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Overview
No one understands the complexities of modern life better than Eugene Mirman—claims Eugene Mirman—and anyone seeking guidance from a man who has lived through everything (except the Great Depression, the Spanish-American War, and Jerry Lee Lewis's sex scandal) won't resist this charmingly hysterical guidebook.
- Become ultra-popular in high school (without "putting out" — whatever that is)
- Discover somewhere between four and two thousand ways to overcome social anxiety (closer to four)
- Start a band, become an artist, or disappoint your parents by getting on a reality television show!
Synopsis
No one understands the complexities of modern life better than Eugene Mirman—claims Eugene Mirman—and anyone seeking guidance from a man who has lived through everything (except the Great Depression, the Spanish-American War, and Jerry Lee Lewis's sex scandal) won't resist this charmingly hysterical guidebook.
- Become ultra-popular in high school (without "putting out" — whatever that is)
- Discover somewhere between four and two thousand ways to overcome social anxiety (closer to four)
- Start a band, become an artist, or disappoint your parents by getting on a reality television show!
The Boston Phoenix
“A freewheeling mix of bemused ironies and trenchantly silly non-sequiturs.”
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
In his short career as a teen-crisis hotline counselor, Eugene Mirman fielded many typical questions: How can I be popular without putting out? What exactly is "putting out"? What's this "college" that people keep talking about it? How can high school kids get on reality TV? We're not certain that he actually helped anyone with these problems, but we do know that experience definitely enhanced his subsequent, thoroughly irreverent comedy career. In Eugene Mirman's The Will to Whatevs, he doles out advice on matters from birth to afterlife, making pit stops to discuss Major Issues such as social anxiety, finding a mate, and changing your race.Sarah Vowell
"When to serve duck confit? What’s the haps with sexual harassment? In a world full of questions, the entertaining Eugene Mirman has all the answers."Mike Birbiglia
"Eugene Mirman is the Andy Warhol of comedy. People look to him for what’s next in comedy, and he emails these people back promptly. The Will to Whatevs put me in a great mood because I was laughing out loud. Alone. That’s hard to do."Patton Oswalt
"I laughed out loud reading this. I was reading it in public. Three cute girls at a nearby table laughed at me. I swear one of them mouthed the words, ‘fat loser’ to her friends. I now hate Eugene Mirman."David Cross
"Do you need tips on how to live? I mean besides the breathing and eating part? Then this book is for you! Including self-help tips for Jewish robots from the future (I’m guessing)!!!!!"David Willis
"This book is good, and not just because it was free. Knowing what I knownow about the quality, I would have paid at least nine thousand dollars."Joshua Knobe
"A work of penetrating insight and rigorous scholarship. By turning our attention away from the ‘will to power’ and toward the more deeply significant will to whatevs, Mirman reshapes the debate in a way that will doubtless influence philosophers for generations to come."Kristen Schaal
"This book is a knee-slapper, a gut-buster, and a side-splitter. Don’t read it unless you have health insurance!"Greg Behrendt
"I liked the sh*t out of this book!"Zach Galifianakis
"Reading this book is like having a tiny Eugene riding on your shoulder and whispering his advice in your ear. I agree with Eugene on all aspects of this book except taking acid at an office party. I am never doing that again. Buy this book."John Hodgman
"At last, now, you can be truly happy, the MIRMAN WAY. Just be sure to adjust your rubber mask eye holes to ‘READ MODE,’ or else this book will not help you."Paste Magazine
"Eugene Mirman is a very humorous individual. Buy a copy of Eugene’s book. You won’t regret the purchase."Flavorpill NYC
“The seasoned standup comic dispenses invaluable, hyperbolic advice in his debut tome, The Will to Whatevs.”The Austin Decider
“Armed with eccentric wit and charm, the Russian-born comedian offers compelling insights on contemporary living, from starting a band to high-school social etiquette.”Filter Good Music Guide
“It’s clear from the get-go that comedian Eugene Mirman’s life guide is not your typical self-help manual bent on nurturing the soul with hot soup or some other bullshit, but instead with flat-out humor.”Time Out New York
“Mirman has seamlessly translated his stage sensibility to the page. Which is to say that the king of Brooklyn comedy has written a book that’s ridiculous, nonsensical, often rambling and generally pointless—yet will make you laugh out loud with enough frequency to embarrass yourself in front of strangers nearby.”Largehearted Boy
