Oh So Brilliantly Self-Negating!
347118
What a clever piece of satire this is!  A B-list radio personality argues that celebrities should just shut up and sing!  I guess the same applies to Schwarzennegger.  Look for the sequel Arnold: Shut Up and Recall Totally!  And the prequel, Reagan: Shut Up and Keep Being a TV Spokesmodel!
She's not as attractive as that skinny blond one, Coulter, is she?
4107704
Have read so many books on this subject -a subject I was sure I would never experience as my Husband I believed was in that small percentage who would never stray-the lies he told to cover up when I found the first piece of evidence were so epically rediculous that the lies made me angrier then the actual act. This book was not only so insightful but it was humurous as well and the references to Women who lived this made me feel less alone-like I was now part of a secret club that I wish I didn't have the qualifications to join. It helped me realize that while my Husband pulled the rug out from under me and nearly destroyed our Family,it was not about me-it was his own selfishness and stupidity and I should stop carrying this burden on my back every day/wish I had found this book 2 years ago-it's at the top of my list out of all the books I blazed through trying to understand,"Why Me?"
769403
I enjoyed this book, but I believe, in retrospect, that it had a seriously negative influence on my adolescent development. Precisely because the narrator is so witty and charming (yes, my middle-schoool self found it hilarious), seduced me into thinking that Georgia (the protagonist/narrator) was a ROLE MODEL. I actually wanted to be like her, because she was so funny and cool -- I didn't stop to question her constant sarcasm and disdain for everyone and everything except the boy she was crushing on -- who, she and I agreed, was unquestionably the very most important concern of her existence. I read this at age 11 or 12, and it coincided with my starting to have crushes on boys, which I proceeded to carry out much in the format laid out for me by this Georgia character. I would write in my journal and carry on a titillating inner commentary about how much I was infatuated by a particular boy, whom I objectified rather than actually getting to know, and how annoying everything in life was because it got in the way of me being with that boy. This obsessive and antisocial thought pattern endured for a number of years, to the detriment of my social life at that time and subsequently. The cynicism and pessimism masked as harmless fun and wit is actually quite contagious. It can be really fun (and addictive) to insert everything that happens into your own inner sarcastic, fatalistic narrative! But cynicism and pessimism are tools of destruction, not creativity, in the the lives of anyone, especially young people who don't realize that they are forming harmful habits and thought-patterns.

Of course there were plenty of other influences in my childhood and adolescence, and I'm not one to blame other people/things for my problems. But I am struck by how much this book actually seems to have affected my inner life as a pre-teen girl, which set the stage for unhealthy habits and confused priorities in my teen years (or rather, unconscious priorities -- namely the habit of amusing myself with sarcasm and cynicism, and the priority of seeking to impress the boy I liked at all costs).

If you let your kids read this book, or if you are reading this book yourself, make sure you question the attitudes and assumptions in it, and maybe supplement it with something more wholesome, for example the life of Joan of Arc! Now THAT'S a hero! And there are many other better role models to read about who have more fulfilling and loving lives than Georgia (bless her heart).
443288
Seriously, I don't know how Mich more of this fatalistic, self deprecation with regards to him as a member of the human race.  If anything, he's made me more happy that we have such huge, throbbing brains, but also much more guilty.  MOO FANGOO to you! Mr Vonnegut!
3888932
I laughed...I cried...Ok so maybe it wasn't THAT dramatic, but it certainly was extremely entertaining and very intelligent and will no doubt spurn many great debates. Those who dare think of themselves as intellectuals, will assuredly find the iconoclastic, think-outside-the-box flavor an irresistible treat!

