Synopses & Reviews
self-inflicted wound (n): a spectacularly humiliating, and often hilarious, incident entirely of one's own making.
see also: you did it to yourself.
Have you ever made a decision you instantly regretted? Humiliated yourself in a room of your peers, or shamed yourself in front of your massive crush? Ever blown a job interview, frozen during a presentation, acted like a total idiot on a date? Ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time, unable to keep your tongue from flapping out the stupidest words you've ever said in your life, ever? If you are a human being, the answer, of course, is yes. Take heart. You're not alone. This is known as the Self-Inflicted Wound, and every one of us bears a scar. Or several.
Here, Aisha Tyler, comedian, actress, cohost of CBS's The Talk, star of Archer, and creator of the top-ranked podcast Girl on Guy, serves up a spectacular collection of her own self-inflicted wounds. From almost setting herself on fire, to vomiting on a boy she liked, to getting drunk and sleeping through the SATs, to going into crushing debt to pay for college and then throwing away her degree to become a comedian, Aisha's life has been a series of spectacularly epic fails. And she's got the scars to prove it. Literally.
Through it all, Aisha's triumphs haven't come in spite of the failures, but because of them. Because with every failure comes a lesson learned, a strength revealed, a fear overcome, or an adventure braved. Self-Inflicted Wounds isn't just about surviving failure. It's about embracing failure — pursuing it, even — on the winding path to success. And after you've failed a time or three, hopefully you'll have learned something. Or at the very least have a really killer story. Because to err is human, but to fail epically is hilarious.
Review
"Aisha Tyler is one of the smartest, funniest women I've had the good fortune of meeting. She makes me laugh every time I see her — and this is coming from the guy who thinks women aren't funny."
Adam Carolla, comedian, host of The Adam Carolla Show, and New York Times bestselling author of In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks
Review
"Aisha Tyler's brain moves faster than a shock spell from the hands of a lightning mage. She is hilarious, hyper-articulate, and will kick your ass in Call of Duty. She is the life of the LAN party."
Chris Hardwick, comedian and host of The Talking Dead and The Nerdist
Review
"Aisha Tyler's incredibly vivid stories of going for big air only to land flat on her face (or possibly a rusty spike) are a unique combination of cringe-worthy and inspiring. That she shares these stories makes me love her all the more."
Bill Burr, comedian, actor, and host of The Monday Morning Podcast
Review
"What Aisha says about embracing your fear and using mistakes to forge character is beautiful. What she says about Oprah is unforgivable."
Baratunde Thurston, New York Times bestselling author of How To Be Black, and CEO/Co-Founder, Cultivated Wit
Review
"For once, Patton is correct. Aisha Tyler is one funny son of a bitch."
Dave Eggers, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of New York Times #1 bestseller A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, What Is the What, Zeitoun, and A Hologram for the King and founder of McSweeney's
Review
"A beautifully tortured and sick-with-self-consciousness manifesto of regret. I'm equal parts proud and embarrassed for Aisha Tyler, which doesn't get in the way of my loving her, as you will when you read Self-Inflicted Wounds."
Margaret Cho, comedian, actress, and nationally bestselling author of I'm the One That I Want
Synopsis
In her book
Self-Inflicted Wounds, comedian, actress, and cohost of CBS's daytime hit show
The Talk, Aisha Tyler recounts a series of epic mistakes and hilarious stories of crushing personal humiliation, and the personal insights and authentic wisdom she gathered along the way.
The essays in Self-Inflicted Wounds are refreshingly and sometimes brutally honest, surprising, and laugh-out-loud funny, vividly translating the brand of humor Tyler has cultivated through her successful standup career, as well as the strong voice and unique point of view she expresses on her taste-making comedy podcast Girl on Guy.
Riotous, revealing, and wonderfully relatable, Aisha Tyler's Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation is about the power of calamity to shape life, learning, and success.
Video
About the Author
Aisha Tyler is a comedian, actress, author, television host, podcaster, and recovering nerd (see photo — note the devastatingly fashionable Casio watch). She is cohost of the Emmy-nominated daytime talk show The Talk, the voice of sexy superspy Lana Kane on FX's hit animated series Archer, and host of the all-new Whose Line Is It, Anyway? on the CW. She is also the creator, producer, and host of the award-winning podcast Girl on Guy with Aisha Tyler, consistently ranked one of the top ten comedy podcasts on iTunes. Tyler tours as a standup comedian nationwide, and has contributed to Oprah, Wired, Glamour, and Entertainment Weekly magazines. She lives in Los Angeles, where she reads postapocalyptic fiction and plays video games in her meager spare time.