“Weren’t you really dreaming of a full-color paperback edition of cartoons about people wondering whether it’s possible to pee in somebody’s butt?”

– English Teacher X

As a fan of cartoons, crude humor, and travel; I was ecstatic to discover Complete Collected Comics by English Teacher X.

I went into the book with the expectation of being simultaneously disgusted and amused. I was not disappointed. Shoe fetishists, bizarre co-workers, Thanksgiving themed pornography, and “gonorrhea of the eyes;” make this book a hilariously entertaining read. There’s even a great joke involving cuisenaire rods and unwanted sexual advances.

Aside from being funny, Complete Collected Comics is also a fascinating read. Spanning over a decade’s worth of material the book chronicles the evolution of X’s cartooning and provides some interesting backstory into his teaching and blogging career:

“I started my own website in 2003. I had a Pentium 1 desktop computer that a student had given me, and most of the original website poured out of me in great violent vomitous red-and-black spurts of unedited typing and hastily-cut together cartoons, between 2003 and 2005.”

If you’re a fan of X’s other work and want some additional laughs, I highly recommend Complete Collected Comics.

“You can’t live off your soul. You can’t pay the rent with your soul. Try it sometime.”

– Charles Bukowski, Hot Water Music

I’m burnt out and coming down from a crazy summer, women who mix Buddhism with Hydrocodone, a stagnate writing career, and a creeping sense of nihilistic despair.

I was feeling alone. Like these problems were unique to me. Then I read Hot Water Music by Charles Bukowski. Just like that, my troubles vanished.

Hot Water Music is one of those rare refuges in audacity that manages to withstand the test of time. While it’s filled with toilet humor and sex jokes, it also manages to capture real life experiences and filter them through the lens of fiction. I read a great article about Bukowski, claiming that almost all his work is actually nonfiction. I believe it.

Reading Hot Water Music was a lot like conversing with someone who’s either incredibly brilliant or seriously insane. The humor is dark and twisted, as an adulterous man gets murdered by his wife Bukowski manages to sneak in a fart joke. Nothing is sacred, be it feminists, Ronald Reagan, book publishers, or Trueman Capote. Every other sentence contains swear words, or graphic descriptions of bodily functions.

The least offensive portion of the book I felt like posting about comes from an exchange between Bukowski’s thinly veiled alter ego and a doctor treating his lacerated genitals:

“I knew a girl in a small town. She was in her early teens and she was playing around with a coke bottle. She got it stuck up there and couldn’t get it out. She had to go to the doctor. You know how small towns are. The word got out. Her whole life was ruined. She was shunned. Nobody would touch her. The most beautiful girl in town. She finally married a midget in a wheelchair who had some kind of palsy.”

I thoroughly enjoyed Hot Water Music and am going to pick up some more Bukowski later this week. If you’re a fan of artists like Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Hunter S. Thompson, or Matt Parker and Trey Stone; you’ll enjoy this book.

“If, and only if, you are a masochist and feel like pain and torture, should you open a feminist.”

– Robert Donlak, Donlak’s Guide to Girls

While listening to a recent episode of Manosphere Radio I discovered a blogger I’d previously been unaware of, Robert Donlak runs a really cool site called Paradigm Shift. Having made some extra money off Fiverr this week, I decided to splurge and buy a copy of his book Donlak’s Guide to Girls. It was a great decision.

First off, this book is hilarious. Donlak writes in a very satirical style that’s both informative and genuinely amusing. There were numerous paragraphs that actually made me burst out in laughter. Although the humor is snarky and sarcastic it’s also smartly written, reminding me a lot of Matt Groening’s Love Is Hell. Additionaly, I could relate to a lot of the author’s insights, making his jokes that much funnier. For instance, he’s description of seducing a party girl is dead on:

“Hooking up with a party girl is a lot trickier than you think, and yet it’s as simple as a Zen monk meditating on lotus petals. See you don’t actually hook the party girl, other than by having fun. Do some coke, do some shots with her, dance, keep the fun going, talk to her friends, etc.”

My only complaint with this book is it’s length, Donlak’s Guide to Girls just kind of ends. It would have been nice if there was some kind of conclusion that tied everything together. Otherwise, I thought the book was a fun little read with a great sense of humor.

If you’re a young guy caught up in the dating scene I recommend checking out Donlak’s Guide to Girls.

“Conquest, war, death, hunger, or disease – any of the horsemen will do.”

– Jack Donovan

Typically I avoid reading books on masculinity. Most writings about manhood are either written by postmenopausal feminists, or authored by clueless herbs who consider hiding in a man cave and watching porn to be some kind of high-level male achievement.

