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Never Push When It Says Pull: Small Rules for Little Problems
Guy Browning's Christmas bestseller is finally available in paperback. Just imagine how much easier life would be if you knew what you were doing. Wouldn't it be great to have clear, precise instructions for all those things you normally mess up? Here, for the first time in a perfectly portable paperback, are the essential rules for handling life's unavoidable little problems - handy, practical tips such what to do with your arm when you've failed to hail a taxi; how to share a romantic bath while avoiding the taps; how to give clear directions to a place you've never heard of; and the politest place to look in a full-length mirror. "Never Push When It Says Pull" will help eliminate minor social embarrassment, ease social intercourse, and prevent night sweats.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Guy Browning
26 books18 followersGuy Browning (born 1964) is a humorist, after-dinner speaker and film director. He wrote the How To.. column in The Guardian from 1999-2009. Before that he wrote about office politics and social climbing. He currently lives in Kingston Bagpuize in Oxfordshire.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 19, 2016
Never Push When it Says Pull is something of an odd-man in my series of book reviews: it was published eight years ago, and is a collection of inconsequential but amusing newspaper columns. Yet I recently re-read it, and enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t resist including it some time.
Guy Browning’s series of five hundred How to… columns in the Saturday edition of the Guardian, which finished in 2009, remains one of my favourite columns of all time thanks its absurdist satirical view of everyday life. This book is the second collection of these columns – a follow-up of sorts to the previously released Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade.
The fact that I find each individual column laugh-out-loud funny means that the book is like a little bundle of hilarity. I read this pretty much in one sitting, but it’s also the perfect book for reading at random, in odd moments – after all, each column is only about 500 words, and each is an individual nugget of joy. Read it when you’re stressed at work and need some light relief, read it while relaxing on the beach, or read it on the toilet. All are decent options, although reading it at work might be inadvisable if this book makes you as prone to outbursts of laughter as it does me.
If you want a taster of what you’ll get in this book, all Browning’s columns are available on the Guardian website. You can read up on how to use a library (aka brothels of the mind), how to wiggle (after all, pleasure is wiggle shaped), or – if this review isn’t doing it for you – read up on how to sulk. I should confess that I’m writing this review in a coffee shop, and have attracted some strange looks thanks to the outbursts of laughter that re-reading those columns has produced.
I cannot give this book anything other than five stars. It might be the case that the slightly strange humour of this book passes you by, but for me, this is pure comedy gold, and I can only highly recommend it.
Guy Browning’s series of five hundred How to… columns in the Saturday edition of the Guardian, which finished in 2009, remains one of my favourite columns of all time thanks its absurdist satirical view of everyday life. This book is the second collection of these columns – a follow-up of sorts to the previously released Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade.
The fact that I find each individual column laugh-out-loud funny means that the book is like a little bundle of hilarity. I read this pretty much in one sitting, but it’s also the perfect book for reading at random, in odd moments – after all, each column is only about 500 words, and each is an individual nugget of joy. Read it when you’re stressed at work and need some light relief, read it while relaxing on the beach, or read it on the toilet. All are decent options, although reading it at work might be inadvisable if this book makes you as prone to outbursts of laughter as it does me.
If you want a taster of what you’ll get in this book, all Browning’s columns are available on the Guardian website. You can read up on how to use a library (aka brothels of the mind), how to wiggle (after all, pleasure is wiggle shaped), or – if this review isn’t doing it for you – read up on how to sulk. I should confess that I’m writing this review in a coffee shop, and have attracted some strange looks thanks to the outbursts of laughter that re-reading those columns has produced.
I cannot give this book anything other than five stars. It might be the case that the slightly strange humour of this book passes you by, but for me, this is pure comedy gold, and I can only highly recommend it.
December 8, 2018
Amusing little book with observations on everyday life a couple of chapters had me giggling.
March 15, 2020
DON'T READ IN PUBLIC or people will be giving you strange looks for laughing so much.
April 30, 2020
A rather chill book to read if you’re looking for a little giggle..
December 16, 2020
Clever and funny. A collection of short pieces so a good book to dip into now and then
June 20, 2021
Now this was the laugh I needed!! Very witty and through the sarcasm there is actually some really great messages!
August 8, 2024
Laugh out loud read. Some of the humour is a bit dated but if you look past those bits it is great observational comedy.
April 29, 2011
I used to read this at work inbetween Window Cleaning jobs, each page or 2 is like a new topic so very easy to pick up and put down again.
It's so funny, I would be laughing loudly all the way to the next customer!
My Dad used to say 'Are you reading your giggle book again?'
It also makes for great bathroom/toilet reading. I used to keep a few funny books by the loo in my old flat, but found that visitors would often be gone for a long time, and then you would hear them giggling!
It's so funny, I would be laughing loudly all the way to the next customer!
My Dad used to say 'Are you reading your giggle book again?'
It also makes for great bathroom/toilet reading. I used to keep a few funny books by the loo in my old flat, but found that visitors would often be gone for a long time, and then you would hear them giggling!
June 20, 2013
This book has enlightened me in so many ways I cannot begin to describe. Every page is a source of new wisdom, and Browning speaks nothing but the truth in every turn. Thanks to his input, I have acquired knowledge about every trivial aspect of life.
In reality, my friend got me this for my 18th birthday, and I fully knew why. This book was a hilarious read, and both educated and amused me endlessly.
In reality, my friend got me this for my 18th birthday, and I fully knew why. This book was a hilarious read, and both educated and amused me endlessly.
October 20, 2012
Dry humour in parts like How to ... queue, How to ... appreciate art, or How to ... fix things: "Things break for three reasons: you've used it too much, you've used it too little or you've used it like an idiot. In each case you can fix it by using it less, using it more, or stopping being an idiot."
August 31, 2013
A light-hearted look at things we do every day. Each entry is about two pages in length and is titled "How to...." A comedian with good timing could use these for a lifetime of routines. One slight problem was British English...lorrie (truck), bonnet (car hood), trolley (shopping cart), et Alia.
October 12, 2008
Well, many things to learn from Guy Browning! Some harder to implement than others...
November 13, 2010
A collection of short humorous essays.
August 17, 2011
Laugh out loud funny - very much in the style of 1066 and All That... perfect bite size chunks for travelling, bath reading, etc.
October 12, 2011
Funny, witty and sharp; this book left me in stitches and entertained me through the mundane activities of my life. It's a good read for entertainment.
February 28, 2012
Exactly MY kind of humor! Too many times I laughed out loud and chuckled on the train, or on the bus, or at a cafe. I love this book.
April 24, 2012
Picked this up in a shop. It was just so funny that I had to buy it. Excellent.
May 28, 2012
This guy is literally my God. I worship every sarcastic remark he makes.
September 16, 2012
Hilarious, sarcastic, witty..
Good book to burn my time with while waiting, while traveling or just to get a good laugh.
Good book to burn my time with while waiting, while traveling or just to get a good laugh.
February 9, 2015
Good fun, plenty of giggles to be had.
March 9, 2016
Bought on a whim based on the funny cover, it was a great commuting companion. Hilarious, short yet insightful reflections on everyday life issues. British humour at its best
April 18, 2016
A couple of laugh out loud moments, but not as many as I expected...
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews