“THE BOOK OF AWESOME gives me 14,001 things to be happy about. Bravo for taking note of the sunny side of life!” – Barbara Ann Kipfer, author of ''14,000 things to be happy about'', told Belinda Goldsmith in Sydney in a recent Reuters (Life!) interview Down Under.
Neil Pasricha never imagined that writing about the smell of gasoline, thinking it’s Thursday when it’s really Friday, or wearing underwear just out of the dryer would amount to anything. A self-described “average guy” with a typical 9-to-5 job in the suburbs, Neil started his blog 1000 Awesome Things, as a small reminder — in a world of rising sea levels, global conflict, and a troubled economy — of the free, easy little joys that make life sweet.
It’s difficult to overestimate the response that Pasricha’s countdown of awesome things has elicited amongst both critics and readers. Delivered with an irresistible mix of spirited humor and unchecked optimism, “like a snappy Jerry Seinfeld monologue by way of Maria Von Trapp” (The Vancouver Sun), Pasricha’s optimism has proved to be utterly infectious. “Life really is awesome after all,” wrote The Guardian; “Read it and you’ll feel good about being human,” said Jim Hedger (host of Webcology, Webmaster Radio). Housewives and college students, senior citizens and professionals, people from Chile and India and Bangladesh, flood Pasricha’s inbox daily with letters about what the site has meant to them. Teachers have had their students generate their own lists of awesome things. Bedridden hospital patients have written to say that the blog has shown them a new perspective; individuals struggling with depression claim the site has given them new hope; and fans from all over the world have checked in simply to say, “Keep up the awesome, man. It makes me happy.”
Now, Pasricha’s awesome things have made their way into the world of books with THE BOOK OF AWESOME.....Combining classic entries from the website with a hefty chunk of brand-new content, and accompanied by photos throughout, The Book of Awesome is a much-needed reminder of life’s happy little moments, a hilarious and heartfelt thumbs-up for the awesomeness of everyday life. Soon to be translated into Chinese for a Taiwan edition, too. Stay tuned.
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