Wylie Overstreet’s The History of the World According to Facebook is likely not the only book to satirize the wildly popular social networking site and it certainly won’t be the last but, at least for now, it may be the wittiest.
The germ for the book originated with an August 2010 online article by Overstreet (“If Historical Events Had Facebook Statuses”) and has evolved into a quick read paperback that is actually laugh-out-loud funny. The biggest shock of all is how much accurate history you can actually glen from this snarky pop culture joke. Beginning, appropriately enough, at the beginning when the world was created, the book gives a full length history of the world through Facebook updates (the opening post, credited to The Singularity, is simply “First!”). If that initial post goes over your head, this book might not be for you as the text is chocked with online and networking jargon (“lol,” “rofl,” “fml,” etc.).
The book ends with a message from Satan to Osama Bin Laden (“PPS, No the Vuvuzelas never stop”.) The History of the World According to Facebook is a snapshot in time that will certainly feel dated a few years from now, so enjoy it while it’s fresh because this book is hilarious. LMAO!
The History of the World According to Facebook By Wylie Overstreet/Paperback/160 Pages/It Books/2011