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Synopsis
How to Ruin Your Life is a powerful self-help tool in the form of a work of humor. It is sardonic advice, presented with tongue in cheek, explaining how people can "ruin" their lives. The essays cover topics such as "Convince Yourself That You're All That Matters," Think the Worst of Everyone," "Pour Salt on Those Wounds," and "You Can Change People." Seriously, though, to anyone who reads this book, it is an earnest warning about falling into traps of self-destructive behavior that can ruin any man or woman's life. More than that, it comprises 35 steps that-if read and understood-provide a road map to making life work in the most effective way possible. It is humor and self-help all in one, delivered by Ben Stein, a man who has witnessed more than his share of people who did ruin their lives-as well as those whose lives have been wildly successful.
Publishers Weekly
Keeping a Chin Up Offering a tongue-in-cheek approach to living well, quiz show host and former White House speechwriter Ben Stein has written How to Ruin Your Life. Asserting that "failure is often a virtual road map to success in reverse," Stein tells readers, "[f]ollow these rules and you're guaranteed disaster. Avoid them, and you're on the high road to achievement...." He proceeds to explain how to "make yourself useless," "be a slob," "convince yourself you're all that matters" and "act like the world owes you." If ignored, his advice is sound and realistic, and may be the perfect way to push recent grads or other impressionable readers in the right direction. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.