Book Summary

Xavier Crement introduces his book "Asshole no more" to many people around the world with a sentence on its cover: "A practical guide to recognizing and treating the most dangerous disease in human history." As the title suggests, the thoughtful author intends to explore and investigate a phenomenon known as assohlism in today’s world, using a humorous language and various examples to help readers better understand the subject. He considers Assholes to be intelligent people who, due to their selfishness and false confidence, believe that only they matter. Rather than making general statements, he initially categorizes Assholes into five distinct groups and then provides subcategories for them.

After presenting the existing issues, he offers solutions. This book can also be seen as a psychology book, with its humorous tone enhancing its impact, which has contributed to its fame and significant sales since its publication. One of his beautiful touches at the beginning of the story is that he considers himself an asshole and, contrary to the beliefs of many behavioral specialists, sees this disease as treatable. As the reader progresses, they encounter definitions such as civil asshole, sanctimonious asshole, bureaucratic asshole, and similar terms, gaining a deeper understanding of the author’s perspective.

Crement does not shy away from discussing the empowerment of assholes in societies and the relationships they have within communities in detail. He cleverly presents the characteristics of such individuals in a way that readers find themselves comparing themselves to the characters in the story to realize whether they belong to this group or not. The turning point of the book, according to many critics, is the author’s emphasis on the acceptance of assohlism by the asshole themselves, which Javier Crement considers the most crucial part

He believes that without this acceptance, one cannot move on to subsequent stages and treat the disease. The various stories presented by the narrator are purely fictional and do not refer to any specific person or event in the real world, yet they evoke empathy in us. By reading them, we suddenly recall incidents happening around us because the author himself lives among people in today’s world and has encountered such issues so often that he expresses their signs through stories. Another interesting aspect of walking through the lines of this book is that you sometimes sense the author’s concern.

He directly and indirectly points out the contagious nature of assohlism and urges that we must save the world from these individuals; otherwise, it will be destroyed. The shared belief that forms between the reader and the author after finishing this book is that assohlism is a dangerous condition that occurs consciously in society by asshole individuals; thus, overcoming it is challenging, especially since no scientific solutions have been presented so far. While these statements may cause concern, being worried and seeking to address this challenge is far better than being ignorant and yielding to it.

About the Author

Xavier Crement is an American writer and psychologist who is widely recognized for this particular work that we are introducing, although other works of his have been translated and published in book market, including "Assholes forever", "A Hole no more", and "The Asshole Conspiracy." There is not much information available about this influential author's biography, but it is said that he is a doctor who decided to enter the field of psychology after observing signs of the widespread outbreak of idiocy in the world. He undertook extensive research and published his findings in various works.

Who Should Read the Book?

Whether people are assholes themselves or spend their days interacting with asshole individuals, they undoubtedly should choose "Asshole no more" as a guide and apply it like a helpful manual. This book is so popular that it is unlikely people do not recognize it, even those who may not be avid readers. It is also recommended for those who may have previously understood the concept of assohlism superficially so they can become familiar with its deeper dimensions.

The book consists of 5 sections and 24 chapters. To keep it concise, we will introduce these 5 sections with brief explanations: The first section, titled "Who is an asshole?", informs the reader about the characteristics of an asshole. The second section clarifies the types of assohlism. The third section poses questions for a society that is becoming asshole. The fourth section delves into the lives of assholes, providing the audience with a deeper understanding of them, and the fifth section offers solutions for liberation and salvation from assohlism.

Book Quotes

One of the characteristics of these assholes is that they consider themselves so chosen by God that they even see a halo of light around their heads.

Look, whether you are an asshole or not, the reality is that many people are assholes. assholism is something like being left-handed; it is not treatable. I was stunned and asked: So if psychiatric science cannot solve someone's idiocy problem, what is its use?

I really want to kick out sensitive, dignified, and honest people who seem to be created to fail. I believe that my greatest duty in life is to teach these emotional and pathetic beings what it means to not give up.

Many people believe: I may not be able to define idiocy, but I definitely recognize it when I see it, and this is a true statement. Almost everyone agrees that an asshole is someone who displays rude and disgusting behavior completely voluntarily and intentionally and is genuinely pleased with the disruption they have caused and the harm they have inflicted on others.

One of the treated assholes says: Until I started treatment, I had no idea how many other people were assholes. But after a while, I realized that all my friends were assholes too. However, when I suggested they join me in therapy sessions, they just laughed at me like assholes.

Some assholes inherit this disease from their idiotic parents, while others are infected by their idiotic superiors or spouses. Some fall victim to bad rituals, and some become idiots after attending self-esteem workshops and boosting their confidence. Tracking other cases is more challenging, but usually listening to punk rock music, watching television shows, or joining cable networks also has an effect.

All assholes are biased about their idiocy and try to justify their rudeness and harm to others, remaining steadfast in their idiocy. For this reason, they do not dare to step back from their position for even a moment, lest the little conscience left within them forces them to confront themselves.

Probably the hardest moments in an idiot's life are when they need to be happy with others or make others happy. Once, when I invited one of my idiotic aunts for Christmas dinner, she was ready to tell me the reasons why she couldn't feel even a bit of happiness, but at the very moment everyone started wishing each other Merry Christmas, she tried to bring me down.

One of my patients said: The only thing I have always done passionately in my life is hate my husband. Now I truly regret wanting to kill him, and life without him feels so empty and pointless; I don't know what to do or who to be with anymore.

If sanctimonious assholes cannot see any good in others, there are also those who cannot see any bad in people. They are children of the new age—people who, in their ultimate optimism, believe that everything in the world is ultimately perfect and that there are no significant problems.

One important social domain where the characteristics of idiocy can be observed is business. The most significant factor contributing to idiocy in business is its close relationship with military industries; there seems to be a good exchange between the two, as if their hands are simultaneously in each other's pockets.

We must accept that anyone or any group that deprives a generation of children from quality education to achieve their goals is a full-fledged asshole.