"How to Deal With the Stuff That Sucks" reviews

 

I am taken aback by the cruel reaction to my new book, the one that is about the most physically and emotionally painful episodes from my entire life.

My friends think it’s hysterical.

Risky spinal surgery? Uproarious.

Spiritual crisis? Hilarious.

Marital woes? Comical.

Unfortunate bladder capacity? A laugh riot.

Contending with Parkinson’s? Wildly amusing.

It’s all there in “(The Art of Living Suddenly) How to Deal With Stuff That Sucks.”

Should I get angry that none of my friends have expressed a shred of compassion for the woeful aspects of my life?

Should I wonder where the empathy’s gone when I opened my soul about the pain I feel when I gaze into the mirror and realize, alas, I’m losing the battle against the dread scourge of male pattern baldness?

I mean, what kind of friends are they that they make jokes rather than extend the soft hand of sympathy?

What kind of friends? I’ll tell you what kind of friends are they ...

They’re all MY kind of friends!

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How many reviews like this is it going to take before you order (www.chrisrodell.com) your signed copy(s)? I vow to not turn this over to Bezo's and amazon until I'm convinced it's advantageous for me to do so.

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                              THE REVIEWS

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"Over the years, my work has allowed me to travel and connect with dozens of amazing people. Many of them I've stayed in touch with and consider friends, even if our relationship entailed just a few days on a golf course and/or at a casino, sharing post-round dinners, late-night cocktails, and laughs.

One of those people is Chris Rodell. Besides being a terrific writer, he's also incredibly funny, genuine, and an all-around great soul.

Unfortunately, Chris has faced some tough challenges recently. His newly released book, “The Art of Living Suddenly: How to Deal With Stuff That Sucks,” tackles a difficult subject: his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which, for me, hits close to home.

But, as always, Chris writes about the fragility of life, his battle with this awful disease and other nagging medical issues with both humor and heart. The book is packed with laugh-out-loud one-liners and real-life stories.

If you're looking for a heartfelt, funny, motivational, and easy-to-read book for the beach this summer, this is it (purchase link below). Chris's self-deprecating take on shock and how to deal with it is brilliant:

"Anytime you hear of anyone dying suddenly, it should spur you to live suddenly."

Thanks (again) for the laughs, Chris. I hope to raise a pint with you soon at the Tin Lizzy."

                                    -- Gary Trask, Beverly, Mass.

• “Chris Rodell is one of the wittiest writers there’s ever been. Chris has a unique view of life that will keep you smiling and laughing as you journey though each of his books. I highly recommend you begin that delightful journey right away. I promise you won’t be sorry!” 

   -- Natalie Debich, Greenburg. Pa.

• "I’m at Carolina Beach, NC for a family vacation! I finished Chris’s masterpiece this morning! I laughed, smiled, and felt everything he was pouring out on every page of the book! Chris, you know I get it, I hope that everyone that has the opportunity to read “HOW TO DEAL WITH THE STUFF THAT SUCKS” gets it too! God bless and may he look after you all the days from here on out! See you when I get back."

                                                 -- Jim Beattie, Ligonier, Pa.

• "This book is tremendous.It’s only one book but it’s hilarious, deep, dark, happy, sad, and grateful all in one book. Amazing!" 

                                                            -- Jeff Page, Ligonier, Pa.

• "You never know what life may throw at you. With his way with words, Chris hits a homer with every screwball they throw at him."

                                                          -- Sukey Jamison, Crabtree, Pa.

• "I am a long time Chris Rodell fan. I'm pretty sure that I have read and enjoyed everything that he has written. In his new book, “How To Deal with Stuff That Sucks”, Chris brings equal doses of honesty, insight, humor, good cheer, and of course, "undaunted optimism" to some of life’s most challenging situations (his own and others). Chris, It’s a truly remarkable book, and a very compelling read!"

                                                -- Jeff Jacobs, Latrobe, Pa.

• “The chapter about you pissing your pants nearly had me pissing mine!”

— Anonymous

• “I encourage everyone to swing by and grab a copy of anything Chris Rodell has written. I can’t speak for “How to Deal With the Stuff That Sucks” because I’m currently waiting ever so patiently for someone else to finish my copy, but I did read “Evan & Elle In Heaven & Hell” and, let me tell you, it was the best book I have read in some time! I couldn’t put it down once I started! I don’t know how many times I woke up with my glasses askew and the book on the floor because I was fighting sleep so hard wanting to read just one more page! I have had more than one day tired at work because I just couldn’t put it down the night before! My advice, read it on a weekend! The only bad part of the entire book was when it was done! I could have read a thousand more pages! Highly recommend grabbing a copy! You will laugh, you may even cry, but you will definitely look at life in a whole new light! Sometimes people aren’t bad, they're just having a really bad day! "

                                        — Nina Lynn Deithorn, Latrobe, Pa.

