Can't Be Arsed: 101 Things Not To Do Before You Die

by Richard Wilson

A counterpoint to the infinite “must have” and “must do” lists that appear in magazines and on television, this detailed study reveals all the ugly details that are often conveniently ignored. It gives off-putting facts and statistics to quote at holier-than-thou thrillseekers, covering such activities as running with the bulls in Pamplona and having sex in an airplane. Pop culture is similarly addressed, with the most overrated books and movies of all time conveniently listed. So the next time someone insists on swimming with dolphins, reading Kafka in Prague, or skydiving, you can feel better about thumbing your nose and staying in your comfort zone instead.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Reference

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

British comedy producer of Hat Trick Productions.

Reviews

[Roderick Gladwish Gladwish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone's telling you things to do before you die.

Mr Wilson doesn't, he reminds you that life is not about lists and ticking boxes, but living.

I am happy to leave dolphins alone, parachute only when the plane I'm in is not going to make it and, as for tying rubber bands to my legs and jumping off things with a nice view...you get the image. He does it far funnier than I ever could.

Made me laugh.

[Mac.Hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as funny as it thinks it is, becomes less amusing as the pages roll by.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing and satirical take on all those Must Do Before You Die lists that are constantly cropping up in books, newspapers and online (and Lord knows where else). Wilson rampages his way through the many varied things that you must see/do/read/watch/listen to while giving many a good reason as to why you just shouldn't bother. This is not a book for those easily offended (or even those who are able to get offended not matter how easily) as Wilson has a go at pretty much everybody (himself included). Give it a go if you're sick of being told what you must do and would rather be advised on whether things are actually worth doing at all (which lets face it, a lot of the things on those Must Do lists are very subjective as to whether they are actually worth doing)

[Adnamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in bits and pieces delving into countries I was interested in and later ones I had visited. It was funny then it became same-same and then tedious. But do not be put off by this as it is original. In this travel crazy bucket list-for-bucket-list’s-sake world where to be out and about particularly out and about overseas for no other reason than it is THERE, this book is a fresh breath.
FOMO is real and dumb - escape and stay home and feel good about it with this book

[SusyHD · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are you worried you're too open-minded? Getting out too much? Making too many friends and trying too many new things? This is the book for you. Insulting just about everything, from Dark Side of the Moon to the grand canyon to befriending the homeless, you can be assured that if you're tempted to do something, this book will try to talk you out of it.
It's a really low scorer for me. I might have made my peace with the cynicism if it had been funnier. Or more objective: a few entries were fairly well argued, such as the one about the history of the marathon being a myth and marathon running being more about proving your fitness than continuing a tradition. But the majority of the 101 entries were along the lines of 'tattoos look tacky' and 'Taxi Driver is boring'. There are more entertaining ways of subjecting myself to the scornful opinions of miserable people nowadays than reading a book like this, were I so inclined. So thanks, but nah.

[Hannah Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shite! I'd like to say how bad this book is but I cba.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very first dalliance with wry English humour andand boy was I amazed
Richard Wilson is VERY funny

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Can't Be Arsed" by Richard Wilson is an antidote to all those lists of 101 ___________ to do before you die. He begins with Machu Picchu, which might look fantastic but is thousands of miles away and so expensive to get to. I had a quick look at getting there form Tbilisi and most routes involved two or three changes and around 24 hours to arrive in Cuzco then there would be a "bladder-bursting seven hour bus ride". The growing numbers of tourists threaten the area's integrity wearing away footpaths and knocking over walls. Richard Wilson thinks it better to stay at home and watch Michael Palin's TV Programme about it. The Taj Mahal is seen in a similar light, you can never get to see it as you imagine it to be. There will always be throngs of tourists in the way. The classic photos don't show the polluted Yamuna River running behind the shrine. In short it will be an anticlimax. I visited Pompeii in 1981 at the end of a school cruise, we had earlier seen ruins in Greece, Turkey and Egypt, so by the time we got to Pompeii we were unappreciative of further ruins. The Pyramids and the Sphinx were pretty anti-climatic too, unlike Ephesus...I think with Ephesus we had few expectations and it was early in our cruise and we were blown away by the site...whereas the Pyramids, the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World failed to live up to our overly heightened expectations. Even in Victorian times there was a sense that famous monuments weren't all they were cracked up to be.

