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Yes Man
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780091896744.
One word. Unlimited consequences.
The book that inspired the major film starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel
'I, Danny Wallace, being of sound mind and body, do hereby write this manifesto for my life. I swear I will be more open to opportunity. I swear I will live my life taking every available chance. I will say Yes to every favour, request, suggestion and invitation. I WILL SWEAR TO SAY YES WHERE ONCE I WOULD SAY NO.'
Danny Wallace had been staying in. Far too much. Having been dumped by his girlfriend, he really wasn't doing the young, free and single thing very well. Instead he was avoiding people. Texting them instead of calling them. Calling them instead of meeting them. That is until one fateful date when a mystery man on a late-night bus told him to 'say yes more'. These three simple words changed Danny's life forever. Yes Man is the story of what happened when Danny decided to say YES to everything, in order to make his life more interesting. And boy, did it get more interesting.
One word. Unlimited consequences.
The book that inspired the major film starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel
'I, Danny Wallace, being of sound mind and body, do hereby write this manifesto for my life. I swear I will be more open to opportunity. I swear I will live my life taking every available chance. I will say Yes to every favour, request, suggestion and invitation. I WILL SWEAR TO SAY YES WHERE ONCE I WOULD SAY NO.'
Danny Wallace had been staying in. Far too much. Having been dumped by his girlfriend, he really wasn't doing the young, free and single thing very well. Instead he was avoiding people. Texting them instead of calling them. Calling them instead of meeting them. That is until one fateful date when a mystery man on a late-night bus told him to 'say yes more'. These three simple words changed Danny's life forever. Yes Man is the story of what happened when Danny decided to say YES to everything, in order to make his life more interesting. And boy, did it get more interesting.
402 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2005
225 people are currently reading
5,539 people want to read
About the author
Danny Wallace
59books629followersDaniel 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,
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,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 797 reviews
January 20, 2009
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 depressing.
So anyway, instead of dwelling on that and complaining I thought I would counter the purported suckitude of this movie by recommending something that really is worth your time and money, which is the book Yes Man by British humourist Danny Wallace.
The basis for the movie, Yes Man is the true story of what happened when Danny took the words of a stranger on a bus - "say yes more" - to heart and for the next few months committed himself to saying yes to everything, where he once may have said no. This vow takes him across the globe. It leads him into meetings with conspiracy theorists who believe aliens built the pyramids. It causes him to poke a Buddhist monk on television. It prompts him to accept the heartfelt emailed plea of a Nigerian prince.
It's an hilariously funny story, filled with all sorts of silly hijinks that had me grinning from start to finish, but there's also a very sweet little message at its heart: Saying yes starts things. That one little word can draw you into all kinds of new opportunities, experiences and relationships. It can also get you into a lot of trouble if you're not careful, but mistakes, they're an experience in themselves. And more often than not, action is far more rewarding than inaction. Of course we don't have to be like Danny, throwing common sense to the wind and saying yes indiscriminately, but we could all take a little something from that mantra of his and say yes more.
Just not to Nigerian princes.
But since it's come out, from what I hear it's more or less Liar, Liar reworked, and that's kind of depressing.
So anyway, instead of dwelling on that and complaining I thought I would counter the purported suckitude of this movie by recommending something that really is worth your time and money, which is the book Yes Man by British humourist Danny Wallace.
The basis for the movie, Yes Man is the true story of what happened when Danny took the words of a stranger on a bus - "say yes more" - to heart and for the next few months committed himself to saying yes to everything, where he once may have said no. This vow takes him across the globe. It leads him into meetings with conspiracy theorists who believe aliens built the pyramids. It causes him to poke a Buddhist monk on television. It prompts him to accept the heartfelt emailed plea of a Nigerian prince.
It's an hilariously funny story, filled with all sorts of silly hijinks that had me grinning from start to finish, but there's also a very sweet little message at its heart: Saying yes starts things. That one little word can draw you into all kinds of new opportunities, experiences and relationships. It can also get you into a lot of trouble if you're not careful, but mistakes, they're an experience in themselves. And more often than not, action is far more rewarding than inaction. Of course we don't have to be like Danny, throwing common sense to the wind and saying yes indiscriminately, but we could all take a little something from that mantra of his and say yes more.
