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The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks
Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College
The college years are a time of noble pursuit of knowledge, self-betterment and unending peril! Students are at risk from the moment they receive their acceptance letters. Fortunately, the authors of the phenomenally best-selling Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series have come to the rescue, offering all-new, hands-on, step-by-step instructions for surviving the worst that higher education has to offer, on campus and off. Learn how to identify a party school, engineer a hookup, survive "the spins," and escape a stadium riot. Discover the best way to sleep in class, pass a test you haven't studied for, avoid the "freshman fifteen," and pull an all-nighter. With practical advice for avoiding laundry and identifying unsafe institutional food, along with an appendix of excuses for missed deadlines and a back-up diploma, this is truly required reading for all college students and a perfect high school graduation present.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Piven
88 books24 followersJosh Piven is a television writer and producer, speechwriter, playwright, and the author or co-author of more than twenty non-fiction and humor books, including the worldwide best-selling The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series.
He wrote the teleplay and serves as producer of Don The Beekeeper, a half-hour children’s TV show about honeybees and urban beekeeping. His most recent stage play, a holiday farce called No Reservations, had its world premiere in November-December, 2013, to great success and critical acclaim. More information. His next play is Muddled.
Josh likes to refer to himself in the third person.
Piven is perhaps best known for his famously tongue-in-cheek worst-case books, books that offer readers real-world (though often hilarious) advice on surviving worst-case situations that they might—but hopefully won’t—encounter: everything from “how to fend off a shark” and “how to wrestle an alligator” to “how to avoid the Freshman 15” and “how to determine if your date is an axe murderer.”
Piven is an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania—and living proof that English majors aren't necessarily failures.
He wrote the teleplay and serves as producer of Don The Beekeeper, a half-hour children’s TV show about honeybees and urban beekeeping. His most recent stage play, a holiday farce called No Reservations, had its world premiere in November-December, 2013, to great success and critical acclaim. More information. His next play is Muddled.
Josh likes to refer to himself in the third person.
Piven is perhaps best known for his famously tongue-in-cheek worst-case books, books that offer readers real-world (though often hilarious) advice on surviving worst-case situations that they might—but hopefully won’t—encounter: everything from “how to fend off a shark” and “how to wrestle an alligator” to “how to avoid the Freshman 15” and “how to determine if your date is an axe murderer.”
Piven is an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania—and living proof that English majors aren't necessarily failures.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 28, 2015
Meh. There were some moderately useful things, and some mildly humorous things. There were also borderline offensive things - pretend to be a foreign student by skipping deodorant comes to mind. That trope isn't even funny, why use it?
The decorate your dorm room ideas were overly complicated. Check the local Goodwill or dumpster dive at move out would have been better advice. But that is minor.
The hook up, date three people at once (by lying, not open honesty or exploring a polyamorous lifestyle) and walk of shame advice is cringe worthy. Bikini top from socks when you can't find your shirt? Maybe that would prove entertaining as a slap stick bit in a movie...I dunno reading it is just like what the hell. Discussion of consent in sexual encounters would be good to add. 'How to bail' and 'ask a friend to scope him out' are not open communication. There needs to be mention of consent with the person actually involved. Mind games benefit no one. And saying oh it's comedy is even worse - no, it is not informative or funny it is dangerous and irritating.
A lot of this seems like it is way more than 11 years old. I get that it is intended to be somewhat comedic - well then it should at least actually be funny when it is offensive.
I feel like I could give this book more benefit of the doubt, and in other areas yeah it was more like 3 stars ok - but the sections mentioned, particularly about international students and casual sex - are too glaring for me to do so. Oh, and the only mention of birth control is hiding it from your parents when they visit. No mention of prepping it for the hookups or serial concurrent dating. And the book goes over a hockey puck to the eye, but not condoms or STDs, even in passing?
Meh. It was something to read in print on a rainy day. Has a catchy title for the bookshelf. Going to be sold to Half Price shortly.
The decorate your dorm room ideas were overly complicated. Check the local Goodwill or dumpster dive at move out would have been better advice. But that is minor.
The hook up, date three people at once (by lying, not open honesty or exploring a polyamorous lifestyle) and walk of shame advice is cringe worthy. Bikini top from socks when you can't find your shirt? Maybe that would prove entertaining as a slap stick bit in a movie...I dunno reading it is just like what the hell. Discussion of consent in sexual encounters would be good to add. 'How to bail' and 'ask a friend to scope him out' are not open communication. There needs to be mention of consent with the person actually involved. Mind games benefit no one. And saying oh it's comedy is even worse - no, it is not informative or funny it is dangerous and irritating.
A lot of this seems like it is way more than 11 years old. I get that it is intended to be somewhat comedic - well then it should at least actually be funny when it is offensive.
I feel like I could give this book more benefit of the doubt, and in other areas yeah it was more like 3 stars ok - but the sections mentioned, particularly about international students and casual sex - are too glaring for me to do so. Oh, and the only mention of birth control is hiding it from your parents when they visit. No mention of prepping it for the hookups or serial concurrent dating. And the book goes over a hockey puck to the eye, but not condoms or STDs, even in passing?
Meh. It was something to read in print on a rainy day. Has a catchy title for the bookshelf. Going to be sold to Half Price shortly.
September 28, 2008
Not my thing, but a few of the parts made me laugh. Definitely a good read to just look at college stereotypes and get a good laugh about them.
January 6, 2012
I requested this through BookMooch. I hope the Mooch comes through because I really do want to read this book even though my college days are long over.
I enjoyed this book very much. Parts of it were really funny.
My favorite sections are the "hippie" portion of "How to Take on a New Identity" (it's spot on); the food equivalency chart (the calorie equivalent in mugs of beer for a variety of food items); "How to Eat When You're Broke;" "How to Sleep in the Library;" and "How to Tell Your Parents You've Been Expelled."
I like it.
I enjoyed this book very much. Parts of it were really funny.
My favorite sections are the "hippie" portion of "How to Take on a New Identity" (it's spot on); the food equivalency chart (the calorie equivalent in mugs of beer for a variety of food items); "How to Eat When You're Broke;" "How to Sleep in the Library;" and "How to Tell Your Parents You've Been Expelled."
I like it.
September 2, 2009
As a college graduate, I can appreciate some of the 'advice' this survival guide gives you. It plays on old college cliches and actually gives the occasional pearl of wisdom but it is mostly a humor novel. I know me and my roommates never did make curtains out of old shirts. If you're going to get it, get it for the humor. There are plenty of other books that give real advice and the truth is often stranger than fiction.
October 11, 2010
Even though I'm done with undergrad, this book is still amusing enough to be worth a read on its own. My favorite part was the diagrams that come up every few pages or so. They seemed very self-important for how absurd the situations were, eg, "In the case of a stadium riot, move quickly away from the mascots."
August 22, 2009
Funny, silly, and slightly helpful.
February 15, 2011
This book was facinating and gave a inside scoop of the overexaggerated college life, we'll see.
Read
April 29, 2011funny. i'm not sure whether to take it seriously or not.......
December 5, 2020
It's been 10 years since I was at uni (gosh I feel old) and some of these challenges faced by students are real.
Nice little book for those going off to college or uni.
Nice little book for those going off to college or uni.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews