1000 Awesome Things is a blog written by Neil Pasricha, who posts one thing in life he considers awesome each weekday. The site was launched on June 20, 2008 and counted down until #1 was posted on April 19, 2012.

1000 Awesome Things
Type of site
Blog (user-generated)
Available inEnglish
Created byNeil Pasricha
URL1000awesomethings.com
CommercialNo
RegistrationNo
LaunchedJune 20, 2008
Current statusActive

History edit

The author said that at the time of starting the site "if you flipped open the newspaper it was filled with the same stuff every day. The polar ice caps were melting, there were pirates storming the seas, the economy was on the verge of collapse, and there were wars going on all over the world." As a result, he created a website discussing "popping bubble wrap, or snow days, or the smell of a bakery."[1] In later interviews, and through a series on his blog, Pasricha shared that his divorce and a friend's suicide prompted him to continue looking for positive things in life.[2][3]

Books edit

 
The Book of Awesome cover.

In 2009, Neil Pasricha was approached by literary agents after winning the Webby Award and signed with Erin Malone from WME, who has also represented blog-to-books Stuff White People Like and Texts From Last Night.[4][5][6] The Book of Awesome was published as a 400-page hardcover the United States and Canada in April, 2010 from AEB/Putnam, a division of Penguin Publishing. The book became a bestseller in its first week and a New York Times bestseller.[7] The book has been translated and is available in Dutch, Korean, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, and French.[8]

In Canada, The Book of Awesome was recognized as a Heather's Pick. It has been a bestseller on The Globe and Mail bestseller list for over 130 weeks and was the #1 Globe and Mail non-fiction book of the year for 2010 and 2011 and the #3 non-fiction book for 2012. It has been a #1 bestseller in many international markets.[9]

Pasricha has also contributed to The Book of (Even More) Awesome and The Book of (Holiday) Awesome, both published in 2011.[3]

Movie edit

In a 2012 newspaper interview the author said The Book of Awesome has been optioned for a movie but did not discuss details.[10]

Media coverage edit

The Book of Awesome and 1000 Awesome Things have been covered by magazines, newspapers, and broadcasters such as The Today Show,[11] BBC, CNN,[12] The Guardian,[13] Reader's Digest,[14] Entertainment Weekly, Wired's GeekDad blog,[15] The New Yorker,[16] Slate,[17] TEDxToronto on YouTube,[18] and The Globe and Mail.

Awards edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Neil Pasricha: Creator of 1000 Awesome Things". Maximum Fun. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  2. ^ Volmers, Eric (2019-11-29). "Neil Pasricha's new book shows how wrestling with failure can make you 'awesome'".
  3. ^ a b "Does author Neil Pasricha know the secret to happiness?". The Globe and Mail. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  4. ^ Harris, Misty (2009-05-06). "1000AwesomeThings blogger snags Webby". Vancouver Sun. Canwest News Service. Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  5. ^ Neyfakh, Leon (2008-03-20). "'Stuff White People Like' Book Sold to Random House For At Least $350,000 (UPDATED) | The New York Observer". Observer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  6. ^ Neyfakh, Leon (2009-06-26). "Book Based on 'Texts From Last Night' Blog Sold to Gotham | The New York Observer". Observer.com. Archived from the original on 2009-06-28. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  7. ^ Taylor, Ihsan. "Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  8. ^ "Bestsellers List - the Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2010-05-01.
  9. ^ "Book". 1000 Awesome Things. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  10. ^ "Where are they now? 1000 awesome things author Neil Pasricha talks about life after his popular blog | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  11. ^ "Pasricha: 'Awesome things make my life better' - today > books - booksmiscellaneous". TODAY.com. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  12. ^ Anjarwalla, Tas. "8 feel-good websites to brighten your day". CNN. Archived from the original on 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  13. ^ Johnny Dee (7 November 2009). "This week's internet reviews | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  14. ^ "10 Wonders of the Everyday World | Funny Stuff | Reader's Digest". Archived from the original on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  15. ^ Little, Brian. "A Tribute to Playground Equipment Past | GeekDad". Wired. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  16. ^ Foley, Deirdre (19 March 2010). "The Gospel of Awesome. Excellent". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  17. ^ Rubin, Gretchen (2009-11-23). "A Little-Known Occupational Hazard Affecting Writers". Slate.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  18. ^ TEDxToronto - Neil Pasricha "The 3 A's of Awesome" - YouTube
  19. ^ "2010 | The Webby Awards Gallery + Archive". Webbyawards.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  20. ^ a b "2009 | The Webby Awards Gallery + Archive". Webbyawards.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  21. ^ Griffith, Eric (2010-11-11). "Our Favorite Blogs: 2010". PCMag.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  22. ^ Monson, Kyle (2009-07-27). "Undiscovered: Fun - The Top 100 Web Sites of 2009 - The Top 100 Web Sites of 2009". PCMag.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  23. ^ Heater, Brian (2009-11-23). "Our Favorite Blogs 2009". PCMag.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.

External links edit