Laugh, don’t kick

If you’ve ever had the urge to beat the crap out of somebody but lacked the strategy, never fear! E.R. Silverman, a former government agent, generously shares his expertise in kicking ass and taking names. In How to Kick Someone’s Ass: 246 Practical (But Not Always Legal) Ways to Take the Bastards Down, he neatly organizes the proper fighting techniques according to locations (at the bar, the gym and the office). While Silverman is generous with advice (including the best way to deliver a roundhouse kick to the face and maneuvering brass knuckles), he also suggests taking his tips with a grain of salt: It’s more about entertainment than for practical use. Other tips are more childish than “kick-ass” worthy. One of his suggestions—switching out your enemy’s shampoo for various other hair products like hair coloring or thinning solution—has been done before, namely in kid’s movies (see Danny DeVito’s dome in Matilda).