James Rallison

Do you need to write a book report? Try James' Mad lib book report. It's sure to (cough) impress the teachers.

I first caught The Odd 1s Out videos when my kids were watching his Sooubway videos. I was surprised that someone on YouTube could actually be funny. Yes, I do hold a low opinion of most of the video content on that site. Anyway... When I saw the same author of The Odd 1s Out (James Rallison) was coming out with a book, I thought at first, "Ugh, this is like Dan TDM all over again." show more But I wanted to give it a chance, so I contact the publisher requesting a copy to review.

My son flipped through the book first before I started reading. His initial response? "These are the same videos on YouTube except in a book. I'd rather watch the video."

. . .

Ok, for those that prefer not to spend hours online (especially on YouTube), I think you'll enjoy this book. James offers a variety of funny personal stories (aka anecdotes) from catch worms for his mom to being accused of PDA (public display of affection) with his twin sister. And while, yes, he does repeat some of the videos he's done online, there are still one or two new stories (at least from what I see when searching through the list of videos). Not only does he have amusing stories, but he actually puts some thought into it, like a moral of the story or "the more you know" public service announcement.

In order to be cool in school, James recommends a few things (not without a hint of sarcasm, at least to me)... listening to depressing angsty music and wearing certain types of clothing. Keep in mind, I've read the advanced copy, so some of the sections quoted here might have changed by publication. But I hope not, because he does have some good things to say. What if after you've changed the way you look, your clothes aren't comfortable and the music isn't that great, all of which makes you unhappy?

"Cool doesn't necessarily mean happy. You gave up on happiness when you started caring about what other people think."

Wait, what? Hold on a sec. Is he actually trying to sneak in life lessons into this book?!

"Sometimes you need to fail in life. Because you're not that special. Besides, failure makes for good stories." It sure does! Which is why TheOdd1sOut has been so successful. He's managed to put a humorous spin on otherwise sad and depressing life experiences (ok, maybe not THAT sad and depressing). We all have them. I was fired over paper clips. Sounds ridiculous now, but back then being fired was not cool. Still, I wouldn't be in a job I love today if it weren't for that fail.

Don't freak out. There's plenty of just plain silly stories that should make you laugh. For example, when he described the time his dog chased a chihuahua. The chihuahua was on a leash and the owner kept turning around and around to keep her body between the two dogs, but inadvertently turned the little dog into a ceiling fan effect. That got a laugh out of me.

"Follow your dreams, but do it in a smart way. Don't listen to the haters."

I requested a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. And I'm glad I did. I've enjoyed the videos, when I have a moment to watch them. So I wasn't surprised to find that I enjoyed the book as well. I think this would be a great way for kids who love TheOdd1sOut to share that love with Grandma who really enjoys reading and doesn't get the Internet. Maybe other family members don't want to spend hours on YouTube. So how can you show one of James' videos that you find funny? By purchasing a copy The Odd 1s Out: How to Be Cool and Other Things I Definitely Learned from Growing Up by James Rallison. It may not have the Sooubway stories, but there are plenty of laughs to be had in this book. show less

Mild, juvenile humor in the form of autobiographical sketches and essays on topics like robot apocalypse, phobias, and that ever popular stand-up filler, "things I don't like." This stuff seems fine enough when watched YouTube, but seems a little lifeless on the page.

This book is a collection of stories from the life of James Rallison, also known as a famous YouTuber(Animator), Theodd1sout. Some stories in the book include: Harry the Moth, Perks of Being the Younger Brother, and my favorite, Son, It's Time We Talk About the Crickets and the Worms. My favorite chapter talked about James' experiences catching, releasing, or having issues with bugs. In the begining of the chapter, he talks about when he was taking care of someone's frog and had to feed it a show more bag of crickets. He forgot to put the lid on, and they escaped into his room. This resulted in his room being extremely noisy at night and him having to go out and catch crickets. The second half of the chapter talks about his experiences with worms, and even adds a touch of gardening (which is hard to do in Arizona, by the way).
Personally, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it if you are a person who, like me, needs a few pictures to get through a book. I also watch his YouTube videos, which are hilarious. This book had a total of thirteen chapters and tons of art and comics. The book was definetly worth the twenty dollars! I think that James put a lot of effort into making this book, and it really shows.11/10 Would recommend. show less

Amusing enough to start. I've seen Rallison's videos listed on YouTube, but before reading this book I don't recall that I ever watched any. In the middle of the book, I watched his Sooubway tetralogy to get a feel for his voice and that just left me realizing how young he is and how that was his only job before making YouTube videos for a living.

And then all I could thing was: