The Ultimate Game Guide To Your Life: Or, The Video Game As Existential Metaphor [Paperback]

Christopher Monks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2008

For anyone who has ever felt like life is like a video game comes this faux game guide for a fictional adventure video game titled "Your Life."

Fans of videogames or anyone who has ever held a controller will love this romp through life's challenges from the formative Toddler Years all the way to the Retirement Home. Complete with navigation, instructions for which buttons to press on your gamepad, and secret codes for success, you'll find out all the tricks to win such challenges as "Navigating the School Cafeteria on the First Day of High School" and "Temp Job Derby". Plus you'll learn the important skill of fending off giant robots. Gamepad not included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Monks edits the humor website McSweeney's Internet Tendency. His work has appeared in numerous print and online journals, including McSweeney's and The Morning News. He writes the popular blogs Utter Wonder and Stuck in Rehab With Pat O'Brien.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tow Books (November 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582975345
• ISBN-13: 978-1582975344
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, laugh out loud guidebook, December 1, 2008

By 

Mary E. Keyes (Boston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Game Guide To Your Life: Or, The Video Game As Existential Metaphor (Paperback)

Fabulous, witty, exciting, clever book that I just couldn't put down. I found myself laughing out loud as I recognized so many aspects of myself in his story. Everyone can get something out of this book of wisdom and humor. I am sending to my nephew who is stuck at his stage of life living at home, delivering pizza with his degree in English! and so it goes.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulously funny and fabulously familiar., December 19, 2008

By 

Anne Clark "Anne Clark" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Game Guide To Your Life: Or, The Video Game As Existential Metaphor (Paperback)

This book is for anyone who has a sense of humor. Monks guides you through each life milestone and helps you avoid each life misstep--with both great laughs and great insight. Reading this book, I had the odd feeling that the author based certain chapters on my own life. I'm a big fan of Monks and look forward to his future work. Look for him at [...]

5.0 out of 5 stars If all of life is a game, then The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life is a walkthrough filled with tips, tricks, and techniques, December 12, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Game Guide To Your Life: Or, The Video Game As Existential Metaphor (Paperback)

The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life: Or, The Video Game as Existential Metaphor is a tongue-in-cheek guide to life itself - from the uncomfortably being born to the sudden stop at the end - that couches all its wit, wisdom, and insight in the format of a video game strategy guide. If all of life is a game, then The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life is a walkthrough filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for achieving a high score of "life points". "Mini Game: Dodge Ball - Most often, recess is when you'll get the chance to play this mini game. Be the last person left without getting hit, and you'll earn one Life Point. Finishing anywhere else will lose you a Life Point." Simple monochromatic illustrations of iconic, video game-style avatars at all stages of life pepper this chuckle-inducing guide. Highly recommended, especially for diehard video game fans, who will definitely pick up on all the gamer in-jokes!