Editorial Review

What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are there dozens of varieties of mustard-but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? What does hair dye tell us about the history of the 20^th century?

Reviews

Wow, what a surpirsing gem!
I've enjoyed all of Malcolm Gladwell's single-subject books, so I thought I'd give this collection of his articles a chance even though I often find compilations like this to be a let down. I'm positively thrilled I read it. The only drawback may be that my friends and family must be sick to death of listening to me talk about it.

A number of things make the book a real standout. The first is Gladwell's own description of what he tries to accomplish when he writes an article. He says he tries to give the reader a sense of "what it feels like" to be the person he's featuring. He does it in spades and throws a lot more into the bargain as well.

Amongst the articles, I found a clearer and more engaging explanation of Nassim Taleb's theories than can be found in Taleb's own books. They are brilliant and fascinating and literally gave me new ideas on how to deal with today's stock market conditions. I came to understand why French's mustard has hundreds of successful competitors while Heinz ketchup really has none. I learned better ways to interact with my dog. The list goes on and on.

What's so fun is that each article took me into a world different from my own and when I left, I had more than I came in with. Some of it is truly helpful in my life, some will make great cocktail party conversation and some is just fascinating in its own right.

Pick this one up and give it a read. I think you'll be glad you did.

More Interesting & Unique Perspectives
If you're an avid reader of "The New Yorker" over the past decade or so, you probably would've read most of the stories Malcolm Gladwell pieced together to produce this fascinating book; perhaps you would've felt cheated that he's simply rehashing old stuff.

Luckily for me, I don't read "The New Yorker", so all of Gladwell's "adventures" that have been compiled for this endeavor are new to me; and I found them to be quite interesting and unique. The end result is a book that anyone with an inquiring mind would certainly enjoy. I loved it.

The topics covered in this quirky series of essays are as far-flung as Ron Popeil and the psychology of dogs; whether you find each one to be of interest is debatable. Certainly, what some people would find interesting, would bore others to death. To nit pick each separate chapter would be a futile endeavor; simply enjoy the essence of Gladwell's engaging prose, and explore the fascinating perspective he lends to our crazy existence.

In the end, you'll discover a different perspective on a lot of things you never even thought about before; and isn't that the reason for expanding our intellectual horizons? Quite simply, this book accomplishes its mission; I highly recommend reading it for yourself.

Like a provocative comedian, Gladwell chooses familiar rocks
Gladwell's subject matter is intentionally, wildly far flung. In addition, one story will go micro and the next will go macro. He revels in the swing. Like a provocative comedian, Gladwell chooses familiar rocks and then breaks them open for the pay off. He exposes the human motivations and the surrounding group dynamics that contribute to any number of calamities. As a premier American Social Scientist, Gladwell is many things; part intuitive savant, part psychologist and sociologist and part investigative interrogator. Above all these gifts, Gladwell is an excellent story teller. He often tackles huge and complex topics with simple unflappable logic. Gladwell's patented "reveal" is his franchise trademark. First he presents an interesting dynamic or problem. He then presents a second, seemingly unrelated problem. Gladwell toggles between the two stories and rolls them out on two long converging lines, logically inching them forward, step-by-step. At the end of each essay, there is a single resolve with an implicit social commentary, (`... the teacher's have an NFL quarterback problem"). He often concedes that knowing the logical answer won't necessarily change the next inevitable outcome. So rest assured, due to our own human nature, curious Mr. Gladwell will never run short of flamboyant material.

What Malcolm learned....

One man's opinion, Malcolm Gladwell is at his best when writing essays for magazines (notably The New Yorker) or when writing Outliers: The Story of Success, his most recently published book. (I do not share others' enthusiasm for his earlier books, The Tipping Point and Blink.) In Outliers, he provides a rigorous and comprehensive examination of the breakthrough research conducted by Anders Ericsson and his associates at Florida State. One of the major research projects focuses on individuals who have "attained their superior performance by instruction and extended practice: highly skilled performers in the arts, such as music, painting and writing, sports, such as swimming, running and golf and games, such as bridge and chess." Geoff Colvin (in Talent Is Overrated) and Daniel Coyle (in The Talent Code) also discuss the same research.