“The Will to Whatevs is one of the funniest things I have read in years. This book delightfully skewers the self-help genre, Mirman reminds me of Woody Allen’s prose works with his self-obsessed narrator, witty asides, and non-sequiturs that will leave you reeling.”CMJ.com
“Whatevs is filled with tons of Mirman’s patented laser-targeted yet random as hell asides, and his clip-art illustrations and graphs are truly inspired.”Seattle Weekly
“Mirman offers moments of startling clarity: When defending his authority to dish out advice, he writes, “In America, ‘authority’ is an attitude. And I’ve adopted it.” And earned it.”The Boston Phoenix
“A freewheeling mix of bemused ironies and trenchantly silly non-sequiturs.”The Austin American-Statesman
“Easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, funny author blurbs from other comics and indispensable wisdom.”Austin360.com
“The book is easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, and indispensable wisdom.”The Boston Phoenix
"A freewheeling mix of bemused ironies and trenchantly silly non-sequiturs."The Austin Decider
"Armed with eccentric wit and charm, the Russian-born comedian offers compelling insights on contemporary living, from starting a band to high-school social etiquette."The Austin American-Statesman
"Easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, funny author blurbs from other comics and indispensable wisdom."Flavorpill NYC
"The seasoned standup comic dispenses invaluable, hyperbolic advice in his debut tome, The Will to Whatevs."Austin360.com
"The book is easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, and indispensable wisdom."Filter Good Music Guide
"It’s clear from the get-go that comedian Eugene Mirman’s life guide is not your typical self-help manual bent on nurturing the soul with hot soup or some other bullshit, but instead with flat-out humor."Time Out New York
"Mirman has seamlessly translated his stage sensibility to the page. Which is to say that the king of Brooklyn comedy has written a book that’s ridiculous, nonsensical, often rambling and generally pointless—yet will make you laugh out loud with enough frequency to embarrass yourself in front of strangers nearby."Largehearted Boy
"The Will to Whatevs is one of the funniest things I have read in years. This book delightfully skewers the self-help genre, Mirman reminds me of Woody Allen’s prose works with his self-obsessed narrator, witty asides, and non-sequiturs that will leave you reeling."CMJ.com
"Whatevs is filled with tons of Mirman’s patented laser-targeted yet random as hell asides, and his clip-art illustrations and graphs are truly inspired."Seattle Weekly
"Mirman offers moments of startling clarity: When defending his authority to dish out advice, he writes, "In America, ‘authority’ is an attitude. And I’ve adopted it." And earned it."Boston Comedy—Funny Grown Here
“Whatevs . . . is the type of book you’ll want to look up from and quote to whoever is around you.”Boston Comedy-Funny Grown Here
"Whatevs . . . is the type of book you’ll want to look up from and quote to whoever is around you."Time Out New York
“Mirman has seamlessly translated his stage sensibility to the page. Which is to say that the king of Brooklyn comedy has written a book that’s ridiculous, nonsensical, often rambling and generally pointless—yet will make you laugh out loud with enough frequency to embarrass yourself in front of strangers nearby.”Seattle Weekly
“Mirman offers moments of startling clarity: When defending his authority to dish out advice, he writes, “In America, ‘authority’ is an attitude. And I’ve adopted it.” And earned it.”The Boston Phoenix
“A freewheeling mix of bemused ironies and trenchantly silly non-sequiturs.”The Austin American-Statesman
“Easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, funny author blurbs from other comics and indispensable wisdom.”The Austin Decider
“Armed with eccentric wit and charm, the Russian-born comedian offers compelling insights on contemporary living, from starting a band to high-school social etiquette.”Flavorpill NYC
“The seasoned standup comic dispenses invaluable, hyperbolic advice in his debut tome, The Will to Whatevs.”Austin360.com
“The book is easily as hilarious as Mirman’s stellar stand-up comedy, featuring meta pull-quote jokes, and indispensable wisdom.”Filter Good Music Guide
“It’s clear from the get-go that comedian Eugene Mirman’s life guide is not your typical self-help manual bent on nurturing the soul with hot soup or some other bullshit, but instead with flat-out humor.”Largehearted Boy
“The Will to Whatevs is one of the funniest things I have read in years. This book delightfully skewers the self-help genre, Mirman reminds me of Woody Allen’s prose works with his self-obsessed narrator, witty asides, and non-sequiturs that will leave you reeling.”CMJ.com
“Whatevs is filled with tons of Mirman’s patented laser-targeted yet random as hell asides, and his clip-art illustrations and graphs are truly inspired.”Book Details
Published
February 1, 2009
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Pages
240
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780061346187