Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man's Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas, and Thailand

First things first, I was introduced to this book by a friend who told me (and believed) that it was written by the real ex-husband of the vapid egotist that wrote Eat, Pray, Love... Having previously thumbed through that book and losing a significant amount of respect for the girlfriend who had recommended it to me as a book that had "changed her life", I was nothing but thrilled (in an admittedly petty sort of way) to read that my first assumptions were correct. I read a few chapters of my friend's copy of "drink, play, expletive," and immediately bought a copy for my kindle and finished it in a few hours.I DID laugh aloud, and I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to suspect that if it was not fiction, it was a wildly exaggerated tale. And even though the painfully predictable ending was what really gave it away, it did put a lump in my throat and made my eyes water just enough that I had to roll my eyes at what a girl I am... A girl that really hates chick lit, but a girl who wants to believe in true love and fate nonetheless... (Insert audible sigh here)Three stars or five stars... I've vacillated between the two for a while now. When I believed it was non-fiction it was a 5 star book no question, but after finding out it was pure satire, my shoulders sank and I said "aw man!" and I called my ex husband (who I am still friendly with) to take back my vehement recommendation from last night. I can't quite put my finger on why it loses so much with this new bit of information but it really does. But, that being said, I'll probably read it again in a few years on a plane or something. It was a fun, quick read, and the characters are quite likable in their own sort of way.I read in a few other reviews that the characters and situations were completely unbelievable, but I've worked with people who very much live the lifestyle he describes so this wasn't an issue for me. I read a review about "Eat, pray, love" where they said something to the effect that it was a boring story about a "rich girl gone slumming", which was pretty much my own impression. I think he did a GREAT job at creating a character that could be the ex-husband of Ms Gilbert, or a character like her.I settled on four stars because I can't blame the book for the bad information I was given before reading it. I definitely ENJOYED reading it, but I probably wouldn't have bothered if I'd known it was satire from the get go....

I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the story and I genuially liked the main character. Bob Sullivan was a married man who probably thought he would be married to the same woman his entire life. The wife clearly had other ideas. After announcing to her husband she was not happy, she wasted no time in moving in with another man. While licking his wounds, Bob made the decision to quit his job and take one year to experience all the things he wanted and felt he needed to do, to re-discover his true self. There are many experiences during Bob's year of self discovery that could open the door to disaster, but Bob is a geniuially nice person, good man and smart guy. It seemed to me that one of the most important things Bob learned from his year of adventure is that at the end of the day, everything you do, is just everything you've done. They are all experiences. Keepin it in perspective.

I read (okay - listened to the unabridged version) of Eat, Pray, Love last year and saw this tagged at Amazon as one of those "you might be interested in" books. I like travel literature. I have traveled quite a bit in Asia (Thailand in particular) so I thought I would buy it and read it. I wasn't disappointed. It was a quick page turner that I burned through in a week or so of stolen moments of reading. I was struck by the way the book danced on the edge of credibility. The central character was engaged in what were believable pursuits in Ireland and Thailand - but the Vegas part was too coincidental and does anyone without a history in the city really get so much gratis (a suite at the Bellagio) and - where did this guy get all the money to live on?Part of the problem with the book is that I did not read carefully enough the sales information or realize I was reading a piece of fiction. I thought it was true until I finished the book. Had I known the book was a work of fiction (I thought it as an embellished true account) going in I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much for the extraordinary nature of this man's journey - the people and circumstances connecting each transition (from Ireland to Vegas to Thailand) would have been lost.That being said - go ahead and read it. There is enough truth in the fiction to engage your traveling spirit and inspire you too to let go a bit and live. For all of us wanting to cast our jobs off for a year or more to go travel - this is an enjoyable and encouraging tome.Oh - and it's well written. The author has a background writing comedy and it shows in the witty word usage in the book and allusions to popular culture sprinkled throughout.

I read 'Eat, Pray, Love' and really enjoyed it. I stumbled across this book when I was searching for 'similar books', and when I saw the title and the design of the cover, my interest was peaked. I bought it immediately & started reading it as soon as it arrived & couldn't put it down! It's absolutely hilarious! I would recommend this to anyone looking for something comic or light to read. It's a great book to pass the time! I found myself taking it everywhere just so I could read a page or 2 if I found myself with a free moment! I would also recommend the seller because my book arrived earlier than expected & without any problems!

This was a great way to see how a man would love to spend a year on a spiritual journey! You definitely have to read Eat, Pray, Love first in order to get the full effect. The first two-thirds of the journey were funnier than the last third, but it was still entertaining. I wanted it to be a true story, and wish it had been a little more realistic so I could have believed it to be.

This is a good, enlightening, funny read to follow up after reading Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat Pray Love". The author really did his homework and studied her book well to make this story from the opposite spectrum and uses lots of inside humor that you'd only catch if you read her book first.