In this volume, we have 19 of Gladwell's essays, all of which originally appeared in The New Yorker. They are organized within three Parts: Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius (e.g. "The Pitchman: Ron Popeil and the Conquest of the American Kitchen"); Theories, Predictions, and Diagnoses (e.g. "Million-Dollar Murray: Why Problems Like Homelessness May Be Easier to Solve Than Manage"); and Personality, Character, and Intelligence (e.g. "Dangerous Minds: Criminal Profiling Made Easy"). In the Preface, Gladwell observes, "Curiosity about the inner life of other people's day-to-day work is one of the most funfamental of human impulses, and that same impulse is what led to the writing you now hold in your hands."

The title of the book is also the title of one of the essays in which Gladwell provides a profile of "The Dog Whisperer," Cesar Millan, the owner of the Dog Psychology Center in South-Central Los Angeles whose television program is now featured on the National Geographic channel. Although a long-time dog owner, I did not know - until reading this article - that dogs are really interested in humans. Interested, observes anthropologist Brian Hare, "to the point of obsession. To a dog, you are a giant walking tennis ball." Apparently to an extent no other animal can, a dog can "read" humans like the proverbial open book. What they "see" determines how they will react. The key to Millan's effectiveness with dogs is his understanding of their need for exercise, discipline, and affection. What he calls an "epiphany" occurred when he realized that they have their own psychology. For him, he realized this, it was "the most important moment in his life, because it was the moment when he understood that to succeed in the world he could not be just a dog whisperer. He needed to be a people whisperer." According to Gladwell, "A dog cares, deeply, which way your body is leaning. Forward or backward? Forward can be seen as aggressive; backward - even a quarter of an inch - means nonthreatening. It means you've relinquished what ethologists call an intentional movement to proceed forward." Ethologist Patricia McConnell and the author of The Other End of the Leash adds, "I believe they pay a tremendous amount of attention to how relaxed our face is and how relaxed our facial muscles are, because that's a big cue for them with each other."

Gladwell seems to have an insatiable curiosity about individuals, situations, and locations that may be, at least unitially, of little interest to others...until he shares what he has learned about them. Ketchup, for example. It is essential to my enjoyment of burgers, meatloaf, and french fries and yet I assumed that all ketchup is the same. Not so! In "The Ketchup Conundrum," Gladwell explains that tomato ketchup "is a nineteenth-century creation - the union of the English tradition of fruit and vegetable sauces and the growing American infatuation with the tomato. But what we know today as ketchup emerged outof a debate that raged in the first years of the last century over benzoate, a preservative widely used in the late-nineteenth century condiments." When I first read this essay in 2004, I was tempted to stop at this point. A debate about benzoate? A condiment controversy? Who cares? It is to Gladwell's credit that he rewarded my continuing to read the article by providing some truly interesting information about a subject in which I had little (if any) prior interest.

The next article in the anthology, "Blowing Up: How Nassim Taleb Turned the Inevitability of Disaster Into an Investment Strategy,"an article first published in 2002. Over a period of many months, Gladwell spent a great deal of time with Nassim Nicholas Taleb, founder and CEO of a hedge fund, Empirica Capital. "Taleb likes to quote David Hume: `No amount of observations of white swans can allow the inference that all swans are white, but the observation of a single black swan is sufficient to refute that conclusion.'...[Taleb] has constructed a trading philosophy predicated entirely on the existence of black swans, on the possibilty of some random, unexpected event sweeping the markets. He never sells options, then. He only buys them. He's never the one who can lose a great deal of money if GM stock suddenly plunges. Nor does her ever bet on the market moving in one direction or anitger. That would require Traleb to assume that he understands the market, and he doesn't." Years later, he wrote a book he called The Black Swan and during the subsequent financial crisis of 2008-2009 "made a staggering amount of money for his fund."

In this article and in all of the others, Gladwell demonstrates the skills of a world-class cultural anthropologist as he seeks out information from a wide variety of sources, interviews authorities on the given subject, observes behavior of those involved in the given activities, and then explains to the extent possible - in layman's terms - the meaning and significance of what he has learned. Each article is a gem. Together in one volume, they are a treasure.

