Oh, the Humanity!: A Gentle Guide to Social Interaction for the Feeble Young Introvert

by Jason Roeder

"Are you uncomfortable engaging in conversation? Do you have trouble making friends? Have you longed to have your deeply rooted social anxiety eliminated by a slender paperback you can read cover-to-cover over several lunch breaks? If your answer is yes - or if you're looking for the perfect birthday gift for that special nervous someone - the book you've been waiting for has arrived. Oh, the Humanity! will see you through all your interpersonal

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2007

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how you read that post on that one guy's website, and you thought it was hilarious, the funniest thing you'd ever read? And then you read more of his posts, and yeah, they were funny, but the more you read, the more you were, like, "Ok, yeah, you covered that bit already" and "This is a lot like that other bit I read earlier"? And by the end, you're like, "Yeah, he was kind of funny, but it got kinda old after a while"? That right there. That's how I felt about this book. Don't get me wrong, this is funny stuff, as anyone who has read Roeder's work on McSweeney's will tell you. But if you read it all at once, it starts getting a bit old after a while. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to read a chapter, go read something else for a few days, come back and read another chapter, etc.

[Davianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had relatable moments however I kept losing interest and skimming ahead. It was good for a quick reading distraction but I didn't love it.
2 Stars

[Alea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find myself smack in the middle of the scale of introvert and extrovert. Probably a bit easier for me to identify with introverts so this book was instantly funny. It was the type of humor that is written seriously, you are reading along, reading along and then something totally outrageous is slipped in. It totally catches you off guard in the best way!

There are some hilarious illustrations throughout the book and I would have loved to have seen more. At times the chapters got a bit long but for the most part everything was overall humorous.

One of my favorite chapters was one about nonverbal communication, specifically a section on shaking hands and what not to do. It's laugh out loud funny! The next chapter about cross-cultural communication is hilarious because according to the author he didn't have enough text to fill out the chapter so instead decided to insert random pictures of oversized dolphins in different environments including Easter Island and a gun show. It's all about the random, which I love! I also really like the final chapter where the author tries to convince you to be friends with him!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an introvert (though not particularly young or feeble) I found this book hilarious. I actually laughed until I cried at a few sections. Social interaction can be hard for some, but with this book and the "advice" it provides, it can be practically impossible!

Yay! Introverts Unite (but only for a little while before we have to go home and be alone to recharge and cuddle up with a good book)!

[Lorne Wald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was one of the funniest books I've ever read. Maybe I need help.

Every so often I'll flip through it and invariably there's something there to make me laugh - even just the sub-headings, like "Putting the 'end' in 'friend'" and "Getting in touch with your inner somebody else", resonate. Or maybe you just have to have really lousy self-esteem.

[Staci Woodburn-Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious. I don't know if his methods work because I don't consider myself much of an introvert. Come to think I'm not even sure if they are meant to work. The book was so funny, that may have been the entire point all along.

[David Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short somewhat funny look at talking with strangers. It wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't seem to achieve what it was hoping for.

The man himself though has plenty of humor writing available online worth looking up.

[Ellen]

As seen on Book a Week with Jen.

[Aruffner]

Witty, charming & totally Jason!

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Galley, read this one at the behest of my boss. A tongue-in-cheek how-to book for those of us who are, shall we say, socially disabled.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could count on one hand the number of times this book was actually funny. Most of the time it was tedious and often pathetic.

[Amber Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is supposed to be humorous, and it is, but its helpful too.