Just not to Nigerian princes.
August 15, 2011
I made it 75% of the way through and then decided my time was too precious to be irritated with this author for one more minute. The concept of the book is really interesting and he has a few excellent examples of times he said yes that really forwarded his life experiences. However, I just got tired of hearing about all the times he said "yes" to credit card offers or spam e-mail. It would have been one thing if he'd said to his readers "I realize this is silly, but it's part of my project." Instead he told the readers "I really thought it was possible that I could help this Nigerian Prince! Really! I really really thought that!" I notice he didn't send off his account information, yet he wanted us to believe he was really that simple? I just got annoyed with him.
September 4, 2007
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.
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.
July 29, 2021
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. It helps that Danny's personality is already so . . . cute, I guess, that you want to take him home and give him dinner. He is genuinely delighted at all the good things that happen to him, but also so shocked and disappointed when bad things come along.
Rereading October 2011.
Just as good as the first time. Love this book. This time I noticed how moving some of it was, and how much his life was improved. Also: still howlingly funny.
Reread, and read aloud, July 2021: The kids were dying over this! Reading it aloud, I did clean up some of the language and a few things like that, so that even my 9yo could enjoy Danny's "boy project."
Rereading October 2011.
Just as good as the first time. Love this book. This time I noticed how moving some of it was, and how much his life was improved. Also: still howlingly funny.
Reread, and read aloud, July 2021: The kids were dying over this! Reading it aloud, I did clean up some of the language and a few things like that, so that even my 9yo could enjoy Danny's "boy project."
March 16, 2009
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.Wallace- I mean, yes, I guess he had to say yes to EVERYTHING but.. his willfully optimistic attitude, at times, I find impossible to believe. He may be exaggerating.
Oh and this entire book is worth reading just for his drug story in Amsterdam, which is just fucking hilarious.
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.Wallace- I mean, yes, I guess he had to say yes to EVERYTHING but.. his willfully optimistic attitude, at times, I find impossible to believe. He may be exaggerating.
Oh and this entire book is worth reading just for his drug story in Amsterdam, which is just fucking hilarious.
June 8, 2014
This guy is trying really, really hard to be funny.
December 28, 2010
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 ŷ 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�), -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�).
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�), -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�).
October 17, 2008
"'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 had it all, but had decided that he didn't need most of it."
"The only time you have no opportunities is when you decide to stop taking them."
"'I'm just saying that sometimes it's riskier not to take a risk. Sometimes all you're guaranteeing is that things will stay the same. Sometimes it's more important to say yes to things that it is to say no.'"
"'Yes. It's very, very odd,' she said. 'But that's good, isn't it? Life should be odd.'"
"They were always there for me, but I'd never used them, never said yes to the opportunities I thought would always be there."
"I was saying yes because when you're in love, the world is full of possibilities, and when you're in love, you want to take every single one of them."
"So, maybe Yeses are meant to be shared. Maybe that's what all this is about. Maybe life's about finding opportunities to share with someone. That's all it is, when you think about it. A series of opportunities to share."
"As humans we seem to go to more effort to avoid trouble and pain than we do to make things better. Avoiding rather than doing."
"When you think about it, probably some of the best things that ever happened to you in life happened because you said yes to something. Otherwise things just sort of stay the same."
"I guess it's only when we look at how a No could have changed our lives for the worse that we realize the value of the tiny Yeses that fly at us each day."
"Saying 'there are probably a lot of variables' is my number-one tip for appearing to be on top of a conversation when you are really six miles out of your depth. Consider it a gift from me to you."
"Listen to what they tell you. Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places. Even the ordinary can be magical. Be open to it."
"Sometimes you have to make a decision to protect yourself. Sometimes it's better to lose a foot than risk a leg."
"The pain of missing something; the pain of not knowing what could have happened; the pain of discovering that sometimes, opportunity really will only knock once; the pain of knowing where a No had brought them and realizing too late when a Yes in its place could have led them..."
"And maybe there's a real difference between doing something we regret, and regretting not having done something. And it seemed that difference could be...well...sadness. 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 indefineable; something which could very easily have been the best things 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."
