The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-up

This was a quick, enjoyable read, but Zevin is not as consistently funny as Dave Barry or Danny Wallace, my two favorite humorists. There were essays that had me laughing out loud and most of them at least made me smile. I appreciated Zevin's good-hearted humor. He generally avoids being overly snide or cynical. One of my favorite selections was the one in which he compared his journals from his college trip to Europe and his recent trip to Europe, emphasizing how our perspectives and priorities change with age.

Zevin, Dan. The Day I Turned Uncool. Villard, New York, 2002. I bought this book because of debate. When I judged the HI finals at Auburn, one of the students did an interpretation of "I developed an interest in etiquette" that was the most funny, delightful eight-minute performance I've seen in ages. The book has a strong premise: a series of "confessions" from someone who moves from his hip 20's to his uncool 30's. And put in the right hands, as was proven in Auburn, the material can be hilarious. It is certainly perceptive. Confessions such as "I am a figure of authority," "I joined a health club," and "I hired a cleaning lady" show I'm going through the same phases as Zevin. However, I ultimately have the same problem with this book show more as I have with much written comedy -- after the initial novelty of a writer's style wear off, the work is flat. show less

I hoped this book would be funny, but I rarely found a smile while reading it. The stories are kind of cute and the attempt to point out some of the ridiculousness of modern adult life in the US was fine. I am sure my sense of humor is just wrong for this style.

Being in my early twenties and recently living on my own, I find myself becoming an actual grown-up (which is kinda bumming me out) and feeling that i'm becoming uncool. I found myself laughing out loud and nodding my head in agreement with a lot of what Mr. Zevin says. Reading this book made me feel better knowing that there are other people who feel like I do.

Not the funniest book I've ever read, but good, and entertaining. Dan Zevin is slacker-funny, with bursts of ambition, and the ability to talk himself out of it.

A book about turning from a guy into an adult, and doing so mindfully and with good humor.

Written by a Boston (Cambridge, maybe?) resident, about the same time I was living in Boston (well, Allston [Rock City]/Brighton) and also turning from a recent college grad into an engaged person.

Also, it mentions Nick Beef & Beer House, a.k.a. the beloved "Nick's eef & Bee Ho " and the best thing in Cambridge, Mass.