Having disliked every previous book on manhood that I’d ever read, I was a little wary about reading Jack Donovan’s The Way of Men. I’d heard great things about it, but I was still a bit skeptical. Fortunately, I followed a link from Viva La Manosphere! to Donovan’s blog. After reading half a dozen posts, I decided to check out The Way of Men.

I was not disappointed.

The Way of Men is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s both relatable and explores many aspects of masculinity that I’d never thought about before.

One of my favorite concepts that Donovan explains is “The Way of The Gang.” Even with our smart phones, cultural diversity classes, and countless amenities we’re still tribesmen at heart. This section was easy to relate to and reminded me of all the crazy situations that my bros and I have gotten into. It also made me think about how my friends and I have certain things that are only acceptable within the crew. As Donovan explains:

“Beyond us is them, and the line that separates us from them is the circle of trust.”

All the guys I’m friends with can mess around and mock each other all day long. However, if an outsider started talking trash the whole group would become hostile to them.

I also found that Donovan’s theory of the need for conflict as a masculine trait to be something that I’ve always thought, but have never been able to put into words. Bodybuilding, business, competitive fighting, learning new skills, and picking up girls are all deeply rooted in the world of conflict. In fact, this whole blog could be retitled “Robert Koch vs.”

Additionally, I found the book’s four pillars of manhood to be fascinating. It was interesting to learn how each element complimented the others and how neglecting certain aspects could have disastrous repercussions. Possessing a genius level of intellect will do little good for a spineless pushover, likewise being powerful but disloyal will quickly lead to trouble. Donovan also has a great section on the meaning of courage, which is something that I’d never thought about before reading The Way of Men:

“Courage implies risk, it implies a potential for failure or the presence of danger. Courage is measured against danger.”

Being a keyboard jockey, anonymous whistle blower, or the guy who scampers to Human Resources the second he hears an off-color joke; are not courageous traits. Where there is no danger there is no bravery.

If you’re a man you should buy The Way of Men. By the time you finish it, you’ll have a whole new view of yourself and the world around you.

P.S. I liked this book so much that I’m going to buy a paperback copy and donate it to my local library. Seriously, the book is that good.

 “In 1991, I was twenty-three and had just moved out to Los Angeles from Miami. I worked different part-time jobs as I was still young and didn’t have a clear idea what I wanted to do with my life.”

– Steven St. Croix

The most relatable book that I’ve read all year was written by a porn star.

Although by no means a great book, I found Porn Star-Everything You Want To Know And Are Embarrassed To Ask, by Steven St. Croix, to be a highly enjoyable read. The book is concise, yet packed with interesting and applicable information that most guys can appreciate.

Here are just a few of the important lessons I took away from Porn Star:

• Opportunity still requires action.

Croix didn’t get into the porn industry by chance, he had to seek out an entrance. Starting with a sales job for an adult film company, Croix worked his way into a position doing various off-screen tasks on the set of porn films. While he did get a lot of lucky breaks along the way, it still took initiative for him to achieve an acting position.

• Work is work.

Even a “dream job” that most guys would kill for can still be unpleasant. Between insane work hours, harsh conditions, and hasty preparation; being an adult actor is a stressful. I’ve never filmed a porn, but I have done a few student films and can attest to the frantic atmosphere that accompanies movie making.

• Porn sex is impractical.

While I was somewhat aware of this before, Croix does a great job explaining the ridiculous sexual positions that porn stars must endure. From having sex while standing on tip-toes, to shooting scenes in extreme climates and uncomfortable locations; most of the sexual encounters are physically exerting.

• Not every male actor has to do gay porn.

Until reading this book I’d always been under the impression that all male actors had to start their careers with titles like Two Guys One Dude. I was wrong. Male actors can choose which types of films they want to be in. While some of them do claim to be “gay for pay,” it’s their own decision.

• Be careful what you wish for.

My mentor once told me about an old Chinese curse that reads “May you receive everything you ask for.” In Porn Star‘s final section, Croix gives a similar warning to any young man wanting to follow in his footsteps:

“We think of ourselves abstractly. We see ourselves as having, or doing, or being something. But that vision is based on the premise that we will get what we deserve. When you’re young, you don’t think about mortality. But the truth is: what we do now has repercussions further on with family, friends, lovers, employment, and social opportunities.”

If you’re looking for a good summer read, or have an interest in the pornographic film industry, I highly recommend checking out Porn Star.