Potential spoilers. Absolutely brilliant. Mean Martin Manning is the story of a man who just wants to be left alone. He lives in his apartment and avoids all human contact. When a social worker attempts to "help" him by getting him to leave his apartment, a war of sorts is begun. Manning is forced to undergo therapy due to a new government bill. He resists help the entire time, forced to change his diet and his daily routine, and when things take a turn for the worse, things get very, very interesting. I love every aspect of this book. The whole process of getting him to leave his apartment, the "therapy", the escape, the revenge, the cliffhanger at the end...amazing. Manning is clearly the most intelligent person in the novel, and yet he is forced to change his life for the "better". This raises the issue of whether the government has the right to help us for our own good. Banning certain foods because they aren't healthy, for instance, is ridiculous. People should have a right to control their lives as long as they aren't hurting anyone else. Last but not least, I just have to say I think this would be an amazing movie. I could see it playing out in my head as I read the story. All in all, amazing book. Read it.