Learning from really big mistakes
"Oops: 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America," by Patrick J. Kiger

Story & Photos: Mary Jane Muchui

Did you know that the U.S. Government spent millions of dollars to employ psychics in an attempt to help us win the Cold War? Did you know the sad story of the rise and demise of "Clippy" -- Microsoft's talking paper clip? If you're interested in these and similar anecdotes, you'll probably enjoy reading "Oops! 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America." Takoma Park resident, Patrick J. Kiger and co-author Martin J. Smith (from southern California) use the medium of deadpan humor to revel in these and other mishaps that helped shape American culture.

Patrick J. Kiger

On May 18, 2006, Mr. Kiger read from one of his "Oops" chapters (the co-authors each wrote separate chapters) at his book signing at Borders in White Flint. He chose "Understand the Market - the 1967 Jimi Hendrix-Monkees Concert Tour." Most baby boomers probably don't even know that the avant-garde Hendrix ever fronted for the made-for-television band, The Monkees. Mr. Kiger not only provides us meticulous descriptions of the tour, he makes it lively and at times hilarious in an "it's funny as long as it didn't happen to me" kind of way. The clashing temperaments of the exotic and erotic Hendrix and the young teeny bopper fans of The Monkees (not to mention the fact that Hendrix had earlier called their heroes "dishwasher") didn't make for a cordial beginning, and things went downhill after that.

In addition to writing for entertainment value, Mr. Kiger and Mr. Smith also go out of their way to meticulously document all of their sources -- over 39 pages worth. Mr. Kiger has described himself as, "...a compulsive researcher and autodidact of myriad subjects..." -- no doubt someone you'd hate to be your opponent on the Jeopardy Show. Unfortunately, he's found out through his career that diligent research and good writing are "...only one part of the work -- too small a part, alas. You end up becoming a sort of used-car-salesman-stand-up-comic as well."

In addition to "Oops" Mr. Kiger and Mr. Smith also co-authored the book "Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions and Lore That Shaped Modern America," which was published in 2004 (both books are now available in paperback). In addition to co-authoring two books, Mr. Kiger has written many articles for The Washington Post Magazine, GQ, and other magazines, as well as for the websites of the Discovery Channel, BBC, and others. He's won both awards and accolades for his work, one of which was inclusion in "The Best Writing of the Year" list by Rockcritics.com for an article of his in The Los Angeles Times. Not bad for a man who claimed he first began writing "...as a way to avoid going to law school like my brother and sister." He describes his thinking process thusly: "I tend to get from point A to point B by way of Timbuktu" -- which sounds like an ideal trait for a writer.

Mr. Kiger has lived in Takoma Park with his family since 1994. We can -- at least in part -- be grateful to his wife for his presence here, as she hated the Los Angeles smog where they had previously lived. One of his strangest experiences since moving here is when Fox News Weekend offered to send a limousine to his home to take him to his guest appearance there. He declined because he thought they might be upset by the huge peace symbol flag in front of their home. However, the Fox personnel were polite, and "Oops" shot up about 30,000 spots on Amazon that afternoon. Next stop - ABC and Oprah's Book Club (smile)???