Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (2010), Hardcover, 400 pages
Description
Based on the award-winning 10-million-plus-hit blog 1000 Awesome Things, The Book of Awesome is an international bestselling high five for humanity and a big celebration of life's little moments. Sometimes it's easy to forget the things that make us smile. With a 24/7 news cycle reporting that the polar ice caps are melting, hurricanes are swirling in the seas, wars are heating up around the world, and the job market is in a deep freeze, it's tempting to feel that the world is falling apart. But awesome things are all around us, like: * Popping Bubble Wrap * Wearing underwear just out of the dryer * Fixing electronics by smacking them * Getting called up to the dinner buffet first at a wedding * Watching The Price Is Right when you're home sick * Hitting a bunch of green lights in a row * Waking up and realizing it's Saturday The Book of Awesome reminds us that the best things in life are free (yes, your grandma was right). With laugh-out-loud observations from award-winning comedy writer Neil Pasricha, The Book of Awesome is filled with smile-inducing moments on every page that make you feel like a kid looking at the world for the first time. Read it and you'll remember all the things there are to feel good about. A New York Times Bestseller * USA Today Bestseller * Globe and Mail Bestseller * Toronto Star Bestseller * Vancouver Sun Bestseller * Macleans Bestseller * Winner of the Forest of Reading Award… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ChicGeekGirl21
Cute, quick read...but not exactly "awesome". Call me cynical, but the relentless optimism and cutesy language--and the use of an all-caps "AWESOME!" at the end of each entry got on my nerves about halfway through the book.
The Book of Awesome is an awesome book--to be read in the bathroom or while
The Book of Awesome is an awesome book--to be read in the bathroom or while
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waiting in a tedious line. Show Less
LibraryThing member detailmuse
In The Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha draws a couple hundred simple pleasures from his blog, 1000 Awesome Things -- happy, comforting, sometimes nostalgic occurrences that are universally, well … awesome! For example:
Inter-generational dancing
The other side of the pillow
Fixing electronics by
When you’re right near the end of a book
The sound of ice cubes crackling in a drink
Watching your odometer click over a major milestone
Discovering those little tabs on the side of the aluminum foil box*
Seeing a cop on the side of the road and realizing you’re going the speed limit anyway
Peeling off your wet bathing suit and putting on warm clothes after swimming for a long time
The moment at a restaurant after you see your food coming from the kitchen but before it lands on your table
*and also on the ends of some boxes of plastic wraps -- poke the tab inward to create a lock that keeps the roll in the box no matter how sharply you pull out the wrap; haha, this was a life-changing revelation for me
I enjoyed the concept -- liked the titles but wasn’t as enamored by the write-ups (which tended to draw out the punch line and sometimes veered off-topic). Still, Pasricha seems like a genuinely nice, happy guy, and I just skipped what didn’t appeal and moved on to the next … a practice he’s probably already written up as awesome :)
Inter-generational dancing
The other side of the pillow
Fixing electronics by
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smacking themWhen you’re right near the end of a book
The sound of ice cubes crackling in a drink
Watching your odometer click over a major milestone
Discovering those little tabs on the side of the aluminum foil box*
Seeing a cop on the side of the road and realizing you’re going the speed limit anyway
Peeling off your wet bathing suit and putting on warm clothes after swimming for a long time
The moment at a restaurant after you see your food coming from the kitchen but before it lands on your table
*and also on the ends of some boxes of plastic wraps -- poke the tab inward to create a lock that keeps the roll in the box no matter how sharply you pull out the wrap; haha, this was a life-changing revelation for me
I enjoyed the concept -- liked the titles but wasn’t as enamored by the write-ups (which tended to draw out the punch line and sometimes veered off-topic). Still, Pasricha seems like a genuinely nice, happy guy, and I just skipped what didn’t appeal and moved on to the next … a practice he’s probably already written up as awesome :)
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LibraryThing member MerryMary
A wonderful book of essays, in which the author celebrates really terrific small moments. Clean sheets, ice cubes cracking, hairdresser head massages, and hearing strangers fart in public; all those little things that make us smile.
