wombatwolf's review against another edition
2.0
Written like a bad article on cracked.com. More than half the book is dedicated to Dan Savage advice pieces that are usually uninteresting and not relevant to your life.
wayward's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
Welp, this is a relic of 2012 that did not age well at all. Some good advice, but buried in an overall glib, dismissive, and navel-gazing tone.
mhall's review against another edition
1.0
I like Lindy West, but this didn't work for me. Granted, I'm not in the demographic.
gimchi's review against another edition
3.0
eh.
it drive me a little crazy when a 'self-help' book bridges that line between humor and actual help. some articles and bits were great and helpful, while others just seemed snarky.
it drive me a little crazy when a 'self-help' book bridges that line between humor and actual help. some articles and bits were great and helpful, while others just seemed snarky.
nectarine_waffle's review against another edition
1.0
I like Lindy West, but this didn't work for me. Granted, I'm not in the demographic.
pmcintosh's review against another edition
2.0
20% meaningful contributions.
50% dated and/or amusing commentary
Overall, not enough for a book - rather a lazy collection of columns. I love the writers - but yeah. Lazy and outdated. (Of course. It’s several years old.)
50% dated and/or amusing commentary
Overall, not enough for a book - rather a lazy collection of columns. I love the writers - but yeah. Lazy and outdated. (Of course. It’s several years old.)
stormywolf's review against another edition
3.0
This book definitely won't be for everyone. For one thing, you have to have a sense of humor. If you don't at least smile at the inside flap, then drop this book now, because I can almost guarantee that you won't like it. In addition to prolific swearing, the book contains a LONG, detailed chapter concerning sex—straight, gay, lesbian, bi and trans—by way of real written letters and responses a la "Dear Abby", and a chapter on politics (specifically describing Republicans and Feminists). However, there are also laundry tips, tested recipes, and true stories of working in restaurants.
I guess I'd recommend it to anyone who is really, really stressed about going off to college who has a sense of humor and an open mind. A lot of statements in the book are there purely for comedic effect (see the sections on music and books), but there are quite a few sincere pieces of advice as well (see the chapter on Drugs).
I don't know if I would have picked this up before heading off to college, and if I had, I don't know if it would have changed much of my experience. But I do think that voicing and addressing some of the fears a newly graduated 17/18-year-old can be helpful, even (especially) when delivered in a comedic and frank fashion.
Approximate Reading Time: 4.5 hours
I guess I'd recommend it to anyone who is really, really stressed about going off to college who has a sense of humor and an open mind. A lot of statements in the book are there purely for comedic effect (see the sections on music and books), but there are quite a few sincere pieces of advice as well (see the chapter on Drugs).
I don't know if I would have picked this up before heading off to college, and if I had, I don't know if it would have changed much of my experience. But I do think that voicing and addressing some of the fears a newly graduated 17/18-year-old can be helpful, even (especially) when delivered in a comedic and frank fashion.
Approximate Reading Time: 4.5 hours
rmgebhardt's review
3.0
Witty writing, as I would expect, but this is definitely geared towards the college audience. I honestly think portions of this should be required reading for new college admits, while other parts are a little too heavy on the snark that I think it would go over many new college kids' heads. The best portion of the book is obviously Dan Savage's responses to a number of letters asking for advice for certain scenarios, but the rest is also decently entertaining.