Reviews and Comments

I didn't want this book to finish but it has and I loved it! There was something very surreal and oddly comforting about reading a story where everyday things disappear during a pandemic where much of our former lives has disappeared

Given all the great reviews I was looking forward to this book but I found only a handful of the stories - The Finkelstein 5, The Era, Zimmer Land and Through The Flash - really captivated me.

This book really resonated with me as I've never really identified with what Perry calls the "Default Man".

Very much an airport impulse buy because the idea of buying a book on saying no at a period in my life when I wanted to be better at asserting my boundaries seemed ideal. It's an easy read and full of loads of examples on how to say no in situations though I am not sure it warranted a whole book on the subject. The writing style is very in your face and you'll either love or loathe it.

This book really resonated with me and got me thinking of the importance of listening to others, and not just friends but also people who have views different to you. The example of the black man who would befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan and often cause them to renounce their membership was so powerful. As was the section on the psychology of sound and voice which has since caused me to call or leave audio messages for friends on their birthdays.

I really liked the premise of this book, a compilation of scenes from food films including my favourite Tampopo. The scenes with dialog worked really well with the captions but those that were just a collection of stills didn't have the same impact.,

As a recent convert to running this book actually inspired me to run every day like the author.