On Being Awesome: A Unified Theory of How Not to Suck

Riggle’s first book thoroughly explores the concept of awesomeness along with its ugly flip side, suckiness. Grappling with questions such as “What is the difference between being down and being game, and how do they relate to awesomeness?”, Riggle leverages his academic experience as a philosophy professor at the University of California, San Diego, to lend credibility to the project. The book deconstructs awesomeness and suckiness, builds an “ethics of awesomeness,” and includes an extensive taxonomy of awesomeness and suckiness. The book draws on diverse cultural references that include Proust and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Riggle effortlessly pairs a conversational tone with intellectual rigor. The book has the noble intention of fostering greater social connection but its presentation can be off-putting. Most readers will come to the book with their own understanding of what awesome is, so for Riggle to treat his idiosyncratic interpretation as standard without any outside support feels presumptuous. One wonders, as well, whether the concept warrants (or benefits from) such an exhaustive investigation. The thinking that went into the book is impressive, but the results feel superficial and unsatisfying. Although Riggle claims his project is urgent, he never convincingly supports this claim with evidence besides his own assertions. (Sept.)