"The truth is that nobody was seriously moved. And why should they be, because of the exaggeration of rocks so enormous? I confess, for my part, that the Pyramids are very big," wrote William Thackeray in 1844."

Proust's "A La Recherche du Temps Perdu", the longest novel ever, is dismissed with a single sentence: "Yes, yes, Proust tasted a biscuit that made him think of his childhood, we've all done that."

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Wilson (2008) CAN'T BE ARSED: 101 THINGS NOT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
London. Portico Books

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars

The sleeve reads, "Books, television shows and websites are forever ordering us around - 100 things to do before you're 30; 50 albums you must own; this year's must-have handbag; change your life in two weeks. Why - is this an increasingly desperate search for happiness? Perhaps you can in fact attain happiness not by going anywhere or doing anything but instead by actually reducing your ambitions. This is the philosophy behind '101 Things Not To Do Before You Die'. Each chapter begins with a diatribe, followed by a detailed look at the alternative side of the 101 most frequently cited must do's, revealing ugly details not mentioned in existing guidebooks and giving off-putting facts and statistics to quote at holier-than-thou thrillseekers. Here, at last, is the timely antidote to the plethora of '101 things' books so beloved by vaunting adventurers. After all, why must we swim with dolphins? Or read Kafka in Prague? Or go paintballing? Wish-fulfillment lists take heed..."
=====
Due to the name of the author I couldn't stop from reading this in the voice of Victor Meldrew who is a fictional comedy character and a literal British Institution played by an actor of the same name. I did a Google Search and I couldn't find anything that said that the actor and the author of this book is/isn't the one and the same, Richard Wilson. This has it's funny moments - a fair few but it was also it bit meh. I think RW would be OK with me saying that because he says so in the book - skip the parts you can't be arsed to read LOL.
=====
#RichardWilson #CantBeArsed #101ThingsNotToDoBeforeYouDie #Book #Books #Read #Reads #Reading #Review #Reviews #BookReview #BookReviews #GoodReads

[★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happened to come across this at a second hand book store, saw it was comedy and 95% good condition and bought it.

Read it and now im giving it five stars for just being so consistent from start to end.

Read this book as you would watch a comedy stand up. It’s probably going to be offensive (maybe), one sided and dismissive but hilarious.

Its a funny book laced with British dark humor so probably not the best if you’re easily offended or dislike strongly opinionated books.

Not all things on the not to do list are great or should be followed (most really) but honestly was just fun reading the opinion of another who’s not afraid to say whats on his mind (a fresh air with the cancel culture these days).

A great book for my first introduction to British humor. Overall, enjoyable. Would recommend especially if you just want a laugh.

[Mersh]

Actually... DNF

A sort of self help book that convinces you to do the opposite of a normal self help book by giving you 101 things you don't need to do and maybe just enjoy your normal life... welp I can't be arsed in finishing this book

Taking it with a grain of salt as I plan to do with nonfiction, I finished the first part, skimmed through the second part because I barely knew albums mentioned, finished the small 3rd part and closed the book before the 4th.

It was witty, there's some common sense, its satirical.. but if you weren't born in the times the things were mentioned or it's not up in your interests.. you'd either skim/flip through certain subtopics or maybe the opposite effect will happen and you'd give an arse about the stuff instead 😅

It's a DNF for now
Maybe next year I'll just read a subtopic a day when I'm bored...

[Ankit Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lazy, seemingly tired male (hence the spike in interest) lists things he finds overrated, overromanticised or simply too much effort, and hence advises us not to do them. including visiting Taj Mahal, doing Bungee, and learning a musical instrument.

Very, very funny in parts. Though it gets a little repetitive at places, but the humour quotient keeps picking itself up. This is the abridged version, and a longer '101 things' version will be searched for and acquired very soon.

Recommended for anyone who likes quick, witty read or if you simply prefer a book which you can pick up and put down anytime you want (little to no continuity or streamlined thought process)

[Maryam Bankasly · Rating 5 out of 5]

الحياة قصيرة
لا طويلة .....
بس مافي وقت تضيعو لانو قد ماطالت لسه في شي مهم منقدر نحققو
لذاك بعدو عن القصص الي بلا طعمة
وهي الاشياء الي بلا طعمة عنجد !!!
انا معو بكل وحدة فيون قلبا وقالبا
حبيت كتير وضحكت من قلبي وكان بدي هيك كتاب
كنت دايما اقول براسي انو هالاشياء مضيعة للوقت والمال والصحة وللمتعة ولكلشي اجا ريتشارد واكد كلامي (ميرسي) ....فرحني 👌😂
وشكرا

[Max Lynch · Rating 1 out of 5]

A clever concept that was executed horrendously. If it had been funnier then this book would have worked, unfortunately it just feels like an old man ranting about things he doesn't like/thinks is overrated. Again, if it had been funny then it could have pulled it off, but it's really not funny, nor clever.