A must-have for the contemporary skeptic
Every essay is dazzling. The unifying theme of all the pieces is epistemology: Why don't more accurate and precise mammograms provide more precise diagnoses? Why don't the best college quarterbacks necessarily make it as pros? Why is it probably naive to expect that all terrorist plots can be averted? The author probes into the limits of our knowledge and the expectations of 21st century society about certainty, and usually comes up with very provocative conclusions.

from theBookChubi
I listened to the audiobook and I think that was a good idea. First off, Gladwell has a great vocal quality that can both present information in a neutral tone (avoiding the problem of biasing the reader straight from the start) but is also very animated and really helps bring the information alive. Although the words themselves are what is important, without the additional presentational quality of the author I feel this book may come off as dry or too factual (as opposed to the stated purpose of providing an alternative idea). He takes you along the entire thought process behind the theories and ideas he is writing about so that you aren't simply confronted with the "solution" but get an idea of each step taken to arrive at that conclusion.

Some of the endings are blunt, which may work well for The New Yorker (where the articles were sourced from) but do seem a bit abrupt for a collection of stories in a book. Gladwell is fantastic about bringing each story around full circle and creating a through-line which, rather than sounding like a college paper (as these articles could have been doomed in another author's hands), provide a rich plot which happens to provide valuable information in the mean time. You will learn something even if you don't mean to and in the context of this book that is a positive factor.

All in all this book deserves your attention (it sure managed to capture mine).

See the full review at: [...] ... Read more

Editorial Review

The legendary talk show host's humorous reminiscences and pointed commentary on the great figures he has known, and culture and politics today

For years, Dick Cavett played host to the nation's most famous personalities on his late-night talk show. In this humorous and evocative book, we get to hear Cavett's best tales, as he recounts great moments with the legendary entertainers who crossed his path and offers his own trenchant commentary on contemporary American culture and politics.

Pull up a chair and listen to Cavett's stories about one-upping Bette Davis, testifying on behalf of John Lennon, confronting Richard Nixon, scheming with John Updike, befriending William F. Buckley, and palling around with Groucho Marx. Sprinkled in are tales of his childhood in Nebraska in the 1940s and 1950s, where he honed his sense of comic timing and his love of magic.

Cavett is also a wry cultural observer, looking at America today and pointing out the foibles that we so often fail to notice about ourselves. And don't even get him started on politicians. A generation of Americans ended their evenings in Dick Cavett's company; Talk Show is a way to welcome him back.

Reviews

This collection of Cavett's columns is almost as good as his TV interviews --- which were classics.
Dick Cavett is, for me, like that clichďż˝ about the 1960s: If you remember him, you weren't there. I know I wasn't --- he launched his first talk show on 1968, when I didn't own a TV set, and he was pretty much finished with a regular show by 1987, when I finally bought one. So I never had the pleasure of watching him.

But I know about Dick Cavett. He was the smart one. Pretty much, the only smart one.

He was from Nebraska, and blond, and boyish to a fault. He was a gymnast and a magician, and then he went to Yale, where he read a book. But he was obsessed with show business, and, as quickly as he could, became a joke writer for Jack Paar and, later, Johnny Carson.

Then he got his own show --- and reinvented the form. Clive James, who knows a thing or two about talk shows, isolated his genius: "The idea that one man could be both playful and serious was never deemed to be quite natural on American television, and Cavett was regarded as something of a freak even at the time.... Cavett never mugged, never whooped it up for the audience, rarely told a formally constructed joke, and listened to the guest. To put it briefly, his style did not suit a mass audience..."

That's not exactly a knock --- I worked at America Online for a while, where we courted the mass audience as if it held the secret of life. (It doesn't.) In the years since, the Internet has taught us that "niches are riches." Despite this, no one has managed to come up with a way to lure Cavett back to TV.

On the other hand, why should Cavett do TV? It would be almost impossible to top his past. He's 74. And, more to the point, he's got a New York Times column that's won him the devotion of literate grownups --- in my view, the dream demographic.

You can read all of his Times columns online. Or you can buy "Talk Show," which arranges them slightly differently and doesn't excise the "dirty" words. Ordinarily, the tightwad in me would recommend clicking and scrolling. But the thing is, Cavett's columns --- unlike, say, the Times columns of Thomas Friedman and David Brooks --- hold up quote nicely in print.

