What Would MacGyver Do?, Brendan Vaughan
What Would MacGyver Do?, Brendan Vaughan
11 Rating(s)
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What Would MacGyver Do?
True Stories of Improvised Genius in Everyday Life

Author: Brendan Vaughan

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor, Shelly Frasier

Unabridged: 4 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/01/2006

Categories: Nonfiction, Humor


Synopsis

You're driving on a deserted road when your car dies. Your cell phone isn't getting service. All you have on hand are a gum wrapper and a wire hanger.

Or maybe you're living in a building without central air conditioning in July. You can't afford an AC; all you have access to are a fan and a bucket of water.

In such times of desperation, many have called upon the symbol of all that is inventive, the hero who awed thousands with his cool, quick wit: "What would MacGyver do?" they ask.

For anyone who has ever wished they could channel the 1980s action-adventure icon comes this clever collection of forty-five true stories, commemorating the use of improvised genius to solve everyday problems. Inspired by television's Angus MacGyver (played by Richard Dean Anderson), a secret agent who relied on his brains and scientific prowness—not to mention duct tape and a Swiss Army knife—to save the day, the "MacGyverisms" recounted range from the concrete (using Chex Mix to provide traction in an icy parking lot) to the intangible (saving a relationship with the perfect turn of phrase). Edgy, entertaining, and smirk-to-yourself funny, these masterfully told stories reveal that, with a little luck and a lot of ingenuity, you can "MacGyver" yourself out of virtually any predicament.


About Brendan Vaughan

Brendan Vaughan is an articles editor at "Esquire" magazine and the winner of a National Magazine Award for New Media.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Blake on November 22, 2008

Humorous and cliched, this is a collection of real-to-life stories from real people who were stuck in situations that could only be solved with the help of chewing gum, a paperclip, and a feathered mullet. It's worth reading simply for the shear joy of silly situations, and it's worth owning because......more

Goodreads review by Kieran on November 28, 2022

A fascinating look at how people have ingeniously used everyday items to get themselves out of a jam in the best style of the classic 80s television series. Vaughan has curated his articles well to capture a sense of humour and joie de vivre. This is a nice book to while away a couple of hours.......more

Goodreads review by Megan on May 19, 2014

I'm sure this is palatable in small, website-sized doses. But as a collection of stories, it's an utter failure. Most are not even that interesting, and one-half to two-thirds don't seem to remotely approach the lofty ambitions of the title - they're people figuring out fairly obvious solutions to p......more

Goodreads review by Jenna on February 17, 2023

I have to admit the title grabbed my attention and I did watch the tv show in reruns. Because of course, MacGyver amazingly fixed everything! We all wish we could be so inventive. As the book says, MacGyver has become a regular term for being clever. This was the title of a website where people submitt......more

Goodreads review by Kelley on April 19, 2022

Listened w my 11 year old. Neither of us have seen McGyver and it's not exactly kid friendly (mentions a condom in the intro) but he's entertained and I like the rescue-yourself theme.......more