Those Bastards
Some guy promised a free copy of Jared Dillian’s newest book, Those Bastards, to anyone willing to write a review. Being a glutton for punishment, I raised my digital hand and began turning digital pages. A few months later (I’m a slow reader these days), I finished the book — really, a collection of short essays — and started to formulate my thoughts. The short version: Two thumbs up, highly recommend. For the longer version, read on.
I’m relatively new to the Dillian-verse, only subscribing to his newsletter in early 2023 after reading a great piece on personal finance. Since that fateful day, I’ve read a few of his short stories, several dozen emails, and now this book. But Jared is actually a prolific, accomplished writer. He cut his teeth as a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, has published a memoir and a novel, and is about to release another book. By his own account, he writes 3-4,000 words per day. See above: prolific.
Let’s contrast Jared’s sheer volume of creation with my own voracious consumption: I read a lot. And I read widely. But I’ve never encountered a writer with such an off-the-cuff, no-holds-barred, staccato style. At times orthogonal, but always entertaining. It’s Michael Lewis meets Anthony Bourdain, with fart jokes and f-words added in for extra spiciness. In short, he’s unique, an attribute that I (as both a reader and would-be writer) hold as a paragon of the pen.
Most critics would say that Jared has “no filter” and I can see why; this book has countless opinions, anecdotes, and euphemisms that I thought I’d never see published in the Year of Our Lord 2023. But that description wouldn’t be precisely true, because he definitely has a few bombshells up his sleeve. Even so, a muzzled Jared Dillian is far more risqué than most writers, leaving us readers wondering what lays, stinking and unpublished, at the bottom of his hot-take hamper.
Like George Carlin on steroids, he dives head-first into almost every “untouchable” topic. It’s both raw and refreshing. There are takes on stupid people, poor people, rich people, and lazy people. Politics, mental illness, drugs, sex, and — of course — finance. With a potpourri of potty words sprinkled throughout, he regales us with story after story of his own mistakes, regrets, and failures. I’m not sure what I hold in higher regard: his vulnerability or his courage.
While the PG-13 content is highly entertaining, that’s just Jared’s way of hooking the reader, lulling us into a false sense of low-brow ease, then blindsiding us with deep philosophy. His musing are packed with insights and takeaways that rival anything you’ll see on the bestseller lists. And while I don’t agree with everything he believes (obviously), I found myself highlighting passages, nodding my head, and even clapping on seemingly every other page. It felt less like reading a book and more like having a one-way conversation with a very wise uncle.
At the end of the day, Those Bastards was a joy to read. Not least of which because its vignette-like chapters were able to hold my father-of-three, goldfish-level attention span for more than the usual 45 seconds. These days, if a book doesn’t catch my interest within the first few pages, I’m quitting with no regrets. But giving up never entered the realm of possibility, and not just because I committed to this review.
So do what I did and pick a copy (or ten). You won’t regret it. Just make sure there’s no writing requirement.
Devin Faddoul, CFP® is the founder of Adda Financial | Outsource your financial life. Focus on your real life.