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Yes Man

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 4,000 ratings · 485 reviews

Recently single, Danny Wallace was falling into loneliness and isolation. Until one day, when a stranger on a bus advised, "Say yes more." At that moment, Wallace vowed to say yes to every offer, invitation, challenge, and chance. For a year. Soon after resolving to be more open to what the universe had to offer, Danny wins $45,000 and becomes a television executive...and...more

Paperback, 371 pages

Published November 4th 2008 by Simon Spotlight Entertainment (first published 2005)

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Sep 04, 2007 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: laughing people

THIS BOOK WAS GREAT. I loved it. Danny is funny, quick witted and VERY British.

He runs into someone on a bus who tells him he should "say yes more" after being in a bit of a rut. He decides to take this guy literally which leads him into a lot of scrapes and awkward situations which allow us to laugh quiet a bit.

it would never work unless you had the type of job he does where he can come and go as he pleases...but the message is a great one. Put yourself out there.

good find. i love Powell's.

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2008 Maggie Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"'But the happiest people are the ones who understand that good things occur when one allows them to.'"

"I was on the verge of something. But sometimes to look forward, you have to look back."

"...Before I'd thought of those as self-contained little moments. I'd never really considered that they might be beginnings, that they might lead somewhere, that they might be for the best."

"The closed mind is a disease. You need to have an open mind; otherwise life will just pass you by."

"He was someone who...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rebecca by: Abby Hansen

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, british, light-reading, social-science

I will not recommend this book to anyone. You’ll have to discover it on your own. I don’t even know why I read it. (Except that my Goodreads friend, Abby, had it on her list and really liked it.) Something pushed me towards it. Without even thinking, I got on Amazon and bought a used copy. Going against my better judgment, I said “Yes” to this book.

This book is not what it appears to be. It appears to be a British humour (don’t get me wrong, I like British humour) (with a “u”), The Year of Livin ...more I will not recommend this book to anyone. You’ll have to discover it on your own. I don’t even know why I read it. (Except that my Goodreads friend, Abby, had it on her list and really liked it.) Something pushed me towards it. Without even thinking, I got on Amazon and bought a used copy. Going against my better judgment, I said “Yes” to this book.

This book is not what it appears to be. It appears to be a British humour (don’t get me wrong, I like British humour) (with a “u”), The Year of Living Biblically-esque, full of language that I don’t use (Cursing. Not English.) type of book. But really it is a life-changing , inspirational, philosophical sort of book wrapped in a Monty Python sketch.

The premise, of course, is, after meeting a stranger on a bus who told him he should “say ‘Yes’ more,” Danny Wallace takes it quite literally and says ‘Yes’ to EVERYTHING. Amazing results ensue.

(Skip this paragraph if you’d rather avoid a long-winded travel log.)
Danny’s visit to Singapore actually reminded me of our honeymoon to Greece and Turkey. When we arrived in Istanbul late in the afternoon the first day, we started to walk from the pier into the city. We were young, didn’t speak the language and were a bit overwhelmed at a filthy, unknown city (and this is after having loved running wild on the streets in Athens!) We immediately went back onto our ship and spent the evening aboard. Not to be discouraged, the next morning we decided we were going to enjoy and see Istanbul whatever it took. We walked off the ship and accepted the first man who asked if we wanted a taxi. Fiko (to whom we still refer lovingly thirteen years later) was our Turkish guardian angel as he drove us around the streets of Istanbul pointing out various mosques and their relative ages, “That mosque, almost new! 500 years old!” He took us to a mosque not in our guide book. He walked us around to the back entry and through the mosque (walking on prayer rugs! Augh!) took our shoes (“Will we get those back?”) and gave us coins to toss into the courtyard fountain. When we expressed our wish to see The Blue Mosque, he said, “We will go there, but first I must make a stop to my cousin’s rug shop.” Ah. The old “Drive the Tourists to Our Shop and You’ll Get a Commission” trick. We were NOT in the market for a rug. We were poor newlyweds. There is no way we could afford a Turkish rug! (And HOW would we get it home?! Pay for shipping?!) Fiko insisted that we needn’t buy a rug, he just wanted to get something at the shop. SO… we followed him up the dark staircase into the upper room of his ‘cousin’s’ rug shop. (I know!) We were kindly offered a place to sit and had to go through the zillionth time of “Mormons Trying to Politely Decline a Cup of Tea.” Coca-cola was offered and we quickly accepted. Then, the cousins said, “We know you are not going to buy a rug, but if you were what color rug might you like?” We tossed out a few colors and immediately two of the cousins grabbed gigantic rugs and unfurled them before our eyes. “No, no, thank you. We can’t afford a rug.” “Yes, but if you could which would you prefer?”. So we pointed to one and then they were rolled up and two or three smaller rugs were unrolled. You get the idea. We ended up buying a 2x4 Turkish rug for about $500 (which we LOVE to this day!). That business done, Fiko shows back up and we are whisked off to the Blue Mosque. After that, he asks if we would like to see the Topkapi Palaces. We agree and off he drives. He asks for our money for tickets and we hand him (with blind trust) enough money for the three of us to go inside the palace. He pushes to the front of the line and brings back two tickets, gives us the remaining money and tells us that he has seen it plenty of times, he doesn’t need to go in. He will wait for us (with our newly purchased rug in the trunk!) until we get back out. He tells us to go in, turn right, look at the jewels, turn left, see fancy room, etc. Now we are both slightly nervous. What if he takes our rug? We quickly follow the path he recommended (albeit TOO quickly. One day we will return to Istanbul and see the Topkapi palace in all it’s splendor) and rush back outside and Fiko is nowhere to be seen in the parking lot. After five minutes of looking for him, he comes rushing out of a well-covered shady spot, waving his arms and shouting, “Here I am! Over here!” (He probably wasn’t expecting us to finish our palace tour so quickly.) We both quietly breath sighs of relief and question our distrust of this wonderful man. He takes us to the Hagia Sophia and back to our ship and we most appreciatively thank him for an amazing day in Instanbul.

