5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides)

Since theoatmeal.com launched, I have been a huge fan. Matthew Inman, creator of the website, is a genius and superbly hilarious at the same time. I always look forward to new comics and quizzes on The Oatmeal, and laugh unnecessarily hard at all of them. Sometimes educational, sometimes a bit raunchy, but always side-splitting, the comics on the website are some of the best I've seen in my life. Then, to my absolute joy, "5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides)" was released and I was ecstatic. An Oatmeal book with all the comics on the site, plus more? I'm in! The quality level of the book itself is very good, with a substantial amount of hilarity. The pages are glossy and thick, containing both color and black & white comics. It comes with a poster that you can hang up in your room and laugh every time you see it. Please, stop reading this and buy this book. There is nothing negative to say about it. Have I mentioned how funny it is? You'll laugh your butt off, and maybe learn a thing or two while clutching your gut.

If you've haven't been introduced to "The Oatmeal," this is a great place to get acquainted with this hilariously abominable offspring of "The Far Side" and Dilbert. Matt Inman's primitive drawings and cynical insight into the practical ("How to Use a Semicolon") and the absurd ("Why it Would Suck to Live Next to a Volcano") are almost as informative as they are funny; this kid is a creative genius that observes and skewers without boundary or apology (just consider the title). In addition to justifying that urge to punch a dolphin, Inman offers a wide range of valuable advice, including: "8 Reasons to Keep Canada as a Pet" (They're not picky eaters.) "Why it's Better to Pretend you Don't Know Anything About Computers" The Nine Types of Crappy Handshakes" "How to Suck at Facebook" (Like the "Horrible Photo Tagger") And a couple of my all time favorites, " How a Web Design goes Straight to Hell," and "Why I'd Rather be Punched in the Testicles than Call Customer Service." And much, much, more. Yeah, yeah, I know you can get all of this stuff for free on TheOatmeal.com, but come on - $8 bucks? And what, you're going to give a url as a gift? And think of the convenience of flipping through The Oatmeal in handy book form when you're on the can! Seriously, we can all benefit from Matt Inman's wisdom and twisted humor. Buy this book.

As a fan of The Oatmeal, I figured this would be an ideal book for some much-needed laughs; It turns out I was right on with the prediction. Of course, the main attraction as advertised on the front cover with the 5 VERY GOOD reasons you should punch a dolphin in the mouth. Be warned though, this is highly frowned upon by animal protection organizations and could land you possible jail time if you attempt to do this in places such as Seaworld. That being said, don't let that stop you... just explain to the authorities the clear-cut reasons laid out in this book and you should be free to go. I'd say I enjoyed a good 70% of the comics and illustrations in 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth and that alone makes it worth the purchase. Some of the best articles include Why It's Better to Pretend You Don't Know Anything About Computers ,How to Suck at Facebook (if you've ever spent anytime on Facebook, chances are you or someone else are guilty of at least one of these :p), Coffee With and Without, Types of Job Interviewees, Types of Airline Passengers, and much much more. Matthew Inman (creator of The Oatmeal) really hits a home run with this book. If you've been to his site it has some new comics and even the old ones will still make you laugh. If you've never been to The Oatmeal site, you're in for a real treat. Plus you get a full-sized poster of Why Printers Were Sent From Hell at the back of the book :). 4 and 1/2 stars. -Travis S

There is no place for exaggeration and unctuous praise in any review but I fear any fan runs the risk of coming across this way. I dutifully pre-ordered this volume and it was worth every penny. What's so great about this book? 1. It's by the Oatmeal. Yeah, I know- duh. 2. It contains a decent chunk of the classic comics plus some new ones and a removable poster. Sure it would been a wonderful addition to have the articles but hey, then it would have cost much more than $7 and change. It's printed on high-quality paper and quite simply, a colourful addition to any collection. Not personally into such things but it might also be someone's answer to the ideal micro-coffee table book. 3. Not a single wasted page, which is amazing. Every book, whether it's a textbook or nursery rhymes has b.s. pages that are blank. This did not. What can I say, I like efficiency and one less dead tree. Are any of the things I've enumerated reasons to help feed Inman for a day? Of course not. I won't pretend this book is life-changing, some overused adjective on par with AWESOME!!!, or that it's even necessary reading. A lot of this stuff is already online, so big whoop, right? Well... it cracks me up that this shot straight to the (very nearly) top amidst self-help, dieting, and pulp fiction. Therefore, I say make this baby shine. Help keep America semi-literate!

