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Assholes: A Theory

3.15 of 5 stars 3.15 · rating details · 235 ratings · 57 reviews

Don't take this personally*, but assholes seem to be everywhere lately, and we need a rigorous theory to account for and deal with them. In the spirit of the mega-selling On Bullshit, philosopher Aaron James has done just that, providing us all** (in Aristotelian terms) with some much-needed catharsis.

*Unless you happen to be Donald Trump or Kanye West or Dick Cheney, in w...more

Hardcover, 208 pages

Published December 4th 2012 by Doubleday (first published 2012)

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Mar 30, 2013 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, since I certainly agree with it; and my wife read it ahead of me, laughing long and often. I found it a good deal less funny, but I appreciated what I thought was a pretense of serious philosophical discussion ironically applied to a relatively trivial subject. But it turned out not to be a pretense, nor was it ironic. It was a careful (far too careful for me) analysis of exactly what an asshole is, how he (almost always a he) came to be what he is, what he does to so...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Ben Labe rated it 5 of 5 stars

While the title might mislead prospective readers to assume that "Assholes: A Theory" offers either a lighthearted assortment of anti-asshole yet thoroughly assholish quips or an amoral guidebook in the manner of Machiavelli's "The Prince," what this book really delivers is a complete account of the psychology, morality, and social bearing of the common asshole.

James is a serious philosopher, and "Assholes" is a serious piece of ethics. James handles the asshole phenomenon from every angle. The...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Karl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: politics, economics

This was very much a book by a writer who's fairly sure he's funny. It's actually pretty dry.

The opening chapters, developing a taxonomy of assholes, are occasionally amusing. I blew air out of my nose slightly harder than normal a few times, I think I smirked once or twice. His general conception of the asshole is one who, against all logic and reason, considers themselves entitled to more than everyone else. Let me cut in; let me have that parking space; let me have control over the board; don...more This was very much a book by a writer who's fairly sure he's funny. It's actually pretty dry.

The opening chapters, developing a taxonomy of assholes, are occasionally amusing. I blew air out of my nose slightly harder than normal a few times, I think I smirked once or twice. His general conception of the asshole is one who, against all logic and reason, considers themselves entitled to more than everyone else. Let me cut in; let me have that parking space; let me have control over the board; don't you know who I am?

Prof. James then considers the impact that assholes can have on individuals, on groups, and (if a certain critical mass is achieved) on nation-states. In general, he states, without sufficient resistance from non-assholes (in which we include the allied species of jerks and schmucks, who - unlike the asshole - don't consider themselves entitled to more than they deserve, and thus are likely to get their backs up when they see someone else horning in on their stuff), the assholes take over and that's why we can't have nice things.

(His proof for this comes in a roundabout way from game theory; at some point, the cost of contribution to a shared outcome results in a net loss if too many are withdrawing but not contributing. His algebra's not great, but the point is valid.)

He then examines the impact that conglomerations of assholes can have on capitalism and market economies. If the assholes are obsessed with taking more than their share, and are given positive reinforcement for their assholism (e.g. bankers following the GFC claiming that they deserved their multimillion dollar bonuses because clearly, they deserve it, because they're so very smart, you can tell they're so smart and deserve their bonuses because otherwise they wouldn't be getting their bonuses) then the market economy is no longer achieving its raison d'etre - that is, to use the collective savings of a nation to improve the quality of life for all via un- or semi-directed investment. If all the money's going to nonproductive 'industries' (and I use the term loosely) then the rest of us are left with two thirds of fuck-all, courtesy of the assholes.

OK, that became a bit of a diatribe. Overall, the book is ok; his points are valid and his arguments are well-reasoned. The author's not a sparkling wit, so it can be a bit dry at times.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Joi Reece rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I must admit that this is another book that caught my eye simply due to the title. Be warned- it is what it appears to be- a book about assholes, so the title can be taken literally. If you are an asshole or have ever been called one- to your face or behind your back- you may or may not be ready for this book. For those who know an asshole or two, after reading this book, the list will grow. Either way, keep reading my review.

Up until reading this book, I don’t think I completely understood the...more I must admit that this is another book that caught my eye simply due to the title. Be warned- it is what it appears to be- a book about assholes, so the title can be taken literally. If you are an asshole or have ever been called one- to your face or behind your back- you may or may not be ready for this book. For those who know an asshole or two, after reading this book, the list will grow. Either way, keep reading my review.

Up until reading this book, I don’t think I completely understood the sheer amount of differing types of assholes that I am subjected to and surrounded by on a daily basis. I applaud Aaron James for a well-researched book on the subject of assholes. The book does an impressive job of describing the ingredients of an asshole, the different asshole styles that one might encounter, and how we choose to respond to an asshole.