I reveled in this book - smiling, grinning, laughing out loud,
I reveled in this book - smiling, grinning, laughing out loud,
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wiping a tear - and was reminded of so many wonderful moments in my life. This book is really a valuable addition to my library and to my sanity. Show Less
LibraryThing member leahdawn
Cute and quirky, this isn't a book you sit down and read, but rather one to pick up in sporadic intervals when you need a pick-me-up. :) A highly enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member juliana_t
Totally inspired me to think of all of the awesome things in my day-to-day life. A definite feel-good book. Off to write my own list of awesome.
LibraryThing member chibimonkiez
When we go on with our lives everyday, we often forget the good old times when we got that bit of luck by our side that we take for granted. Well " The Book of Awesome", by Neil Pasricha, helps us remember the smallest things that happen in life that make us smile. Whether it was a small
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achievement, or a random stranger making your day, think of the things that made or makes your day just awesome. Sometimes we just need to think of the simple things that lets you enjoy life a little more. Show Less
LibraryThing member SheilaCornelisse
A funny yet insightful look at the ordinary things in our lives that are truly awesome. Sparks a chuckle or two as you recall being in similar situations.
LibraryThing member aBohemian1
Cute book - it made me laugh out loud and annoy the other people in the room :)
LibraryThing member msahlborn
This book is aptly named: Awesome. It is very much "the book of awesome". It almost reads as a devotional to me. Namely ever chapter or snippet of the book adheres to the little things in life. The good things. Like the flip to the cold side of a pillow, snow days, and "the thank-you wave you get
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when you let someone merge in front of you in traffic". It's cute, namely. I recommend it for when you want to read something dear without having to commit to reading a huge storyline of a novel. Short and sweet, babe. Show Less
LibraryThing member jenlunny
This is one of those books where you think--why didn't I come up with that? Some of his "awesome" moments strike a chord, while others fall a little flat, but it is hard not to keep flipping through to the next documented joy to see if you agree. This would be a light read for a reluctant reader,
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although not all that is awesome in this book will connect with teens. Show Less
LibraryThing member bermudaonion
Neil Pasricha was just a regular guy, working a regular job, and he thought it would be a great idea to sit back and appreciate the little things in life. In order to focus on that, he decided to start a blog called 1000 Awesome Things, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Book of Awesome is
The Book of Awesome is not the kind of book you sit down and read from cover to cover – it’s the kind of book you keep in your car or your bathroom to pick up when you only have a few minutes or when you need a smile. It’s the kind of book you buy for someone (a friend or yourself) who needs a pick-me-up. It’s what you pick up when you need a reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. The Book of Awesome is awesome!
The Book of Awesome is
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basically a compilation of things Neil finds to be awesome. The description of each awesome thing is only a page or two and the writing is witty and sharp. Some of the awesome things are silly, some are a little bit gross, but most are just downright fun! The Book of Awesome is not the kind of book you sit down and read from cover to cover – it’s the kind of book you keep in your car or your bathroom to pick up when you only have a few minutes or when you need a smile. It’s the kind of book you buy for someone (a friend or yourself) who needs a pick-me-up. It’s what you pick up when you need a reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. The Book of Awesome is awesome!
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LibraryThing member vannananna
When i have a crap day i just flip to anygiven page, read a page or two and get an instant lift
LibraryThing member Heduanna
This runs the gamut from little things to big (from bakery air to life itself). A few of them weren't really awesome, in my opinion: the various ways of driving off and leaving ones friends behind – or just pretending to – run the gamut from juvenile to genuine jerk. But overall this was a
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beautiful collection, which made having a run-of-the-mill stressy bad day impossible. Awesome! Show Less
LibraryThing member branimal
I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail as it's kind of hard to justify a really long review of this book considering the subject matter.
Just because I have given it 2 stars does not mean that I hated the book either. Judging by the GR rating system, I have selected "it was ok" and that's
I did take pleasure in a few of the entries such as; "Obtaining the perfect milk to cereal ratio", "sleeping with one leg under the covers and one leg out" and "snow falling on Christmas eve".
