A Profane, Sarcastic and Thoughtful Guide For Incoming College Freshman

Bruce Von Stiers

Adam Mansbach is a writer. He has written novels with titles such as The End of the Jews and The Golem of Brooklyn. His thriller novels, The Devil's Bag Man and The Dead Run were well received. Mansbach also contributed the Dave Barry book, A Field Guide to the Jewish People. He wrote a best-selling memoir in prose and was co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Just Try One Bite.

Along the way, Mansbach has written a self-help book series for parents on how to deal with their children. These books are written in somewhat rhyming prose. They provide sage advice, mixed with more than a smidgeon of sarcasm, and a boatload of profanity, mainly the F Bomb. The titles for the book series are Go The Fuck To Sleep, You Have To Fucking Eat and Fuck, Now There Are Two of You. These are small volumes with illustrations. The first book was illustrated by Ricardo Cortes and the other two by Owen Brozman.

This year finds Mansbach with a fourth entry into his already popular series. This new book is titled Go The Fuck To College. Like the earlier volumes in the series, it has sage advice sprinkled with sarcasm and a heaping spoonful of the word Fuck. It is also illustrated by Owen Brozman.

An author's statement from Mansbach tells of how several people suggested he write another volume to his Go The.. series. But it wasn't until he toured college campuses with his high school senior daughter, Vivian, that the idea resonated with him. From the realization that his daughter might never live at home anymore, to the hurtles that life would throw at an incoming college freshman, Mansbach sought to write something that both celebrates a child's growth towards adulthood and gives advice and a bit of knowledge to take with them. All the while knowing that they will make mistakes along the way.

The book is funny, yet very poignant. From ragging on the kid for not getting up in the morning to telling them to just be you and not let people mess with your friends, there is a lot of quick, but wise advice. That advice includes not urinating in public, not blacking out and staying off your phone. There is somewhat of an apology for messing things up a bit as a parent. And, by the way, you still have a room at home, but now it's a gym.

Go The Fuck To College would be a fun read for your about-to-go-to-college child. It might not be the choice guidance book that some parents would go for, but it does have valid, if not profane, points. I'm sure my son would have thought it hilarious if the book had been around when he was ready to start college.

Go The Fuck To College is published by Akashic Books.

Go The Fuck To College is available at selected retail book shops and on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and directly from Akashic Books.

To learn more, visit the book's page at Akashic Books at https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/go-the-fuck-to-college/

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© 2026 Bruce E Von Stiers