What do you think?
Rate this book
First World Problems: 101 Reasons Why The Terrorists Hate Us
Do you have nothing to drink except a limitless supply of tap water?
Have you ever bought so much food at the grocery store that it molded before you could eat it?
Did you buy an iPhone one week before the new model was announced?
You're suffering from First World Problems.
First World Problems: 101 Reasons Why The Terrorists Hate Us is a collection of short essays and rants from a man who knows suffering.
What follows is the graphic account of what it's like to live in the First World. Tales of unreasonably cold air conditioning, eating to the point of exhaustion, and being unable to enjoy Summer weather due to gainful employment.
Have you ever bought so much food at the grocery store that it molded before you could eat it?
Did you buy an iPhone one week before the new model was announced?
You're suffering from First World Problems.
First World Problems: 101 Reasons Why The Terrorists Hate Us is a collection of short essays and rants from a man who knows suffering.
What follows is the graphic account of what it's like to live in the First World. Tales of unreasonably cold air conditioning, eating to the point of exhaustion, and being unable to enjoy Summer weather due to gainful employment.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2012
52 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 26, 2012
Warning: do not read this book in public places, such as quiet coffee shops! I did and burst out laughing several times and got "the look". It truly discusses the troubles we Americans face: inferior toilet paper, buffets missing key items, toilets that flush poorly, and only having tap water to drink. I was hooked at the beginning of the book when he described me, the reader, as someone reading it on their Kindle. (I was.) It is a wonderfully humorous look at what we, as Americans, consider trials in our lives. Very light, funny, and enjoyable. And easy to read, as each "chapter" is only a page or two.
December 31, 2012
Okay. For those giving this book a low rating: It's supposed to be light and fun to read. It's a comedy and not meant to be a literary masterpiece (or at least I don't think the author intended it to be the next Great American Novel). That being said, it is a wonderful book and for the price, how could anyone possibly complain? I found the humor particularly relevant and have often "ranted" about the same topics as Ben. I liked the short pieces and, yes, they seem a bit like stand-up comedy. But last time I checked, stand-up comedians write the same type of books (i.e. Seinfeld, Carlin, Tim Allen, etc.) and are not derided for their style in such works.
This is a great read at $2.99 on a Kindle. I laughed, I identified and I await a sequel...
This is a great read at $2.99 on a Kindle. I laughed, I identified and I await a sequel...
March 6, 2012
A farcical list of 101 annoying little issues we face in America on a daily basis, each followed by a two-page rant on the subject. Perhaps you've been aggravated by some of these too?:
* Bought too much food and now everything's molding
* The bio-degradable SunChips bag hurts my ears
* Paid in cash and now I have to carry around coins
* The battery on my key fob died
* It's impossible to buy just one thing at Costco
See? They're funny if you read with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Residents of third world countries would be shocked and amazed at the things that bug us. They'd be HAPPY to have any ONE of our problems.
Of course, once in a while you'll see yourself in the mirror. I honestly had this situation happen a few days ago:
* The Coldstone Creamery employee didn't sing with enthusiasm
I mean, really! He used a snarky, sarcastic tone and the words were literally "yay, we got a DOLLAR". Why should I have to put up with that?!?
Overall, the book was good but not hilarious. I think it would be very well-suited to a subscription blog. I also think that he could have benefitted from one more editor (he credits two but they did a pretty sloppy job, especially in the beginning).
* Bought too much food and now everything's molding
* The bio-degradable SunChips bag hurts my ears
* Paid in cash and now I have to carry around coins
* The battery on my key fob died
* It's impossible to buy just one thing at Costco
See? They're funny if you read with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Residents of third world countries would be shocked and amazed at the things that bug us. They'd be HAPPY to have any ONE of our problems.
