5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth and Other Useful Guides

Matthew Inman translates his digital comic series, The Oatmeal, into a physical collection of absurd infographics and observational essays. The book features illustrated guides on why dolphins are secretly jerks, the proper way to use a semicolon, and the evolutionary disadvantages of the common housecat. Inman utilizes a distinctive drawing style characterized by bug-eyed humans and frantic hand-lettering to dissect social frustrations. Specific sections address the indignities of office culture and provide irrational justifications for punching aquatic mammals.

This book serves readers who prefer visual storytelling and aggressive, non-sequitur humor over linear narratives. It appeals to people who find traditional etiquette manuals stiff and want to see grammar rules and life advice presented through hyperbolic violence and crude imagery. The reader walks away with a repertoire of weird facts about blobfish, a better grasp of basic punctuation, and a cynical perspective on everyday human interactions. There is no moral lesson, only a series of high-energy rants.

Practical, outward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.

Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?