About halfway through, I gave up reading Neil's write-ups and just read the subject lines. The write-ups were not really bad per say, they just didn't really add anything to the entry. It kind of felt like a waste of time.
That being said, I still visit the website on occasion. I think it works much better that way.
Just because I have given it 2 stars does not mean that I hated the book either. Judging by the GR rating system, I have selected "it was ok" and that's
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all it really was. I did take pleasure in a few of the entries such as; "Obtaining the perfect milk to cereal ratio", "sleeping with one leg under the covers and one leg out" and "snow falling on Christmas eve".
About halfway through, I gave up reading Neil's write-ups and just read the subject lines. The write-ups were not really bad per say, they just didn't really add anything to the entry. It kind of felt like a waste of time.
That being said, I still visit the website on occasion. I think it works much better that way.
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LibraryThing member susanbevans
Oh how I long to snark about The Book of Awesome and its happy-go-lucky message of appreciating the little things, but unfortunately people, I drank the Kool-Aide too and am now extremely busy celebrating the minutiae in life!
The Book of Awesome is (wait for it...) awesome! It is chocked full of
The most awesome-possum thing in the book though, is "Remembering What Movie That Guy Is From" - my family and I play our own version on that game every time we get together. I kid you not, when I go to my parents' house tomorrow, something like this will happen at some time during the day:
Dad: Have you been watching that show on HBO?
Me: Which show?
Dad: You know, that one with that guy? The guy with the hair?
Sister Sarah: Oh yeah, that hairy guy that was in that movie with the girl that wore that pink dress. What was his name?
Mom: Oh, do you mean Mark Damon?
Sister Sarah: No, the other guy. And it's Matt Damon, Mom.
You people may think I exaggerate but no, I assure you this is exactly what we sound like! And the worst part - we're probably talking about Jim Carey or Tom Cruise - now how is it that we cannot come up with the name of Tom freakin' Cruise? After exhausting the combined power of all four of our memory banks, I will then pull out my trusty iPhone and check IMDB and it is truly awesome to finally get that name!
Neil Pasricha, with the help of his website 1000awesomethings.com, has come up with a book that makes me feel extremely awesome. Identifying with and laughing out loud as Pasricha described tons of awesome things that could have come straight out of my life story probably makes me an incredibly ordinary person, but I don't care. It's enough for me to know that others of you "Sneak McDonald's and Hide the Evidence," "Celebrate your pet's birthday even though they have no idea what's going on," and get an exquisite thrill "When you didn't play the lottery and your numbers didn't come up." We are all so totally awesome!
The Book of Awesome is (wait for it...) awesome! It is chocked full of
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awesome-sauce such as "High-fiving babies: because they usually don't leave you hanging;" "Taking off your bra after wearing it for hours;" "Waking up before your alarm and realizing that you've got lots of sleep time yet;" "Popping bubble wrap;" and "The shampoo head massage you sometimes get at the hairdresser."The most awesome-possum thing in the book though, is "Remembering What Movie That Guy Is From" - my family and I play our own version on that game every time we get together. I kid you not, when I go to my parents' house tomorrow, something like this will happen at some time during the day:
Dad: Have you been watching that show on HBO?
Me: Which show?
Dad: You know, that one with that guy? The guy with the hair?
Sister Sarah: Oh yeah, that hairy guy that was in that movie with the girl that wore that pink dress. What was his name?
Mom: Oh, do you mean Mark Damon?
Sister Sarah: No, the other guy. And it's Matt Damon, Mom.
You people may think I exaggerate but no, I assure you this is exactly what we sound like! And the worst part - we're probably talking about Jim Carey or Tom Cruise - now how is it that we cannot come up with the name of Tom freakin' Cruise? After exhausting the combined power of all four of our memory banks, I will then pull out my trusty iPhone and check IMDB and it is truly awesome to finally get that name!
Neil Pasricha, with the help of his website 1000awesomethings.com, has come up with a book that makes me feel extremely awesome. Identifying with and laughing out loud as Pasricha described tons of awesome things that could have come straight out of my life story probably makes me an incredibly ordinary person, but I don't care. It's enough for me to know that others of you "Sneak McDonald's and Hide the Evidence," "Celebrate your pet's birthday even though they have no idea what's going on," and get an exquisite thrill "When you didn't play the lottery and your numbers didn't come up." We are all so totally awesome!
