Kenneth Mayer
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I read a blurb that claims that Pearson, the author, is funnier than Bill Bryson. Let's just say that he surpasses Bryson as much as Belgium surpasses Australia and the US put together. Don't get me wrong...he's quite good. I snorted and laughed aloud and read pieces aloud to my wife. I got this before a trip to Belgium, but I didn't read most of it until after I got back, because Pearson seemed so down and snarky on Belgium that the book might diminish the trip. We actually spent most of our time in Mons because I had a conference there, and that city is hardly mentioned in the book at all. I'm glad I read it, because it did clear up some mysteries of Belgian history and culture. We went to an exhibit in Brussels on "The Royal Family in Tabloid Covers" and wondered what the king's exile in 1945-6 was about. The covers and the accompanying text were pretty discreet about the whole business. We loved Belgium, and Pearson clearly loves it too. He tends to focus on the warts because that's where the humor is.