Did not get very far into this. I wasn't familiar with the podcast, so I probably wasn't the target audience. Author thought he was funny... I didn't. Maybe it carries better in spoken word than in writing.

Just like in his eponymous podcast, this book is informative, interesting, and humorous. If only history had been taught in such a way when I was in school! I like the bits of personal information about the author too.

With a sense of humor and an appreciation for a life well lived, Mobituaries is a rollicking good ride through some of history's most interesting personalities. A little bit morbid and a lot hilarious, this is a great book for history and biography buffs!

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really like the way Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg write this book. It is very entertaining, informative, funny, and sometimes sad. They were able to create interesting narrative for each person in the book.

I’ve learned a lot from the personalities featured here. Sometimes it is really interesting to know and realize that the people in history become great not just because of the qualities they had but despite their shotcomings.

One of the kost important lessons I’ve learned in this book is how our individual choices and the environment we are in shape the way we contribute to our legacy by the end.

I recommend this book to those who are interested in history.

I love Mo Rocca and his sense of humor, so I assumed this one was a safe bet. This is much like his podcast of the same name.

As always, Mo Rocca is clever and hilarious. In this book (as well as in the Mobituaries podcast), he spotlights unsung people in history, providing them with the obituary they never received. This is a fun read -- and educational too!

In Mobituaries, Mo Rocca revisits the lives of dead people and things that have interested him. From dragons, to Elizabeth Taylor, to the trees on Auburn's campus, Rocca examines what we have missed in our remembrances and why he finds them so significant.

I first knew of Mo Rocca from his work moderating The Geography Bee, and then later became familiar with his wit as a panelist on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! If you're a fan of Rocca from any of his work (such as an adult like myself who follows The Geography Bee every year), you'll find this book fascinating and charming. There were many chapters of this book that I wouldn't have ever thought or cared about on my own, but Rocca's writing pulled me in every time. This book was an unexpected delight.

Mobituaries is a entertaining and great book. It is well written and researched. This would be a great book for the holidays.

Delightful collection of essays on a wide-ranging number of topics and subjects. I love books where I can pick them up sporadically but still fully enjoy them. I knew some of the info about people famous for two things (like Hedy Lamarr inventing the technology that became WiFi), but otherwise found this to be a super interesting, informative, and always amusing read.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mobituaries was so much fun to read! I love Mo Rocca and I could hear his voice in my head as I read this book. His mix of storytelling and history is engaging and addictive to read.
I really enjoyed learning more about people and things that are worth remembering. The Mobit on the station wagon made me laugh out loud. His essay on Herbert Hoover was enlightening and opened my eyes to the man before the presidency. And Billy Carter - oh my goodness! He went from being an object of ridicule to a truly interesting and thoughtful man.

Mo Rocca brings his sharp wit and observations to this book. (So much that I read it in his voice.)

I really liked the concept of bringing attention to people who really deserved to be acknowledged after death. This book is like a bowl of mixed M&Ms. You know they are going to be good but they are all different. some have more nuts than others.

This was really fun. Any trivia enthusiasts and history buffs will love all the random tidbits of information Rocca shares. The flow from topic to topic was kinda weird, but it worked so well. This is a great non-fiction read for people who may be intimated by non-fiction books.

DISCLAIMER: I was provided a digital version of this book by NetGallery in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The best way to review a NetGallery book is to day I am running out to buy myself a print copy.

This book is typical Mo Rocca, which simply makes me smile.

He finds humor in the absolute inane aspects of life and this book is no exception. I chuckled throughout, but especially had a laugh when he wrote about the death of a Square...Lawrence Welk. Oh my, Sundays at Grandma's flooded back into my head as I recalled those evenings of innocent television.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to find joy in the day to day, has a bit of a sarcastic streak, and/or if you are already a Mo Rocca fan. This will NOT disappoint.

A lot of info here that at times went down the rabbit hole. Other times I was very intrigued. For me it was just to much alto I of like Mo Rocca.

Of all the books I have read, this I would have truly appreciated as an Audio book. I have watched Mo Rocca on Sunday morning and listen to his podcast and have loved his presentations. The written word however just didn't do it for me. On the other hand I can't wait to listen to this book! Thank you Netgalley for giving me this opportunity.

This is a quirky collection of historical facts. At times rambling, but mostly very interesting reading because the subject matter is quite varied: people, ancient historical happenings and facts, and some more contemporary events.

I've been a fan of Mo Rocca for decades and this book does not disappoint. Much like his podcast of the same name, Rocca brings life to people who's lives may have been forgotten by the world at large. Every essay is a delight.

Was hoping for more depth to use as a research text with students. Love Mo's humor and approachable writing, however.

What a nutty, creative, interesting, fascinating, intriguing book. It's witty, obscure, historical, thoughtful, original. I enjoyed it in spite of the wonky ARC formatting (lots' of beige squares that I assume are images). I think this one will make a great audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having been a fan of Mo Rocca’s episodes on CBS Sunday Morning for quite some time, I jumped at the offer of Net Galley to read and review an advance copy of his new book Mobituaries. A definition needs to set out the premise of the book: Mobituary: (noun) An appreciation for someone or something that did not get the love deserved the first time.

Building on his popular podcast, Mo takes on additional well-known and not so well-known personalities to give information missing from the official obituaries. He adds new dimensions to some names immediately familiar like Billy Carter and Audrey Hepburn. He pairs obituaries of people who died the same day like Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson or Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jim Henson and lets us know which one rated the above-the-fold notice in the newspaper. He notes several surprising advocates for justice including Elizabeth Taylor and Lord Byron.

In addition to telling the stories of people, he includes other dead things – dragons, countries, station wagons, and sports teams. A highlight for football fans, especially if you cheer in the SEC, is his coverage of the murder of Auburn’s live oaks of Toomer’s Corner and his attempt to understand the killer. Old favorites turn up here and there like Satchel Paige, one of my father’s favorite ball players and humor such as his definition of the Prussian Kaiser as another word for emperor or hard roll.

The dedication at the end was one of my favorite parts of the book with a tongue-in-cheek but appreciative look at his father who passed on a love of reading obituaries. The book reads like Mo speaks on Sunday morning with a lot of fun for his fans who also love quirky obituaries and can be enjoyed in snippets if you can bring yourself to put it down.