Book Review - The Day I Turned Uncool by Dan Zevin

When I first saw Dan Zevin’s book The Day I Turned Uncool in the bookstore, I could tell it would be a fun book to read.  On the cover of the book is a picture of a pair of legs that look like they belong to a dorky young boy wearing laced up tennis shoes and khaki pants holding a golf club.  The picture and the title complement each other perfectly, informing the reader before even opening the book that this will be a funny book about the awkward time between being an easy-going, college-aged person and being a “grown-up.”  

Zevin has divided his book into approximately twenty “confessions” where he tells the reader how he has dropped his immature ways and is becoming a boring grown-up.  Some of the confessions Zevin makes are:

- I played golf
- I spend a great deal of time engaged in home-improvement projects
- I am a figure of authority
- I joined a health club
- I take pride in my lawn
- I am from New Jersey
- I have dabbled in the world of stress management
- I developed an interest in etiquette
- The future freaks me out
- I have turned into a “pet person”
- The world is no longer my oyster
- My social circle has shriveled and shrunk
- Expanding my horizons isn’t worth the hassle anymore
- I became attached to a major home appliance
- I have a cleaning lady
- I sought professional help
- Getting dressed is getting harder
- I went to a wine tasting
- I’m no fun anymore
- Caffeine has become my recreational drug of choice
- I enjoy getting back to nature
- Paternal instincts are plaguing me
- Going out has been replaced by going out for dinner
- I had a little midlife crisis

Dan Zevin explains how he is slowly becoming the person he never thought he would be and is changing his ways as he becomes older.  For example, he is taking part in activities such as golf and wine tasting.  Not many young people care about golf and wine, and Zevin was the same way as a young man.  Why play golf when you are young if you can chug beers party instead?  As Zevin got older though, he started to appreciate wine and appreciate the different types and tastes that come with the territory. 

A major event for adults is buying a house.  When you buy a house, not only do you have to take care of the house’s appearance, but the lawn as well.  Zevin starts to develop an interest in lawn care which most people choose to ignore.  Lawn care is never a fun chore growing up, but if you have your own house, you learn to take care of the lawn yourself and even enjoy it as Zevin does.  Zevin also finds that he is attached to his home’s air conditioning, named “Mr. Kool.”  When Mr. Kool finally gives up after many years and must be thrown away, Zevin states the following, “All summer long he performed like a machine half his age.  But on Thursday morning, estimated time of death 7:15, he could no longer take the heat.  Today, I mourn the loss of one who touched many lives with the simple gift of conditioning the air.  Mr. Kool, my special friend, I haven’t been the same since the day you departed.”  Silly quotes like this are spread all throughout the book, and make for a humorous read.

Dan Zevin has a laid-back and easy way of writing.  His writing style makes for a fun, quick read due to the face that the book is only 172 pages long.  Zevin covers topics that nearly everyone experiences as we get older, making this book applicable to everyone who is starting to feel like a grown-up.  Not only can we all relate to some of the “confessions” in this book, but with Zevin, we realize that getting older is not so bad.  Due to the humor and simple writing style in this book, it is rated 4 out of 5.