I started reading humor in earnest
about one week after the November 2016 election.
When I came across “The Totally
Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness” I hadn't
heard about Paula's first book yet, but I was accustomed to hearing
her on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don' Tell Me, where she'd advocate for the
humane treatment of Twinkies or extol the virtues of the Apple
Cinnamon Pop Tart. So I was really excited to get my hands on it.
The book, not the Pop Tart.
I won't say that I couldn't put the
book down – that would be lying. And besides it's such a pathetic
cliché. But I will say that I read the book in record time. And
one night, while I was lying on my back in bed, holding the book
above me so that I could read it, I picked it right back up again
after I dozed off and dropped it on my face. (Note to self, avoid
reading hardcover books while lying on back.)
I enjoyed the variety of humor.
There's plenty of the self-effacing cracks that you'd expect from a
comedian / cat lady. There's also a spot light on the
thoughtlessness / stupidity all of us face as we navigate our
day-to-day existence. For example, she tells how she needed to sign
up online for a class on computers for absolute beginners.
And, my favorite, the mental slapstick during her meditation class.
All this undergirded by a bizarre unique,
out-of-the-box thought process.
There were sections that made me
uncomfortable, though. I kept worrying that she would smash the
Lamborghini (or that it would get vandalized or stolen) even as I
entertained the notion that she had somehow gotten her publisher to
reimburse her for the rental fee. And the first “Get Organized”
chapter was draining because it hit so close to home. I still
remember how tedious and dreadful it was for me to declutter my home
office, even though it was more than ten years ago. Personally I
think she should've kept the underwear with all the holes in it. I
find that “holey” underwear is nice on a hot day. And with
global warming, the summers won't be getting much cooler for at least
the next dozen or so epochs.
This is one of the few books that I was
able to read the Acknowledgments section to completion. In most
books, it's a seemingly endless string of shout-outs. But Paula's
gratitude is genuine, if, perhaps, swamped with relief over having
completed the book. Yet I'm surprised that she did not thank her
sixteen cats – they deserve to be acknowledged for not peeing on
the computer keyboard, or for not highlighting the file and stepping
on the Delete key, before Paula sent the manuscript to the publisher.
Or maybe they did, and Paula had a backup copy.
Regardless of intention, I think the
book serves just as well as a self-help book as it does
entertainment. Obviously the humor provides immediate relief from
the doldrums. But then for extended relief, you'll benefit from
Paula's findings, three of which are that: 1. Happiness from a fancy
car is fleeting; B. Getting a good night's sleep does wonders for
your outlook; π.
Striving to make others happy brings happiness to yourself.
So the book is like that dual-action, 12-hour Mucinex – immediate
and long-acting relief.
- This review was posted to LibraryThing on 2017-06-04.
- More reviews can be found here.
- I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review.
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