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LibraryThing member PamZaragoza
I can relate to most of the awesome things that Neil wrote on this book. Oh and it's hilarious too!
LibraryThing member davisfamily
This book makes me smile!!
LibraryThing member andycyca
The last book I read before this one was all about Murphy's Law and how the world is (hysterically) broken and amusingly unjust. This book, on the other hand, is all about the good things in life, most of which are never spoken because we take them for granted.
The Book of Awesome is a beautiful
For those who might be on the fence about this one, read the website that inspired the book. You won't regret it.
The Book of Awesome is a beautiful
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reminder that life can be essentially good if we stop and actually spend five minutes looking for awesome things. None of the items in this list are esoteric or vaguely abstract, which will likely prompt the reader into looking for their own awesome items. This in turn should lead anyone to a better life through happiness in the small, often forgotten roses. For those who might be on the fence about this one, read the website that inspired the book. You won't regret it.
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LibraryThing member Shahnareads
This book is extremely boring. I thought it was going to be funny and goofy and an easy read. But it wasn't. There is nothing funny in this book. I skipped through so much of it, just trying to find the one or two pages that would make me laugh, or even just crack a smile. But they just weren't
It doesn't need to take a million pages to explain to me that putting chips on my sandwich tastes good. Just get to the point already.
You need one page, max, to explain each topic. If you wanted to write a boring novel about your boring life, then write an actual novel. Don't play it off as some funny ha-ha book when it's not.
I'm glad this book only cost me a dollar from a thrift store. It's not worth the real price and defiantly not worth a sequel. This book is far from AWESOME!
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there. It doesn't need to take a million pages to explain to me that putting chips on my sandwich tastes good. Just get to the point already.
You need one page, max, to explain each topic. If you wanted to write a boring novel about your boring life, then write an actual novel. Don't play it off as some funny ha-ha book when it's not.
I'm glad this book only cost me a dollar from a thrift store. It's not worth the real price and defiantly not worth a sequel. This book is far from AWESOME!
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LibraryThing member TobinElliott
Nope. Couldn't do it. I get why people dig this book, but it just ain't for me. The stuff that he finds awesome is fine, but the manner in which it's presented is rather banal.
DNF. Not awesome.
DNF. Not awesome.
LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
Based on, or perhaps the basis of, the website 1000 Awesome Things, this book is a collection of short essays proclaiming the joy of the little things in life (the smell of crayons or freshly-cut grass, or getting something with handwriting in the mail).
When my husband saw the title he told me that
I borrowed this from the library so I had to read it straight through and, honestly, taken in that way, the book becomes repetitive and even annoying. I much prefer the web-site. (Sorry, Neil!)
Read this if: someone gives it to you as a gift and you can dip into it a few pages at a time, now & then. But, everyone, DO visit the web-site. 3½ stars
When my husband saw the title he told me that
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I’d be gritting my teeth on every page at the misuse of ‘awesome’ (a pet peeve of mine) but I tried to let that go and just appreciate the sentiment of the book.I borrowed this from the library so I had to read it straight through and, honestly, taken in that way, the book becomes repetitive and even annoying. I much prefer the web-site. (Sorry, Neil!)
Read this if: someone gives it to you as a gift and you can dip into it a few pages at a time, now & then. But, everyone, DO visit the web-site. 3½ stars
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LibraryThing member imjustmea
I'm planning on keeping this book handy because I think it's the perfect cure for an attack of the blues or a bad mood. This book makes you remember all those things from our day-to-day existence that we sometimes overlook but that are simply AWESOME.
LibraryThing member beentsy
Quick, fun, feel good. Kind of the antidote to morning bus commutes. :)
Awards
Quill and Quire Book of the Year (Non-Fiction — 2010)
White Pine Award (Nominee — Non-Fiction — 2012)
Language
Original publication date
2010
Physical description
400 p.; 7.92 inches
ISBN
0399156518 / 9780399156519