"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 had it all, but had decided that he didn't need most of it."
"The only time you have no opportunities is when you decide to stop taking them."
"'I'm just saying that sometimes it's riskier not to take a risk. Sometimes all you're guaranteeing is that things will stay the same. Sometimes it's more important to say yes to things that it is to say no.'"
"'Yes. It's very, very odd,' she said. 'But that's good, isn't it? Life should be odd.'"
"They were always there for me, but I'd never used them, never said yes to the opportunities I thought would always be there."
"I was saying yes because when you're in love, the world is full of possibilities, and when you're in love, you want to take every single one of them."
"So, maybe Yeses are meant to be shared. Maybe that's what all this is about. Maybe life's about finding opportunities to share with someone. That's all it is, when you think about it. A series of opportunities to share."
"As humans we seem to go to more effort to avoid trouble and pain than we do to make things better. Avoiding rather than doing."
"When you think about it, probably some of the best things that ever happened to you in life happened because you said yes to something. Otherwise things just sort of stay the same."
"I guess it's only when we look at how a No could have changed our lives for the worse that we realize the value of the tiny Yeses that fly at us each day."
"Saying 'there are probably a lot of variables' is my number-one tip for appearing to be on top of a conversation when you are really six miles out of your depth. Consider it a gift from me to you."
"Listen to what they tell you. Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places. Even the ordinary can be magical. Be open to it."
"Sometimes you have to make a decision to protect yourself. Sometimes it's better to lose a foot than risk a leg."
"The pain of missing something; the pain of not knowing what could have happened; the pain of discovering that sometimes, opportunity really will only knock once; the pain of knowing where a No had brought them and realizing too late when a Yes in its place could have led them..."
"And maybe there's a real difference between doing something we regret, and regretting not having done something. And it seemed that difference could be...well...sadness. 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 indefineable; something which could very easily have been the best things 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."
April 10, 2011
This book started off with a bang, grabbing my interest and making me laugh. Then, it dragged on. And on. And on. I was quite relieved when it finally came to a conclusion, to be honest.
The concept is fabulous. And, quite a few of the adventures (mostly the ones at the beginning) are hilarious. However, I found he narrator... annoying. Is he really a complete simpleton, or is it just done in an incredibly facetious way? I was torn between thinking it was put on, and thinking the narrator was a complete idiot.
The concept is fabulous. And, quite a few of the adventures (mostly the ones at the beginning) are hilarious. However, I found he narrator... annoying. Is he really a complete simpleton, or is it just done in an incredibly facetious way? I was torn between thinking it was put on, and thinking the narrator was a complete idiot.
June 21, 2012
I must admit that I actually preferred the movie adaptation to the book itself and its not often I say that!
I did read the book first before the movie but I didn't find it hilarious like a lot of people said. It was funny in places but a lot of it just seemed a bit ridiculous.
I did read the book first before the movie but I didn't find it hilarious like a lot of people said. It was funny in places but a lot of it just seemed a bit ridiculous.
December 25, 2018
فكرة الرواية ممتازة ولكن أسلوب الكتابة يفتقر للتشويق. الرواية تتحدث عن شاب يميل للانطواء والعزلة ويعتذر باستمرار عن الخروج مع أصدقاءه ويتردد في قبول أي تجديد ينطوي عليه تحدي في العمل أو في علاقاته العاطفية. وفي يوم يركب الباص ويجلس بجانب رجل آسيوي يقوله له حكمة وهي قل نعم أكثر .. وهكذا يقرر بطل القصة أن يلتزم بقول نعم لأي طلب يوجه له وهكذا يواجه مواقف كثيرة يضطر فيها للموافقة على كل شي. هذه المواقف طريفة أحيانا وخطيرة أحيانا وكذلك قد تعود عليه بالفائدة حيث تجدد حياته وتفتح أمامه فرص جديدة لم يتوقعها قط.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2020
Usually when I finish a book, I have one overarching feeling which can be summed up in one word. It’s never the same word, but I can always find one to describe how I feel. My word for Yes Man is stunned. I am stunned so many of my friends laud this book for its hilarity. I am stunned it has such popularity. Most of all, I am stunned I made it to the end.
