Greg Heffley is a good person. To prove it, he kicks off the book with his New Years' resolution of helping people improve. He starts by telling his mother that she should eat her potato chips more quietly. Many other incidents such as this bring Greg's father to think of military school, which he considers a great way to make Greg more manly. The book ends just as summer is about to begin, setting the stage for the sequel "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days".