• ”Chris is insightful, fearless, and one of the most brilliant, hilarious voices out there."

                                        -- Kara Baldwin, San Antonio, Texas

• “Oh my!! Loving it!  Chris, you are a funny man!!!  I mean, really!!"

                                        -- Laurie Young Mcginnis. Ligonier, Pa.

• “I love this book. You know I’m a slow reader. But I sit here in the senior asst. living rooms with my door open laughing. I’m sure my neighbor wonders what is going on.”

                                        — Barb Reiner, Latrobe, Pa

• “There is so much humor and you get to it with such ease, it’s just brilliant. It just seems to come so easily. It’s a pleasure to read. Truly brilliant."

                                           — Jim Wexell, Irwin, Pa.

• "This is one terrific book. Every chapter was my favorite -- until the next chapter! Well written, witty, thought provoking and at times downright hilarious!"

                                            — Pete Wilson, Ligonier, Pa.

• “I love your new book! It’s fantastic!”

                                            — Jack Gardner, Athens, Ohio

• “I expect the world of Chris Rodell and Chris Rodell after 40 years has yet to let me down.”

                                            — Quinn Fallon, Columbus, Ohio

• “Great read. Funny but real.”

                                            — Kirk Baser, Hollidaysburg, Pa.

• “Commenters eagerly express interest in purchasing signed copies of ‘How To Deal With The Stuff That Sucks.’ Many request shipping and payment details while others congratulate the author on his latest work. They without exception cheer his efforts. Enthusiasm and support dominate the comments. Unusually strong reaction like this is often indicative of a successful book release.”

                                            — Meta    

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Don’t see your review here? Send it to me at storyteller@chrisrodell or M me at Facebook.

Read this, then share, donate. Especially you, Elon!

You won’t hear them extolling its virtues on Wall Street, but the greatest economic system conceived by man isn’t capitalism, socialism, feudalism or any of the other nasty isms that make the old butt cheeks tighten up.

No, it’s the one that’s so simple even kindergarteners get it. 

You’ve likely participated in it without ever even having paid attention to it.

It’s so simple, so direct, it reads like it ought to have been handed down by Moses.

Say it with me:

“Have a penny? Leave a penny. Need a penny? Take a penny.”

How this adage escaped guys like Musk, estimated wealth $342 billion, I can only wonder. He must have never had a hankering for a Slim Jim while he’s juicing up his Tesla.

But $342 billion? It strikes me as obscene. Was he raised by wolves? It goes far beyond asking when enough’s enough.

More like, when is too much, too much?

Former Pittsburgh Pirate Jim Leyland understood. It was back in the early ’90’s. One of his star players was in the middle of a high-stakes bidding war.

The Pirates offered what was at he time an exorbitant $24 million a year (the L.A. Dodgers are paying superstar Shohei Ohtani $72.5 million for ’25).

The player said the offer was good, but that he needed to make sure he could “take care of his family.”

The remark inspired an exasperated Leyland to blurt out what is maybe the all-time most succinct remarks on greed.

“He’s worried about taking care of his family? Heck, for $24 million he could take care of Guam!”

I have no perspective. Remember, I’m the guy whose idea of a really good day is one that involves me finding a quarter.

So, of course, I find the leave/take penny model appealing, and use it as a trampoline in this request that you — all of you — head over to my “Go Fund Me” page and help me vanquish the $2,178 gap remaining between the 25 generosities already extended and the $7,500 goal.

Now is a critical time. I ordered and in two weeks sold 50 signed copies of, “(The Art of Living Suddenly) How To Deal With the Stuff That Sucks.” Reader reaction is through the roof. Now I need to order 75 copies in the hopes the commotion will snaag the interest of a reputable publisher looking for an irreverent title.

A book that is essentially about dying is making people laugh. It’s making people happy.

What would make me happy?

I’d like you to share this with your social media and either donate or persuade others to do so.

What would make me really happy?

That Elon would somehow see this (and see the light) and realize it’s better to live broke than to die broken. And I hope he’s seized by an irrational impulse to give his entire fortune to me, save for one penny, symbolic of all he really needs.

It’s really all we all need.

Need a penny, take a penny?

