This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike

What a wonderfully candid, thought-provoking, and truly interesting book. I was already a Burroughs fan when I happened upon this thoroughly enjoyable read. I strongly recommend it for anyone seeking straight talk, delivered with just the right dose of self-effacing humor.

Hat's off to Augusten Burroughs for treating these subjects with a good dose of reality. I hate the tippy toe way so many of these very LIFE ALTERING events are usually treated in self-help books. I have experience a few myself and I agree with Mr. Burroughs about how you get through and go on. Too many of us wallow away our lives in whatever misery trips us up and can't get a grip on coping and continuing. I plan to listen to this book again and again - just to feel that good ol' kick in the pants to keep me motivated. It is on my iPod and not coming off! Thank you Augusten!

I know I will listen to this book again and again. It rather smacks you in the face with reality and then a gentle humor allows you to step back and re-think you, your life, and the world around you.

Burroughs is blunt and does not pull any punches. Yet this forthright attitude is somehow both reassuring and encouraging.

No. I needed to listen to a chapter and then think about it and apply it to my situation. Sometimes I even repeated a chapter as soon as I finished it while ideas were fresh in my head.

This is a book absolutely everyone would benefit from reading/listening to!! It truly is remarkable how we do not see what is in front of us until someone makes you look again!

Little. Yellow. Different. Just kidding. Groundbreaking, hilarious, moving.

It is a new take on the rather tired, be peppy all the time, say affirmations and forcing yourself to be happy...none of that works.

I've listened to Burroughs' work before - all of them in fact - and was starting to feel that his most recent work was becoming well-tread familiar territory. This one shatters it. He is most definitely back! I've always enjoyed his reading performances.

Actually, I was moved by every chapter because he completely discusses what he believes the heart of the matter in any personal issues. It's sound advice when you've given up all of the empty self-help hype, forced happiness and seminars.

If you've never read his work before, listen to this then "Running With Scissors" to get the background on how and why his advice hits home - he has a wealth of experience from his life and freely admits it. I actually wish that he'd have another book covering even more difficult topics. That's how much I enjoyed it.I laughed out loud on many, many occasions because Burroughs cuts right to the core immediately by systematically going against virtually every principle that is recommended in a typical self-help book...and why many of us never finish them. Hilarious, offbeat and painfully honest - I absolutely loved it!

The audio version is so much more compelling and inspirational than the print version. A night and day difference.

Burroughs offers insights to problems from real life experiences that so many people experience everyday. He presents ideas in a fresh manner that are instantly usable. I really admire his courage to reveal so much without the stain of self pity.

Burroughs is unflinching and direct when he addresses problems. Nothing is sugar coated.

Burroughs thoughtful analysis of a grim situation and declaring with great compassion that there is another way to solve a problem or deal with a tough uncomfortable moment in life. A game changer for me and those I've recommended the audio version to as a gift. That life really is incredible miracle and you are a part of that miracle....

Yes; maybe to a person who feels unlucky in love or who has recently lost a close relative. Bear in mind, this is not exactly a self-help book. It's an essay, it's actual literature, written to resemble a self-help book.
Some passages are laugh-out-loud funny, some are inspirational. Some parts are very touching and actually made me cry.

Dry, by the same author.

I have read his other books (I especially love Sellevision) but had never heard his voice before.

If you're not aware of the context, you might believe something terrible happened, when it really wasn't that bad.

Yes

I am a big Augusten Burroughs fan — I loved Dry, and Running with Scissors. I thought that this book would be like his others, but not so.

The author reading his own work — he sounds incredibly sarcastic. Not the way he sounds in my head when I read him.

I did not get through the second chapter. Oh well.

I love Augsten Borroughs, but this book just did not capture my attention like an audio book needs to.

If you want good entertaintment, listen to the book. If you are looking for knowledge or ways to improve your life, you might get disapointed. (though I've read a lot of self help books and maybe this is why not so much was apealing to me.

I expected more. The discpription felt so hipped up that I thought that there's more meat on the bone. I wrote down a few sentences but that's it.

nope

nope

no

not very insightful. these things were not new stories, some were boring.

he didnt

none

Sort of ... I guess ...

I would have presented my observations as my opinions and not dismiss another's opinions so nonchalantly.

Yes, with reservations ...

Augusten Burroughs is an important observer of humanity. However, he does himself no justice with his autocratic presentations. He needs to get back to fiction wherein he excels.