Cavett started this column before the 2008 election, about which he had a few thoughts. Then his former guests started dying, which fueled a batch of columns. Then there was his personal drama, which took any number of readers by surprise. Finally, there were the show-biz stories, which, are, for some reason, extravagantly satisfying --- very little is more delightful than a star talking like a human.

In 2008, Cavett wrote often about politics. You may not agree with his views. [Richard Nixon didn't. After Cavett testified that John Lennon should be permitted to stay in the United States, his entire staff was audited by the IRS, right down to the lowest secretary. Though maybe that was a coincidence.] But however much you may disagree, I think you have to admire his elegance and timing. Here he is, days after we met Sarah Palin at the Republican convention:

"Performance is the mot juste for what she did at the convention. And I admit that even my own jaded and cynical showbiz heart leapt up as she wowed the adoring crowd with a show-stopper display of charm and personality. I even laughed at two or three of the two or three too many insults directed at Obama. Don Rickles could not have snapped them out better.
Watching a woman, slight of build and full of pizazz so thoroughly bedazzle a vast audience is entertaining. Something chimed in my memory when she brought that crowd to its feet with frantic and worshipful cheering.
Ah, yes. I had seen it all before.
It was Judy Garland at The Palace.
And yet no one offered her the vice-presidency. (Fact-checker: Am I right on this?)"

As a former talk show host, he's a quipster, master of the one-liner. And it shows. About McCain: "I feel a little sorry for John. He aimed low and missed." About Mitt Romney: "There is one question I have not seen Romney asked. It's the one a friend dared me to put to John Wayne when he appeared on a show of mine: Sir, how is it that neither you nor any of your multiple strapping sons have ever served a day in the armed forces?" Bush, however, inspired no wry amusement. He was, simply, "the capering loon who does soft-shoe in the White House while young Americans are dismembered and splattered in Iraq."

His piece on Norman Mailer ends with a great kicker: "I know someone who sure as hell hates being dead." And he consistently has the knack of delivering a jaw-dropper: "Wouldn't it be fun to know if some of the jurors who freed O.J. actually thought he was innocent? (I've decided that if I chance to meet the Juice at a party, I will chat amiably and then say, `If you'll excuse me, I feel the need to talk to someone who hasn't murdered anybody.')"

Like a blogger, he enjoys give-and-take: "Years ago, having just had someone like, say, Jane Fonda on my late-night show, I received the following masterpiece from Waco, Texas, crayoned in block letters on a Western Union telegram blank: `Dear Dick Cavett: YOU LITTLE SAWED OFF [.....] COMMUNIST SHRIMP.' I wrote back, I am not sawed off!'"

Droll. But the price --- and there is one --- was high. For Cavett, it was a bottomless depression: "There were times when I longed for my ancient .22 single-shot squirrel-hunting rifle." In 1973, shock therapy brought him back. Now he seems good for a long, long run.

Lucky for us. There are a few writers running hard behind Cavett, eager for his gig. On any given day, several could be his equal. But not --- as Cavett does in "Talk Show" --- 68 times in a row.

Enjoyable; Cavett's Wry Narrative Brings Back the Memories

From Groucho Marx to Depression, Never A Dull Moment

A Rambling Dialogue From A Talk Show Legend
I wasn't much of a tv watcher in Cavett's heyday. I was going to school, protesting, partying and just generally being a kid. However, when I managed to go home for a visit the folks were usually watching Cavett and I watched, too. My watching wasn't reluctant; I liked the guy and thought he was for lack of a better term 'the anti Johnny' (as in Johnny Carson). He was urbane/folksy/easy/laid back and was a tempered professional with an easy going interview style that I did not find grating.
Today I catch the occasional rebroadcasts of his celebrity interviews on the classic movie cable station TCM and am amazed how good they are. Be it Bette Davis, Hepburn, or Groucho Marx, Cavett managed to get the most out of these people. The same can be said of the politicians and prominent people of the period. My philosophy back then was that if they didn't give it up to Cavett they were probably hiding something.
This book is much like watching the old DICK CAVETT SHOW. It imparts snippets of his growing up years in Nebraska, the interviews he conducted as well as his reactions to his interviewees, as well as funny and odd stories/recollections that happened behind the scenes of his talk show that is considered iconic by some people.
While Cavett has a tendency to ramble, you get the sense that the older man isn't that far removed from the young guy from Yale via Nebraska. There is that blend of thoughtful reflection mixed with curiousity and awe which I always thought made Cavett seem like an everyman to his varied tv audience.
Bottom line is that if you enjoyed Cavett's shows first-run or in rebroadcast, you'll probably like this book. It is much like a trip back in time with current impressions tossed in.

