Friends for life?

Advantages: great book
Disadvantages: none

...I have been a fan of Danny Wallace for quite a while now - ever since I read his collaboration with Dave Gorman on the book 'Are You Dave Gorman?' Since then Danny has gone on to write a number of books of his own, all based on mad boyish escapades which manage to take him to far flung places and sometimes land him in a bit of bother! His latest book that I have read - Friends like These - is written in the same vein, although it does have some quite thought provoking and poignant moments too. As he writes this book, Danny is fast approaching his thirtieth birthday which seems to be causing him a bit of a crisis. Although he is happily married to Lizzie, they own their own home and he has an interesting career; there is something about this milestone that causes him a lot of angst. It is almost as if it symbolises the complete crossover...

kingfisher111 20.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Friends Like These - Danny Wallace

Yes man and the Yes manifesto

Advantages: witty, inspirational, amusing
Disadvantages: annoying use of italics

...Yes Man by Danny Wallace is the book on which the recent Jim Carey film was (very) loosely based. I'll be honest, I watched the film first and I had a mild inclination to then read the book. I was intrigued by the philosophy to the point where I contemplated trying it out for a week (saying "Yes" to anything and everything), if I was less lazy and more confident I would have. Perhaps I still will. When I noticed a friend at work was reading the book I asked if I could borrow it. He's a very slow reader, so I had to wait as the weeks ticked by, but finally he leant it to me a week or so ago. It's taken priority over my other books so I can return it to him quickly. It's easy reading, there was no need for me to worry. The first thing to say is the book is very different to the film. As is usually the case with book to film transfers I...

AgeUK 21.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Yes Man - Danny Wallace

Cult leader, Yes Man and King of Lovely..and all round great guy!

Advantages: The funniest guy EVER!
Disadvantages: His books will make you laugh out loud at very inappropriate moments!

...First of all, it seems a bit odd to be reviewing the genius that is Danny Wallace as a 'product', but never mind! Second of all, let me just say, I LOVE Danny Wallace!! For those of you who don't know who Danny Wallace is, he is a writer and tv presenter. (He is also a King and a Cult leader but more on that later!). He is an extremely funny, genuine guy whose optimism and boyish enthusiasm for life is endearing. Did I mention that I love this guy?! Danny as a writer - Danny Wallace has written 7 books so far: 'Are You Dave Gorman?' (in which Danny and his flatmate Dave travel the world searching for people with the same name as Dave), 'Join Me' (where he tells the story of how he accidently set up a cult which is still going strong today!), 'Random Acts Of Kindness' (where members of his cult 'The Karma Army' conduct a act...

chocolate_kiz 05.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Danny Wallace

Worth Reading? Yes!

Advantages: Very funny in parts
Disadvantages: Slight Maitreya pre-occupation

...As a fan of Tony Hawks, it was probably only a matter of time before I ended up delving into the strange world of Danny Wallace. I'd heard of the rather strange things he'd got up to with his friend Dave Gorman without ever seeing the TV series or reading the books and thought that they would be an ideal way of filling the time before the next Tony Hawks book. The set up for "Yes Man" is a bit more random than with Tony Hawks' adventures, as the latter tends to accept a bet from his friends. Danny Wallace, however, happened to end up sitting next to some random guy on a bus who advised him to "Say Yes More". Danny, realising that his life had become less exciting in recent times thanks to his ability to turn down invites to more or less anything, took him at face value. What follows is Danny's story of events over the months...

Soho_Black 16.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of Yes Man - Danny Wallace

How I joined a cult

Advantages: Funny and entertaining
Disadvantages: None

...It is not often you get the opportunity to join a cult that does not require you to hand over all of your money but that is what Danny Wallace is offering people and in fact all you actually have to do is agree to do a good deed for someone every Friday, once a member, Friday becomes Good Friday as it is the day that you will carry out your deed. There is no great long initiation process and no need to learn countless mantras or religious dogma, all you need to join is send Danny a passport photo of yourself, you may even include a small item like the menu for your favourite Indian restaurant like Joinne Jonesy the first one to join the cult did but this is purely optional and was in fact something unique to Jonesy. Mind you in those days you were not joining a cult rather it was a collective. For those who have never heard of Danny...

atticusuk 21.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Join Me - Danny Wallace

A small but not so insignificant word!

