Why Me? The Very Important Emails of Bob Servant

by Neil Forsyth

Bob Servant is troubled. The economy is collapsing, his health is failing, and around his hometown of Broughty Ferry, Bob is struggling to get the respect he deserves. Fortunately his email junk folder is bursting with offers of assistance from around the world. In these genuine emails, Bob Servant looks to the Internet's worst con merchants and charlatans for answers to his many woes. The author of the bestselling Delete This At Your Peril and the critically acclaimed Radio 4 series The Bob Servant Emails is back with an all-new compilation of emails targeting a fresh batch of email spammers—the false lenders who have bravely stepped into the credit crunch, supposed doctors offering expensive treatments for Bob's ailments, and fake foreign soldiers offering him military advice in his campaign against a local bowling club. They all find a man from Broughty Ferry who is ready and willing to give them his valuable time.

Genres: Humor, Comedy, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Neil Forsyth was born in Scotland in 1978 and grew up in the much admired city of Dundee. His writing career began in books (a largely forgotten form of communication made famous by Jesus and, separately, Agatha Christie). He has written two novels, Let Them Come Through and San Carlos while Other People’s Money, the true story of the Scottish credit card fraudster Elliot Castro was released in seven countries and is being developed as a feature film.

Forsyth first created Bob Servant in a trilogy of books: Delete This At Your Peril – The Bob Servant Emails, Bob Servant – Hero Of Dundee and Why Me? The Very Important Emails of Bob Servant. Forsyth wrote a BBC Radio 4 adaptation - The Bob Servant Emails followed by the television series Bob Servant Independent for BBC4.

Forsyth is currently developing sitcoms with the BBC and a show with ABC/DreamWorks for American TV. In 2012, he memorably came third in the Dundee Evening Telegraph’s Spirit of Dundee competition, losing out to television presenter Lorraine Kelly and the Verdant Works Jute Museum.

Reviews

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure I have read this book before, and it's so funny and clever that I wouldn't mind reading it yet again after this time!
Forsyth's hilarious character Bob Servant does us all a favour and replies to scam emails that we are too scared to. What's so funny is that he strings out the conversations for a long time, and the scammers very rarely see what's happening, even when he creates a false email for his fictional 10 year old son 'Timmy' and gets him conversing with the scammer pretending that he has run away from home. I have no guilt whatsoever in reading this book, I feel that the scammers deserve everything they get, and if it can make us laugh then even better!!

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fictional star of BBC Radio 4 series 'The Bob Servant Emails' in another compilation of email correspondences between Bob and email spammers, from an Eastern European woman looking for love to the stereotypical Nigerian businessman looking to trick you out of your money. Bob's responses and the anger and confusion he gets from the spammers caused me to laugh out loud a number of times. 7 out of 12

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. It is amazing and hilarious, it makes me want to sign up for spam email. I can't wait to see the tv show and listen to the radio show.

[Susi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny at first but the phishing emails got a bit similar after a while. Some good jokes, but would have liked something more.

[Simon Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good(ish) idea, but feebly realised. My problem was that I didn't entirely believe the replies. Whether they were just tidied up, or whether they are fiction to one degree or another, I am not sure, but the tome of voice seemed pretty similar throughout. I think I read the first of the 3 books, and thought it was funny. This, the third, is, on the whole, not much in the way of entertainment. It's possible, not being a Scot, that some of the Scottish references mean nothing to me. All in all, a dull book.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times quite funny. Novel idea and made me want to reply to online scam artists.

However by the end of the book I must confess I was starting to lose interest - some of the jokes started to become a bit repetitive.

[Maya Panika · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I started reading this I could not stop laughing; read it in 24 hours, choking with giggles, shaking the bed. Silly and surreal. Funniest thing I've read since I can remember - possibly ever.

[Caroline Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

A stocking filler book that raised a laugh and helped pas the time on a boring train journey but too repetitive to get more than two stars.

[Julian]

eternal and limitless mirthmaking

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book I can imagine lots of men get given at Christmas, it’s a novelty item. I liked it though, Bob Servant is a funny chap. If you think sarcasm is the lowest form of wit then you should probably stay clear of Bob and his literature. My favourite emails included “Gary” the American soldier desperately seeking love (and money) plus “James” spiritual advisor to the Church of Broughty Ferry desperately selling bibles from Africa.

There’s a BBC radio show which I’m going to try and find, I think the book will work better on the radio.

[Andrew Ferenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

The further adventures of Bob Servant messing with email scams

At first I thought it would be just more of the same but I can safely say he takes his game up a notch in terms of creativity and adds a wife and son to proceedings with comic results.

Read it, you will love it

[Nathan Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it's pushing it a bit to call this collection of emails between Forsyth, in the guise of Dundee entrepreneur Bob Servant, and various online scam artists, a "book", it's still the funniest thing ever published on paper and I hope anyone who disagrees gets sick.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same, absurd email exchanges with scammers. A few laugh out loud moments.

[Anne Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made me laugh out allowed. A true Broughty Ferry gent!

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea what this book would be about, but it certainly made a nice, charming, lightweight read to take a brake from the rest of the world.

[Rebecca Winfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as 'laugh out loud' funny as his autobiography but anything featuring Bob Servant is well worth your time

[Faye Fenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop laughing!!

[Manofmatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, had me laughing out loud a few times.

[Tim Roast · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why Me? The Very Important Emails of Bob Servant" sees Bob Godzilla Servant, "a former cheeseburger magnate and semi-retired window cleaner," and a 64-year-old resident of the Dundee suburb Broughty Ferry, conversing with spam emailers turning their requests for money, or their looking for a husband, into surreal and funny conversations.

For example there is a conversation about buying 50,000 barrels for $50,000 and how this could put Dundee on the map with Bob supporting his conversation with newspaper cuttings from the Dundee Chronicle, e.g. "Dundee celebrated today after a local businessman pledged to create an oil industry to rival neighbouring Aberdeen..." The conversation also sees Bob anger the spammer by stealing his job and becoming "Bob Servant, Director, National Oil and Investment, Royal Plaza, Togo." Another conversation sees him sending a phone number one digit at a time because of security reasons.

But as the book goes along the formula felt like it was tiring, although to be fair you are partly reliant on the spammer to make a good conversation and most of them had a one track mind with their emails constantly asking for personal data. But also I felt the jokes were tiring too, for example with multiple jokes along the same lines about Sir Trevor McDonald and Scottish celebrities' houses.

I can't compare this to the original book (Delete This at Your Peril) as I haven't read that, but this as a stand-alone is worth getting.

[Jude Broad · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you despair when you see your spam folder, take heart from Bob Servant.

[Jim Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it says in the Bible, this book would be worth reading just for Bob's suggestion as to how Deadeye the fleet-footed wonderboy should celebrate scoring a goal.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing his correspondence with would-be email scammers, Neil Forsyth's alter ego Bob Servant continues to give as good as he gets. Nice book to dip into - very funny.

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally had me laughing out loud. As good as it's predecessor 'Delete This At Your Peril'.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad little read.

Can’t believe spammers stay involved so long, especially when some of the things are so far fetched!