Review: After you read this book, whom do you recognize?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 16, 2012
After you read this book, whom do you recognize?✔A. Someone you know.✔B. Someone you've seen on TV✔C. Yourself.If you answered A, you are a keen observer of the human condition and tend to blame your troubles on the people around you. If you answered B, you have a mind for seeing how it all connects together and blame your troubles on the world in general. If you answered C, you are in tune with your  inner self and more often than not blame yourself for the things that happen. If your answer is "all of the above", you are truly a multifaceted individual with a unique perspective on life. Good luck to you in your future endeavors, it was nice knowing you, and please don't kill me. However, if you said "none of the above", please contact me at your earliest convenience - I would like to have the honor of being the first man to establish contact with a representative of an alien civilization.OK, kidding aside - as I was reading this book, a question kept occurring to me - what is the difference between an "A-hole" and a "miserable A-hole"? Are they one and the same or is there a difference that would somehow make the titular "miserable A-hole" be a member of a distinct group?Throughout the development of the human race, A-holes (AH) have been the moving force behind the advancement of our civilization. Was there ever a time when the A-holes did not leave their mark in history? Napoleons of the world, for example, have been a-holing it all over the Globe and performing a grand work of it. To be a real AH takes a high performing brain and the desire to succeed. The IQ scores of the top-performing AH are way above average. On many an occasion, it would take the efforts of many countries (not just individuals) to bring such an AH down and in doing so we, as humans, would reestablish and straighten the thin bonds that hold our society together. In large part by venerating those AH as either the greatest villains or the greatest heroes, depending on who is doing the venerating.So, perhaps "miserable" is the operative word here. Maybe the book is about how NOT to be miserable? The author takes apart the "twisted and warped logic" of our own device and shows us in no uncertain terms how we could go from being normal human beings to the miserable caricatures of ourselves by completely disconnecting from the world and the ideals we once held dear.Is any one born "miserable"? I doubt it. It takes time and effort to develop an APD (A-hole Personality Disorder.) Just think about all the effort you'll have to put into it:✔ Overblowing the sense of your self-importance. That alone might take weeks. Do you really want to do this much work?✔ Learning how to blame everyone, yourself included. To get it right, it takes mental agility and fine reasoning. Thinking that much should come with a health warning - it might give the uninitiated a headache.✔ Taking guilt trips instead of vacations. Well, OK, this one actually might appeal to some -  at a first glance it looks cheaper than a regular trip. However, the frequent travelers know that the prices of medication, both traditional and prescription, that are needed to sustain a long voyage, will offset the initial cost benefits.Do I need to go on?So, spend your time wisely on anything but; for all you know you'll be somewhat happier. It's worth a try, is all I am saying. As the Bolsheviks used to say - "you've got nothing to lose but your chains." In this case, it applies aptly.There's power in this book; the author does not hold any punches or tries to cuddle the reader. Plenty of funny bits as well. To quote:➨ "Hey, don't you know who I am? Geez, stop being an A-hole and let me have my cigarettes. How in the hell can I pay for them if I'm standing here naked?Or:➨ "...the cow's mother having an affair with the other bulls and how this impacted the cow, giving it a father complex before causing the cow to become a street walker."The author also demonstrates a fine understanding of psychology and human nature in general. You can see it in his discussing the words "never, can't, always, everyone, every time", for example. Those who are even somewhat familiar with psychoanalysis will get this reference.This is a good read for those who are not afraid to look at the world and themselves with open eyes. Recommended.