1. The book itself is very nice. Because it was $7 I thought it was going to be cheap but it is definitely a nice book. The book is all the glossy kinda thick paper which is really nice. It just feels really good and has a nice weight to it. (Things I miss now that I have a Kindle) 2. All of the comics are absolutely ridiculously funny. And my favorite part is that even though some of these comics are kinda offensive they are not bad enough that it is embarrassing that I like it. 3. It's cheap- If you don't think that a book this amazing is easily worth $7 then I'm sure you have a hard time justifying food to yourself. 4. Best coffee table book ever! - This is now a permanent part of my coffee table; just this one book. In fact I may need to get another one because everyone is going to want to read this at the same time. And the pull out poster is perforated so it's easy to, I suppose, pull out.

Another hilarious work by The Oatmeal, this book is a compilation of a variety of random subjects that the author pokes fun at. Some are actually educational, such as some trivia about cats and the history of cheese, among others, while a few others are just plain awful, like the section about the ways how to use a human corpse for decoration and tools (a joke, of course) and the pterodactyl poem, but it's otherwise perfect for anybody looking for a dose of politically incorrect (and somewhat dark) adult humor. Definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN. The book itself is made of thick, high quality glossy-type pages with excellent color printing, with a nice, soft but sturdy cover. Included inside is a folded poster poking fun at printers.

Sure, this is not your average coffee table book, nor is it your average book at all. But it is gauranteed to get a laugh from anyone who reads it. I would suggest hiding it from Grandma, or even the Parents when they come over, but if you want hours of laughs with you and your friends, this book is a must. Throughout the book there is a comic for everyone. Did your Canadian friend get insulted by the "8 Reasons to Keep a Canadian as a Pet"? then show him "7 reasons to Keep your Tyrannosaur Off Crack Cocaine". The point is, there is something for everyone, and you wont be disappointed. But "why 5 stars?" you ask. Well, would you give a four star or less rating to Monet, Manet, Picaso, or DaVinci? NO! So this is why Matt Inman gets 5 from me. Will his art ever be featured in the Louvre? Will it ever tour through the Met, or any other fine art museums? Of course not, but that does not mean that this is excellence in a book.

I am a fan of the Oatmeal, so I thought that I would purchase his book as one of my first Kindle eBooks. It is pretty much as funny as I expected, however a few caveats: 1) most of the comics appear to be available on his website, but I like to support artists whom I enjoy. 2) it's rather short And 3) I read this on a Kindle HD 8.9, and because this book is mostly from web comics, there's little text. Most of the comics appear very small on the screen, and when you double-tap to enlarge them, it appears that the resolution stays the same. Therefore, it's oftentimes very hard to make out the words in the comics. Hopefully, this can be resolved in the future.

Loved this book. Clever and funny. I even bought one for my Japanese boyfriend so he could practice his English in a more interesting way.

Love this book! It's a great mix of smart, funny, ridiculous, and "Yes! that's so true!" I've re-read it again and again, and it makes me laugh every time. I've purchased a few copies as gifts for friends and family and they've all loved it, too! A great escape into a good, light-hearted laugh!

I've been a fan of The Oatmeal since I first came across the website over a year ago and as soon as I read Matthew Inman was creating a book of his comics I pre-ordered my copy the same day. The book contains a large selection of his hillarious comics and guides available on the internet and some exclusive book-only comics that are as good as the ones found online presented in a large, colourful well formatted book. It's just like having his website in your hands. The comics are clever, funny and take an alternative view at the realities and problems of modern life that makes you laugh out loud. From how to use a semicolon correctly, how to prepare your pets for war and to how to suck at Facebook there is something here for everyone. I'd buy copies as gifts for people but know I'd just end up keeping them all to myself.

The Oatmeal no decepciona si te gusta su estilo ácido, irónico y socarrón, acompañado de unos dibujos muy básicos. Edición muy cuidada que repite bastantes de sus viñetas en la web, pero que no viene mal si prefieres la comodidad del papel. En inglés

J'ai acheté ce livre en soutien à son auteur, dont j'adore le blog. Et concrètement, je n'ai pas été déçu : la même cohérence graphique, le même humour, les mêmes situations ancrées dans la vie quotidienne... c'est vraiment un excellent livre que je recommande à tout le mode (du moins les anglophones)