Join Me!

by Danny Wallace

Book Overview

Danny Wallace was bored. Just to see what would happen, he placed a whimsical ad in a local London paper. It said, simply, "Join Me." Within a month, he was receiving letters and emails from teachers, mechanics, sales reps, vicars, schoolchildren and pensioners--all pledging allegiance to his cause. But no one knew what his cause was. Soon he was proclaimed Leader. Increasingly obsessed and possibly power-crazed, Danny risked losing his sanity and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452285011
• ISBN13: 9780452285019
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent, funny, and easy read

This is a great light-hearted novel that will make you laugh out loud and maybe even make you think about how we all interact with each other in our daily lives. A great story that is easy to read and leaves you feeling inspired, as well as a little bit happier, but at no point is the book saccharine. The humor is clever, dry, and witty, making it one of the best light reading books I've read in a very long time.

Hooray for excuses to be kind!

My first introduction to Join Me was last fall. My friend and I were on a long bus ride and halfway through she pulled out the book. She told me the director of our very untraditional school had convinced the publishers that were working on the book here in the States to send him a trial copy. He had finished it quickly and recomended it to my friend who was now half way through. She informed me that it was very funny and proceeded to find her favorite passages to read to me. I was intrigued....I wished to read the book after her but it never happened. So imagine my happiness when, in January, I find out that one of the classes to be offered the coming quater was to be based around the book! Since the book is baisically about Random Acts of Kindness, which has been a big theme throughout my school's history, we decided to read from the book occasionally, focusing mainly on the acts of kindness themselves. It was brilliant except for the fact that I still was unable to read the whole book, when I wished to read it. So I finally went down to a bookstore to find out when the book was going to be published. They told me they could hold a copy for me when it came in in a month. Around the same time, the director of the school informs us that Danny is on a book tour here in the US and is doing a book reading at the bookstore 5 blocks down from our school. And that he has talked to the person booking Danny's readings. Danny would be coming to our school!And he did! By that time I had long ago finished the book and was ecstatic that the Leader would actually be visiting MY school! Unfortunately I got sick. But there was no way I was missing this! Nothing would stop me from going. When I came into school Danny was already there and was just being led downstairs by the director. The director stopped when he saw me and told me it was great I could make it in. "And this is Danny," he said to me. And to Danny, something like, "Tesha's sick today, but came in to see you!" Danny thanked me for coming in even when I was sick but then a huge rush of people came over and I didn't get to say anything back. Danny talked to the school for about an hour and after that a smaller group took him on a tour of the area around our school. We took him to get bubble tea (he'd never heard about it and wanted to try it even after some of us advised against it) and got lots of pictures including ones at the bookstore with an almost lifesize posterboard cut-out of himself! On the walk around I did get to talk to him more and he told me when he saw me he thought to himself that I looked like I should be in bed. Skipping forward, he had to leave, but, again ignoring my sickness (though I swear I got a bit better just from the sheer excitement), I went to the bookstore that night to the book reading. Needless to say, I brought a passport sized photo with me as it seemed much more meaningful to give it to him in person rather than to send it through the mail to get lost in all the ot

Join him now - it's not a cult. it's a collective!

This book made me laugh, made me almost cry, and definitely made me want to Join Danny! I wanted to become a Joinee before he even decided what they should do. Anybody who starts a "collective" (it's NOT a cult!)without knowing what it should be for is a pretty cool guy in my book. How many of us have ever been sitting around bored and thought of something crazy to do? Now, how many actually did it? Well, Danny did, he placed an ad reading simply "Join Me" and instructing people to send their picture to an address. This is not the first time he's done something a little crazy and his girlfriend is tired of his schemes so he doesn't tell her about this one. What does he decide to do with his collective? Does his girlfriend find out? Does Danny change the world? Read the book and find out - you'll love it! And just maybe you'll Join.

Humor + Hope = A Winning Combination

What do you get when you combine the talents of a journalist and a comedian with a man who just wants the world to be a better place? Danny Wallace. And what a wonderful mix it is. This book enlightens the soul. Ever had a stranger pick something up that you dropped, or hold a door for you? Didn't you appreciate it, and think well of the person? Well, this book inspires you to be that person...and all by simply saying 'Join Me'. And why not? Read the book. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to be a part of the feel-good group that Danny Wallace has started. But, if this book doesn't make you want to join, it will at least make you laugh. And doesn't that feel good?

Have You Joined Yet?

I came across this book while on holidays in the UK. The cover design struck me initially; it's quite striking, with a white background and a picture of Danny Wallace (the author and Leader) centred, holidng up a sign with the words "Join Me" in magenta writing. The blurb mentions "the story of a man who started a cult by accident"... needless to say, I was intrigued.Join Me is the story of Danny Wallace, and his valiant efforts to convince strangers to commit random acts of kindness on a weekly basis. Inspired by the sad tale of his great uncle's failed mission to colonise a collective of followers to live with him in harmony on a farm in his native Switzerland, Danny vowed to bring together 100 individuals and unite them in a common desire to bring happiness to the world. Despite initial misgivings (and the toll taken on his long-term relationship), Danny's "collective" grew beyond his wildest expectations.Not only are his adventures entertaining, but his humorous, witty writing style offers plenty of chuckles along the way.I highly reccommend this book, evidenced by the fact that I have joined and am now a loyal member of the Australian chapter.