Andy Boyle

Wish I had this book 20 years ago. It is perfect for any college grad or young person embarking on life's journey. Andy Boyle, self-proclaimed "writer, comedian, 'expert'" covers all sorts of "awesomeness" from social, to work, to dating, to self, and more with great humor and surprisingly practical advice. Though snarky at times, and millennial hipster biased (though he cautions readers to stop saying 'hipster') much of his stuff is rooted in good common sense and calls out a potentially self-centered generation to just be decent people. His "a**hole test" is hilarious and widely applicable, for example. Much of what he offers is what you would tell your own kids, but it sounds so much better coming from him, and would be much better received. Definitely adult content -- he needs to come up with a teen version!… (más)

Adulthood for Beginners patiently explains how to be an adult. From dating and relationships to working and jobs, it is packed with advice and anecdotes from this Andy Boyle fellow. I have never heard of Andy Boyle, but I guess the title spoke to me somehow. I’ve been an adult for a good portion of my life now, and I do feel that a lot of this advice needs to be put forth more often. I don’t really know, sometimes I just feel like I shouldn’t be dealing with the stuff that I do deal with. Growing up and becoming an adult is a process; it is a journey and not a destination. Therefore, there isn’t a well-defined mark of when things should be happening.

A great deal of the advice is pretty basic. Follow the Golden Rule and you’ll be golden. Don’t post things online if you have second thoughts, chances are it’s a bad idea. It also breaks down advice that is ridiculous or outdated. A lot of resumé advice is like that. Don’t be an asshole and people will like you more. Don’t be creepy. How to save and have money for things. Some of this advice is so obvious that the writer himself writes about how obvious it is.

This book is pretty enjoyable despite being so short. I could finish this one in a few hours of focus. That isn’t to say that this book is bad or lesser because it isn’t like a Dostoevsky novel or something by a particle physicist, but it is fitting for what it is.… (más)