Sisyphean Review: Yes Man by Danny Wallace

Yes Man by Danny Wallace

"Dumped by his girlfriend and on a road to nowhere. It was only when a mystery man on a late night bus uttered three magic words that his whole world started to change - 'say yes more'".

I bought this as some jam to pass the time when travelling. It turns out to be the very comical, very well written and surprisingly inspiring story of one mans search for a life.The book is a diary of Danny Wallace's experience of saying yes - to everything.

The idea is similar to that of Luke Rheinhart's in The Dice Man but while the choices Rheinhart made came from his own subconscious and were projected onto the dice thereby distilling and magnifying his unconscious baggage, Wallace's choices are presented by the world around him. The result is a much more uplifting and positive experience. Wallace is Kenobi to Rheinhart's Vader.

Saying Yes shocks Wallace out of his slough of despond and takes him around the world, gets him a job as a TV presenter and off his tits in Amsterdam.

Wallace is an excellent diarist and revels in confronting his own failings. The book is hugely entertaining and by the end I was sold.

We all say that we want to change. We all want to be different - just like everyone else. The inspiring thing about this story is that a genuinely 'stuck' individual had the courage to adopt and stick with a simple life affirming rule and follow through.

It is hugely tempting to attempt the same experiment and perhaps everyone could use some more yes in their life.

'Yes Man' is a book I fully plan to re-read once the yes-dust has settled.

UPDATE: HAD SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES NECESSITATING MUCH RE-POSTING. APOLOGIES FOR ANY OVERLOAD!!

Other Reviews:
What's My Motivation by Michael Simkins
True & False by David Mamet