Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Shit? - Volume Two

by Steve Lowe, Alan McArthur

Bigger, badder, sharper, ruder, funnier, bestier . . . this all-new companion volume to the 2005 Christmas bestseller IS IT JUST ME OR IS EVERYTHING SHIT? perfectly complements the first book to form the standard reference work on the shittiness of modern life - like a part-work, only good.

Entries David Cameron, Lemsip, Baby Asbos, Dream homes, the Chinese Communist Party, Chefs' families, Zac Goldsmith, the Olympics, Credit cards marketed as sources of spiritual enlightenment, Nu-Torture, Cornish nationalism, Detox socks, Stag weeks and Politicians called David. Because, if anything, it just keeps getting worse . . .

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a miserable, humourless grumble about things that are perhaps moderately irritating in the unlikely event you stop to think about them. It failed to interest the 15-year old it was bought for, though it was certainly not above her intellectual level.

I don't give one star lightly, and I usually try to inject a bit of humour into reviews. But this time I've written in in the style of the book I'm reviewing. So, if you enjoyed this review and would like to read a couple of hundred pages of similar mithering, then buy the book. You're welcome to it.

Utterly joyless.

[David Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it just me or is this book shit?
Unfortunately this book suffers from a tiny of window of reference both in time (mid noughties) and geographical perspective (UK). Unless you can recall the current affairs, trends and personalities of around 15 years ago you probably won't get the 'best' out of this book. The fact that the positive accolades on the back cover are all in reference to volume one should perhaps be a give-away on the calibre of this text... I doubt I will be tracking down a copy of volume one, unless I intercept its trajectory towards a bin which is how I acquired this volume after a colleague had finished with it. As for volume three, if it exists, I don't care.

[Pauline B · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5-2 stars.
Mmmmeh. Not great. At all. If you're not British, you won't get half of the references, that's the problem. I skipped entire pages cause there's just no point when you have no idea who/what they're ranting about. Also as it's been written over 10 years ago now, most of the stuff is outdated.
And those guys seem so bitter, I wonder if they're still alive. Did they end their life after publishing this book ? Joking. Hhh
Looks like the only thing they forgot to add that is shit is this book. (I had to do this one. Sorry. Hhh)

[hissi · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was LONG.. and encyclopedia of shit that kept going on and on and on.. woeh!! for monkey's sake. he rants about useless things.. ok. i admit that it was fun in the start. but since im just a simple girl living in remote kuwait. i cant possibly know about half the thing this british author is talking about . thats when i felt like a time waste instead of a good humorous book.. i gave it 2 stars because he lost a point for going to such great lengths even when he didnt have to.. he would want to comment of EVERYTHING even if he had to say two words like (LOST: lost interest). lost another start and thats presonally for not knowing half the things he mentioned.. last star lost for his some what abusive language.. im down with saying ur opinions.. just dont cuss that much dude!.. and thats it.. a star for being fun while it lasted and a star for the interesting title.. is it me or is everything shit.. i'd say.. it's shit indeed..

[Mike Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really think the first one was that good so I'm not sure why I read the second one. Nevertheless I thought it was better than the original as the pieces were slightly longer and therefore more interesting and thought out as opposed to the shorter rants in volume one.

It's dated slightly and refers to 2005/6 a lot so there's a kind of nostalgia to reading it (for example, it criticises Donald Trump for his eyebrows hair and megalomania on a TV show rather than for him being a bonkers Presidential candidate).

Overall, it's harmless enough and the nature of it meant that I could use it to fill holes at a time when I was too busy to really commit to a novel.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume two was unfortunately not as amusing or as on point as Volume one. This is due in large part to the length of the observations/rantings. There were sections that went on for two + pages - far too long! When having a rant about something it serves well to keep it short and to the point lest it become an essay. That said there are still a few laugh out loud sections and I enjoyed it on the whole.

[Kate Kerrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shouldn't love this book as much as I do. The Power of Negative Thinking - all the things I hate in one book plus makes me hate things I never thought of hating (like people who climb mountains and James Blunt) but it is totally read-out-loud hilarious.

[Lucy Sprinkles]

embarassingly funny. do not read in public, unless you want to guarantee yourself a seat to yourself on a bus/train.

[Toni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this book at all and discarded it after one day

[Jennie]

Excellent book to read in a pub. Hilarious.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading about 10% of this book I decided it was a somewhat dated and pointless rant. I thought that my time was better spent reading almost anything else.

[Siobhan Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor brutal

[Steve Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in about a day as it is basically a moan list
It was left in the smoko room along with IIJMOIES vol 1
it's ok but not great, and it passed an afternoon when I had nothing better to do

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

great fun