Working Stiff: The Misadventures of an Accidental Sexpert

I began reading this book subsequent to hearing the author on a radio talk show. He was truly hilarious. I had the impression that the book would be enjoyable—and in some instances, it indeed was.

However, for the most part, it was akin to watching Springer. You come to the realization that your life is far more ordinary, and—at the peril of passing judgment here—ultimately superior, compared to some of the peculiar individuals out there.

The book had its moments of entertainment, but it also made me appreciate the simplicity and normality of my own life. It served as a reminder that, despite the chaos and strangeness that can sometimes exist in the world, there is value in the everyday.

Overall, while the book wasn't a complete disappointment, it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had based on the author's appearance on the radio show. Nevertheless, it did offer some interesting insights and made me reflect on the differences between my life and the lives of others.

It just

Wasn't that interesting. I had such high expectations, but it failed to meet them. I would never have imagined this to be the person behind the humorous columns I used to read on Nerve. It was quite a disappointment.

However, this does say a lot about the power of taking the opportunities that come your way. He was clearly someone who seized every chance that came his way, and as a result, he had a lot of experiences that people struggle to obtain.

Perhaps if I had been more like him and taken more risks, I would have had a more interesting life too. But for now, I'll just have to be content with reading about his adventures and hoping that one day, I'll have some of my own.

This book is pretty good so far. I have not finished it.

It has captured my attention from the very beginning. The story seems to be unfolding in an interesting and engaging manner. The characters are well-developed and have their own unique personalities. The author's writing style is also quite captivating, making it easy for me to get lost in the book.

I am looking forward to seeing how the story progresses and what will happen next. There are still many mysteries and unanswered questions that keep me turning the pages. I have a feeling that this book is going to be a great read until the very end.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. It has all the elements of a good story and is sure to keep you entertained for hours.

A quick read that had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions.

Of course, being Canadian, I have an appreciation for the dry British humour that can be so subtle it's almost imperceptible.

Also, not being overly sexually adventurous myself, I found many of the situations that Stoddard stumbles into to be rather cringe-worthy, and I could relate to all the personal struggles associated with them, including the challenge of packaging it all into a book.

I actually read this shortly after meeting the author and starting to work with him on a music project.

I was truly amazed by his ability to accurately capture and portray himself as he really is, without any false pretences or projections. This is a rare quality among authors, especially first-timers.

I could vividly imagine every neurotic word flowing out of his mouth.

It made for a highly entertaining and engaging read that I would highly recommend to others.

A well-written and at times insightful book delves into the modern sexual mindset of young adults. This British columnist finds himself in New York City and chronicles his own sexual growth, embracing various peculiarities and perversities. However, while it may shock some readers, the book falls short in providing sufficient details about his thirty encounters with women, men, threesomes, and orgies. He was compensated for these experiences, initially presenting himself as a naive innocent exposed to a new world, but soon transforming into a confident expert.

It is refreshing to read about an adult virginal novice learning to make out with girls through uncomfortable situations. The book takes the right approach for much of its narrative, sharing his personal story. But as he becomes less interesting, it stumbles by overly focusing on his New York City life and not providing specifics about what he did to create a regular sex column. He lists numerous activities in one paragraph but fails to explain what actually happened during any of them: using cock rings, prostate massagers, tantra, attempting to induce female ejaculation, having sex while on different drugs, engaging in a threesome with a couple, working with a relationship coach, watching 24 hours of porn, having a casual hookup with a stranger from Craigslist, wearing a chastity harness, being a nude photographer, giving lap dances, being a cock model, having sex with a mannequin, being treated like an infant, working at a gay bar, and making out with men.

One has to wonder, "Why no details?" It could be for legal reasons, as his boss is a real monetizing freak who claims ownership over Stoddard's "persona" of a fish-out-of-water sexpert. However, one of Grant's columns (on getting a happy ending massage) is reprinted in the book. This should have been filled with details of his adventures, but beyond his first couple of times, he doesn't mention much. Namely, there simply isn't enough sex in this book about the life of an experimental sex columnist!

His preferences also seem questionable. He claims to be straight, yet he engages in a significant amount of gay and bi activities without much complaint. The author also has a very cavalier attitude towards taking illegal drugs, consuming them like candy and giving little thought to the moral or physical consequences of his choices.

