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The Villain's Guide to Better Living
All those aspiring ne'er-do-wells who cackled all the way to the cash register with the best-selling How to Be a Villain are ready to embrace the finer points of the evil life with The Villain's Guide to Better Living. Within lie the answers to such trying questions as: Home decor -- Gothic? Apocalyptic? Ikea? Friends -- Do I have any? Can I make them? Work -- Should I be a mad scientist or a corporate bastard? Written by the author of How to Be a Villain, this fiendish lifestyle guide is a must-have for any villain who knows more about programming TiVo than about entertaining with panache.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews
October 8, 2017
i love when little books have so much work put into them. this was glorious.
May 3, 2008
The book would be better titled: "How to be a late-nineties goth kid". I wasn't expecting something deep with this book. I bought it at Barnes and Noble because it looked like a humorous coffee table type book... it wasn't funny. It wasn't even slightly amusing. Lame. F minus.
December 3, 2009
Side splitting fun.
Great for villains in the making.
A smile a page.
Full of evil ideas.
Great ill-ustrations.
Handy mini-tome for gamers who want to walk the bad side.
Great for villains in the making.
A smile a page.
Full of evil ideas.
Great ill-ustrations.
Handy mini-tome for gamers who want to walk the bad side.
October 25, 2014
The very funny follow-up to How To Be A Villain, mwah ha ha ha!!!!
May 4, 2019
For what this book is, it was pretty good. I'm wavering between a 2.5 and 3 rating.
It's a self help/how to guide for villians. It's separated into sections; Home Design, Health, Work, Social Life, and Travel. Not counting the introduction. There was a definitely a lot of work put into the book. It's the kind of book you pick up here and there rather than plowing through it, but it only took me a couple of days to finish.
My only complaint is that there were a couple of things mentioned in the book that me, being older the what I presume is the target audience, have more knowledge about. There was also to illustrations that I thought were done in bad taste as well.
It's a self help/how to guide for villians. It's separated into sections; Home Design, Health, Work, Social Life, and Travel. Not counting the introduction. There was a definitely a lot of work put into the book. It's the kind of book you pick up here and there rather than plowing through it, but it only took me a couple of days to finish.
My only complaint is that there were a couple of things mentioned in the book that me, being older the what I presume is the target audience, have more knowledge about. There was also to illustrations that I thought were done in bad taste as well.
April 11, 2021
I really love this lighthearted book. I think it lets the imagination run wild while giving great ideas for the old evil lair.
March 25, 2022
Cute, quick, fun read that is the complement to his Villain's Guide.
February 9, 2013
Downloaded this book from the local library - - I couldn't resist the title!
The heavily illustrated book came across OK on my Kindle Touch, tho the captions usually got pushed to the next page. It's a sequel of sorts to How to Be a Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs, Master Plans, and More!!!, tho I don't feel I missed much by not having read the first book.
As you might guess, it's a humourous how-to regarding how to "embrace the finer points of the evil life". The illustrations are key to enjoying this slim volume, but the writing is quite witty as well. It was a fun, fluffy read - worth browsing thru at the bookstore or library, but don't know if I'd actually buy it - maybe as a used copy.
The heavily illustrated book came across OK on my Kindle Touch, tho the captions usually got pushed to the next page. It's a sequel of sorts to How to Be a Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs, Master Plans, and More!!!, tho I don't feel I missed much by not having read the first book.
As you might guess, it's a humourous how-to regarding how to "embrace the finer points of the evil life". The illustrations are key to enjoying this slim volume, but the writing is quite witty as well. It was a fun, fluffy read - worth browsing thru at the bookstore or library, but don't know if I'd actually buy it - maybe as a used copy.
July 24, 2014
When I looked at the cover, I thought it would be a cute, sort of pithy take on villainous living. Except a lot of the references/ideas were somewhat outdated with modern day villains, and the humor honestly wasn't very funny. This is a short book, and I had to finish it, but really, it took work to get there. This is definitely not like The Tough Guide to Fantasyland's take on fantasy tropes that had me laughing out loud, as well as seriously rethinking some of my own writing.
I would almost say that this is more of a children's book, but as I said, the references are so old that I don't think any of the would-be humor would be understandable. The one part I liked was the "king of the potato people" line, and only because it reminded me instantly of Red Dwarf.
I would almost say that this is more of a children's book, but as I said, the references are so old that I don't think any of the would-be humor would be understandable. The one part I liked was the "king of the potato people" line, and only because it reminded me instantly of Red Dwarf.
