Assholes

This book defines an "asshole" as someone who thinks they deserve privileges that you don't think they do. There is also a presumption that everyone deserves the same privileges. There are problems with both of these premises; nobody agrees what privileges they should all have, and some people clearly deserve some privileges more than others. Take Linus Torvalds the creator of Linux for example. He's a huge asshole, but he created Linux so everyone gives him a pass. And honestly, who's to say he doesn't deserve the privilege? He's probably put more effort into the project than many other contributors so he's got skin in the game. His name is on it after all. The truth is that what people deserve is quite variable, and also relative to how much a person demands. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the person who demands a privilege often gets it. Theres something pathetic about writing so many words disparaging people who enjoy privileges you don't think they deserve, while they continue to enjoy those privileges anyway. What this book refuses to acknowledge is how effective being an asshole is. Hate the game, not the player.

Are you an asshole? If you are, this book probably won't even show on your radar. If you are not, maybe this is not the kind of thing you want to give too much thought or consideration (who cares about assholes anyway?).

In any case, the author throws a compelling theory on the whole phenomenon of assholery, something many of us readers are familiar with by having been subject to its manifold manifestations (usually us being the victims of someone's intended or unintended assholing).

The question remains: are assholes worth of a theory? Is it worth to devote a whole book to this subject? In a sense, yes, for the book stands as evidence that you can indeed explore and theorize about this troublesome attitude. And the author believes he has compelling evidences that assholes are wreaking havoc on our society, as he tries to reason through the many evidences the world, unfortunately, provides us (are we living the golden age of assholery?). In the end this is a question of ethics. If we accept assholery as a thing, we have to deal with it and try to find solutions to the many problems assholes bring about to our societies.

So, is this your cup of tea? If you're onto societal critique with a sarcastic twist and a philosophical grounding, this book is right for you. If you're not, maybe you won't lose that much by skipping over this title.