Jerry Strahan

If you've ever visited New Orleans -- and especially if you've over-imbibed one evening and found yourself in need of something to counter-act the alcohol -- you must be familiar with the famed "Lucky Dog." For those who haven't encountered this culinary marvel, a Lucky Dog is a large hot dog sold from a hot dog-shaped wagon on the streets of the Big Easy. Lucky Dogs were made famous in the pages of Confederacy of Dunces when Ignatius J. Reilly tried his hand at selling them -- hence the title of the book.

However, you don't need to have read Confederacy of Dunces or to have ever set foot in New Orleans to relish Managing Ignatius. Author Jerry E. Strahan tells stories from two decades as a manager of Lucky Dog carts and the eccentric group of malcontents, misfits, and malingerers that man the hot dog wagons.

New Orleans is on the wild side of America and anything having to do with Lucky Dogs is on the wild side of New Orleans. Every possible imaginable (and unimaginable) crazy thing occurs during the two decades Strahan encapsulates in his book. To quote an unlikely source, the historian Stephen Ambrose said: "From now on, whenever I'm asked what is the single best book to read for an introduction to the spirit of New Orleans, I'll reply, Managing Ignatius." I'm with Ambrose, reading this is almost as good as digging into a steaming hot Lucky Dog.… (mere)

As someone who has worked in an environment full of a constantly rotating collection of true characters, as someone who has had to manage a group of misfits and unmanagables; I truly enjoyed and related to this book. Someone picking up this book does not have to have managed in such an environment, or even read A Confederacy of Dunces to enjoy this book, however. The book follows 20 years of history of the Lucky Dogs company, and consequently, 20 years of New Orleans history. It’s an entertaining glimpse into the beating heart of the French Quarter, and a glimpse into what it’s like to manage a company full of people that might not be able to find employment elsewhere. The author has a wealth of tales about dealing with the eccentricities of his employees, and of his attempts to expand a New Orleans legacy across the country and the world. Some of his vignettes are no longer than a paragraph, sometime the shorter stories are most striking. His stories range from tragic to comic, and sometimes are an unforgettable mix of the two. The company has become something of a New Orleans landmark on wheels, and as a consequence, following the history of the company is to follow the history of New Orleans as well. Strahan’s story tracks the changes in the city between the 70’s and 90’s, and pays homage to the eclectic personality of the area. The book is a quick read and hard to put down, after completing it in a short week, I find myself wanting more.… (mere)