Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse: And Other Lessons from Modern Life

by David Mitchell

Paperback, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

828.9207

Genres

Nonfiction

Collection

Biography/Memoir

Publication

Guardian Faber Publishing (2014), 336 pages

Description

THE SUNDAY TIMES-BESTSELLING BOOK BY ONE OF BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED COMIC WRITERS **Pre-order now: David Mitchell's new book Dishonesty is the Second-best Policy** There are many aspects of modern life that trouble award-winning comedian David Mitchell, such as: Why is every film or TV programme a sequel or a remake? Why are people so f***ing hung up about swearing? Why do the asterisks in that sentence make it ok? Why do so many people want to stop other people doing things, and how can they be stopped from stopping them? Join Mitchell on a tour of the absurdities of our times - from Ryanair to Richard III, Downton Abbey to phone etiquette, UKIP to hotdogs made of cats. Funny, provocative and shot through with refreshing amounts of common sense, Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse celebrates and commiserates on the state of things in our not entirely glorious modern world. 'Mitchell is an exceptionally clever, eloquent and spot-on commentator. We should be grateful for him.' Daily Mail, Books of the Year… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Xleptodactylous

Sort of a summation of some of David Mitchell's articles as featured in the Observer newspaper, he annotates them and (quite possibly) edits them. I'm unsure as to the specifics, but that's not particularly a bad thing.

As one would expect, the mini-essays in this book are on a variety of topics,

though most of them could be described as "British". It is an enjoyable book for its humour and scope; no fan of Mitchell could deny that it is definitely him speaking. I enjoyed his opinions and style of writing and found most things to be very interesting, even, dare I say it, thought-provoking.

I would suggest it is more of a dip-in-and-out book rather than something you read all the way through in one (or a few) sittings, much like a newspaper is issued periodically as opposed to at the beginning of the year. It is funny, at times quaint and very much David Mitchell.

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LibraryThing member LARA335

I like the cut of his jib, the way his mind works. Awkwardness, embarrassment and understated common sense rules. I, too, can be a curmudgeon, wary of modern technology, but had always thought this was because the hassle of understanding it outweighed the benefits it would bring. But David

understands it as 'the simple contentment of not knowing what you're missing (which) is irreplaceable once lost'. He's got a point. And he made me laugh.

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LibraryThing member hmskip

Made me laugh, but in a sober, sort of sad way at times.

LibraryThing member PDCRead

Drawn from his column in the Observer each week, this collection of articles is diverse and wide ranging. No subject is too big or trivial for Mitchell to consider, from smoking to politics, the nuclear question to chocolate flavoured toothpaste and swearing to Downton Abbey. He asks questions that

others won’t like, why do so many people want to stop other people doing things, and how can they be stopped from stopping them? And why are people so obsessed with bin collections? He is not afraid to be controversial too. He agrees with the judge who called a burglar brave, has a liberated view about swearing and bemoans that total lack of common sense that seems to prevail most of the time.

Even though I get the Observer every week, I have only occasionally read his column in the paper, and I have heard him often on Radio 4 on various panel games, and he can be very funny. Whilst this book raised a few chuckles, there were no laugh out loud moments. I do like his attitude though, even if he can be a bit of a curmudgeon at times, and he has a refreshingly blunt point of view. Worth reading I think, and I will now be following his column each week in the paper.

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LibraryThing member brakketh

Enjoyable, though dated now, collection of essays.

LibraryThing member vguy

Laugh out loud funny and densely well-informed. 7 years since it came out but still seems up to the minute. First book his I've read, having already established him as a favourite on TV. Shall read more.

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