***

I’ve actually been told that I should say ‘No’ more. I already say ‘Yes’ to so many things I end up teaching Sunday School, singing in the church choir, saying the closing prayer in Relief Society, making a salad for the Ward gathering and taking dinner to the mother who just had a baby all on the same day (and this is just church! This doesn’t cover PTA or Political activities!). I don’t regret saying ‘Yes’ often. After reading Yes Man I’ll be even more willing to say yes to things I would normally decline… mostly in the hope that I’ll end up in Singapore.

Besides all this, it is full of humour (with a “u”).
(less)

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Sep 14, 2007 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book while travelling around Europe - a friend I was travelling with was actually reading it at the beginning of our trip, and after hearing her laughing and giggling (as well as feeling compelled to read out large chunks to me) as she read it made me desperate for her to finish so I could borrow it! It did not disappoint.
Very funny, but with a moral too, this is an amusing, easy read which also leaves you thinking about your own life and how you could learn from the book. This is s...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

This book was both moving and HOWLINGLY funny. After meeting a man on a bus who may or may not have been Jesus, Buddha, Maitreya the World Teacher, or all three, Danny Wallace decides to say yes to everything asked of him for one year. He gets a bad haircut, is hypnotized by the world's only hypnotic dog, goes to Amsterdam and gets stoned with a guy named Jahn, and buys a mint green Nissan Figaro. He also meets dozens of new people, gets a huge promotion, has a lot more fun, and finds true love....more

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Mar 16, 2009 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lulz

I maintain that Danny Wallace is a silly bitch. His antics are awesome to read about, but I get the impression if I was a friend of his I'd be like YOU SPAZ, or.. since I'd be British.. YOU WANKER.

This is as funny as the movie (which is hilaaaiours) but in a more Britishy way. This book won't really, I don't think, change most people's lives, as one of the cover review claims- but it will amuse you. Greatly.

Though a few times I genuinely was disturbed by the lack of intelligence shown by Mr.Wal...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Dylan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If you've read the bad reviews of the Yes Man movie, don't let it stop you from reading this- even if you're American and therefore your copy of the book has Jim Carrey skipping on the cover.

After Danny Wallace realized he was being anti-social and a man on the bus told him to say yes more, he resolved to say yes to everything, no matter what kind of a situation it put him in. Although he ends up telling a man in a bar that yes, he was looking at his girlfriend, Danny quickly realizes that his l...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comedy-and-humour

I am a bit saddened by all the appalling reviews that the movie Yes Man has been getting. I mean, I was a bit apprehensive when I heard that Jim Carrey was going to play the lead role... and that it was going to be set in America instead of Britain... and that they'd essentially written a whole new story... but, well, I wasn't really paying much attention at the time, so I remained optimistic.