Of course, once in a while you'll see yourself in the mirror. I honestly had this situation happen a few days ago:
* The Coldstone Creamery employee didn't sing with enthusiasm
I mean, really! He used a snarky, sarcastic tone and the words were literally "yay, we got a DOLLAR". Why should I have to put up with that?!?
Overall, the book was good but not hilarious. I think it would be very well-suited to a subscription blog. I also think that he could have benefitted from one more editor (he credits two but they did a pretty sloppy job, especially in the beginning).
July 6, 2013
Should have an "Americans Only" warning
I really looked forward to reading a satirical view of our 'first world problems' - this wasn't it. The writing was woefully inadequate and it read like a series of one-liners from an unsuccessful stand-up comic but the greatest disappointment came from the fact that this book is 94% applicable only in America.
If you are not American (and America, most of the world isn't), then there will be little in this book that you will relate to, or find even mildly amusing. Unless of course, you really enjoy toilet humour, in which case you might find a few laughs given that a good portion of the book relates to gas, public toilets and inadequate sewerage systems.
I did feel a twinge of anticipation when I read the headline regarding the 'person in front having 22 items, in the 10 items or less aisle' - finally, a topic I could relate to - but no, this actually turned into a German bashing exercise, for some obscure reason? Dude, I know Americans are sadly under-educated about "the rest of the world" (yes, it does exist), but seriously, the war IS over - move on buddy, move on
I really looked forward to reading a satirical view of our 'first world problems' - this wasn't it. The writing was woefully inadequate and it read like a series of one-liners from an unsuccessful stand-up comic but the greatest disappointment came from the fact that this book is 94% applicable only in America.
If you are not American (and America, most of the world isn't), then there will be little in this book that you will relate to, or find even mildly amusing. Unless of course, you really enjoy toilet humour, in which case you might find a few laughs given that a good portion of the book relates to gas, public toilets and inadequate sewerage systems.
I did feel a twinge of anticipation when I read the headline regarding the 'person in front having 22 items, in the 10 items or less aisle' - finally, a topic I could relate to - but no, this actually turned into a German bashing exercise, for some obscure reason? Dude, I know Americans are sadly under-educated about "the rest of the world" (yes, it does exist), but seriously, the war IS over - move on buddy, move on
May 2, 2012
Ben, you would make an excellent stand-up comedian. I'd definitely go to your shows. I like how you think (mostly because we think the same way), and you have a gift of insight that makes for really funny observations. I think you have less talent as an author, and the material in this "book" would have been conveyed a lot better in a different form. It was tiring reading rant after rant like this, especially because each one had such definite conclusions. They could have been organized better and formatted a bit differently. And I hate to agree with the other reviews, but you need a better editor too. As a book, I didn't like it all that much. But, you are funny and I like your material.
*disclaimer* I won this book through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads Giveaway, but my review is 100% honest.
*disclaimer* I won this book through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads Giveaway, but my review is 100% honest.
December 27, 2012
Terrible. Stumbled upon it on Kindle and should have known better; it's never a good idea to base a book on a trending topic on Twitter. The format here is to pick a deliberately ridiculous "problem" like noisy Sun Chips bags and embark upon a mercifully brief but shoddily edited (perhaps just NON-edited) rant on the subject. It's kind of like Stuff White People Like turned on its head - and of course it's REALLY like the preposterously played-out "What's the deal with..." standup shtick. The author never avoids the most obvious reference or punchline ("how to comically convey that something is useless? Ah, French army joke! Where do I come up with this stuff?!")
It's a book that feels more like a collection of hastily written blog posts. And it wouldn't make for a funny blog, either. Bah humbug.
It's a book that feels more like a collection of hastily written blog posts. And it wouldn't make for a funny blog, either. Bah humbug.
March 26, 2012
This book had the worst humor. It was as dry as the Sahara.
I was too annoyed with the writing, I quit reading it.
I was too annoyed with the writing, I quit reading it.