I think most of us are familiar with the Yes Man concept, thanks to Jim Carrey. Man stops saying no, and starts saying yes, making way for a bounty of opportunity and experience. It’s an excellent premise with an excellent message - open yourself up, try new things, and a brave new world will open its arms to you.
My main problem here was that Wallace was saying yes to the most ridiculous and idiotic things imaginable. Scam emails from sons of sultans asking for bank account details - yes. Application forms for (multiple) brand new credit cards - yes. Marketing emails trying to sell penis enhancers - yes. A guy asking if you want punched in the face - yes. Your ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend politely asking if you want to join them on their date, without expecting you to say yes - you say yes. And so it drags on.
Wallace’s voice was another factor in my limited enjoyment. He tries very hard to be funny without quite managing to do so, and I found myself wondering if this was the type of humour we all enjoyed fifteen years ago. He came across as mildly irking, a teensy bit obnoxious, and with a maddening desire to turn his journey of self-discovery into a slapstick sensation. It’s very difficult to believe this is entirely non-fiction; if there are absolutely no exaggeration or embellishments here, then Wallace is a witless fool.
Saying yes remains an important part of a diverse and furnished life, yet through Yes Man, all I seem to have learned is the power of sense coupled with the power of no.
I think most of us are familiar with the Yes Man concept, thanks to Jim Carrey. Man stops saying no, and starts saying yes, making way for a bounty of opportunity and experience. It’s an excellent premise with an excellent message - open yourself up, try new things, and a brave new world will open its arms to you.
My main problem here was that Wallace was saying yes to the most ridiculous and idiotic things imaginable. Scam emails from sons of sultans asking for bank account details - yes. Application forms for (multiple) brand new credit cards - yes. Marketing emails trying to sell penis enhancers - yes. A guy asking if you want punched in the face - yes. Your ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend politely asking if you want to join them on their date, without expecting you to say yes - you say yes. And so it drags on.
Wallace’s voice was another factor in my limited enjoyment. He tries very hard to be funny without quite managing to do so, and I found myself wondering if this was the type of humour we all enjoyed fifteen years ago. He came across as mildly irking, a teensy bit obnoxious, and with a maddening desire to turn his journey of self-discovery into a slapstick sensation. It’s very difficult to believe this is entirely non-fiction; if there are absolutely no exaggeration or embellishments here, then Wallace is a witless fool.
Saying yes remains an important part of a diverse and furnished life, yet through Yes Man, all I seem to have learned is the power of sense coupled with the power of no.
March 20, 2020
A stranger tells Danny to 'say yes more'� this is the story of Danny saying yes to everything for six months� made me laugh out loud so many times! Too many comedians including putting down others in their repertoire, I enjoy Wallace's work so much because it is rarely at other people's expense and usually there's a story happening pushing the narrative and making it that more interesting. 6 out of 12.
July 29, 2014
Let me start by saying, this book is nothing like the movie - thank goodness. Secondly, I need to confess that I agreed to read this book because I am a bit of a stick in the mud about the whole 'yes to new experiences' rhetoric. While I am definitely up for new experiences, I am already bargaining with myself over finite resources of time and energy to spend on things that I know I want to do already! The prospect of having those resources wasted by someone else's whims makes me feel a little ill.
HOWEVER (and this is where I attempt to say something profound)..
I really enjoyed Danny's style and read many of the passages with a great big smile on my face. The message is still spot on, and appropriately navigates his journey from a blanket 'Yes to everything' to a more balanced 'Yes to opportunity' which I firmly agree with. I loved the 5 stages of Yes as well. My goal is to challenge myself to more level 5 yesses, but don't get any ideas..
HOWEVER (and this is where I attempt to say something profound)..
I really enjoyed Danny's style and read many of the passages with a great big smile on my face. The message is still spot on, and appropriately navigates his journey from a blanket 'Yes to everything' to a more balanced 'Yes to opportunity' which I firmly agree with. I loved the 5 stages of Yes as well. My goal is to challenge myself to more level 5 yesses, but don't get any ideas..
