The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs [Paperback]

J.R. Dobbs (Author), The SubGenius Foundation (Author), Rev. Ivan Stang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1987

Sometimes a book goes too far. Sometimes is... now. First, there was The Gilgamesh. Then... the Bhagavad-Gita Then... the Torah, the New Testament, the Koran Then... the Book of Mormon, Dianetics, I'm OK You're OK. And now...The Book of the Subgenius (How to Prosper in the Coming Weird Times)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Divine obfuscation has a purpose. This is the classic that ushered in so many imitators, imitators who did not get "it." "It" is slack, the desiderata that cannot be desired and is only attainable through "Bob," the evil god/male model who founded the Church of the SubGenius without bothering to "exist." If you read this holy book properly, you will learn to "pull the wool over your own eyes." While this volume may seem hilarious, it's also an incredibly adept deconstruction of religion in general and the human impulse to believe in and follow anyone who promises to give their lives meaning and structure. Plus, it's the only place to find the information you need to survive when the bad alien gods come out of the sky to kill, enslave, and entertain us. If you don't already have a copy, then hand in your hipness ID card and hang your head in shame.

From the Publisher

Sometimes a book goes too far. Sometimes is... now. First, there was The Gilgamesh. Then... the Bhagavad-Gita Then... the Torah, the New Testament, the Koran Then... the Book of Mormon, Dianetics, I'm OK You're OK. And now...The Book of the Subgenius (How to Prosper in the Coming Weird Times)END

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Fireside ed edition (May 15, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671638106
• ISBN-13: 978-0671638108
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a cause worth SENDING MONEY to!, June 26, 1999

By 

Modemac (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs (Paperback)

In 1993 I received an unexpected surprise: my brother and I were browsing through the Buck-a-Book discount bookstore in the Cambridge area (Buck-a-Book is a prime source for Slack!) one day, when he found a copy of the Book of the SubGenius on sale for one dollar. He showed it to me, knowing how I had pointed out "Bob" a few times in the past. I snatched the book up and bought it...after all, what's a buck these days? Plenty, as it turned out. I enjoyed the book immensely, and I thought the message of the Church of the SubGenius was a good one. This was back when memberships in the Church were still $20, and every so often I would look through the Book and say, "I should really send in the money and get ordained." But I didn't...because I didn't GET IT.

But the pivotal day came in February, 1994, when Buck-a-Book came through again! This time I was browsing the store in the business district of Boston during my lunch hour, when I came across the book that was to change my life: "High Weirdness by Mail." ("Three-Fisted Tales of 'Bob'" was also on sale for a buck that day, but I didn't get it yet.) I picked it up and said to myself, "I really should get this - it's only a buck!" and I bought it. A good omen occured right there at the cash register: the cashier saw the book and he said, "That is such a GREAT book! I've gotten so much weird stuff from that book...my neighbors think I'm crazy!"

So I read the book...and I WAS STRUCK BY A REVELATION! The rightings within this Sacred Tome were as much of an eye-opener as Rick had been! The chapter on dangerous hate groups alone was worth the cost of the book (the full cost, that is - not just a buck), and the book's musings on the philsophies of life and what is good (and what isn't) helped me to truly read between the likes of the Book of the SubGenius at last. YES! I was struck by the reality of the true meaning of the Church of the SubGenius...and it was good! It was something I already believed in! It was a cause worth sending money to! I finally GOT IT! Within the next week, I finally wrote out my $20 and mailed it in to the Sacred P.O. Box. I also went back to Buck-a-Book and got "Three-Fisted Tales" before it vanished, though I thought (and still think) that it wasn't as good as first two books had been.

When you first read "The Book of the SubGenius," you may not GET IT. Only those of true Yeti heritage will be blessed with the vision that is J.R. "Bob" Dobbs...and one of those rare souls could be YOU. You MUST see the Book of the SubGenius. Even if you don't GET IT right now, you will one day...if it is right for YOU!

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save the Children, June 13, 2004

By 

steve jackson (Orlando, Fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs (Paperback)

"Bob" Dobbs is a madman and must be stopped!

He is defiling the hearts, eyes, ears, and intestines of our nations' children! His insidious "slack orgies" and "suicide competitions" can turn your normal child into a deranged, slackjawed robot who pursues nothing but the teachings of this lunatic pornographer! If your children are acting "abnormal", are physically "ugly", or have been recently diagnosed with "ADD" or "HERPES" chances are they may have joined Mr. Dobbs' fraudulent sex-death-cult!

Buy this book so you can learn to protect your family from the teachings of this devilish and dapper man! THEN BURN IT!!!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BOOK YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE, November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs (Paperback)

At first, I thought this book was pure EVIL. So I burned it, only to have it appear that night (in perfect condition, yet still warm and a slight smokey odor) under my pillow. So I burned it again the next morning. Yep, you guessed it, under my pillow the next night. I began to read and spent the majority of the next 3 months with gut-wrenching laughter and tears of joy as this confusing world was clearified and classified into an eternal perpetual joke for which only BOB has the punchline. YES!, Brothers and Sisters, You too can be saved by the Grace of BOB. Eternal Salvation or triple you money back!!! No other religion can make such a hefty promise! This is the world's only admitted "for-profit" religion. This book has changed my life. Before, I was a low-life loser who never had any money, women, fun, or slack. Now I am a low-life loser who has no money, women or fun,.... .... BUT I HAVE PLENTY OF SLACK!!!!! PRAISE BOB!