Peanut Butter Crunch, cowboy boots and Jesus all had in common. I was also curious why Katie Couric was in the same equation as Heineken and hot peppers. Since curiosity hasn’t killed me yet I decided to read “Follow The Money” since it was the only way to find out the answers.
In the beginning “Follow The Money” was difficult for me to get into. It seemed that every time I started to enjoy a story; the next thing I knew; it was over. It was also very apparent that the book was written by a man and the book’s general appeal seems to be geared toward those of the masculine gender. Luckily for me I have a cynical and sarcastic streak which definitely helped with the “guy” aspect of this book’s humor. Once I got beyond the shortness of the stories I did enjoy the read more.
Cavins does have very good writing skills. While some of the characters portrayed in his stories were lacking in their thinking and / or communication abilities neither of those things were an issue for Cavins. I definitely found “Follow The Money” to be a unique read. Yes, it is a collection of short stories but each tale is connected to the prior one. Once you realize this both the title of the book and the beginning quotation take on a new found meaning. Each story is off-the-wall and a little on the wacky side. While Cavins is no George Carlin he is a humorous writer and you will enjoy his book so long as you enjoy a cynical look at life and idiotic people.
For the women out there who don’t really enjoy a male oriented book I suggest picking this one up for the guy in your life. “Follow The Money” will travel with him when he inevitably disappears into the bathroom for thirty minutes under the pretense of “using the facilities.”