Entertaining and bright.

Editorial Review

A new collection from David Sedaris is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris has inspired hilarious pieces, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, about his attempts to learn French. His family is another inspiration. You Cant Kill the Rooster is a portrait of his brother who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers and cashiers with 6-inch fingernails. Compared by The New Yorker to Twain and Hawthorne, Sedaris has become one of our best-loved authors. ... Read more

Reviews

Want to laugh--buy it. Don't want to laugh--don't, July 9, 2000
I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to read this book. My feeling was that this was just a cheap attempt to capitalize on the success of "Naked", and to write a book that was essentially exactly the same. I'm happy to report that my fears were unfounded.

Sedaris again proves he is perhaps the funniest writer in America. The best pieces in here are funny to the point that I almost needed an oxygen tank to restore normal breathing after laughing so hard for so long. In fact, the funniest pieces are so good that when you get to a story that merely makes you chuckle softly to yourself, it seems like a let-down.

The most consistently hilarious stories in "Me Talk Pretty One Day" are the ones dealing with the odd idiosyncrosies of Sedaris' father. However, by far the funniest story of the bunch had to be "You Can't Kill the Rooster", about Sedaris' foul-mouthed, white trash younger brother.

Admittedly, I started to get somewhat disappointed about halfway through the book, as that is where a few stories that can be best described as "filler" seemed to seep in. But I am happy to report that at that point the book quickly moves to the stories detailing Sedaris' experience of living in France, and the hilarity starts all over again. Recommending this is simple...if you like to laugh, read it, if you hate laughing, don't read it.

A little sick and slightly twisted, but in a good way..., June 6, 2000
In "Barrel Fever" and "Naked," David Sedaris let his imagination run wild in fictional stories. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" differs from his previous collections in that he confined these writings to autobiography. Fortunately, his essays based on truth are as hilarious (though perhaps not as wildly farfetched) as those he makes up entirely. Coming from a family that includes a "tanorexic," the Rooster (the name that DS's brother calls himself), a sister that wears fat suits and cosmetic bruises, a father that hordes spoiled fruit, and a mother who fills Easter baskets with cartons of cigarettes, he has an unusually rich background to draw from. The second half of the book deals with his life as an American living in Paris. In addition to the charming misanthropy that is his trademark, these essays provide some dead-on observations of Americans by an American.

One warning: avoid reading this collection in public if laughing so hard you soak yourself is something you might find at all embarrassing. David Sedaris is simply the funniest person writing today.

Satan Speaks, June 20, 2000
Ok. If an author can make you laugh about a drug addicted infant being murdered in a washing machine (check out **Barrel Fever**), he's either the funniest thing going...or you're just a sick so and so...

Hmmmm. kinda makes you wonder....

Anyway, This is another hell-larious collection of stories by one of the funniest authors to grip a pen. The first half of this great book kinda extends on the Sedaris family lore that was touched upon in Barrel Fever and Naked. We learn about David's mom who perks up the Easter baskets with tobacco products, his dad who has an unusual warmth for rotting fruit, his brother The Rooster (not to be confused with the family pet) and his wickedly funny sister (amy sedaris from the comedy central show 'strangers with candy').

The second half of this riotously funny book is a string of tales of Davids (mis)adventures as a misanthropic American in Paris. Gene Kelly he is not...but that's what makes it so smashingly silly...