The sole subject of this read is about the asshole, “the person who (wrongly) believes himself—assholes are almost invariably male—to be worthy of special treatment due to an entrenched sense of entitlement”. By definition, the person who habitually speeds recklessly down the freeway, creating chaos and havoc, is an asshole. But psychopaths like Hitler and Stalin are not assholes - they meet some of the criteria, but they brought far too much suffering on others to be mere assholes. Broad description, right? Okay- I’ll go a step further. Wondering if you or someone who you know is an asshole?? Without giving away the book… think of the person who cuts lines, because their time is more valuable than others; or of the inconsiderate idiot who takes a call while in the movie theater, because that is more important than your enjoyment; or the douche who would fire staff to meet earnings-per-share requirements for their bonuses. Get the picture?

And just when you thought you knew everything about the asshole, my favorite chapter appeared- “Asshole Capitalism.” You have to read the book to know why!!

Outside of my personal enjoyment with reading the word asshole so many times in one book, I found this to be a pleasurable read. It will make me think logically about the kind of asshole I am listening to and/or dealing with, with the understanding that they will never change. The only thing that can change is how I choose to deal with them. Someone should, however, write a book on asshole management. Hint hint.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Christopher Litsinger rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2013

This is an academic philosophy text written and footnoted with scholarly rigor wrapped up in a funny looking package.
As an academic philosophy text, it is (so far as I am capable of judging) quite good. It offers almost nothing in the way of practical advice. I suppose this is more of a marketing problem than a problem with the book itself, but I suspect that most readers will pick this up looking for solutions and be disappointed.
I especially enjoyed the breakdown of the differences between as...more

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Jun 14, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss

2.5 stars.

The description of this book is a bit misleading. I was expecting a lighter yet informative read. There were some moments where I enjoyed it and chuckled quite a bit, but I wish there was more material to relate to for myself.

I liked the descriptions of the types of assholes. While reading it, I found myself thinking of all of the ones in my life, appropriately categorizing them along the way.

The book would break off into a lot of lengthy political tangents, which I didn't really car...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Timothy McNeil rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Timothy by: Amazon.com

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy, social-commentary

While Aaron James' Assholes: A Theory may be (to use his own terminology) "pop philosophy", it is not an unserious work. There is an assumption that the reader has some familiarity with moral theories, but James does what he can to address less introductory matters -- such as the argument against the possibility of 'free will' (and now suffering through Tamler Sommers' A Very Bad Wizard has paid off) -- in a manner that allows the average reader to follow the tract of the book.

It is not meant...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Sharon Roualet rated it 4 of 5 stars

What is it with assholes these days? They're getting a lot of attention. Aaron James probes the ethics of assholery in Assholes: A Theory. In the same year, Goeffery Nunberg examines the subject in Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years. Are proctologists taking over?

I grabbed Assholes: a Theory because of the title. I wanted to compare it with our own "Geek Theory" that we came up with in the '70's, around the campfire, you can imagine. I was pleasantly surprised at the funny ye...more What is it with assholes these days? They're getting a lot of attention. Aaron James probes the ethics of assholery in Assholes: A Theory. In the same year, Goeffery Nunberg examines the subject in Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years. Are proctologists taking over?

I grabbed Assholes: a Theory because of the title. I wanted to compare it with our own "Geek Theory" that we came up with in the '70's, around the campfire, you can imagine. I was pleasantly surprised at the funny yet fine ethical analysis. Aaron James apologizes for writing a pop philosophy book. For some of us, "pop philosophy" is as close as we're ever going to get to close analysis of assholes and ethical dilemmas. Nevertheless, a lot of Onion readers will glaze over and call bullshit as the analysis grinds on. Assholes: A Theory is a cerebral challenge for slackers looking for a simple laugh about assholes.

Sure would like to invite the author over for a bottle of wine and friendly discussion of his theory. Of course he asks for a fight when he defines "asshole" as a male descriptor. To call a woman an asshole is like calling a woman a bachelor. (p.90) Woo hoo! But wait. Turns out female assholes are "bitches" who are way more insidious than assholes. Can we talk about that, Aaron? Are you going to write a sequel called Bitches: A Theory?

On the second bottle of wine, I'd like to re-read Chapter 7, "Accepting the Given," in which Aaron James asks the question,in so many words, "Why can't we just get along?" Like the whole world. Is there hope with all these incurable assholes? His question stretches the theory thin. Let's re-read to examine the worth of "Accepting the Given."

Assholes: A Theory is a hip philosophy treatise sprinkled with sociology and politics. The funny word asshole makes it fun to read. The author's notes are thorough and interesting. Assholes and Cooperators, Slackers and Philosophers--Read this book!

Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Ralowe Ampu rated it 2 of 5 stars

there's what may appear to be a distracting typo in the financial crisis of 2008 bestseller service chapter where desserts becomes deserts. in chapter 3, "newer asshole styles." i caused me to mistakenly wonder 'is spellcheck or the publisher the bigger asshole here?' but it fits, strangely. the author mugshot bio claims that aaron james is not an asshole. although he surfs and teaches at stanford. i'm grasping for commentary on acceptable objectionability and the game seems to always be on prod...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Christie Bane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Whew! I am so glad I finally finished this book.

With the title it has, and with its small size and large print, this book should have taken me a couple hours. But, because it was so boring, it took me four days instead!

I was looking for funny and useful suggestions for dealing with assholes, and instead I got a boring academic discussion on the various aspects of assholery. Chapters on "asshole management", which should have been fun to read, were dull and tedious. At times this guy's assessmen...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Sean Watson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Went from a taxonomy, to a social commentary against conservative America and capitalism, and then somewhat of a self-help book, then finally finished off nicely with societal implications and philosophical relevance. I thought the book lacked specific examples to validate specific concepts, but was stylish. Nearly everything written in parentheses is A-hole-ish, appearing more like the individuals James speaks against. The content at the end made up for earlier arguments that the difference bet...more

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May 12, 2013 Fred Kohn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy, political

This is a book that swings wildly from the sublime to the ridiculous. After a very good start, the author goes on an extended discussion of various types of assholes. Though many goodreads reviewers seem to have found this quite hilarious, I just found it a non-sequitur. It seemed more like the author's opportunity to call out some public figures that he found particularly assholish than anything that contributed to the substance of the book. This is followed by some rather shallow ethical musin...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Leanne Ellis rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book first caught my eye for its humorous title, but don't be misled. This is no light read. Quoting from Socrates to Kant to Rousseau, this is an exploration of how we as individuals and as a collective society deal with those people who have an "entrenched sense of self entitlement" when it comes to their social dealings with others. I really enjoyed it. There were some useful discussions of how to deal with these people in your own life as well as societal questions: do certain societies...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a tongue and cheek philosophical theory of what makes someone an asshole. James comes up with irritating traits of assholes such as “not hearing someone out” and “reflecting ignorance of crucial facts or lack of concern with what is reasonably acceptable from everyone’s point of view and actively reasoning from his sense of entitlement rather than from an independent understanding of what the moral law requires”. After defining an asshole he creates categories such as the Boorish Asshole...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Kellie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Worth the read if only to remind yourself to avoid engaging with an a-hole as much as possible. And to remind you that once you have made the mistake of engaging, that there is no honor lost by removing yourself from the interaction.

However, I found the book Stop Walking On Eggshells to deliver some of the same information - it is about dealing with border line personality disorders. I left Assholes: A Theory believing that the term asshole was synonymous with BPD. However, Kreger and Mason do a...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Clif Brittain rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Assholes, people who don't want to be assholes

I really like this book. I don't think many of the other reviewers understand what the author is doing. This is not a joke book. It is a serious look at a serious problem. Parts of it are very funny. The anecdotes and footnotes are sometimes hilarious. (Some assholes are not good assholes, just "half-assed" assholes. Letterman to O'Reilly: "I'm not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling...about sixty percent of what you say is crap.")

The author is Harvard educa...more I really like this book. I don't think many of the other reviewers understand what the author is doing. This is not a joke book. It is a serious look at a serious problem. Parts of it are very funny. The anecdotes and footnotes are sometimes hilarious. (Some assholes are not good assholes, just "half-assed" assholes. Letterman to O'Reilly: "I'm not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling...about sixty percent of what you say is crap.")

The author is Harvard educated and has PhD in philosophy, so the text can be pretty dense. I frequently don't have the patience to wade through every argument. When I bother to do so, it seems to prove out.

He has a great section on why all assholes are men (exception: Ann Coulter).

In case you're wondering, this is what makes an asshole (I quote):

1. allows himself to enjoy special advantages and does so systematically;
2. does this out of an entrenched sense of entitlement;
3. is immunized by his sense of entitlement against the complaints of other people.

He describes various types of assholes:

Boorish, Smug, Boss, Royal Royal (it goes with the job, you have to be an asshole), Presidential, Corporate, Reckless, Self-aggrandizing, Cable News (O'Reilly), Delusional, Delusional Asshole Banker.

Also, Bitch, the female Asshole wannabe. It seems as though women have a genetic disposition to care what people think. Assholes don't care. Therefore women (Coulter the lone cited exception) can't be assholes. Bitch will have to do.

However, Bitch does not have the required specificity. For me, "Asshole" has a precision that no other word possesses. Nobody says "Asshole" affectionately, at least in my experience. The opposite would be "Dude." Any number of interpretations there. Bitch is not quite as ambiguous as Dude, but nowhere near as specific as Asshole.

Sorry ~~girls~~ (my lurking asshole self) women, you don't even get a special word.