April 1, 2012
The film version of this book stunk. In no way did the Hollywood version of this story translate the histeria and the heart of this story. I read this while living in London, when Danny Wallace was really just up and coming. He had made it when he got a meme going through his audience of reader from "Join Me"... through tiny want ads in the newspaper!
Read this book, especially if you are an anglophile. Never, ever watch the terrible film.
Read this book, especially if you are an anglophile. Never, ever watch the terrible film.
June 8, 2015
This book takes me back to when I lived in London and the concept of this seemed totally possible! I 'loled' many a time which took me by surprise, I didn't think I would like it this much! I couldn't really get into the other Danny Wallace books unfortunately, however this book is def a 5/5.
October 12, 2010
Sometimes, you read a book that just makes you happy over and over again, and you are always excited to pick it up, and you regularly laugh out loud while reading it. Then you get so into it that you decide to try doing exactly what the author does in the book for a couple days. Then you forget in about 10 minutes and get off track. Oh, and THEN! Then you decide to watch the Jim Carrey movie that was "inspired" by the book you are enjoying so much, and you're mad. You're mad because the movie is dumb, and has absolutely nothing in common with the book, other than the title.
So, if you've seen the movie but not read the book, that really sucks for you! You should do it the other way around. Read the book and skip the movie. And skip Jim Carrey entirely, because really, do people actually think he is funny? I honestly have never been entertained by him in my life. And he was in a committed (but unmarried) relationship to what's her face - the weird blonde who insists vaccinations are turning all children into autistic dead kids - oh, Jenny McCarthy - I knew it'd come to me! - and she used to call him her "husband", but say that marriage was unnecessary and they were committed to each other forever and always, just without the meaningless marital paperwork crap. Well, I am pleased to announced they broke up last spring. Strangely, people who do that unnecessary paperwork of marriage seem to have better luck than those who don't. Hmmm.
But back to the book! I loved it. I give it 5 stars because he reminded me of A.J. Jacobs and Jennifer Traig, two very funny nonfiction authors that I love. The dude says "yes" to everything. He signs up for anything he's asked to help with, goes to any party, goes places he is only invited to out of politeness, travels the world, buys internet spam products, takes new jobs, etc, etc... Like I said, I would vow to try the whole "yes" thing for a day or two, but I would totally forget after a few minutes each time. Plus it's not really fair to do the "yes" thing when you have a 1 and 3 year old living with you. We would have donuts for dinner and run down the street naked. Then we would watch Spongebob Squarepants for 9 hours straight.
However, say yes more. Say yes all the time! Say yes and write a bestselling book about it! That is great advice. I highly recommend this awesome book. Yes. Read it.
So, if you've seen the movie but not read the book, that really sucks for you! You should do it the other way around. Read the book and skip the movie. And skip Jim Carrey entirely, because really, do people actually think he is funny? I honestly have never been entertained by him in my life. And he was in a committed (but unmarried) relationship to what's her face - the weird blonde who insists vaccinations are turning all children into autistic dead kids - oh, Jenny McCarthy - I knew it'd come to me! - and she used to call him her "husband", but say that marriage was unnecessary and they were committed to each other forever and always, just without the meaningless marital paperwork crap. Well, I am pleased to announced they broke up last spring. Strangely, people who do that unnecessary paperwork of marriage seem to have better luck than those who don't. Hmmm.
But back to the book! I loved it. I give it 5 stars because he reminded me of A.J. Jacobs and Jennifer Traig, two very funny nonfiction authors that I love. The dude says "yes" to everything. He signs up for anything he's asked to help with, goes to any party, goes places he is only invited to out of politeness, travels the world, buys internet spam products, takes new jobs, etc, etc... Like I said, I would vow to try the whole "yes" thing for a day or two, but I would totally forget after a few minutes each time. Plus it's not really fair to do the "yes" thing when you have a 1 and 3 year old living with you. We would have donuts for dinner and run down the street naked. Then we would watch Spongebob Squarepants for 9 hours straight.
However, say yes more. Say yes all the time! Say yes and write a bestselling book about it! That is great advice. I highly recommend this awesome book. Yes. Read it.
February 6, 2012
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.
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.
