Working with People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Working with People I Want to Punch in the Throat Reviews

• 
  Ivonne Rovira

  Working with People I Want to Punch in the Throat differs greatly from
  People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges. The latter was a 21st century update of Erma Bombeck, filled with tales of competitive overachiever moms in the Kansas City suburbs. Who couldn’t relate? Well, except the perfect moms.
  
  Here, Jen Mann crafts a funny memoir of her work career leading up to becoming a blogger. It wasn’t as funny as People I Want to Punch in the Throat, but I’m thrilled about Professor Randall, whose supercilious declaration that Mann could never succeed as a writer provided the motivation she needed to make The New York Times Best Seller list. I loved making the journey with Jen (I want to call her Jen!) through the twists and turns of her career.
• 
  Cher 'N Books

  4 stars - It was great. I loved it.
  
  In the beginning, it feels a teensy bit boring, but the back half is hilarious. Because I don’t want to sound creepy, I would never say that I wish I knew Jen in real life and that we were the best of buddies. I’ll just be content instead with laughing out loud over her books.
  -------------------------------------------
  Favorite Quotes: Words have power when you let them.
  
  Just saying’....That’s the f*ck you of sanctimonious bitches.
  
  First Sentence: I remember the first time my dad told me to get a job.
  
• 
  Beth Skye

  I savored this book and each insanely relatable experience. I was laughing and snorting while nodding my head at the horrifically hysterical reality of bringing home the bacon. Jen Mann has captured in her own life the bizarre working world, crazed co-workers, and family businesses. All while still poking me right in the heart with random sweet moments filtered through the straight forward bluntness that I so enjoy. This made me want to read your blog Jen. I hate blogs. They make me angry.
  Don’t judge me. Just read the book. You’ll thank me.
• 
  Victoria

  Love her on the Internet but had never read one of her books until the opportunity came about to spend an evening with her, talking and reading from her latest book. Yes, she could be my best friend--she must have a bazillion best friends! But I bet I have more Pilot red pens than any of the other bazillion!
• 
  Angela Holland

  This was a fun book to read but I have to say I liked her other books even better. I read this book during my lunch hour at work and now the whole office wants to read it. I love Jen's way of telling it like it is and making you laugh out loud when doing so. I can relate with her on her views of some of the people she worked with. Another good book by an author I enjoy reading.
• 
  Arthy

  I can’t think of a book that I finished reading within a week, unless it was based off an essay or a speech, in recent years. But I did finish this one in a week’s time. It was a fun breezy book. There were places where I felt it was too dragging. However, the last few chapters were so funny to me balance it off. When I picked this book, I did not know what to expect. I was in for a surprise.
• 
  Susan Bazzett-Griffith

  Jen Mann's essay collections always make me smile and get me out of reading slumps when I'm exhausted by life. Lived reading about her early forays into the working world as a fellow English major, a career change to real estate and all the craziness that entails, and later as a working mom. Four stars. Fun and easy and relatable.
• 
  TJ

  I didn’t know I would enjoy reading this book as much as I would. It’s a great light read detailing how an aspring author went through various temp jobs in New York, became a realtor in Kansas City, and eventually found her voice through blogging and eventually writing a book. Throughout the book, witty comments and hilarious observations along the way.
• 
  Kayo

  Would have given even more stars if I could. So hilarious. She says what we all think.
  I'm hoping Jen is continuing to write more books!
• 
  Alyssa

  Easy read, for a work book club. I really liked the author's voice, says what we are all thinking, takes you through raw and new experiences which shows vulnerability.
• 
  Shannon

  Stumbled upon this on Kindle and found the title funny. Jen is hilarious and I found myself sharing her stories with my husband while reading often because they were too good not to share!
• 
  Leila

  This wasn't as good as I'd hoped but I think that primarily stems from my hope that Jenn worked with the same people I have... she has not. The stories were funny and pretty relatable but I found myself feeling like some of the stories were just whinny. It makes me wonder what she could do with material from folks with some better stories ;).
• 
  Kay (PhoenixArisen)

