> How many of his ~70 books am I required to read before forming an opinion?

I like to follow the rule that I only talk about things which I know about. I think it's a pretty good rule. So I personally wouldn't talk about an entire person's collection from such a limited introduction because it would feel a tad bit hasty to me. Instead, I would talk about the works that I had read--this might prove difficult if you can't recall the names.

> This clowning bullshit is a good reason not to take him seriously.

It's a dad-joke that he told at a talk. Heaven forbid the man try and add some levity to situations.