The Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal Sparring (Snark Series) [Paperback]

Lawrence Dorfman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Snark Series | Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Comebacks and flip flops—historical and contemporary—that capture the current era of snarky humor.

It’s impossible to go a full day without using snark, so why fight it? Snark is everywhere, from television to movies to everyday life. This lively collection provides hours of entertainment—better than an Etch A Sketch, and more fun than Silly Putty! At the heart of it, being in a state of snark can be one of the most useful tools at one’s disposal and hence (yes, I used “hence”), a powerful way to get what you want. With snark, you can catch people completely off-guard, and royally piss them off.

Included here is the Snark Hall of Fame, the Best Snarky Responses to Everyday Dumbassness, and much more. It’s a book that will make you laugh. It’s a book that will make someone else cry. It’s a book every student of the American psyche (that’s all of us, Sparky) needs to have. Let loose. Let your inner anger become a positive rather than a negative, but most of all, have fun. (Yeah, like that’s something you know how to do.) 50 color illustrations

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence Dorfman has more than thirty years of experience in the bookselling world, including stints at Simon and Schuster, Penguin, and Harry N. Abrams. He’s currently the vice president of sales at Globe Pequot Press. He lives in Hamden, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602397600
• ISBN-13: 978-1602397606
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh out loud funny, October 28, 2009

By 

S. Kosloske (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal Sparring (Snark Series) (Paperback)

I found this in a local bookstore and figured it was worth a look based on the title. It's not just a few one-liners, or repeating jokes about sarcasm, the author did a pretty good job sorting it all out and pointing out how funny it can be to mock others. I'm a big fan of the sarcastic comment, so I may be a bit biased, but I've been keeping the book at work, and it's been a hit among my co-workers so far.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You call that snark. No really, he did., August 31, 2011

By 

Jenny Jo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal Sparring (Snark Series) (Paperback)

Snark is in my soul. I thought I had a handle on it, but this book gave me a rude awakening. I thought I was snarky and I was wrong! Apparently to be a champion snarker you must pick apart people by any flaw they have and be an arrogant, misogynistic twit that has no real understanding of women. I have been doing it wrong the whole time. Now that I have my trusty repertoire of lame jokes, quotes and lists of movies and books that may or may not contain a hint of witticism I am ready to be a true snarkest! THANK YOU SO MUCH LAWRENCE DORFMAN!!!! You changed my life. You have actually inspired me to put together my own book. Now I know that all I need to do so is gather up a few quotes and references and intermittently make dense jokes, I am ready!

If you have any concept of what real snark is this book will bore you senseless. You will stop and ask yourself "Does the author know about different types of humor?" I sure don't think he does. He lumps anything that could be considered mean, sarcastic, sexist, etc... into the snark category and often forgets that wit and intelligence play into it. It is hard to be condescending when there is no one below you to look down on(I'm looking at you Dorfman).

Another thing, the citations were enough to drive a person crazy. Especially on a Kindle. You know you can do that in text, right? Especially since the book is set up like a kid's activity book. I'm glad I only paid 99 cents. Try harder Dorfman. I haven't given up on you yet.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Snark Primer, January 17, 2010

By 

kthdimension (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal Sparring (Snark Series) (Paperback)

Dorfman's "The Snark Handbook" is a fun and mildly informative primer on snark. And if you are already somewhat snarky, the tips, quotes, and anecdotes in this little guidebook will elevate your snarkiness. If you aren't much of a snark, however, the quotes, examples, and advice Dorfman marshals will have you snarking in no time...

There are a dozen or so chapters presenting snark as it relates to sex, children, work, movies, literature, and religion, among others. The strongest -- and funniest -- snark comes from (no surprise here) sex, relationships, children, and work. Some of the more entertaining and scathing snark:

"I went to a meeting for premature ejaculators. I left early" (Jack Benny)
"Could you undress closer to the blinking red light?" (unattributed)
"You can't buy love, but you can pay heavily for it." (unattributed)
"My mother never saw the irony of calling me a son-of-a-bitch." (Jack Nicholson)
"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." (Bertrand Russel)
"There is no I in team, but there are four in platitude-quoting idiot." (unattributed)
"Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it's the scenic route." (unattributed)
"Rehab is for quitters." (unatttributed)

And I especially love the nod to Washington, DC mayor-for-life, Marion Barry: "If it weren't for the killings, Washington would have one of the lowest crime rates in the country."

This is an entertaining read that, at its best, will improve your snarkiness or, at the very least, impart a few memorable, snarky quotes.