The Book Pile

SUMMARY: We live in a society inundated by endless sources of entertainment and cheap dopamine. In today’s book, Anna Lembke discusses how we can respond to such dangers, like, for instance, a pool table. Friend, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of a pool table in your community.Well, ya got trouble, my friend, right hereI say, trouble right here in River CityWhy, sure, I'm a billiard playerCertainly mighty proud I sayI'm always mighty proud to say itI consider that the hours I spendWith a cue in my hand are goldenHelp you cultivate horse senseAnd a cool hеad and a keen eyeJ'evеr take and try to findAn iron-clad leave for yourselfFrom a three-rail billiard shot?But just as I sayIt takes judgment, brains, and maturity to scoreIn a balkline gameI say that any boob can takeAnd shove a ball in a pocketAnd I call that slothThe first big step on the roadTo the depths of deg-ra-day--I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoonThen beer from a bottle!An' the next thing ya knowYour son is playin' for moneyIn a pinch-back suitAnd list'nin to some big out-a-town jasperHearin' him tell about horse-race gamblin'Not a wholesome trottin' race, no!But a race where they set down right on the horse!Like to see some stuck-up jockey boySettin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil?Well, I should sayNow, friends, lemme tell you what I meanYa got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a tablePockets that mark the diff'renceBetween a gentlemen and a bumWith a capital "B,"And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s-Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at:https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile-Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dpTHE HOSTS!-Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 200 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com-David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.