How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (memoir)
Encyclopedia
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2001) is a memoir
by Toby Young
about his failed five-year effort to make it in the U.S.
as a contributing editor
at Condé Nast Publications
' Vanity Fair
magazine. He has written a sequel called The Sound of No Hands Clapping which chronicles his failure as a Hollywood screenwriter in the years after he left New York.
A feature length film, titled How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
was released in October 2008. It is directed by Robert B. Weide
and stars Simon Pegg
, Kirsten Dunst
, and Megan Fox
.
The title of Young's book is a parody of the title of Dale Carnegie
's 1937 bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People
. However, a parody by Irving Tressler, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, was also published in 1937. Young's book does not reference either Carnegie's or Tressler's works.
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
by Toby Young
Toby Young
Toby Young, MA, FRSA is a British journalist and the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his stint in New York as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine...
about his failed five-year effort to make it in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a contributing editor
Contributing editor
A contributing editor is a magazine job title that varies in responsibilities. Most often, a contributing editor is a freelancer who has proven ability and readership draw. The contributing editor regularly contributes articles to the publication but does not actually edit articles, and the title...
at Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...
' Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine. He has written a sequel called The Sound of No Hands Clapping which chronicles his failure as a Hollywood screenwriter in the years after he left New York.
A feature length film, titled How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (film)
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a 2008 British comedy film based upon British writer Toby Young's 2001 memoir of the same name. The film follows a similar storyline, about his five year struggle to make it in the United States after employment at Sharps Magazine...
was released in October 2008. It is directed by Robert B. Weide
Robert B. Weide
Robert B. Weide is an American screenwriter, producer, and director, perhaps best known for his Emmy-winning work on documentaries and Curb Your Enthusiasm.-Career:Weide's career began with an early passion for the Marx Brothers...
and stars Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
, Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...
, and Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
.
The title of Young's book is a parody of the title of Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie
Dale Breckenridge Carnegie was an American writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills...
's 1937 bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the first bestselling self-help books ever published. Written by Dale Carnegie and first published in 1936, it has sold 15 million copies world-wide....
. However, a parody by Irving Tressler, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, was also published in 1937. Young's book does not reference either Carnegie's or Tressler's works.