The guy is also horribly in love with New York City, and everything he details as selling points for the place are the things that I detest about it. In the early 2000s, the city was filled with people who championed sexual promiscuity as normal, and the guy who didn't partake was considered the weird one. He writes, "My love (of NYC) informs my politics and worldview, my lifestyle and relationships." That's really too bad.

From his life there, I realized how warped those residents are, fearing loneliness by valuing constant noise, people, and commotion (he said that in his first four years there, he had never been truly alone for more than three hours), having no real conscience other than a fake liberal kind that professes tolerance while bemoaning anyone outside their inner group, and being nothing like a large portion of the rest of the country.

So, while I enjoyed the book to a certain extent, it didn't go far enough and wasted the last couple of chapters on his attempt to get an MTV show produced while living in the mountains. He was let go from his column, the book ends, and we're left wondering what happened to this good writer whose life had been changed. He certainly was no longer a working stiff.

This is an energetic and engaging piece of writing that starts off brilliantly. It's a laugh-a-minute or even more, captivating the reader right from the start. It continues to deliver entertainment for about a hundred and fifty pages or so. However, it then drops off and ends rather abruptly and dully. Ironically, it's a bit like a sexual encounter that begins well but finishes disappointingly.

The best aspect of this work is undoubtedly the humour. Grant is an extremely funny writer. The vivid descriptions of strange sexual situations and the deeply, tragically uncomfortable moments are truly memorable. For example, when he's leaving a sex party and waves goodbye to the host, who replies, "thanks for coming" while she's being penetrated from behind by a man who also smiles and waves.

Surprisingly, some of the simpler, non-sexual moments are among the best. Like when his old landlady decides whether or not to put her teeth in while talking on the phone, depending entirely on the importance of the caller. Many reviews I've read for Working Stiff claim that the author's descriptions of his everyday life are dull and depressing. But I completely disagree. In a book that could potentially alienate those with a straightforward sex life of steady boyfriends and periods of celibacy, those normal everyday life observations stand out as what gives Grant his appeal as an ordinary man. Without that down-to-earth element, I personally would find all the talk of fetishes, oral sex with strangers, and train sex rather tiresome to read.

For me, the worst part of the book is the constant shift back and forth from the selfish, hedonistic, and animalistic sexual encounters to the supposedly intimate girlfriend sex. It's not believable and is emotionally jarring. To be fair, he does admit to feeling that shallowness within himself, which is at least honest. My advice to any sexpert is this: if you're going to participate in orgies, indulge a demanding gay fetishist, or have a friend use a wax mould of your own penis to sodomize you, then stick to the perverse and don't pretend to be anything other than a horny pervert. And based on the slippery nature of this book, Grant Stoddard seems to be an excellent example of one.

This book was penned by a friend of a friend.

It truly makes me ponder about the individuals I am acquainted with and the people they know.

In some aspects, it is uproariously hilarious, while in others, it is cringe-worthy.

The stories and experiences recounted within its pages offer a unique perspective on the diverse range of personalities and relationships that exist.

It makes one realize how interconnected our social circles can be and how often we encounter people whose actions and words can evoke such extreme emotions.

Whether it's the comical misunderstandings or the awkward situations that are described, this book manages to keep the reader engaged and entertained throughout.

It serves as a reminder that life is full of both laughter and moments that make us want to hide under a rock.

Overall, it's a fascinating read that provides plenty of food for thought.

Hilarious!

However, this might not be the kind of thing you want to read while at work.

Unless, of course, you are completely certain that your facial expressions will not give away to your coworkers that you are engrossed in reading about Grant Stoddard's experience at the BDSM camp.

One can only imagine the potential reactions and misunderstandings that could occur if someone were to catch you with such a text on your screen.

It's best to save this kind of entertainment for the privacy of your own home or a more appropriate setting.

But hey, if you do manage to read it at work without any incident, more power to you!

Just be prepared for the possibility of some unexpected looks or questions from your colleagues.

After all, not everyone may be as open-minded or familiar with the subject matter as you might be.

So, proceed with caution and enjoy the hilarity of Grant Stoddard's adventures when the time and place are right.