This Book Will Change Your Life is hardly a modest title for an author to come up with, but then the duo behind this humorous self-help manual don’t exactly preach humility either.
Since 2003, Ben Carey and Henrik Delehag have published the annual “This Diary Will Change Your Life”, subverting the ubiquitous diary format, and turning it into the vehicle for a work of global performance art.Bought and followed by close to half a million people, the Diary dictates your life, with daily instructions which users must follow to the letter, plunging individual lives into organised anarchy, and yet creating collective action among readers. The result has been to create a parallel world in which different values hold sway.The exhibition will showcase this underground phenomenon, and put tasks such as “Today, protest in favour of the government”, “Lobby Celine Dion to sing about you” and “Hire a prostitute for a non-sexual purpose” in thematic perspective.
Since 2003, writers Ben Carey and Henrik Delehag have published the annual “This Diary Will Change Your Life” which cleverly subverts the ubiquitous diary format into an illustrated instruction manual on how to behave on every day of the year.
This all cleverly feeds into the concept of social tribes and uniting the world for the same cause, but without an annoying buffoon like Bono or Bob Geldolf clapping their hands and spoiling your afternoon telly. Perhaps it’s my innate cynicism talking but an instruction to wear a silly hat on October 9 is much more inspiring (and more likely to happen) than me taking to the streets against an unjust political regime.
This Book Will Change Your Life is a collection of the best life-changing activities, from gems like “Discreetly give the finger to people all day” to the surprisingly philanthropic “Hire a prostitute for a non-sexual purpose”. Whenever I see books like this I’m always tempted to give it a go. But at the end of the day, I just don’t think I have it in me to buy a parrot and train it to say “Ugly Baby, Ugly Baby” – as much as I may want to.
Nevertheless, this book is a very funny collection and although I’m no Danny Wallace, my Gran is, and this is exactly what she’s getting for Christmas.
This Book Will Change Your Life is hardly a modest title for an author to come up with, but then the duo behind this humorous self-help manual don’t exactly preach humility either.
Since 2003, writers Ben Carey and Henrik Delehag (jointly known as Benrick) have published the annual “This Diary Will Change Your Life”, which cleverly subverts the ubiquitous diary format into an illustrated instruction manual on how to behave on every day of the year.
This all cleverly feeds into the concept of social tribes and uniting the world for the same cause, but without an annoying buffoon like Bono or Bob Geldolf clapping their hands and spoiling your afternoon telly. Perhaps it’s my innate cynicism talking but an instruction to wear a silly hat on October 9 is much more inspiring (and more likely to happen) than me taking to the streets against an unjust political regime.
This Book Will Change Your Life is a collection of the best life-changing activities, from gems like “Discreetly give the finger to people all day” to the surprisingly philanthropic “Hire a prostitute for a non-sexual purpose”. Whenever I see books like this I’m always tempted to give it a go. But at the end of the day, I just don’t think I have it in me to buy a parrot and train it to say “Ugly Baby, Ugly Baby” – as much as I may want to.
Nevertheless, this book is a very funny collection and although I’m no social crusader like Danny Wallace, my Gran is, and this is exactly what she’s getting for Christmas.
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