Scott Kenemore’s: The Zen of Zombie

This week, I am reviewing a fun little book that I received as a gift over the holidays: Scott Kenemore’s The Zen of Zombie: Better Living Through the Undead. The Zen of Zombie is a self-help book the likes of which you have probably never seen. As it turns out, one of the best ways to reach an enlightened state of existence is to emulate the classic shufflers of horror famedom. The crazy thing is Kenemore may just be on to something here. The book is divided into two parts: the first describing 24 ways in which emulating zombies leads to a better life, while the second part is a guide to truly becoming one with your inner zombie. While it seems like a joke book, at the heart of this piece of literature is a legitimate self-help book. As Kenemore points out, zombies don’t let others dictate their actions. Zombies don’t let their disabilities or poor circumstances stop them. And, most importantly, zombies don’t stop to be upset by their circumstances: they just keep being what they are. Kenemore’s writing is direct and hilarious, driving his jokes home well, while giving the book the feeling of being halfway between a self-help book and a wacky conversation with your best friend. It’s funny, helpful, and a little twisted, and deserves to be read by anyone who enjoys mock self-help books, zombies, or who are wanting a self-help book anyway. A word of warning: the book features some strong language, so while it may seem cutesy, it really isn’t intended for kids. That being said, The Zen of Zombie was a racious read and sits as an unexpected highlight of my holiday season reading.