Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on

5 of 5 stars

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Most of us have a friend or family member who has a knack for storytelling. No matter how mundane the topic, their stories are always interesting and funny. Everyone listens. You may have said to this person, "you should write a book!" and really meant it.

John C. Oliva did just that with Washing Cars & Wasting Time.

These stories are easy to relate to; the car wash itself merely the setting. I laughed out loud many times. I shared with my husband, which prompted reminiscing of our own adventures in retail. Oliva tells his stories with a tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic tone and a touch of off-color humor. The perfect tone for retail horror stories!

I love his dad! He is my hero, with his nonchalant "customer is usually wrong" attitude. This book is a therapeutic kind of poetic justice for anyone who has had to adhere to the "customer is always right" motto.

We find that boredom can lead to some pretty stupid (albeit hilarious) shenanigans on the part of the employees, too.

This is a light, fast read. If you enjoy humorous memoirs, you will love Washing Cars & Wasting Time.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 May, 2013: Finished reading
  • 25 May, 2013: Reviewed