Book Review: Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, & Dismissed

Almost everyone has been fired from a job, and justStories like these are worth the price of this book
about everyone has a story to go along with it.alone.
Annabelle Gurwitch, the actor and screen writer,To round each story off, the book also includes
decided to capitalize on this fact by compiling and"Fired Facts": brief and amusing factoids
editing a collection of humorousabout being fired, and the workplace in general. For
"down-sizing" stories in her book Fired!example: "Increased risk of heart attack faced
Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized &by employer firing an employee in the week after
Dismissed. After being fired by the media icon (andwielding the ax: 100%". What a great way to
consequently her idol) Woody Allen, Annabelleend your career - with your former boss in the
decided to take her story to the publishers- alonghospital!
with several other tales from well known actors andWhile Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled,
media personal, including Bill Maher, Tim Allen, TateDownsized & Dismissed is entertaining (being
Donovan (actor and director in The O.C.), Harryfired with the line "Take that hanger off your
Shearer (actor in This is Spinal Tap), Dana Gouldhead, you idiot!" may be the best thing that
(writer for The Simpsons), Bob Saget and more.has ever happened to me), it completely fails to
The book is divided into five chapters: The Job Soconnect with the reader. Each story falls into one of
Terrible You Can Only Hope to Be Fired, The Firingtwo major camps: meaningless high school jobs that
You Didn't See Coming, The Time You Deserved tono one regrets losing, and glamorous Hollywood jobs
be Fired, The Time Getting Fired Leads You tothat, while interesting, are entirely foreign to the
Something Better, and The Time You Had to Fireaverage reader.
Yourself. Each chapter is as witty as the last, and willIn the introduction to this book, Annabelle Gurwitch
keep you reading and laughing through till the next.concludes "So you were fired. Welcome to the
And with over a dozen "tales of theclub. We've been waiting for you." However,
canned" in each chapter, you will have plentythis book fails to present any "club" you
of laughing to enjoy.or I are ever likely to be a member of. While almost
Many of the true stories found in this book are soanyone can related with being fired from a job, the
funny, they will have you laughing out loud. The storystories in this book are quite different from any
of Paul Feig (director of Arrested Development andworkplace axing I have experienced. And unless you
The Office) losing his Ronald McDonald gig becausehave felt the horror of losing a job because your
of a magical comparison between a rubber chickencharacter was shot in the last episode, you will
and Chicken McNuggets he made to a group ofprobably be unable to relate as well.
school kids while wearing the clown suit will probablyIf you are looking for a light, entertaining read to get
remain with me for the rest of my life. In anotheryou through the work week, I would recommend
favorite story, Jeff Garlin (actor in Curb YourFired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized
Enthusiasm) explains how he was fired for throwing a& Dismissed. Though the book will probably not
bowl of Fruity-Pebbles at a hotel wall... and all justhelp you reminisce about jobs long past, that may be
because they stuck. Larry Charles (writer forfor the best. What better way to forget about your
Senifeld) reminds us that Taxi companies shouldown "down-sizing" experiences that to
never offer employment to a teen-age kid who hashear the stories of a celebrity with their head on the
just acquired his license that very day; wrecking hischopping block.
cab before he even got it out of the parking lot.