Self-help for Stoners: Stuff to Read When You're High Paperback – December 21, 2011

I was halfway through the third story in this e-book collection before I realized my mistake: this would make an excellent bathroom book. Tons of short, funny or suspenseful pieces. Easy to pick up or put down. This brings up the next great challenge for the electronic reading revolution... who's going to leave their e-reader in the can? Will there be special versions of the Kindle or Nook which are waterproof and easily clean up with a squirt of "Toilet Duck?"Luckily for those of you hearing of this book for the first time, there is now a print version, so we can solve that other problem some other day.This collection of scalpel-sharp stories, vicious vignettes or bits of stoner wisdom is brilliant. It is a great read, first of all--makes you think, keeps you guessing and all that. But it's also great writing, something you don't always find in an "indie" book. Chute is a real pro who shows he is in top form with an altogether rare amount of second person narration, perfectly executed. Last time I read this much 2P was in Thomas Harris's "Hannibal" or Jay McInerney's "Bright Lights, Big City".The stories and story fragments in this collection seem like they would be of great value to stoners. Topics covered include how to deal with paranoia, the munchies, illicit bong purchases, stealth baked goods and other weird stuff to think about when you're high. Like first love, skunk transportation, a cold as ice assassin and a gay teen on the run from repressive parents. Okay, so not all of it is a perfect fit, but it is never boring.The author is dedicated to the concept of indie publishing and those with reservations about this branch of the medium with no literary "gatekeepers" might imagine that this means the material is unpublishable by any other means. That is certainly not the case here. Both the writing and the packaging are professional all the way.I have read plenty of "traditionally published" schlock which was given the green light by said gatekeepers (maybe when they were high) that was nowhere close to being as well written, edited or presented as "Self-Help for Stoners." This is the real deal, folks. The future of publishing is in our hands. To paraphrase Karl Marx, the workers have taken over the means of production. Publishing establishment take heed: notice has been served.

Each story transported me from my immediate surroundings to be immersed in the setting of the story, thoroughly enjoying the descriptiveness or banter between characters. There were more than a few times I reached the end of a story, looked up from my eReader and was surprised to find myself in surroundings other than the characters' I'd just read. For me, that is "a good read". Many times I wished there was more beyond just the short story and I look forward to reading longer writings by this author (Novellas? Full Length Novels?); I actually hadn't realized this was a collection of stories when purchased.The stories range from serious, light, reflective, homorous, rant-ish...really quite an array. There are a number of Canadianisms which are a bit fun (- descriptive references so good that I could 'hear' Rex Murphy in my head) - but I believe that readers unfamiliar with them will enjoy this read every bit as much as a seasoned Canuck.A recommended read; 4 stars for quality, entertainment, value, however I felt some stories ended prematurely. Hope to see longer content in future.

If you grew up in the age of Kentucky Fried Movie, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Midnight Movies, and Saturday Night Live (Belushi, Aykroyd, Chase, and Jane "you ignorant slut" Curtin) you will love Self-Help For Stoners by author Robert Chazz Chute. This book is side splitting, drink spewing humor filled with social commentary and a good bit of wisdom - slipped in when you're not looking. The author has a dry, razor's edge sense of humor with a deadpan delivery that creeps up on you even when you're watching. But you don't need to remember Reefer Madness to enjoy the schtick. All generations can relate.Self-Help for Stoners, Stuff to Read When You're High is a collection of loosely related vignettes that are entertaining and often thought provoking. The author relates his offbeat stories with the skill of a journalist and the flair of a stand-up comedian. I highly recommend this to all my friends - straight or stoned.

If you're really into reading while intoxicated I recommend this product. I came to the surprising discovery that this is actually a pretty packed book with a lot of things going on. If you can handle walls of text without losing your concentration then you will probably be down with this book.

This was quite an enjoyable book, and much deeper than I expected. All the pieces of it were really good and held my interest. It had the beginning of a book at the end that I couldn't get into it (not my genre) but I would look forward to checking out anything else this author writes.

Some of the stuff is way out there, which makes it that much more interesting. Some of the stories are a little too long, so I lose focus, especially when I'm stoned. But I like it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh.

This book is great for when you have little 5-10 minute breaks in the day. Each chapter, most all a few pages long, is a story of itself...with just enough connected themes and terms to make it all seem "together". I keep it in the bathroom, but found myself reading the stories whenever I could until I got through it at least once. It COULD be longer, but, it was short enough to where now i'm hungry for a sequel.

Mixed bag of short stories and samples of the authors longer works. Some of the stuff is really interesting; others not so much.