September 14, 2007
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 something that I don't think many books could claim to do (or if anyone knows of any that can - please recommend them!)
The book is based on the author's real-life experience - though with some artistic licence. One of the things I liked best about the book (as well as the laugh-out-loud stories told in it) was that I could imagine being friends with Danny, sitting in his local pub, with him recounting his madcap tales. This made it extremely readable, and in my case, unputdownable.
And much as I found myself wishing that my friend would stop reading excerpts to me (as I didn't want the story ruined before I'd even opened the book) I did find myself doing the same while I was reading it, and even after.
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 something that I don't think many books could claim to do (or if anyone knows of any that can - please recommend them!)
The book is based on the author's real-life experience - though with some artistic licence. One of the things I liked best about the book (as well as the laugh-out-loud stories told in it) was that I could imagine being friends with Danny, sitting in his local pub, with him recounting his madcap tales. This made it extremely readable, and in my case, unputdownable.
And much as I found myself wishing that my friend would stop reading excerpts to me (as I didn't want the story ruined before I'd even opened the book) I did find myself doing the same while I was reading it, and even after.
September 20, 2011
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 - 'say yes more', which he promptly does. To everything. Cue various japes and mis-adventures...
This is very funny, and I apologize for using the phrase 'heart-warming', but I can't think if another more fitting description, so heart-warming it will be.
Just read it. It made me fist-pump on completion.
(By the way, I have avoided the cringey looking Jim Carrey movie adaptation, as I suspect it may tarnish my memory of this book. I am loath to judge a film without seeing it, but I pretty sure it will be a big pile of turd.)
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 - 'say yes more', which he promptly does. To everything. Cue various japes and mis-adventures...
This is very funny, and I apologize for using the phrase 'heart-warming', but I can't think if another more fitting description, so heart-warming it will be.
Just read it. It made me fist-pump on completion.
(By the way, I have avoided the cringey looking Jim Carrey movie adaptation, as I suspect it may tarnish my memory of this book. I am loath to judge a film without seeing it, but I pretty sure it will be a big pile of turd.)
September 2, 2010
I thought/hoped this book would be like AJ Jacobs' book, . Unfortunately, it lacked the dorky charm and sincerity that book had in spades. The premise of this book is that the author, a BBC producer, must say "yes" to all requests made of him for a certain period of time. While there were some very funny moments, the whole charade seemed both contrived, overly preachy, and, by the middle, stale. (The author's feigned innocence about all of the spam he received was particularly hard to read -- he even traveled to Holland after one spammer told him he'd won the Dutch lottery, and he continued to insist to his worried friends and the reader that he believed every word of it.)
January 19, 2017
I wanted to like this book, but I think this might be that rare situation where the movie is better than the book. He spends too long trying to be funny. His literally saying Yes to everything, even when he means No, is ridiculous and causes many frustrating situations. Reading it was like watching a bad sitcom. I just wanted it to get to the good part, where saying yes led to amazing things in his life. But it never seemed to... although his change of attitude definitely improved his life. He was excited about what was around the next corner. He looked for opportunities. He hung out with his friends more, instead of spending his evenings alone every day with the telly. So that was good. But I had enough of this book before the halfway mark. Maybe I missed a great second half, but I just could not bother any longer.
February 18, 2010
Well, where to start?
The premise of this book is that Danny Wallace goes through life saying no, until some stranger on a bus tells him to say yes more.
Ok, nice idea. Except it goes completely and utterly ridiculous. It's a true story, but I have to wonder what kind of idiot would say yes to things that get him in fights and end up with him being in a supermarket in Amsterdam?
Only in the last 70 pages or so did this book become less annoying, but then it went from being annoying to being predictable.
From the minute Lizzie came into it, I knew the ending straight away. You could see it coming a mile off. Alright, it was nice, but it was predictable.
I would not recommend this book to anyone in any way, shape or form. Unless it was to be used as fire materials.
The premise of this book is that Danny Wallace goes through life saying no, until some stranger on a bus tells him to say yes more.
Ok, nice idea. Except it goes completely and utterly ridiculous. It's a true story, but I have to wonder what kind of idiot would say yes to things that get him in fights and end up with him being in a supermarket in Amsterdam?