I really find this book to be helpful in understanding assholes. It is generally a helpless condition, sort of like being a dog. (Come to think of it, there are no asshole dogs. Sorry dogs.) Therefore, the rest of us have to be more understanding toward the assholes. We must be especially careful that we do not foster the special sense of entitlement that creates assholes. The author is pretty convincing that assholes are created, not born. (less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

An excellent philosophical analysis of the existence of assholes, the definition of what an asshole is, some thoughts on how assholes differ from sociopaths (and thus are morally responsible for their asshole-ness), why they seem to develop more often in developed countries, why they're increasing, and then the problems that occur when we get a LOT of them, eg. asshole capitalism (and why we're pretty much there in the USA, which is a problem). Entertaining, witty, and yet thorough with his phil...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Ben Schaub rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from one of the Reddit Secret Santa book exchanges otherwise I most likely would've never heard of it or even looked for it. The idea of the book is pretty interesting with a decent amount of humor thrown. The book is separated into seven chapters going into various facets such as what defines an asshole, how to deal with assholes, etc.

It's pretty enjoyable even if the word asshole is used to a ridiculous extent.

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Dec 28, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

Very interesting book by a philosophy professor. I wish he'd included more practical info about dealing with a-holes, who are different from everyday jerks. He devoted too much of the book to a section on "a-hole capitalism," which I suspect was his dissertation.

This book has the biggest error in it that I've seen in a while. "Desserts," as in "just desserts," is repeatedle spelled "deserts." Argh.

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May 09, 2013 Ruben added it

This is a wonderful romp into a modern day phenomenon that we often tolerate. We live with them, despite them, and often hoped that they just wither and die. The book provides very interesting coping mechanisms. James is entertaining and argues wonderfully. It offers a do-it-yourself survival manual in a world that is punctuated by assholery.

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Apr 10, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wish everyone would read this book.

It's funny that other reviewers seem equally sure this book is either funny or serious, pop culture or academic. I would say it is quite serious, and we laugh in recognition because the examples are so true.

I studied Ethics in college and this book raises some legitimate philosophical points.

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May 09, 2013 Antonia Litsinger rated it 1 of 5 stars

Couldn't get through this whole book. I could tell the author's bias on describing the assholes of the world. For instance, General McCrystal was described as an asshole for criticizing Obama yet Michael Moore was a "milder" variety asshole for being a bit too bombastic for fighting fatcats (when he's one himself).

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Oct 09, 2012 David Richardson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book for free from the Goodreads first-read giveaway. I didn't care for this at all. I thought it was gonna be funny... it was not. I didn't know it was a behavioral study... seemed like it to me. Tedious to read with a thousand footnotes. Very redundant. The author will probably call me an asshole, but this is my opinion of the book.

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Jan 24, 2013 Shawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aaron James: surfer and philosophy professor. (Great gig, eh?)

Explains the all-important differences between the asshole, the jerk, and the regular person who makes the occasional "dick move." Also explains why asshole behavior upsets us, even though it rarely makes any observable difference to our lives.

I think Catch 22 applies. If you're concerned that you could be the asshole, you're probably not.

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Dec 29, 2012 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dale

Shelves: library

A Harvard Phd in Philosophy quotes Kant, Hobbes, Socrates and Rousseau giving their take on "the entrenched view of self-worth" we despise. Great discussion points on dealing with those who jump in front of us in lines, cut us off in traffic and drive us crazy at family, soccer, work and church gatherings.

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Mar 22, 2013 Joseph Steinberg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine writing a book of philosophical speculation, where the global banking crisis and prolific use of the term “asshole” compete for your entertainment, and you would have Assholes: A Theory. The joy of reading this fun experiment is, that Aaron James can alternate the Stoics and outrage. That’s where I got miffed.

http://humesbastard.wordpress.com/201...

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Jan 06, 2013 Ang is currently reading it

So far, I'm loving this book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and it's written like a psychology book on personality disorders from my college days; which makes it kind of funny because of the use of the word "asshole" as a personality disorder. Loving it!

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Jan 09, 2013 Susen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Would have given it five stars if the narration had been done by someone British.
This book can get a little 'dry', but overall it is humorous and really does give insight to Assholes and how to deal with them.

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Nov 28, 2012 Ron Davidson rated it 2 of 5 stars

I generally like the philosophical study of pop culture genre (e.g., "The Simpsons and Philosophy"), but just could never get fully interested in this one. Although the author has a bit of a dry wit (the subject matter alone would indicate that), the book itself was just a little too dry for my taste. If you like philosophical treatises, you might like this; otherwise, meh.

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Nov 24, 2012 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting, but the shifting focus from public assholes to social/societal assholes to personal assholes in such a short book meant that none received sufficient coverage and the whole thing felt a bit uneven. Interesting thesis, though.

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