  I admit there have been times in which I have been very frustrated and upset in my line of work - I think we all have. So I can relate to how she feels, but I'm so glad that I've never went through the experiences she had to go through. The style of writing is personal and she just tells it like it is. Very open and honest throughout.
• 
  Rachael

  I wasn't expecting a bio.
• 
  Tiffany

  I love when I randomly pick up a book that just looks vaguely interesting and it ends up being pretty good. I picked this one up because the title just felt so fitting at the time for my annoyance with work and office politics and it just felt like a very appropriate emotion that I couldn't have put into words better myself. The stories are all centered around her various job "eras" starting from childhood up to the present. I kind of liked that she didn't have a real career, but just took random jobs, although I didn't really understand how that strategy could have possibly helped her pay the bills while living in NYC. I mean, I get that it's not the focus of her book, but I'd have liked to see how she was able to sustain a living that way. There's a part of the book (non work-related) that actually made me LMAO IRL which surprised me, but it's sort of graphic so maybe I'm just really attracted to poop/bodily fluid/toilet humor in books. Overall, a fun read and recommended for anyone who currently or has ever felt their soul sucked out from work.
• 
  Yukyee69

  This was a very fun & breezy read. Jen Mann has a way with the written word that captures the reader. She has a sarcastic wit which shines thru in her writing.
  
  The title of the book & the glossary kind of threw me off. I expected the book to integrate the title & glossary. However, the book barely touched on those concepts, which was a little disappointing.
  
  I couldn’t really relate to the author bc she seemed a little over the top & entitled at times. I was a little surprised at her attitude with her bosses, especially when she was going to be laid off bc of a company buyout. She had 6-7 months to find another job. It wasn’t like her boss told her to leave immediately as a result of the buyout. I guess at the end of the day, i am probably more of an obsequious bloke than she is.
  
  I did love how she depicted relationship with her husband. I hope she didn’t nickname him ebeneezer bc he is cheap according to her. Her love & gratitude shines in the last chapter when she credits him for her success. It is clear she truly loves him.
• 
  Rachelle

  Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2022
  Challenge Topic: Cover you Don't Like.
  
  Ok... so for starters.. the reason I don't like the cover is because I'm one of those weird people that when I see broken computer equipment it gives me anxiety and I hope that the person that would do something so horrible to to an innocent piece of equipment like a keyboard!!
  
  Now... as for the book... it was awesome! (Hence the 5 stars) I love the Jenn can be so open and honest with how she feels. She is not afraid to call it like she sees it and even look back on herself and her choices and actions with that same level of thinking.
  
  My favorite part of this book really was the "The Real Estate Years". I work in that field and I've heard some stories... and I can see all the stuff she talked about actually happening. In fact... I have a couple a friends that I will be recommending this book to.
  
  
• 
  Cheryl Crawford

  Great,funny book
  
  I ran across this book when I was looking at another book and this one looked better,and if I recall correctly it was cheaper. I really lucked out. This is the funniest thing I've read in quite a while. If you are offended by occasional bad language then give it a pass. If you are not,then read it but preferably where you can laugh to your heart's content. I meant to just read a little,turn out the light and go to bed. It is four a.m. as I write this. I woke my husband up an hour ago shaking the bed with suppressed laughter. It is a quick read made even better if you can picture some of the situations. The swearing is not what I would call gratuitous. Do yourself a favor and get this book. Just don't start it before bed if you have somewhere to be in the morning.
• 
  Jamee Pritchard

  I really enjoyed this book, especially Mann's no-holds-barred writing style. She has the ability to pull the reader into an experience, allowing you to visualize the situation like you were standing right next to her when the excrement hit the fan. I laughed out loud several times, and I empathized with her horrible job experiences. My favorite chapters in the book were those where she describes her experiences temping in New York City -- funny! I really like how she organized her writings, compiling her experiences in chronological order -- starting in the early 90s and coming to present. You can definitely see how her experiences shaped her attitude and her humor. Overall, very good book.
• 
  Mat Gdowski