But since it's come out, from what I hear it's more or less Liar, Liar reworked, and that's kind of depr...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Ben Dutton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay. So I was travelling back from Norwich to North Wales, facing a six hour train journey, still tired, not ready to face Roberto Bolano, and from within the shop window I saw a copy of Danny Wallace’s Yes Man. The night before, with an evening to kill in Norwich, I went to the cinema with no idea what was playing, and so I made a decision – buy a ticket for whatever the next film starting was. That film was Yes Man, with Jim Carrey. The film, it had its moments, and Zooey Deschanel was gorgeo...more Okay. So I was travelling back from Norwich to North Wales, facing a six hour train journey, still tired, not ready to face Roberto Bolano, and from within the shop window I saw a copy of Danny Wallace’s Yes Man. The night before, with an evening to kill in Norwich, I went to the cinema with no idea what was playing, and so I made a decision – buy a ticket for whatever the next film starting was. That film was Yes Man, with Jim Carrey. The film, it had its moments, and Zooey Deschanel was gorgeous, but I thought there was a better story lurking in it somewhere, something that might have become lost in translation, for I knew of the book. Only I thought the book was fiction – it’s not. Danny Wallace did this. He said yes to everything.

After a fractured opening in which Wallace teases the encounter that led to him making such a decision – a decision he calls life changing but what others might call foolish. You see, things hadn’t been going well for Danny. His girlfriend had dumped him, and he had retreated into his own self-absorbed world, staying in watching television when he could be out with friends, basically saying no to the world. Deciding to say yes alters everything. What follows is a madcap adventure that takes him around the world, has him getting into a fight in a nightclub, involving himself in charitable actions, taking drugs and getting chased by lizards. At times his tale seems far-fetched, and you find yourself questioning his account.

Wallace’s prose is quite straightforward, and he has an engaging persona – some might know him from his work on British radio and television – and at times his portrayal of events is hysterically funny – the dinner date with his ex and her new boyfriend is pure agonizing comedy. You have to admire Wallace for allowing himself to open to this, and his dunderheaded approach to it. Most people, I feel, would have quit by the end of the second day.

Yes Man is one of those fun books you buy for such long journeys, and as such it works well. While you’re reading you may question the way you live your own life, you might even seriously consider undertaking a similar challenge, but once the book is put down, you carry on just the same. It seems saying yes can be as hard as Wallace makes out.(less)

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Sep 20, 2011 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiographies, comedy

Forgive me, but this review is based on the memory of a book that I got from Shepherd's Bush library over two years ago, but boy, what a memory!

I don't think I've ever felt as exhilerated after finishing a book before! A bit of a strange one to catagorize - from what I recall this is a memoir but with a very fictional prose style, making the whole thing seem very unbelievable, but from all accounts the details are all fact -

Radio producer Danny Wallace is offered some advice by a stranger - 'sa...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: travel

It's been awhile since I have read a comedy! And I have always seen stuff from this author, but never picked it up (YAY! for the free pile!). I think I just get hung up in details sometimes. This book was entertaining, always saying Yes to everything (the movie was based on this book, but I read it even before I knew that they were even making a movie) and it's a good experiment and a good way to live your life, I think. I know I have said yes more lately (crappy jobs, etc...) when I think of th...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was determined to read this book before watching the film, so I eagerly scoured local second hand book stores for it and was delighted to soon find it. I say no far too often, so I thought this would be a good fun read and see what could happen when you say yes.

This book is written by, and narrated by Danny Wallace. He's written many books before and after Yes Man, which I can't wait to read. Oh and he lives in London.. I swear I didn't know this before I started! The book starts with Danny be...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ian

Somebody I absolutely adore bought this book for me. I'd vaguely recalled seeing an ad in the paper for the Jim Carrey movie. I had no idea it was based on a book, especially a book that is funny and as touching as this one. I could relate to poor Danny Wallace on so many levels though I'm not sure I would have had the guts or conviction to carry out his experiment. Luckily for the rest of the world, he did and we get to benefit from it.