December 19, 2016
So you’re an evil villain. Now what? Following the success of How to Be a Villain, Mr. Zawacki details the next step. What kind of wicked monster are you going to be? Mad scientist or corporate tycoon? Evil wizard or computer hacker? What kind of décor would you like for your evil lair? These are important decisions that will influence everything from what kind of victims you choose as targets to the minions you’ll have carrying out your evil bidding. So open this book and peruse carefully. The fate of the world lies within your claws. Mwahahahahahahaha!
Again, this is meant to be a book of laughs not a true instruction primer (dangit). But it’s all in good fun (or is that wicked delight?) and should prove amusing for people who have always admired the evil villain rather than the boring hero.
Again, this is meant to be a book of laughs not a true instruction primer (dangit). But it’s all in good fun (or is that wicked delight?) and should prove amusing for people who have always admired the evil villain rather than the boring hero.
July 3, 2013
Since I always figured I'd grow up to be a Mad Scientist or an evil Sorceress, this was a must buy book. I already knew how to be a villain, but I didn't have the finer points down. Such as how to deal with coworkers, you know, the ones you don't turn into zombie minions. Or villain health tips - why exercise is important (one reason: to chase wounded heroes down). The book is divided into six evil sections, covering everything a villain needs to create a fulfilling life.
Tongue-in-cheek, deliciously dark humor, perfect for anyone who enjoys the darker side of life.
Tongue-in-cheek, deliciously dark humor, perfect for anyone who enjoys the darker side of life.
September 17, 2009
Any Mad Scientists wondering how to set up their lair, their style, or their oeuvre. For those Geniuses who are too over-educated to have social skills, this book provides the guidelines on how to manage minions, decorate your lair, and the like.
Very informative, very humorous, very well illustrated as well.
Very informative, very humorous, very well illustrated as well.
March 2, 2013
Found this on Amazon.com and just could not resist for the price/ and discription of the book! it did not disappoint! The narrative is engaging, funny, and truly took me there in my imagination. I love the illustrations as well! A fun quick read will have you grinning while you image villain's on vacation, cleaning homes, and finding love...
April 27, 2014
Priceless!! Everything a villain needs to know to be successful, from decorating the lair to hiring minions. I laughed through the entire book. The author has a wonderful sense of humor and a terrific imagination. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants some light-hearted fun! Appropriate for all ages.
July 8, 2008
I loved this book. It was hilarious! Everything a villain needs to know about home design, health, work, social life, and travel is in this book, a must read for all villains or anyone wishing to live a fiendish lifestyle! "Villainy isn't always a bed of nails."
April 23, 2010
Momentarily clever, but a lackluster sequel overall. The section on home decor is delightful I would have prefered it skewer the whole Martha mantra with recipes, unneccesary doo daads, and knitting instructions for your jail cell.
July 26, 2011
A comedic work that merges references to trope bad-guy characters with home-maker-advice tips. The wit garners chuckles where the references do not, so you'll find yourself chuckling the whole way through the book.
March 13, 2012
This book was a short and humorous read – especially the section about joining the corporate world to see your evil plans realized. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh, has a skewered sense of humor or is planning on becoming a villain!
April 5, 2016
When you want to take your mind off the hook for a while and just laugh, this is the book for you! Pretty much a "Villain's Visual Guide For Success in Life" type of book. I loved it so much I bought four more copies for gifts to my friends-who in turn all loved it too.
April 25, 2021
This was disappointing and honestly boring. It's a great idea, so I was excited for the fun and comedy, but it never came. Lots of areas just dragged along and most of the jokes never landed. It's a shame, as it was a very cute idea.
April 22, 2008
Erick got this for me for x-mas and it's fabulously entertaining. Quick read, witty and charming. And of course, Evil.
October 30, 2008
This one was as funny as the first! I tell you, if you are a bit dark, and always wondered how you could turn your home into a crypt of doom, then this is a great book for you!
June 4, 2009
A nefarious little pig dog decided I should have this book. However, shall I repay that unfortunate soul?
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July 28, 2009A day read....that I could've done better.
February 5, 2010
A hilarious Monty Pythonesque book! Great satire!
March 23, 2010
A very cute and fun read... The illustrations were great and I really some laughs while reading this.
March 17, 2013
I got this book at a discount store. With the low price, I was happy with the book itself. It was kind of funny.
October 16, 2013
I may have used the advice in this book to help me write a few job applications. I've just started a new job too, so judge for yourself how successful it was.
May 15, 2013
Quick read, slightly amusing.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews