Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid [Mass Market Paperback]

Dr. Denis Leary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

The New York Times bestseller

One of America’s most original and biting comic satirists, Denis Leary takes on all the poseurs, politicians, and pop culture icons who have sucked in public for far too long. Sparing no one, Leary zeroes in on the ridiculous wherever he finds it—his Irish Catholic upbringing, the folly of celebrity, the pressures of family life, and the great hypocrisy of politics—with the same bright, savage, and profane insight he brought to his critically acclaimed one-man shows No Cure for CancerLock ’n Load.

Proudly Irish-American, defiantly working class, with a reserve of compassion for the underdog and the overlooked, Leary delivers blistering diatribes that are both penetrating social commentary with no holds barred and laugh-out-loud funny. As always, Leary’s impassioned comic perspective in Why We Suck is right on target.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

According to Leary, his first book is not for the faint of heart, by which he means Americans: "I am here to debunk and declassify and otherwise hold up a brutally honest mirror to our fat, ugly, lazy American selves." Now, a good many comedians make a career out of daring to speak the ugly, gasping truths that few others would. Leary brings a particularly acid-tinged tone to his rantings about annoying children, why cats are satanic spawn, what an ugly racket the Catholic Church is and (more surprisingly) why he loves Oprah. The book will most likely appeal to fans of Leary, and while the material might have been better delivered as a live performance (some of these hate-laced monologues are just begging to be read aloud), Leary himself wildly entertains. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Denis Leary has appeared in more than thirty films, including the Oscar-nominated Wag the Dog, The Thomas Crowne Affair, and Ice Age, as well as the Christmas cult classic The Ref, and such indie favorites as Jesus’ Son and Suicide Kings. Leary was the co-creator, producer, and star of the critically acclaimed network comedy The Job. His one-man shows No Cure For Cancer and Lock ’n Load broke viewing records on HBO. Leary has also written for New York Magazine, GQ, Playboy, Esquire, and many other publications. He is the co-writer, creator, and star of the four-time Emmy and Golden Globe–nominated television series Rescue Me. He lives in Connecticut.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452295645
• ISBN-13: 978-0452295643
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (204 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Denis Leary has appeared in more than thirty films, including the Oscar-nominated Wag the Dog, The Thomas Crowne Affair, and Ice Age, as well as the Christmas cult classic The Ref, and such indie favorites as Jesus' Son and Suicide Kings. Leary was the co-creator, producer, and star of the critically acclaimed network comedy The Job. His one-man shows No Cure For Cancer and Lock 'n Load broke viewing records on HBO. Leary has also written for New York Magazine, GQ, Playboy, Esquire, and many other publications. He is the co-writer, creator, and star of the four-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominated television series Rescue Me.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 210 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too bad money can't buy a sense of humor, November 27, 2008

By 

Hunter Sixx - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (Hardcover)

First off, this book is a riot from page one. I don't write reviews because I think everyone else out there does it better, but after reading the one star reviews on this book I had to chime in. Leary has a mean and angry style to his comedy. If you're easily offended, every other paragraph will get under your skin. This would not be the book for you. This would be a great book for anyone that does have a sense of humor and that can laugh at themselves without being offended.

The one star reviews annoy me. I like hard rock and to me, those reviews come off as being the same as if I wrote a one star review of the latest blue grass album because it's not what I like. It would be a waste of my time and the reader's time.

In the Prologue, Leary comes out saying that this is a comedy book. It is a parody, satire and poking fun. His exaggerated take on life. That's what all comedians do and Leary does it well. He also points out that there are endless things you can buy in America - but a sense of humor isn't one of them. Well put.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Honest Rant on Modern Life, December 1, 2008

By 

Zenster "Zenster" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (Hardcover)

I received "Why We Suck" as a gift on the same day that shoppers killed a man trampling him while lined up for "Holiday Shopping" at Walmart and realized this is WHY WE SUCK.
Happily, the book is funny and fun to read.
Sadly, it is a true commentary about our lives.
From CelebuTards to Dr Full to Mr Leary's idea of justice for Michael Vick, the book is astounding in it's genuine insights into WHY WE TRULY SUCK. Mr. Leary is a man with his eyes open and a mind that has not been brainwashed by the spin doctors and Dr Fulls of this world.
If you read one book this year, Why We Suck should be the one.

42 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't stop laughing, November 19, 2008

By 

N.J. "N.J." (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (Hardcover)

Hilarious. The kind of biting comedy that could only come from Denis Leary. The book tackles some of the most absurd things about our culture in a very funny and un-PC way. I would definitely recommend this book.