For years they thought it was just them. Irritated and tormented by everything around them from call centres to nose studs, from speed bumps to ringtones. Then along came the BBC2 series Grumpy Old Men, and the subsequent bestselling book, and they knew they were not alone.

It turns out that 35-54 year old men are the grumpiest group of people in history. Grumpier than their parents, who were just glad to have survived the war and lived long enough to collect their pensions. Grumpier than their children, who don't care about anything except iPods and tattoos.

This audio release, by the writer of the acclaimed book and TV series, extends the hand of friendship to the young, the old and the women who identified with Grumpy Old Men. It is now a modern movement, and its members are proud of the title. As Bob Geldof puts it, if you aren't grumpy, it means that you are content with the world around you, and who the **** in their right mind would be that?"