Review of: "You are Worthless" by Scott Dikkers

5/5 (minimum 1)

by martinp on 05 Jan 2008

"There are certain tried-and-true techniques you can use to take control of your life, get the job you want, get the pay you deserve, and have a very satisfying, successful career. You will never learn these techniques." These and other insights are presented in the ultimate antidote to the torrent of syrupy self-help books full of calming, positive "affirmations".

Scott Dikkers (one of the editors of The Onion) has put together a stream of the bleakest reflections and darkest thoughts from a depressive, self-loathing state of mind. Yet I have watched several people I know howl with laughter at this book. What's going on?

Partly it's because some of the aphorisms are dead-on-the-money observations of things that we try to ignore. Partly it's because the whining tone of the book satirises how we feel when we're at our most depressed and self-pitying, daring us not to be worthless losers.

I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who was contemplating suicide, but for the rest of the population it's an ideal replacement for a shelf-full of verbal treacle.

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"You are Worthless" by Scott Dikkers

Tags: black-comedy book comedy depression gift-book humour one-liners satire self-help
Homepage: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=97...
See Also: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RN7OZi3UJf8C