Danny is on a bus one day and a gentleman, who may or may...more

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May 23, 2013 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jeremy Hartman
Ms. Frazier
English 8
05/24/13
Life to the Fullest
This report is about the book “Yes Man”. This true story is about a man who, changed his perspective of life by changing his answers to questions from yes to no. The story is set in London, though the main character Danny travels around the world through his adventures. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes comedies. I would also recommend this book to older people because parts of this book are inappropriate.
This book is a...more Jeremy Hartman
Ms. Frazier
English 8
05/24/13
Life to the Fullest
This report is about the book “Yes Man”. This true story is about a man who, changed his perspective of life by changing his answers to questions from yes to no. The story is set in London, though the main character Danny travels around the world through his adventures. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes comedies. I would also recommend this book to older people because parts of this book are inappropriate.
This book is a great example of how perspectives of life can change your future. Danny’s story began, on a completely random public bus. On his bus ride, he was seated next to a drunk man named Ian, who told Danny, “Say yes more”. These three words began Danny’s adventurous life story. From that point on Danny, said yes to everything. On the few occasions when he said no, he quickly would change his answer to yes. The best example of this was when he was at a coffee shop and asked for a cup of tea. The waiter asked Danny if he wanted sugar, and Danny said no. He quickly corrected himself by asking if the waiter could ask to give sugar again. Danny said yes, and when the waiter asked how many teaspoons Danny wanted; Danny said, “I don’t know. I don’t take sugar.” (Wallace 24). This was very funny, and made the waiter angry. Through Danny’s thinking, he received a nursing degree, won $45,000, traveled around the world, and much more. It may seem that Danny’s thinking is great and made his life amazing, but saying yes also got Danny in trouble. When Danny was visiting a bar, a man approached him, and asked if danny wanted to get smacked in the mouth for looking at the man’s girlfriend. Ultimately Danny received a temporary tattoo on his cheek, for making his stupid decision in saying yes. These poor decisions made parts of the book seem a little over exaggerated when it came to saying yes. But this books decision making factor kept it exciting.
The book “Yes Man” is a really good story and is very funny. There is comedy throughout the whole book, no matter what the situation is. I strongly recommend this book for these reasons and hope Danny’s story becomes known by everyone.(less)

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Dec 23, 2010 Mafiu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well I got given an audio copy of Yes Man in a newspaper give away a few weeks ago - and as It was a while since I’ve been in a good audio book I started listening to it yesterday. I finished today due to having to walk to work in the snow and so getting loads more listening time.

Usually I don't get abridged audio books - but this one made it easy to brake my rules in two ways. Firstly it was free! And secondly it was read by the author, so why not listen to it.

Now I like this kind of ‘Boys Pro...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book out of curiosity because I didn't realize that the movie was based off of a true story. Yes Man is HILARIOUS. If you're sensitive to a little bit of cursing, it probably isn't for you, but I learned a lot from this book and laughed harder reading it than I think I have any other book. When Danny realizes he doesn't have much of a life because he says "no" to everything, a stranger encourages him to start saying "yes" instead. He takes it to the extreme and says "yes" to any and...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Petra Sýkorová rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: czech, rc-review, humor

Britský filmař, komik, spisovatel, herec a televizní a rozhlasový moderátor Danny Wallace se narodil roku 1976 v Dundee ve Skotsku. Ve třinácti začal psát články pro herní časopisy jako součást zkušeností se školní prací – obvyklý recenzent totiž onemocněl a Wallace dostal příležitosti k tomu, aby zrecenzoval hru. V osmnácti začal psát komedii, hlavně prostřednictvím Comedy Review. Později vystudoval mediální studia na University of Westminster

Ve 22 se stal producentem v BBC. Byl součástí produk...more Britský filmař, komik, spisovatel, herec a televizní a rozhlasový moderátor Danny Wallace se narodil roku 1976 v Dundee ve Skotsku. Ve třinácti začal psát články pro herní časopisy jako součást zkušeností se školní prací – obvyklý recenzent totiž onemocněl a Wallace dostal příležitosti k tomu, aby zrecenzoval hru. V osmnácti začal psát komedii, hlavně prostřednictvím Comedy Review. Později vystudoval mediální studia na University of Westminster

Ve 22 se stal producentem v BBC. Byl součástí produkce, která stojí za úspěchem oceněných Dead Ringers, kritiky velice chváleného The Mighty Boosh a tvůrce i producent Ross Noble Goes Global. Kniha Yes Man je autorovým autobiografickým počinem. Popisuje, jak se jeho život změnil po dobu šesti měsíců, kdy se rozhodl na všechno, na co by normálně řekl NE, říkat ANO. Chtěl svůj život vnímat pozitivně. Kniha byla popsána jako “jedna z těch vzácných knih, která má opravdu potenciál změnit váš život”.

