Customer Reviews

Yes Man

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the greatest reading pleasures in recent years. I bought this book upon reading a review in EW, and was unable to put it down. Perhaps it's the fact that Danny and I are the same age (26) and both are at a crossroads at which we're unsure how to proceed with life and how to get the most of it, but I guarantee there's more to it.

Danny Wallace, first of all, did a great job writing his year of saying Yes in book format. At once glib, crazy and wracked with confusion, Danny infuses every page with that indelible dry British wit.

Yes, he wins the lottery; yes, he travels the globe; yes he meets a whole variety of unusual characters; yes, he goes to the boring coworker's party and winds up meeting a BBC exec who makes him a TV documentary star; and yes, it all comes off very believable and human.

If you've ever been feeling disenchanted with the flow of modern life, if you have been wanting to take a stand and grab the reins of life (ironically in Danny's case, by letting life sweep him wherever it wanted) or merely want to read an account of how a simple change can give you new eyes to view the world, don't miss "Yes Man."

My highest recommendations all around.

An extremely enjoyable and entertaining read. For those who have not read the dice man (an excellent read also by the way), the main theme that is shared is the central character giving up control of his life - in the dice man it is by setting out outcomes and letting the dice decide, and in "Yes Man" it is by the simple act of saying "yes" to everything. Saying "yes" to dinners with ex-girlfriends on first dates, saying "yes" to attending boring co-worker parties, saying "yes" to an Internet email plea to help one of the Sultan of Oman's sons smuggle 40mm dollars out of the country (not recommended). This is an orgy of "yes". In doing so Danny opens himself up to a world of new people and new opportunities and his experiences and humerous anecdotes are laid out in an easily digestable and entertaining read. At first the humour seemed a little forced but as the story unwound it was touching, hilarious and a very fun read. Enjoy, and say "yes" more.

I read this book a few months ago, and hardly a day goes by that I don't think about it. A man decides to say yes to everything -- to every invitation, to every opportunity, to every solicitation. EVERYTHING. What a simple idea. But, that one resolution leads to many adventures and relationships that are so hystericallly funny and beyond belief; I found myself gut-bursting laughing through the entire book (good thing I was at home by myself because when I start to giggle, there ain't no stopping me!).

This book goes far beyond being a funny, silly book, however. It really makes you think. What if you decide to say yes more -- how would that change the way you see the world and what opportunities would present themselves if you utter that one little word? It's worth saying yes to more things just to find out, which is why I've made Danny's mantra my own, as well.

Danny (and I feel i am on first names terms with him after reading the book) is a normal everyday bloke just like you and me. Well not quite like me, as I've never repeatedly poked a monk on national television or been chased by a giant lizard... tho I do like a chicken dansak.
Over the course of his journey into a life of Yes you get caught up in his sucesses and his failures, and as you turn each page you realise that the adventures that he's had and the experiences he shares with us can be ours. Yours and mine and that is what makes his book utterly utterly fantastic. It may not be literature, it may have been oddly stuck in the travel section of my bookstore, but it's funny, it's insightful and it's incredibly human.
He's a bloke, with glasses and a fondness for tea who decides to make the most out of all the opportunities he is presented with. How many times have we all excused ourselves from an event or ignored an advert or poster, not entered competitions. We all know the world is growing more apathetic and obviously more and more of us... well, just shrug our shoulders. Danny Wallace is a guy who proves that if we take a few risks and see what life has to offer then things can become a lot more interesting and exciting for all of us. I can't see how anyone can read this and not take something valuable from it, even if it's just a few hours giggling as they read it. Should you buy this book? - Yes!

After hearing an NPR interview with the author, I bought this book for the title - as a gift to someone I once nicknamed a "yes man" . Once it arrived, I realized that my friend was unlikely to ever read it, so I did before passing it along. I'm a smallish town female U.S. Baby Boomer and much of the book just didn't speak to me; however, there were bits of fun and treasures of stories tucked throughout. I especially loved his response to the ubiquitous scam of "my [insert African country here] father died and left a fortune that he scammed from government, I just need your help to get it out of the country."

This book affected me in a strange way, but a positive way. It really makes you analyze your own life. How many opportunities do you pass up because it is just so easy to say "no"? After reading the book, I find myself being motivated to "say yes more", and I am capitalizing on a lot more opportunies.

It is a good, quick, entertaining read. I also got a kick out of the UK dialect. It is one of the few book I've read that I try to force my friends to read.

Danny Wallace has taken on what his ex girlfriend would say, another stupid boy project. Like his former book Join Me, where he started a cult by accident this hilarious book will both move, inspire, motivate and have you taking a bit of a good hard look at your life. Yes man is about taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone to experience things you normally wouldn't.

Until New Years Eve Danny must say yes to absolutely everything suggested to him verbally, through e-mail or by an advertisement. This isn't always easy and does take him on some great adventures, it also puts in him in some awkward social situations such as going on the first date of his ex girlfriend just because the date politely asked if he'd like to join them. There are certainly quite a number of hilarious situations saying Yes puts Danny into but also an equal number of career, social and financial windfalls fall to Danny from also refusing to say no. Along the way Danny also makes an arch nemesis calling themself The Challenger, who will test Danny's commitment to his project.

We should all say no a lot less, and the first thing you should say yes to is to read this book. The second is to read his former book Join Me. You do not need to have read Join Me first as nothing substantial from that book is given away in Yes Man.

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. I found myself laughing out loud while reading it, in public (possibly to the annoyance of the people around me), multiple times. I haven't done that since I read the Hitchiker's Guide when I was a kid. It also really highlights the possibilities in life that are available to all of us, if we are just willing to take advantage of them.

In short, this was a highly entertaining book I could hardly put down, and reading it really could change your life.

I've read books that have made me laugh and and I've read books that have made me cry and books that have made me think about my life and how I've been living it and maybe how I should change it but I think that this is the first book that made me do all three. I will be recommending this book to whomever will listen to me. What I liked most was the honesty with which the book was written. He shows us what happens after making his decision to say yes, the good and the bad, and shows that it's not a panacea but a way to view life that, more likely than not, will make your life better. As soon as I'm done writing this review, I'm going to see if Amazon has any other books by Danny Wallace and purchase them tonight.

Though he claims it isn't really a "boy-project" his attempts to say "yes" to everything leads him on a wild adventure as he sometimes puts health and finances in danger. While gimicky (of course!) the book does have moments of thoughtful introspection while overall maintaing enough zaniness to be quite entertaining. The middle of the book sags a little, but the ending is brilliant.