  Well worth the read
  
  I have to admit that I had never heard of Jen Mann prior to reading this book. However, with that being said, I will be looking into more of her works now due to this book. I use the comment a lot about punching people in the throat, so the title grabbed me at once when I saw it. Awesome writing and extremely entertaining content. She is probably around my age so I kept remembering things she brought up and relating to them as well. There is just something entertaining about reading what others have gone through and how they perceived and reacted to those situations. Jen Mann does an awesome job with her explanations of her experiences. Take a read of this book as it is well worth your time. I was sad when I finished it. I wanted more.
• 
  Spook Sulek

  The title got me, and I've met a few archetypes on the short list, but what I really enjoyed about Mann's book was that it focused on the jobs and types of people she had direct experience with and the wacky things she recalls about them. And that she included motherhood as a job, because it is, and parenting is the most important (thankless, time-consuming, humorous...) career! At times when reading about workplace personalities one can tell that the author is getting their information about a situation second or third-hand, not from their aggravating, interesting, unique life experience. I'm glad I also requested 2 other of Mann's books from the library when I requested this one, I can't wait to dive into the next one!
• 
  Jacob O'connor

  I loved this book. I caught it on sale for next to nothing, so I didn't expect much. To the extent I expected anything, I was surprised. Based on the title, I thought this would be business non-fiction. Something light and sarcastic. I was right about the sarcasm, and this is the best I've seen it used. Sarcasm is hard to do. People can't stay in the pocket. They're either too mean or too intense, but Mann nails it. She was relatable, entertaining, and sharp. Her powers of observation are ah-may-zing. I couldn’t believe the details that occurred to her. I busted out laughing several times while reading. I don't know what else Jen Mann has written, but I'll read it.
• 
  izbookish

  WOW. I picked up this book hoping for a chuckle while my own office job moral is sinking lower by the day. Frankly I usually don't finish these types of books. The beginning is always laugh, but somewhere along the line I lose interest. I FINISHED THIS BOOK IN A DAY!! This book is freaking hilarious and heartfelt and RELATABLE and every other good thing!! Seriously, so much LOVE for this book!!!
  
  Side note: it was super amusing to watch people eye the cover as they walked by my desk today.... just sayin' ♡
• 
  Roseanney Liu

  Just the first 3 pages alone of how the author characterizes the personas we encounter in cubicle life was worth the money and the laughs. Jen Mann delivers again with her sarcasm and her heartfelt reflections on the good and the horrible of work life that so many of us experience. Her stories really put us in the trenches with her whether in being asked - or coerced - into delivering unmentionables for the boss to having an embarrassing run-in situation at a property she's trying to sell to a client. I finished this hilarious page-turner in one day and you will want to as well
• 
  Tara Brabazon

  This book has a great title. The first few pages, introducing the cast of characters, is brilliant. The prose is well written. Everything is going well so far.
  
  The issue is that this book is formed through the life narrative of Jen Mann's jobs. There is an array of temporary jobs, nasty bosses, predators and financial instability. But very few people's work narratives are interesting. Even fewer are funny.
  
  So this book is OK. But nothing special. The title is great. The book is mediocre.
• 
  Rebecca

  This was the best $1.99 on book bub I ever spent
  
  This is the second Jen, I love. Both Jennifer Mann and Jenny Lawson are great. Being an fellow English major, I understand what she went through. Although I think this is a generation x thing. We are miserable but resilient. I don't have kids but life still throws you curve balls. Hang in there. We all have people we want to punch in the throat with dry senses of humor. I read this book in 2 days. Definitely going to follow her blog. Thank you for making my day.
• 
  Lindsay

  I was browsing through books on Goodreads while my annoying coworker was rambling on about nothing of importance and ran across this book. Totally took it as a sign that I should read it. Plus I like the other books I’ve read from the author.
  While it did have some funny parts, I didn’t find it as hilarious as her other books. Though the chapter about the crazy lady and her ceramic frog was pretty great.
  I look forward to reading more by this author. I still think we should be friends.
• 
  Kara Prem

  Jen Mann's writing style and attitude just appeal to me. I think I have found my twin, but she is better at writing and expressing herself than I will ever be. This particular book looks at Jen's work life from babysitting to the point that she wrote the Elf on a Shelf piece that I am pretty sure was my first introduction to her and her ah-mazing thoughts on life. I laughed out loud more than once while reading this, frightening anyone around me. I was wonderful.