The Lazy Bastard Guide to Mandarin: An Abridged Corpse of Axioms, Vocabulary, and Their Purported Meanings is an irreverent take on language in the modern age, based on the author's experience in Asia. Loosely satirizing the context and structure of a pocket-sized phrase book, the Lazy Bastard Guide to Mandarin describes a world where most expats are called "asspats," and suggests the best way to deal with the Chinese penchant for pushing in line is to push back.