Let it be your guiding principle.

It’s always been mine.

That is with the wise and quite reasonable exception of the $10 billion I’d skim off the top in case of emergency.

You never know when I might need to step up and take care of Guam.

Go Fund Me!

Video, 1:46, Jim Wexell declares my book is “brilliant.” 

"Go Fund Me" resumption: Why now? Why me? Why not?

When I in March unveiled my GoFundMe page, I did so because I believed I needed the whole world for my book to succeed. Now early reviews of “How to Deal With Things That Suck,” and a maelstrom of news events has me convinced I had it backward.

I don’t need the world.

The world needs me.

Really, who's in worse shape?

Audacious, yes. But is the premise  true? Let’s on this day have that discussion, at least before anyone tosses a tariff on hubris.

My dreams have always been humble. When people asked me if I was chagrinned my self-deprecating humor had not made me famous, I’d say, “No, I’m sorry my self-deprecating humor has not made me solvent.”

Yet, there were other intangible rewards. It was a couple of Christmases ago when an Indiana stranger called and said she wanted to buy 30 copies of my colorful life guidebook, “Use All The Crayons!” I said, wow, you have 30 friends?

“No, I only have 10 friends,” she said. “I’m taking the other 20 copies to the local cancer ward where I know it’ll make people happy.”

That was one small Midwestern town.

Think there is any place in the world that’s dominated by unhappiness this Monday morning? Know anybody that could use a lift, something that combines humor and heart?

I need your help for me to reach them  I’ve already engaged a crackerjack local marketing firm that’s convinced me that together we can break through to a large audience. That costs money.

I had a local print shop produce 50 copies to distribute to book sellers, promoters, influencers and people in the Parkinson’s community. That takes money, too.

How is the early reaction? Is euphoric too strong a word? Some would say no, it’s on target. I do already sense a groundswell of untapped support.

Here’s how Meta AI described the on-line reaction to my announcement that the first 50 copies are up for grabs: 

“Commenters eagerly express interest in purchasing signed copies of ‘How To Deal With The Stuff That Sucks.’ Many request shipping and payment details while others congratulate the author on his latest work. They without exception cheer his efforts. Enthusiasm and support dominate the comments. Unusually strong reaction like this is often indicative of a successful book release.”

Want to hear it from a human? This is the note a local woman sent me when she was just halfway through with the “Things That Suck” book.

“Oh my!! Loving it!  Chris you are a funny man!!!  I mean really!!”

That’s eight exclamation points to garnish just 13 words. But, some of you may be saying, what does she know about humor? Or books?

She owns a popular local book store. I predict with her enthusiastic support she’ll sell 150 of these books through Christmas.

Imagine how many I can sell if the book gets picked up by Barnes & Noble (I’m already working on it).

I’m, so far, 70 percent toward my $7,500 goal. I’ve had 22 donors fund me as much as $1,000 to spread the word. I would think on my second push, I can easily double the 22. Could I double the amount donated? Exceed my goal?

That’s a bit trickier. The deeper we go here the more tenuous the connection, or so goes conventional wisdom. But that may not apply between you and I.

Perhaps you’ve been reading my stuff for years — free! Free! Free since 2007! — and you and your whack job uncle used to bond over my blogs. Maybe the uncle just fell down the steps. Maybe he left you a map to a treasure chest of bitcoins that’ll make you rich once you find the loot and figure out just how you’re going to buy Pop Tarts with bitcoin.

Maybe you’ll get frustrated and transfer the whole bewildering mess over to me.

To be honest, I don’t even know if you can hold a bitcoin in your hand or use them to fill up a treasure chest,much less drop one in a vending machine full of Hershey bars. 

Today, trillions of dollars are being shed in markets that once appeared bullet proof and now seem on the verge of imminent collapse.

Who has money to lavish on a struggling writer?

Everyone. Because you don’t need to donate $1,000* to make a difference.

Five dollars can make a real difference. Postal media rates to mail this book are $5.38 or about $2 more than it cost to mail my previous books.

What’s my takeaway from the disparity? I need to be writing lighter books! My next book is going to float. Either that or I’ll delete every other word, believing as I do the narrative will still make some sense.

 Hell, it might make more sense.

So donate, share and recommend to friends. I’m convinced it’ll all together make a real difference.

Thank you for your consideration, and thank you, especially to those of you who've already donated and gotten the drive off onto such a strong beginning.

Go Fund Me, Chris Rodell

*Donations matching or exceeding $1,000 are still welcomed and the donors will be treated with suitable deference