Book review of Die Happy: 499 Things Every Guy’s Gotta Do While He Still Can

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Die Happy: 499 Things Every Guy’s Gotta Do While He Still Can Author: Tim Burke and Michael Burke Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (2006) Genre: Non-fiction

Any guy that is still single needs to read “Die Happy.”

Has your conscience, girlfriend, or mom ever told you that you shouldn’t do something because it’s dangerous, expensive, or both? This book will liberate you from that way of thinking, and essentially give you permission to do as much as you possibly can before your wife, kids and age start working against you.

“Die Happy” is a comprehensive book in that it covers different aspects of what makes men men, and yet is an easy read that is entertaining and thought-provoking. From bachelor parties in Vegas and music festivals like South By Southwest, to sporting events like the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, to the world’s largest tomato fight in Spain, this book covers all of that and much more. There is even a chapter devoted to jobs a single guy should have before conceding that he’s ready to settle down, such as jet ski rental dude, golf course marshall or video game tester.

If you’re thinking that all of this could cost way too much money, and that most single guys (whose freedom likely peaks upon graduating college) are broke, “Die Happy” gives plenty of options. This book empowers you to either work a few years to earn enough money, or to go into debt at the expense of having fun now. It also gives plenty of lower cost options such as staying in hostels and backpacking in places like Europe or Australia.

For the guy that is currently married, “Die Happy” can only serve as a reminder of what should have been. It also is guaranteed to make said married guy reach out to his single friends and make them act out everything in the book for vicarious thrills – either that, or it could be the start of divorce proceedings for someone who decides that he hasn’t had his share of life’s thrills yet.

What might be best about this book, however, is that it speaks to guys in a way that only guys can understand. A man’s man might fantasize about flying to the site of the World Series, eating big steaks, smoking fat cigars, scalping tickets to a game, drinking mass quantities of whatever beer the host city is known for, having sex with two women at once, sleeping late and then doing it all over again – but “Die Happy” gives tips on how to actually make this all happen. Unless you are not a man or you're just a pansy, you will relate to just about everything in this book, and then either get off your ass or continue to fantasize.