Life's Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore

asked by alexis on November 11, 2006 8:34 PM

Somewhere between passive aggressive and passionate aggression lies the perfect humorous response to an irritating event. Writer Ian Urbina—who started this project by writing an article for the New York Times and attracting legions of the slightly annoyed—has compiled a lovely collection of non-injurious (but highly mean) solutions that soothe the cranky soul.

The introduction gets off to a brilliant start: Urbina coated a pint of his frequently "borrowed" ice cream with a thick layer of salt, driving his ice cream thief of a housemate to furiously outing herself as the culprit. Additional tales offer websites that reject unappealing date prospects for you, examples of anti-honking haiku distributed on telephone poles all over Brooklyn and a flat-out heartening recounting of the original parking meter fairies in Anchorage, AK.

Heartening fairies and websites providing confrontation avoidance techniques aside, this is no typical relax-and-be-nice book that help readers calm down and appreciate life. Instead, it offers the dual purpose of giving everyone a chance to appreciate the sheer creative genius lurking in your average curmudgeon while inspiring the world to further feats of nearly meaningless anger management Jill Lightner

Buy this book

[report to moderator]

Reviews

From the automated voice at the other end of the line to those ubiquitous subscription cards that fall out of magazines, there are aspects of everyday life that aggravate us all. In Life's Little Annoyances, New York Times reporter Ian Urbina describes these irritants and chronicles the lengths to which some people will go when they have endured their pet peeves long enough.
Some of the best ones I came across were how to get back at the annoying commissioned sales rep, the creation of Despair, Inc., and The Cashier's Spelling Bee.
This book can easily be read in an afternoon and it's a good way to relax and unwind...while thinking of ways to use some of these ideas! Highly Recommended!

reviewed by papi on November 12, 2006 6:22 PM

[report to moderator]

This is one of those books that you leave laying around and pick up
and read in bits and pieces. a chuckle here, a guffaw there. its a
pretty smart idea to pull it all together.

reviewed by megafan on November 26, 2006 8:35 AM

[report to moderator]

The book is a stitch. Clearly written but doesnt drone on, just grump and to the point. The introduction which talks about the reason Urbina wrote the book is perhaps the best part. well worth buying.

reviewed by tacos on November 27, 2006 6:03 AM

[report to moderator]

add a new book!