The perfect choice for Book Club or Holiday Gift!
3741008
It takes someone with balls to come out against musicals like 'Cats' and 'Phantom'. Three cheers for supercynic Joe Queenan who has those guts, and plenty to spare, as his poisoned pen appropriately lashes out at the worst  of the mediocre, making for the best reflection on the last century I have  heard of or could have even imagined. I was in tears numerous times  laughing and relishing numerous Queenan insights, most of which offered me  solace that my own pecular, singular, and admittedly UNpopular personal  taste isn't at all unwarranted. This book is the truth spoken by one who  voices the feelings of many who might(as myself) run the risk of  excommunication for voicing opinions contrary to those of a highly  defensive public. True, Queenan does peck off the so-called 'talents' of  easy targets like musicians John Tesh and Kenny G, author Robert James  Waller, and car-accident-of-a-TV-talk-show-host Geraldo Rivera. But there  are hidden whoppers of philosophical revelation between the covers of this  light reader as well which are sure to delight anyone who grew up thinking  for themselves. If you, like me, have always had a problem being subjected  to the folks in our society who walk around preening and gushing about  having seen the latest Andrew Lloyd Weber extravaganza, buy this book NOW!  After I read  it I felt a hundred times better for having risked public  humiliation in voicing my severe dislike of the film 'Titanic' (utter  blasphemy to DeCaprio fans let alone anyone in Hollywood who has sold out  his/her integrity to the machine that makes such monstrosities). Queenan  ingeniously relates his own corruption-by-self-exposure to a Jekyll/Hyde  tragedy. As he is absorbed into this world of trash and cultural squalor he  can only want more. And his excursions as Hyde can be called nothing less  than deliciously decadent. I'd happily toast Queenan with one of his very  own "Suck Cocktails" for this hilarious effort. WARNING: Anyone  offended by this book should calm down and try to realize the simple truth  that just because something is popular doesn't EVER mean it is actually Any  Good.
999040
Reading the reviews, someone wrote, I didn't read the book, but gave it one star! Well, I did read the book, and I'd give it six stars if I could. Peter Boghossian is brilliant and the book has great techniques for engaging people who exhibit delusional thinking. It can help people see the faulty way they came to their conclusions, and offers them a way to see that without debate or argument. I highly recommend this book!!
564205
I've generally found Matt Taibbi mildly annoying, as he comes off a bit smug.  He tends to overstate things and then rely on excessive profanity for its comedic effect.  This book has lots of that, plus lots of contempt, but he fortunately doesn't spare himself, and the end result is definitely worthwhile reading.  It was unfair of him to play around with/exploit the clearly troubled people (his descriptions of them, brutally succinct, are one of a kind) who came to Pastor Hagee's church for help, but that may be what was needed to reveal the more grossly unfair way people like Pastor Hagee manipulate the facts and the tendency of so many to follow any leader that can establish even a small beach head of trust.  Taking on members of a church like Hagee's is like shooting fish in a barrel; the number of reasoned arguments and wise life decisions you will find in that subset of the population are microscopically small.  Still, if you are to understand why America is the way it is, you need to know there are people out there like that, and unfortunately for the reasonable and thoughtful, they are close to the majority!  Traveling the country as a family doctor, I have tried to calculate what percentage of Americans live in quiet despair (I've settled on about 30%).  Their lives would appear to be so unsatisfying: watching hours of TV a day, barely understanding any complicated notions, rarely making a good decision, constantly betrayed by their leaders who only care about how much money is being donated to them, and despite all the propaganda about the "American Dream," failing to ever make any progress.  The high abuse rates of prescription drugs, popularity of all "illegal" drugs and alcohol, and high rates of imprisonment and mental illness are all notions the people in power gloss over (except when their donors can make money off them).  Taibbi has tapped into that and compellingly portrays it and the effects it has on him.  I wish he had focused more on Iraq, where his writing is remarkably fresh, and on Congress, where he had the patience and diligence that few have to lift the veil on some of what is sordid about how our government functions.  If only we had more objective (?) looks at the crap our Congresspersons were up to and all their conflicts of interest and hypocrisy, I think at least some of the games they play would stop (The Republicans in particular seem to be almost wanting to get caught, so brazen are they).  If you have the money and the time, it is worth it to spend it on this book.  I think anyone who reads it will have a better idea of what is going on, though they most likely won't like it.
179589
I nearly splurged my drink everywhere reading this.  Stella has a hilarious take on the 'best' years of our lives....fearless and imaginative. I don't think I am going to try them all, but it is a shot in the arm for any of us who have greeted this time of our lives with a mild dread.  Highly recommended for any of us who take ourselves too seriously; in fact, just highly recommended.
4516803
There is no shortage of self-help books out there. I've always avoided them all because I figured that I know myself better than anyone else and can help myself better than anyone else. But on the recommendation of a good friend, I picked this up. Wow. I can't emphasize enough how wrong my thinking was. The biggest gift I got from my reading was that the voice in my head doesn't know the best me. It was a reality check for me that I need to judge myself less, and connect with others more. We are all fallible, so why do we hold ourselves to standards that are not realistic? I'm all for excelling in life, and have many successes to savor - so why does my inner voice only remember the failures? This book helped me to understand the path to being more connected, to being the person I want to be rather than the person my mistakes have turned me into. With some practical exercises and well-thought out philosophy, this book is an excellently written lesson on accepting ourselves and growing into more mindful members of our community.
117454
It was only in the last few years I began to embrace and appreciate my preference for aloneness and, since misanthropes tend to avoid situations in which they could meet others like themselves, I've been wondering if there was really anyone out there like me.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Misanthrope-s-Guide-to-Life-Go-Away/dp/B005R9HF8E/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Misanthrope's Guide to Life: (Go Away!)</a>&nbsp;provided the first hint of camaraderie I have been able to tolerate in my lifetime. Meghan and Chris's thoughts are my thoughts; their skewed humor and view of life, much like my own.  But I didn't have to pay attention to body language and decide whether to respond to or ignore a plethora of social cues. All the fun without all the...people. I purchased this book for Kindle, avoiding inevitable chit-chat with the clerk at the bookstore who, regardless of the fact that I'm buying a book about avoiding people, thinks that I like to talk about what I am buying ("Just ring up the damn books and tell me how much to pay!"). It's funny, sarcastic, but real in a way only another misanthrope can understand and appreciate.
2822373
Wow. This book "solves" so many questions people have about their lives so simply, so elegantly it left me wondering why it took "the kind universe" so long to help people understand how to get on the road to and build their own happiness.

Let me attempt to explain: What's wrong with "traditional" self-help is there's no "self" in it. We read about other people's "success patterns". They sell us on why their "patterns" work best. Problem is they don't work for us precisely because they're other peoples'. This creates a nice self-help industry, but doesn't help readers become any happier--or even help them realize what does make them happy! Does this make sense?

Newburg's genius is giving us a "process" for identifying, understanding, and incorporating into our lives what uniquely makes us happy. He has put the "self" back where it belongs, at the center of the process. Warning: he's also put the responsibility (and fun) for understanding and action back where it belongs, with us, not with Dr. Phil, Steven Covey, or Tony Robbins.

I know why he had to publish this himself. It's the last "self-help" book-- the only "self-help" book you'll ever need. Why would an industry that exists because people are searching for "themselves" actually tell you how to find yourself? That's business suicide.

Anyway, thank-you Dr. Newburg, thank-you. If you don't like this book, I'll give you your money back.
3919683
I'm always dishing out advice on men to my single girlfriends, and I thought I had the game figured out - but Donni Allum singlehandedly shattered my preconceptions in 20 short stories on how men can turn around the game by being one step ahead. He reveals his tactics and the thought processes behind them, and shows through his appreciation of all different types of women that none of us can pull one over on a master. His honesty is like a train wreck, you are at times horrified but cannot look away, and will find yourself shamefully laughing out loud at his sometimes arrogant, sometimes self-deprecating, always honest and to the point humour. You wouldn't believe a guy with this wild lifestyle could be such an exceptional writer, but he absolutely is! With a very quick wit and engaging, punchy, literary style that always leaves you on the edge of your chair, Donni Allum will keep you wanting more, and he is sure to satisfy...pun intended .
3977661
My favorite lines,"The more a group uses the words "family," "traditional," and "values" in its organizational name, the less likely that group is to actually support the same. Scientists are stumped as to why." I howled over that simply for the fact that it is so true.
  I can only have admiration for Jeremy's courage in revealing his emotions so readily. It must have been cathartic for him to be able to vent such angst and frustration caused by the "mo foes" that continually seek to degrade and vilify homosexuals. Being homosexual myself, I could relate to every word.
  His theatrical teachings permeate throughout, with a cavalier mirth, that not only displays the ineptitude, but moreover the impotence of the anti-gay crowd in their unfounded prevarications, and propaganda.
  I must admit...I laughed, I cried, and I got angry. Jeremy's book has recharged my batteries and instilled an even greater fervor in me to continue to dispel all the myths and misinformation the "mo foes" spew forth. If not for my sake, then for the sake of the next generation.
  Who knows, maybe that white picket fence near Candlewood Lake with a couple of Hooper-Shulmans running around in the backyard with Bosley in tow, is not to far in the future. God Bless them both, and Cheers!
1190945
This book really opened my eyes on how many different ways we (you, me and society) "hate" on ourselves.  I didn't realize there were so many subtle ways we reject ourselves and this was very freeing to see some of the deeper, but hard-to-put-my-finger-on-it sources of shame and self-deprecation.  The author is bold and unapologetic, covering so many topics including one of the most intelligent viewpoints on racism I've ever read.  The book sort of slaps you awake then gently leads you into viewing yourself and the world with a very deep compassion.  It's eye-opening, refreshing and very liberating.
3457727
This is a SMART book. Extremely thoughtful, original and wickedly witty, too, there is something here for every one of us who require a more insightful self-observing ego, from time to time. Take the Chapter on managing our "Screw Ups." As we learn how NOT to let someone off the hook (notwithstanding how lengthy their "soooooooo sooooory,") we cannot escape our own reader mirrors and be sooooooo sooooory at how many times we, ourselves, have "screwed up." The most insightful sections (and there are many) in this artful little gem, are found when Angermann re-defines his version of "80/20" rules, pronouncing that "100% of the people are mediocre at what (we) do at least 80% of the time."  I don't know about others, but this perfectionist is, quite frankly, relieved. The pressure is off, everyone! Yay - I love this book. Because it takes so little time to read and overflows with practical humor and wisdom, I've found my perfect "stocking-stuffer" gift, especially for loved ones & co-workers. BTW, does anyone out there have Letterman connections? I'd love to see Angermann "mess" with Dave ("for his own good!")
2469628
If you're one of those uppity wives who is married to an intolerable louse -- yet put off by the sheer weight of what it would take to clean up your life -- then this book is for you!

You see, Handford's solution is brilliant:  by relinquishing your individuality and freewill, you can serenely resign yourself even to the most unsavory fate.