Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide [Hardcover]

Lindsey Stokes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Full of the exuberant wit and trenchant insight of the humorist who, according to NEWSWEEK, "writes intelligently about issues that are close to our hearts, without ever making us feel as though we've heard it all before," Planet Idiot is a rollicking survey of stupidity in the most unexpected corners of everyday life.

From Idiot waiters who smother your sandwich with Dijon mustard when you've specifically requested the cheap stuff, bank tellers who demand to see your I.D. when you're depositing cash, and children who ask Loud Embarrassing Questions in public, Stokes advises us how to cope with life on Planet Idiot.

Totalitarian homeowners' associations, slack-jawed Starbucks employees, the uncanny differences between men and women ("Women communicate; men go through the mail"), the beauty of long-term relationships ("You pretty much get to stop shaving all the time"), and people who flash their headlights at you when you're driving too slowly. Lindsey Stokes takes us on a guided tour of Planet Idiot--and shows us how to survive.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...clever..." -- Family Circle magazine

"...entertaining..." -- St. Petersburg Times

"...priceless..." -- Riverside Press Enterprise

"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Planet Idiot! Read it! Lindsey Stokes is a funny lady... -- GARRISON KEILLOR

"Lindsey Stokes is not only better-looking than Dave Barry. She's funnier. Read this book!" -- The New York Times Magazine

"Lindsey applies an unpretentious wit to her commentaries that you just don't see these days." -- Monitor Radio

"Stokes takes life's problems and puts them in perspective, forcing us to let loose and laugh at ourselves." -- Denver Post

"Very, very funny work!" -- The New York Post

Lindsey Stokes' writing dazzles with humor and insight, warmth and irreverence, all at once. -- L.A. TIMES

Lindsey Stokes' writing shines iwht originality. Her work is an example of what writing at its best can be... -- NEWSWEEK

From the Publisher

Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide is an exceptional, rare book that transcends genre. It is simultaneously hilarious, insightful, refreshing, and irreverent.

Stokes has honed her bright, inventive literary skills, perhaps, through years of writing a syndicated column. Her outlook, while comical, is upbeat, and her tone is both spontaneous and perfectly timed. She's has the edge of a stand-up comedian, and the graceful prose of a literary giant. She's a bright, new star on the literary scene!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Greenwich Pr; 1st edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970506104
• ISBN-13: 978-0970506108
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,342,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hilarious, But Very Wise, Book, March 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide (Hardcover)

If you ever start taking life -- or yourself -- too seriously, take a deep breath...and sit down with Lindsey Stokes' book. While PLANET IDIOT is a really, really funny book to read, I found it provided so much more "relief" than just a good laugh. It provides perspective. Stokes does a wonderful job of entertaining while she's teaching us all ow to relax a bit in our frantic lives. Reading this book is like spending an afternoon with a good friend,sharing frustrations, finding common ground and hilarity in those frustrations, and coming away with new energy for facing them with greater relaxation and equanimity.

For those of us who are weary of "self-help" books filled with sanctimonious proselytizing and pyscho-babble, read this book. It will give you a good, healthy slap in the face, but deliver it with a smile and a side-splitting punchline. I hope she keeps writing more books. I know I'll need them.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where does she get this stuff???, March 23, 2001

By 

Molly A. Bellehumeur (Sammamish, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide (Hardcover)

Planet Idiot confirms through the scientific method (i.e., Lindsey Stokes' hysterical storytelling) what we've known all along: the world has more idiots than Dick Cheney has heart murmurs. I seldom laugh when reading a book but Lindsey kept hitting nail after nail on the head. I may never make my bed again (see page 137).

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a break from life!, March 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide (Hardcover)

What a kick! This book is a hilarious page turner. Opened it on a Saturday afternoon and didn't put it down until I finished. Unfortunately, a few of the examples hit way to close to home! I loved it.