Why I Hate Everything: Reflections on a Decade in Retail

by Margaret Weber

Has anyone ever tried to throw a cash register at you? Have so many irritating and inane questions caused you to develop a poker face so strong that a sledge hammer wouldn’t break it? Have you seen every dark impulse man possesses? Do you know every demon by name?Yes? Then you’ve probably worked retail, and this book is for you.No? Then you’ve probably never worked retail, and this book is for you.These are the true stories of my ten years working retail. Often ugly, sometimes touching, always funny because it didn’t happen to you.

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Biography

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2021

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the author on a social media platform and thought the book sounded interesting. That is it. Never heard of her before and don't follow her or know about her. I do that sometimes. No excuse just like reading the cereal box while eating breakfast. I like to read. Yes I enjoyed it. Would I reread it no. I probably enjoyed the first part about working in food service the best as I can relate to it as I did that while going to school. Not really a biography but snippets of humor about Maggie's retail experiences. Rate it 3.5* where most of my reading falls (except cereal boxes)

[Dana Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable and relatable selection of anecdotes from the author's early career in retail. I definitely think she would have benefited from a copy editor to iron out the spelling mistakes, but the spirit was there.

I was inspired to read this from her Instagram, where she posts delightful snark about high fashion and other crazy rich people things.

As a fellow theatre kid who's worked her share of insane jobs, I highly recommend this book. You'll see a lot of archetypes you recognize...and it feels good to laugh about it.

[Carm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup… been there. 🫣

[Traci Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting but needs proofreading

I love Maggie Weber’s reels, and she mentioned this book in one of them. I worked retail once, part time in a scrapbooking store so I could teach classes and get an employee discount. Fortunately, I had very few bad experiences due to the type of business it was. I had a bit of schadenfreude reading Maggie’s experiences, but I learned a lot, too, about thrift stores and retail in general.

I do need to say, though, that this book needs serious proofreading. Contact me, Maggie - I’ll help you!

[Donna Worth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very amusing!

I feel very glad now that I never got stuck in the retail loop. My loop was cleaning and I hated that very, very much. No one ever tells you that your first job will stain you for life. No matter what I told the employment agency that was the only kind of job they would send me to.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at the retail life.

I found this book after enjoying Maggie Weber’s fun posts on social media, and I enjoyed it. She had some interesting and amusing experiences, and she described them with a wry sense of humor.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO RELATABLE!! Having volunteered in thrift stores for many years, I found myself nodding (and laughing) at these stories. Could use an editor, but overall a fun read!

[Lee Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ploughed through this audiobook in an evening, while working. It made a repetitive task a lot more fun.
While I have never worked in retail, and never worked in the US, I have worked in the service sector, and had quite a few giggles of recognition.
Well worth the time. Sure, there are some editorial mishaps, but everything doesn't have to be so damn pretentious all the time, does it?

Part #1 in reading books by YouTubers

[Mélyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I found out one of my favourite content creators wrote a book, of course I had to read it. It is both entertaining and informative. The readers who have worked in retail will probably relate to many parts, and those of us who haven't, come out with even more empathy for the retail workers. The many typos were distracting, though.

[Diana Bliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible and I loved it. If you've ever worked retail you'll understand everything she writes about and have your own stories to add. Retail is awful no matter how hard tou try and her tales of rela life adventures prove it.
It's very relatable and I recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh. Weber is at once funny, berating of corporate and management and society in general. She's moving and tells very touching stories of some of the people she's met along the way.
I'm sure you'll love this book.

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever worked retail - heck, if you've ever even shopped retail - this book is a delight.

Weber's memoir begins with her first job as a teenager in what was probably a Dunkin' Doughnuts (she never says), and follows her along in the first 15 years of her career. Along the way, she meets interesting co-workers and customers who challenge her patience and provide great fodder for her written venting.

Given that Weber is, by nature, both hilarious and a smartass, her observations and justified frustrations are touchpoints that will draw sympathy. Even with many LOL moments, "Why I Hate" worked for me because it portrays a woman who grows in her career, becoming more and more confident and mature with each job. Fast-paced and wickedly observant, you'll enjoy Weber's work here.

I was drawn to this book after viewing many of Weber's videos (https://www.youtube.com/@refashionedh...) on social media. They are hilarious and subversive, much like the book. I urge you to watch a few of her videos; if you read the book while 'hearing' her voice, it will make it even better.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very much feels like a 3-star book, which does not mean it's bad by any measure. It's decent, fairly engaging, but not particularly outstanding. The author's tone is conversational and humorous, while also providing some interesting insights into different types of retail. However, the audiobook version is a bit of a mess. It contains editing mistakes and even a Windows error sound at one point. It's not the end of the world, but it feels unprofessional, especially in a book about jobs.

[Atlantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I follow this author on Instagram (refashionedhippie) and watch some of her funny reels about fashion gone wrong and really just got the audio book to support her. It was a very funny and witty listen.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was great. Super relatable to anyone who’s worked in retail and very funny. My main complaint is that it didn’t feel like it had been edited. There were a lot of typos and grammatical errors that made it tough to read.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie is an excellent storyteller!! As someone who worked 11 years in retail myself I was so curious to hear her stories. I knew whatever she provided us with would be hilarious based on her videos on YouTube and I was not disappointed!

[Stephen Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun light-hearted book on working in a rental environment

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just like Maggie and her channel. The book was a fun, quick read. Needs editing, though.

[Patricia]

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's fun, but could use some editing.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, sure

I like her web presence, but the shtick wears thin in long format.
It desperately needs a copy edit, especially for synonyms and commas.