Danny Wallace býval se svým životem vždycky docela spokojený. Pracoval v BBC jako producent, měl stálou přítelkyni a kupu přátel. Jenže po rozchodu se z něj tak nějak stal pecivál. S přáteli se už tolik nevídá a vystačí si úplně sám. Na jakékoliv pozvání či nabídku říká ne a radši tráví čas doma u televize. Jenže jedna cesta autobusem a obyčejná věta náhodného cestujícího mu naprosto změní život.

Místo ne, začne říkat ano. Na všechno. Opravdu na úplně všechno. Díky nové životní mantře zažije takové věci, jaké by nejspíš jindy nezažil. Dostane potvrzení o tom, že je knězem a může teď oddávat i křtít, zafinancuje děti v Africe i chudé seniory a jeho ano ho dovede nejen ke Stonehenge, ale až do Singapuru. Zatímco jedna šílenost střídá druhou, hledá si Danny svou cestu životem a obohacuje se přitom o nové a nové zkušenosti.

Český překlad se svižností příběhu důstojně držel krok. Nepamatuju si, že bych narazila na nějaká podivná slova či jiné chyby. Prostě jsem se nechala unášet dějem a bavila se.

Kniha se dočkala své filmové adaptace s Jime Carrym v hlavní roli, takže jsem tak trochu měla představu o tom, do čeho jdu. Přestože jsem film dosud neviděla. Samotná myšlenka toho, že by člověk i na naprosté hlouposti říkal ano, je velice zajímavá. Abych pravdu řekla, sama bych na to nejspíš neměla tu odvahu. Nedokážu si představit, že bych se ocitla někde v Singapuru a bavila se s místním taxikářem o důvodu, proč jsem do jeho země vůbec přijela. Ale četlo se mi o tom velice dobře.

Danny je sympatická postava, přesto mi někdy přišla mírně nereálná. Těžko říct, nakolik se postava shoduje se samotným spisovatelem. Na některé klamavé nabídky bych rozhodně nekývla a to ani díky svému novému cíli, říkat stále ano. Ale díky jeho mírné hlouposti se dostal do hodně vtipných situací. Líbil se mi i styl vyprávění, který mě rozesmál už při samotném prologu.

Yes Man je kniha, u níž se budete smát od začátku dokonce, u níž budete nad hlavním hrdinou jen neuvěřitelně kroutit hlavou, u níž se budete těšit i zároveň bát toho, co vás čeká na dalších stránkách. Byly chvíle, kdy jsem se smála tak moc, že mě až bolely svaly na tváři.

Osobně jsem si příběh opravdu užila, proto taky dávám knize 4 hvězdičky a sama uvažuju, že možná začnu víc říkat ano. Vlastně jsem už tak nějak začala. Takže na ano příštích zítřků a na legraci, jakou zažiju.

----------Reakce po dočtení knihy----------
Takhle vyloženě hloupého hlavního hrdinu jsem už dlouho nepotkala. Přitom díky té jeho hlouposti a schopnosti uvěřit téměř všemu jsem se výsostně bavila. Chodila jsem pořád vysmátá, až to lidem okolo mě začalo lézt na nervy. Protože ty situace, do kterých se Danny dostával, no potěš koště :D Výborná odreagovačka.(less)

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Sep 08, 2007 Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: giggle, fun, nonfiction

I am a fan of Danny Wallace's philosophy on life. I love his humor and his enthusiasm for his "boy projects." This book does not disappoint. He says "yes" to everything for a year and gets into some real messes-some of them dangerous, some of them touching, all of them funny. I laughed out loud throughout the majority of the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Join Me" or likes situational humor. Cheers Danny!

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Mar 03, 2011 Née rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm seriously not overdoing it when I rate this a five. It's hilarious, real and extremely thought provoking (and apart from the hilarious part, I was not expecting that at all).

I'd seen the Jim Carrey film (which was adapted from this book) a few years ago, and while it was cute, it was nothing to write home about. This book, on the other hand, definitely definitely is.

I find that in the same way that Danny Wallace decides to let the word 'Yes' just come to him for a few months as he details in...more

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Jun 17, 2010 Guillermo rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm not a fan of the nonfiction genre because the truth can be stranger than fiction - it's not just a cliche, you know - and I'm always left wondering whether or not the author has taken some poetic liberties with his own life. But after reading some YA horror, a translation and a collection of short stories left me feeling I'd been cheated of great literature (thank you for that, Tumblr, by the way), I decided it might be time that I read a memoir of a Yes Man. And I'm glad I did.

This book is...more I'm not a fan of the nonfiction genre because the truth can be stranger than fiction - it's not just a cliche, you know - and I'm always left wondering whether or not the author has taken some poetic liberties with his own life. But after reading some YA horror, a translation and a collection of short stories left me feeling I'd been cheated of great literature (thank you for that, Tumblr, by the way), I decided it might be time that I read a memoir of a Yes Man. And I'm glad I did.

This book is full of your feel good moments - falling in love, growing up, having adventures, larger than life characters (hypnodog!), letting go - to spiritual aspects and a few moments of depression. It's real. It's a real book - and no, I'm not accusing anyone of saying it doesn't exist - but it's a book that you can read to feel better about the world, feel better about yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes and take risks even when you normally wouldn't.

That being said, it's probably the only memoir I've ever read. Don't get me wrong, I've read several biographies and autobiographies, but never a book about a certain time the author's life. I've tried in the past - Cherry by Mary Karr comes to mind, Smashed is another one and then there's Prozac Nation- but I never got pasted the first few pages, or chapters. But Yes Man was different. How could I possibly say no to a book about saying yes?

I couldn't, and there was never a time I wanted to put it down - even when I should have been working, I was reading Danny Wallace's words, laughing with him and feeling sad when things were going differently than expected. In many ways, the book inspired me to say yes a little bit more. Even to things that I would normally find tedious or annoying - let me give it a try again. While reading, I even took down a couple of notes about references he'd make - I went as far as buying an Ian Rankin book just because he mentioned the author's name.

Maybe this book can change my life around. Or maybe my cynicism is just too strong to be pushed under the mat. Either way, I've never thought about it until I read the book. And that says something, doesn't it? (less)

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Jan 05, 2009 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: laugh-out-loud-funny

I love the idea of this and know a few people who try to live this way, saying yes to everything, not excluding ANYTHING from the list of possibilities. And I watch in amazement as their path leads to bliss, and sometimes not-bliss! This author takes the whole "si a todo" (spanish for yes to all)in a little stranger direction than my friends, saying yes to credit card offers and advertisements and email spam offers. But the message, the bottom line, is practicing to say yes to things opens your...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ryan Schulten
Ms. Frazier
English 8C
Jan. 23, 2013
Perspectives
I read the book Yes Man written by Danny Wallace. The book was about a man who decides to change his life by saying yes more often. By doing so Danny goes on many journeys including going to a different country for a scam lottery. He shows us how life can become significantly different after making the single choice of changing your attitude.
One positive thing about the book Yes Man is that the story is about a mans realization about l...more Ryan Schulten
Ms. Frazier
English 8C
Jan. 23, 2013
Perspectives
I read the book Yes Man written by Danny Wallace. The book was about a man who decides to change his life by saying yes more often. By doing so Danny goes on many journeys including going to a different country for a scam lottery. He shows us how life can become significantly different after making the single choice of changing your attitude.
One positive thing about the book Yes Man is that the story is about a mans realization about life. When Danny meets a man on a bus and the man tells him a quote that will change his life forever he rethinks his approach to life. “The people without passion are the ones who always say no”… “But the happiest people are the ones who understand that good things occur when one allows them to.” (Wallace 13). When Danny heard this quote he really concocted to it and decided he wanted to make a positive change in his life and that same quote caught my eye because if you let good things happen they will. After reading this part of the book I changed my outlook on life.
On the other hand the book had a few negative traits as well. During the book Danny sets a rather bad example by getting drunk and having reckless actions. When Danny’s friends say, “try this it will blow your head off” on (149) he just takes the pill without any consideration of how dangerous the pill could be. Another reason he is reckless is because he goes out at parties so he does set a bad example in that way as well. When Danny makes these choices he was doing it to play by the rules of the yes game but in my opinion he should hold himself to a higher standard even though he is trying to play by the rules.
The book was also a very odd story because of the way the author uses forgn slang and how Wallace doesn’t show us the true meaning of the words he uses. Throughout this book I found it somewhat difficult to relate to the word usage as well as even understand those slang terms that are not present in the United States. He uses terms like “Oh, you complete and utter” (62). By not being from that region I hound it hard to comprehend terms like that and many others. The book does teach you a little about the different ways in which one language can sound and how by living in a slightly different place all slang terms are completely not related.
Overall the book was not an amazing read, in fact it was not very good because the storyline was not attached well and the way it was written was just not the way a proper writer would write. There were some positive things about the book as well. Thru out the story Danny runs in to people and situations that sometimes bring out a bit of laughter because of how foolish or out of the ordinary they are. Overall I give the book a two out of five stars.