Only in the last 70 pages or so did this book become less annoying, but then it went from being annoying to being predictable.
From the minute Lizzie came into it, I knew the ending straight away. You could see it coming a mile off. Alright, it was nice, but it was predictable.
I would not recommend this book to anyone in any way, shape or form. Unless it was to be used as fire materials.
December 12, 2012
Mein erster "Wallace". Der Schreibstil ist wunderbar locker und der Humor fantastisch britisch. Er ist einer meiner absoluten Lieblingsautoren. Die Idee mit dem Ja-Experiment ist toll. Hab so beim Lesen lachen müssen, das ich verwunderte Blicke aus meiner Umgebung erntete.
Wer bereits den Film gesehen hat, der Ja-Sager, sollte sich davon nicht abschrecken lassen. Das Buch ist viel besser. (Fand den Film selbst etwas lahm.)
Dieses Buch hat mich auf den Geschmack gebracht mehr von Danny Wallace zu lesen. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.
Wer bereits den Film gesehen hat, der Ja-Sager, sollte sich davon nicht abschrecken lassen. Das Buch ist viel besser. (Fand den Film selbst etwas lahm.)
Dieses Buch hat mich auf den Geschmack gebracht mehr von Danny Wallace zu lesen. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.
January 15, 2011
I don't think I have ever laughed so hard at a book. Out loud, mind you. This book is witty, brilliant, and best of all based on real experiences. Inspiring for the long-term, it's in my list of personal bibles. Two cautions: 1) language warning, for those who care, and 2) too much in one sitting and Wallace's humor can get almost grating because it's so intense. Having said that... Read this book. Say yes.
November 20, 2008
maybe I wasn't in the mood for this but the book dragged on and on and I got bored around page 150. So this one is going on the shelf for a while until I can handle the mundane adventures and silly schemes another time.
June 6, 2010
It's 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.
And the answer is Yes.
March 19, 2017
It's a great idea. The last 20 pages are brilliant. But on the other 380 pages to get there, I had very often to resist the urge to throw this book against a wall. It drags too long... And partially it's simply stupid. Anyway, the idea is good.
And yes, we all should say yes much more often! Yes!
And yes, we all should say yes much more often! Yes!
December 23, 2024
I first read this book at 17 I think, and the simple concept of being open to new circumstances changed my life. Like Danny, I started stacking Yeses, embarking on sequences of butterfly effect adventures, which have done me a lot of good over the years. And so, I recommend this book to everyone, it's humorous, charming and so effective - I think everyone can benefit from the simple lesson. The other day, I bumped into a chemistry lecturer who mapped his entire career to saying "Yes" to trying out diving in freshers.
The other note I have on this, having read it 7 years later, is that I understood better and enjoyed more the Britishness of it (my move to the UK undoubtedly also a product of Yes). I also have an appreciation for the staleness that your mid 20s become when things properly settle down. And so, I would most recommend this to my compatriots who aren't dying to be young anymore but need a quick and effective way to experience life's magic again.
9/10, not perfect but one of my favourites forever.
The other note I have on this, having read it 7 years later, is that I understood better and enjoyed more the Britishness of it (my move to the UK undoubtedly also a product of Yes). I also have an appreciation for the staleness that your mid 20s become when things properly settle down. And so, I would most recommend this to my compatriots who aren't dying to be young anymore but need a quick and effective way to experience life's magic again.
9/10, not perfect but one of my favourites forever.
August 3, 2021
Years ago, before I started considering reading more than one book a year, I took this on holiday with me. Think I must have gotten eighty pages in before I decided I'd rather go for a swim or a pint. Either way, I was a little cold on those first eighty pages, but beyond that there is a surprisingly nice and funny charm to Danny Wallace's writing. His effort to say "yes" to everything and anything thrown his way is both admirable and insane. He writes with efficiency, detailing a semi-autobiographical piece with plenty of comedic pit-stops in that reserved English style that every Englishman seems to have. He pokes a monk, travels to Singapore, meets his wife and goes deep into debt. Sounds like a decent time, but he writes with a good-natured ability that feels surprising considering how downhill his life could go by saying "yes" to everything.
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