[Terri Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

101 things that most people wouldn't want to do anyway, but Richard Wilson gives you his own opinion on them anyway, while some things I found amusing, there were also a couple of things that I didn't agree on and that I found was a little dry and flat, than amusing.

But this is a decent enough book to read when you want a break from fiction or heavier genres.

[Paul Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that could leave on the coffee table (or equivalent) and then keep reading a section or too. The principle seemed on face value quite good but reality is that it became rather tedious and humour poorer as it progressed.

[Isla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny (amusing) light and easy read. I enjoyed this. Its quick to flick through, with some funny illustrations. The author may seem a bit of a grump, Victor Meldrew-esque (oh the irony of the authors name!) but its still quite humorous, or I thought it was in any case.

A good read.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This did make me laugh a lot and I will genuinely keep it just to flick through and lend to other people.

[Mark Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that funny, it’s an ok book

[Newfad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny p#ss take of the modern phenomenon that is bucket list. Agreed with a lot of it but Exile On Main Street?! Naaaah.

[Georgia Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best not to be taken too seriously and bare in mind the context in which it was published (2008) - I enjoyed this silly and satirical take

[S a r a · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm using this as a bucket list

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to write a serious review and avoid the obvious joke… I couldn’t be arsed.

[Sandra Amido · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't as funny as he tried to make it be .In this book he makes it seem as if you do anything new you're just making a bad choice and that the best solution is to not try something new. Sometimes it had funny points but not everything. Example: Making fun of the Dark Side of The Moon didn't have anything funny .As a book it was quite outdated and close minded .

[Tim Corke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whilst I understand the reasoning behind Richard Wilson's book, the expected 'humour' just wasn't there. If this is the same Richard Wilson behind One Foot In The Grave then I'm a little disappointed. It's easy to see the grumpiness and general antagonism but I just found it to be a permanent rant in the same vein as the World According to Clarkson books. In this day and age I find this pessimistic attitude to be adding to the general negative feel that surrounds us and not helpful.

If you're a positive person, enjoy new experiences and seeing the world and not accepting the norm, don't read this.

[Tera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful use of satire and sarcasm combined to make a very interesting read. No it's not something that one is likely to sit down and read straight through like a traditional story, but instead are likely to read a bit at time. Does get a bit repetitive if too much is read at a time, but found that by reading short bits in between my other books it isn't as noticeable. Great for those looking for short articles and that also happen to poke fun at the traditional to-do-before books.

ARC from Netgalley

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very British antithesis to the ghastly 'must-do' books

Makes me glad to be British. Not for this author the revered 'must-do' bucket lists of places to go, things to do, which seem all too popular these days. Amusing, not laugh-out-loud perhaps, but enough to put a smile on your face. A great gift, stocking filler etc for those 'grumpy old men' (and women) in your life.

Reviewed in exchange for a preview Kindle copy.

http://ebookproofreader.wordpress.com/
http://easyturkishforbeginners.wordpr...

[Han Adcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, but some of the things Mr Wilson moans about should probably be taken with a pinch of salt. Not everything mentioned in this book is rubbish, but I have to admit that going bungee-jumping and cutting a child's umbilical cord are not very high on my list of things to do (rather my list of Things to Don't [and not at the same time!]). His description of how pointless it is to build an igloo or put up a tent had me rolling around on the carpet in fits.

[Pam Camel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just funny. I loved it. We have all seen the 1001 things you must do before your die. Yeah says who. Honestly I have no interest in 99% of the stuff in those books so why waste my time doing something I don't want to. The authors straight forward approach of you want to skydive why? How about places you must visit. Really google it your get a much better view.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of gets repetitive half way through. There are a couple of bands and television shows that he mentions that would connect with an older reader.
I feel that this is the kind of book that you would read on the plane, and kind of flip through to pass the time.