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Sep 19, 2009 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok so Danny Wallace spends a significant amount of his time saying yes to everything. That's great, perhaps we should all be so open minded. Add in a few penis jokes and there should be good material for a book, or is there? It would be too easy to say 'No Man', the truth is I enjoyed reading about his embarrassing escapades. His writing is funny, but ultimately forgetable and that is the problem I have with this book.
Whether a book is a comedy or tragedy, I think it needs to tap into a bit mor...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Jacobi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Danny Wallace is a very likeable guy who found himself slipping into a rut of a routine after having broke up with his longtime girlfriend. It wasn't that Danny was a "loser", but that he woke up one day to realize that his life was beginning to atrophy thanks to his insistence on not really doing anything. Then a chance encounter with a random dude on the bus changed his life. Bus dude simply told Danny "Say yes more." And that is exactly what he did -- to everything -- for one year.

It was real...more

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May 22, 2011 Meowbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me preface this review by saying that I listened to the abridged audiobook version, read by the author. Danny is hilarious for the most part, foregoing the usual stuffy decorum of professional audiobook narration.

I actually wanted to give this book 3.5 stars. As larger-than-life comedy, it's worth four stars. I came at this though with a particular agenda. I had dedicated 2011 as my own Year of Yes and was looking for role models to inspire me. Having seen the movie, I hoped to see how Yes h...more

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Sep 26, 2009 Lyndon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Danny Wallace was the sort of person who said "No" too much. His life was a perpetuation of work and home, and not much else. Then a stranger on the bus said three little words to him: "Say yes more".

Wallace took the advice literally, making a pact with himself that he would - not only say yes MORE - but say yes to EVERYTHING. Before he knew it he was travelling around the world, rising in the ranks at his work, and had learnt that aliens built the pyramids.

Yes Man is a great piece of fiction, a...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Mike Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I took it on my holiday as a book to read by the pool as I was pretty certain what I was going to get. I'd read 'Join Me' and 'Are You Dave Gorman?' and this is very similar to those books. Take an idea and run with it beyond all reasonable means, have exciting adventures and then cash in on the whole thing in the form of a book, tv series, comedy tour or DVD tie-in.

This particular silliness is based upon a simple premise. "Say yes more". It's an idea that is genius in its simplicity and hilarit...more

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Jan 22, 2009 Faith rated it 5 of 5 stars

So, so good. I've come to expect funny from Danny Wallace, but in this book, I laughed so hard that I cried on multiple occasions. But beyond that, it was a really inspiring book. It made me think a lot about how I've become someone who says "no" a lot and what I might be missing when I'm not saying "yes." I really recommend it.

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Aug 19, 2009 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who has been saying no too much

Recommended to Jennifer by: Kelly

Shelves: read-2009

A silly bit of fluff that I quite enjoyed. The Jim Carey movie was based on this book but has little in common with it other than the idea that the main character has decided he must say "yes" to everything. Danny Wallace, the author and our hero, has been in a bit of a slump after a recent break-up. It isn't until an Indian man on the bus suggests that he start "saying yes" to things that Wallace realizes how much he has been saying no. Wallace decides that until the New Year, he will say "yes"...more

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Jun 06, 2010 whichwaydidshego? rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, humor, philosophizingandpraying, selfhelp

It's Eat, Pray, Love on testosterone and humor. Adored it! My gut hurts from laughing so hard, yet in there somewhere it was poignant and important.

And the answer is Yes.

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About Danny Wallace

Daniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work exper...more Daniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.

At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.

In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.

In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.

Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."

Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.

Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.

Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee, (less)

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Quotes from Yes Man

“Probably some of the best things that have ever happened to you in life, happened because you said yes to something. Otherwise things just sort of stay the same.” — 39 people liked it

“Take the stupidest thing you've ever done. At least it's done. It's over. It's gone. We can all learn from our mistakes and heal and move on. But it's harder to learn or heal or move on from something that hasn't happened; something we don't know and is therefore indefinable; something which could very easily have been the best thing in our lives, if only we'd taken the plunge, if only we'd held our breath and stood up and done it, if only we'd said yes.” — 35 people liked it

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