May 12, 2013
this books was awesome. wickedly funny, it made me laugh out loud. if ben was a stand up Comic In my area i would defenitly go see him. two thumbs way up
May 20, 2012
We've all had these thoughts. We've all shared these complaints. We've all felt like dicks knowing that these trivial problems are more important to us than actual important issues. Yet we all get frustrated by these seemingly intractable problems of our first world lifestyle.
You might feel bad voicing your opinions on these annoyingly trivial thorns in our collective sides... but Ben doesn't!
You might feel bad voicing your opinions on these annoyingly trivial thorns in our collective sides... but Ben doesn't!
July 16, 2014
WARNING
WARNING
Do NOT read this book in a room full of strangers. This book is one of few that literally had me "laughing out loud". I simply could not control myself. As a result, I ended up looking like I escaped the closest Looney bin. This book both relatable and hilarious!
WARNING
Do NOT read this book in a room full of strangers. This book is one of few that literally had me "laughing out loud". I simply could not control myself. As a result, I ended up looking like I escaped the closest Looney bin. This book both relatable and hilarious!
January 3, 2012
The book is self-published, and while the author is often funny, having an editor would have helped enormously. There are so many errors in grammar, usage, and punctuation that I was too distracted to enjoy the observations as much as I could have.
February 16, 2012
Biggest First World Problem: Biting into a raisin infested cookie when you were expecting delicious chocolate chips. It's fascist, that's what it is.
I want to be friends with this dude...this book was hilarious!
I want to be friends with this dude...this book was hilarious!
February 11, 2012
Needed something lightweight and fun to read and greatly enjoyed this collection. A quick read that had me laughing hard enough that I experienced the first world problem of needing to wipe laughter-tears from my eyes on my pajama shirt.
April 12, 2012
This is a great toilet-reading book. It's comprised of short, sometimes funny, essays about coping with life in a first world nation. There's nothing really deep and meaningful here...it's just fun to read.
September 8, 2012
I read this today in a couple of hours. It was funny. No story line or anything. Just random thoughts on random topics. I did laugh out loud and some of the fart related stuff and the work stuff. Fun quick read with excellent points.
March 9, 2014
Cute, but if you didn't understand satire and sarcasm, you might mistake him for a whiney child. Light and humorous. Made me smile when I was sick. Served its purpose. If you don't like potty humor, you may not like some of it...but that being said, it wasn't too bad. :)
February 11, 2012
Hilarious. Check this one out if you simply need a good laugh. It is common sense comedy.
February 14, 2012
A lighthearted quick read. I laughed a few times, mostly at myself because I suffer from a lot of these "problems."
February 14, 2012
it was pretty entertaining and funny...and yet sadly true
March 7, 2012
Hi-freaking-larious.
March 22, 2012
At several points, I laughed so hard that I was in tears! It's made even more funny by the fact that I guarantee most of us have had these same thoughts!
March 21, 2012
A light-hearted book. Much of it was silly but it did show how petty people can be about everyday life. Reminds us to be thankful for what we do have!!
March 23, 2012
This book was cute. A little jumbled and rambly but I liked it.
December 22, 2012
Read a sample of the book, which I felt was enough. Each chapter points out a "problem" of most Americans, in dry humorous writing. A funny concept but I wasn't compelled to finish it.
December 27, 2012
Really, I wasted my free book for the month on this. Some parts are funny however, it is awfully written and isn't engaging. Unfortunate, but glad I didn't spend money on it!
August 14, 2013
I read this book to my grandma in the hospital and it had us howling with laughter.
September 4, 2013
Rated 6.95 out of 10. This is a collection of short essays (most extremely short). While some were really excellent most were nothing to brag about.
October 26, 2013
Author has a nasaly, whiny voice while reading his own work. Hint: Don't be so cheap nexxt time, hire a professional narrator. Would have been much better....
September 12, 2014
My husband and I just finished listening to the audio version of this book, which is read by the author. We enjoyed every minute of it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.