Oh, the Humanity! A Gentle Guide to Social Interaction for the Feeble Young Introvert by Jason Roeder

From the publisher's website:

Are you uncomfortable engaging in conversation? Do you have trouble making friends? Have you longed to have your deeply rooted social anxiety eliminated by a slender paperback you can read cover-to-cover over several lunch breaks? If your answer is yes—or if you're looking for the perfect birthday gift for that special nervous someone—the book you've been waiting for has arrived. Oh, the Humanity! will see you through all your interpersonal struggles:
· "How can I boost my self-confidence? I've already tried crying all day and avoiding my horrible reflection in the mirror. Is there something else that might work?"

· "I'm not very good at small talk. How can I get the least out of every word I use?"

· "What exactly is 'body language'? My arrest record suggests I need some clarification."

· "My hobbies include scrapbooking, swimming with dolphins, and taking chain letters seriously. How can I find people with similar interests?"

· "I recently decided to become a hipster schmuck. How can I rid myself of current friends incompatible with my new, ill-advised persona?"

· Plus, somewhat more!

Life is a precious gift that could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Isn't it time you lived it the way some total stranger who wrote a book thinks you should? Oh, the Humanity! is all you'll ever need to jump-start your social skills!

You'll also need a promotional Frisbee if we get some of those made.

I find myself smack in the middle of the scale of introvert and extrovert. Probably a bit easier for me to identify with introverts so this book was instantly funny. It was the type of humor that is written seriously, you are reading along, reading along and then something totally outrageous is slipped in. It totally catches you off guard in the best way!

There are some hilarious illustrations throughout the book and I would have loved to have seen more. At times the chapters got a bit long but for the most part everything was overall humorous.

One of my favorite chapters was one about nonverbal communication, specifically a section on shaking hands and what not to do. It's laugh out loud funny! The next chapter about cross-cultural communication is hilarious because according to the author he didn't have enough text to fill out the chapter so instead decided to insert random pictures of oversized dolphins in different environments including Easter Island and a gun show. It's all about the random, which I love! I also really like the final chapter where the author tries to convince you to be friends with him!

Overall a pretty funny book! I'd say this is one to think about for holiday gifts for people with a good sense of humor!

What's your favorite humor book?

3.5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher