In Competition 2815 you were invited to contribute to the booming genre of self-help by proposing a new title guaranteed to storm the bestseller lists and providing a blurb for it.
There was lots of good stuff, though some promising ideas failed to deliver in the execution. I was intrigued by Josh Ekroy’s invitation to get in touch with my inner duct tape, and Bill Greenwell’s The Etiquette of Misery: How to Turn Grieving into Gold would surely put a spring in the step of the ranks of Melancholics Anonymous.
Commendations go to Brian Murdoch and Mike Morrison. The prizewinners, printed below, earn £30 each. This week’s king of the hill is Rob Stuart, who pockets £35.
Psychopaths of Glory — Unlocking the Bastard Within
Do you dream of a career in politics or big business but worry you lack ‘the right stuff’? Do you find yourself unwilling to lie, cheat and screw other people over in the single-minded pursuit of your own selfish goals? Then you’re probably one of the unfortunate 99 per cent of the population afflicted with a conscience. Dr Martin Pournelle, himself an unbelievably callous prick, shows you how this evolutionary albatross can be overcome, guiding you step-by-step through the process of surgically modifying your prefrontal cortex using simple household tools and an ingenious series of exercises, ranging from breaking children’s toys to microwaving kittens, that will systematically transform you from bleeding heart into unfeeling monster. If you can learn to Be Ruthless, Not Toothless™, the world’s your oyster — an oyster you’d happily eat alive in front of its horrified mate.
Rob StuartYou’re On Your Own, Pal; How to Kick the Self-Help Book Habit
This book will be the last self-help book you will ever read.
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