Name: Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?
ISBN: 9780316729536

Steve Lowe

The Encyclopedia of Modern Life

Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?

Sarah Sammis

Apparently there's a new American edition of Is It Just Me or is Everything Shit? by Steve Lowe. Brendan Hay of The Daily Show collaborated on the Americanization of this encyclopedia of all things shit. Although I'm an American and an active book blogger, I apparently missed the memo on this new edition.

By strange book karma I got a copy of the original British edition through BookCrossing and that's the edition I read. So when reading my review please keep in mind I am reviewing an older and different book. For your convenience, I am providing links to reviews of the 2009 American edition.

Is it Just Me or is Everything Shit is an encyclopedia of whinging on the worst pieces of modern culture: it's excesses, it's celebrities, government, politicians, food and so forth. As it is a critique of British (for the most part) pop culture as it was in 2005 the biting humor by 2010 has lost a few teeth.

My two biggest problems with the book stem from just how dated much of it felt and the constant whining from the author. Yes I got the jokes and the references and the slang but after about letter F or G, I stopped caring.

I don't think the Daily Show revisions will make the book any better. If you've read both versions, let me know in the comments how they compare.

Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit? The Encyclopedia of Modern Life