Advantages: A great idea and at times very funny
Disadvantages: sometimes long winded

...I have to start by saying that I'm not altogether sure whether I enjoyed this book or not. I have loved Danny Wallace's books and madcap ideas in the past so was hugely looking forward to it - but for some reason, it didn't quite do it for me. Having said that, there were parts that I enjoyed a lot, but I did feel there were some problems with the book (for me) which I will attempt to explain. Firstly, I will give a brief outline of the story. Danny talks at the beginning of the book about how he was becoming a bit of a recluse and turning down all his friends' invitations for drinks, parties, etc. All this changes though when one night the tube train he is on is stopped and everyone has to take a bus. He finds himself sitting next to a man who he start talking to and tells him about how his life is going. The other man gives a small...

kingfisher111 08.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Yes Man - Danny Wallace

Dangerous, them Swiss...

Advantages: Great story, told well
Disadvantages: We can't do it ourselves, now

...As many people will admit, there is not much stranger than the behaviour of one?s older relatives. Perhaps those people haven?t considered the oddity involved in emulating those older relatives. But stuck in a couple of years? worth of doldrums after working with Dave Gorman on finding 54 Dave Gormans, Danny Wallace suddenly decides to pick up on a most unwitting, inspiring legacy. For it is only with an old Swiss relative dying, does he find that the man involved, Gallus, had had a wish 60 years previously? a wish and a large farm. He wished for 100 of his fellow villagers to join him in a commune on the farm. The fact that there had only been 1000 villagers was not a problem, but the whole scheme collapsed when he reached a total of three. Danny Wallace, then, decides, 60 years later, to be joined by 100 people, in tribute...

theediscerning 06.01.2004 · Read review
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Review of Join Me - Danny Wallace

I'm not Dave Gorman. Are YOU?

Advantages: Laugh out loud funny in places, well written
Disadvantages: A bit rushed towards the end

...Dave Gorman is a man I'd love to meet up with for a pint or two, but wouldn't want to live with, and nor would I want to get stonkingly drunk with him. You see, he is dangerous when drunk, and when those fateful words, "you wanna bet" are spoken, chaos ensues. This was clearly and scarily evident in The Googlewhack Adventure, when instead of writing his novel, he searched the world for Googlewhack. However, the evidence stretches even further back to 2001, when Are YOU Dave Gorman was published. Unlike his later books, Are YOU Dave Gorman was written with his then-roommate, Danny Wallace, but like his later book (Googlewhack), it all started with a bet. Actually, it all started with far, far too much Tequila, and proceeded with a bet. Dave Gorman, after copious quantities of said Tequila was drunk, slurred to his friend...

mattygroves 08.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Are You Dave Gorman? - Dave Gorman, Danny Wallace

'Join Me' - You'll want to after reading this!

Advantages: It's hilarious, witty and well-written
Disadvantages: None!

...'Join Me' is an exciting and hilarious book that you won't be able to put down. It is written by Danny Wallace, a witty and talented writer whose optimism and enthusiasm about everything in life will have you cheering him on as he begins his adventure. 'Join Me' is the true story of how Danny Wallace set up a cult by accident. Whilst sitting in his flat bored one day, Danny decided to stick an advert simply saying 'Join Me' into a newspaper and see what happened. All people had to do to join was to send a passport photo of themselves to a PO Box address, and they would become 'Joinee's. The result? Over 1000 people from all over the world sending their photo to Danny without knowing what or why they were joining. (In fact, Danny didn't come up with a cause until later either!). Danny decided to make these Joinee's his 'Karma Army...

chocolate_kiz 05.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Join Me - Danny Wallace

Not A Cult - A Collective!

Advantages: Wonderfully entertaining, a real modern-day adventure
Disadvantages: Wholly silly, not for everyone

...Starting a cult has got to be difficult; starting it by accident even more so. Doing this and keeping it a secret from your suspicious girlfriend? Nearly impossible. Such is the problem Danny Wallace wrestles with throughout the course of this book - plunging further and further into trouble, but with unfailingly good intentions. Wallace was a 26-year old Londoner with a tendency to indulge in what his partner fondly referred to as 'stupid-boy projects'. Despite resolving to steer clear of these in future, his great-uncle Gallus' funeral provided him with the springboard for just such an adventure. Gallus, in between tending to alpine cows and fighting wars, had dreamt of starting a commune of sorts, an idealistic community, but by the time he slipped off this mortal coil, he had amassed a grand total of three members. In Wallace...

Puggers 12.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Join Me - Danny Wallace