I really dig this book because it has that rare abiltiy to make you laugh out loud. And that's priceless in itself. I also really dig this book because while reading this, part of you will be thinking 'this boy really has problems...what a screwy family...' and the other part of you will be thinking 'Oh, my gosh...that reminds me of my sister...that reminds me of my crazy father...'. Which ever camp you're sitting in, this book will charm you right out of your seat... David Sedaris may talk pretty someday, but he writes amazingly right now.... xo

Weep with laughter - it's good for your health!, August 5, 2000
My cousin, Lisa, and I share many satisfying and hilarous experiences (college roommates being just one), and for whatever reason, we are David Sedaris soulmates. After she read my review of "Naked" [...] she has been a fan. This year for my birthday, she paid me back ten-fold with "Me Talk Pretty One Day," the best Sedaris yet. Most of Sedaris' work is what you might call "sort of" autobiographical. I say, "sort of" because it is a little hard for me to believe all of what he writes is true - embellished truths? Absolutely. From his childhood in North Carolina (filled with wise-cracking, drinking, smoking mother, psycho younger brother (The "Rooster") and odd-ball father (to whom he dedicates the book), we read these funny short pieces about his speech therapist (a speech 'nazi'), his midget guitar teacher (his father had dreams of the kids being a famous musical group), his drug abuse experiences, and finally, a number of pieces about learning French and living in France, where he finds himself having followed his partner. I ended up reading pieces of this book (while on vacation) to whichever member of my family I could capture, and the two of us were generally reduced to tears. Believe it or not, the drug use pieces were a scream - incredibly pathetic but hysterical. The best was toward the end when Sedaris describes being in a French subway (obviously looking very French) and listening to a loud American man warn his wife that she should watch her pocketbook because this shifty-looking French guy (Sedaris!) behind her was likely to snatch her purse. All in all, like much of what I've read of Sedaris, any author who can reduce me to tears is a god-send. The best physical therapy in the world is to weep with laughter.

Embarrasingly Funny, August 14, 2000
Don't ask me why, but I read a few of the stories from this book in the bathroom at work. Which wouldn't have been a problem had I not had to worry about others who were also using the bathroom at the same time. I know that had it been me that walked into a bathroom and heard muffled laughing coming from a closed stall, I'd have been pretty concerned for its occupant. To which I say to anyone who might have been there, or could imagine being there, I dare you to read any three of Sedaris' latest stories and not laugh outloud. Embarrasingly loud. Let he who is without a sense of humor cast the first stone.

Like Naked, Holidays on Ice and Barrel Fever, MTPOD is riotous fun with a good bit of scathing social commentary thrown in for good measure. Almost every story is a classic in its own way, from the bathroom humor of Big Boy, to the foul-mouthed sentimentality of You Can't Kill the Rooster. The second half of the book, mostly stories of Sedaris' move to France, is a change of pace from the remembrances of his North Carolina upbringing which make up most of the first half, but doesn't disappoint at all. Picka-Pocketoni, Jesus Shaves and the title story are wonderfully drawn and Sedaris writes comically without being a comedian.

I read this book to my in-laws on vacation recently. Every night, before we'd go to bed, I'd read a couple stories to put a humorous ending on another day at the beach. I like to think that they just like to hear me read, but I know the real reason everyone gathered every night was the feeling a Sedaris story leaves you with. Is there a more sure way to go to bed with a smile on your face. I'm not sure there is. I can't give a book of humor five stars, but I can highly recommend this offering by David Sedaris. Just don't read it in the bathroom at work.

Because My Mom Won't Write It, October 14, 2000
My mom bought this book for me, and after I told her it was one of the funniest things I've ever read, she decided she'd better read it, too. I'm writing this because, while she was reading the chapter on Easter, I could hear strange hiccuping giggles comming from her room, and I decided I'd better investigate. I looked in, and my mom was beet-red from laughing too hard and mopping at her eyes with tissues. Apparently, she laughed so hard that her eye cream melted into her eyes, and although it hurt, she just couldn't stop laughing. Eventually, my whole family came in and just gathered around watching her laugh herself stupid.

So yes, it's very very funny, but make sure you have an open mind towards drugs and sexuality before you read it. He never comes right out and says that he's gay or anything like that, but if you're gonna have a problem with gay relationships, don't buy this book. Because then you'd come onto Amazon and give it a bad review, and none of us want that for this extremely funny and well written book.

David Sedaris has figured it out, August 10, 2000
In his previous collections, Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, and Naked, Sedaris' works have been sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing and grim, and sometimes all three. His best works, though, were always the funny essays based on his own life. (Fortunately, he's weird enough that this works.) And in Me Talk Pretty One Day, he shows that he's realized where his strength lies.

The first portion of Me Talk Pretty, prosaically named One, contains more of his reminisces about his family. These stories are often funny, usually with an underlying tension, and their conclusions are usually wry or bittersweet. "Go Carolina" is a perfect example of these, talking about Sedaris' years in speech therapy as a child, and suggesting that perhaps his parents, teachers, and therapists were trying to fix something other than just a speech impediment.

Deux, the other half of the book, concerns Sedaris' life in France, especially his attempts to learn French. Most of the essays in Deux are truly hysterical. They're the kind of thing where, after a few minutes of reading, your eyes are tearing up from lack of oxygen and your loved one has awoken from a sound sleep (probably because the bed was vibrating with your laughter) and is threatening to call an ambulance or suffocate you with a pillow.

Deux has attractions in addition to the humor in the stories. It's nice to see that Sedaris can write - and write well - about something other than his screwy childhood and screwed-up history. Sooner or later Sedaris is bound to run out of humorous anecdotes about his past, and Me Talk Pretty is an indication that when he does, he'll still have good stuff to write about - his present. In fact, if this book is anything to go by, Sedaris' works will only improve on that day - in the distant future, of course - when he puts the past in, well, the past.

(Caveat: do not read this book in public places unless you enjoy looking like someone with a major nervous system disorder and a bronchial problem. Books like this are best enjoyed either by yourself or in the company of people who have to love you, no matter how strange you look.)

Wonderful Funny Bits, But Sedaris Needs to Stretch Himself, May 26, 2000
I agree with most of the enthusiastic comments below -- the pieces, especially the ones on living in France, are hilarious. I found myself guffawing loudly, despite my best efforts, while reading this book in a "quiet" academic study space. The glares were worth it. Still, it seems here that Sedaris is repeating himself. The material on his father is more than reminiscent of the stuff in _Naked_ (a wonderful boook), and, more seriously, it seems at times that Sedaris is looking for quirky situations to write about, and stretching them out to make an interesting tale. The stretchmarks are evident, and the result is an unfortunate sense of contrivance. This peeks in at the ends of several stories (his wrap-ups here are substandard), and it is most clear in the piece about the woman trapped in the amusement park ride. This problem emerged only briefly at the end of _Naked_, in the nudist camp sequence, which felt to me like a mission in search of weirdness without enough self-reflection about Sedaris's own position. I'd like to see Sedaris break out into a longer form, either in fiction or non-fiction, something more sustained and requiring a more concentrated effort of his brilliant comedic talent. This is, overall, deeply pleasureful to read: it would make a fine Father's Day gift for an open-minded dad.

Moderation, June 3, 2003
Me Talk Pretty One Day was my initiation into the quirky and warped world of David Sedaris, and after the first few pages I knew I would like it there. This was a guy who tried to construct a vocabulary without using the letter "s" so that he could mask his lisp. As a child, he hilariously tells us, his midget guitar teacher had a voice like a recording played back too fast and he taught his students to love their guitars by suggesting they imagine them as a "stacked" woman. And that's just in the first two (short) chapters.

But suddenly, the same sharp commentary that had me laughing out loud in public a few chapters earlier started to seem predictable, and the sarcastic wit I identified with early on had somehow eroded into a grating kind of pessimism.

Fortunately, I put the book aside and read something else for a few days. When I picked it up again, it again seemed fresh and bitingly comical. And then I realized what I now think is essential to enjoying Mr. Sedaris' work: it needs to small bites in order to be digested correctly.

So I end up with three stars -- an average between the two stars I would give it had I read the book straight through and the four I think it deserves when it comes in drips and drabs. I can't agree with my fellow reviewers who consider Mr. Sedaris a modern day Mark Twain or P.G. Wodehouse, but he is pretty damn funny. Just remember, like most things, the key is moderation.

The laughter nearly burst me, June 13, 2001
I picked up this book right before a flight, and I spent the entire flight scaring the guy next to me, what with all my shaking, squeaking, and tears flowing from my eyes. I wanted to out-and-out guffaw, but I thought that a bit much in such a cramped space.

First of all, I've seen the reviews here of people bitching that he doesn't really talk about Paris much. I beg pardon? Have you =heard= David Sedaris before? Did you think he wrote travelogues?

Sedaris is a humorous, sardonic essayist, and almost all his essays are autobiographical. What do I mean almost, =all= of them are autobiographical. This book follows David from his childhood in Raleigh, to Chicago & New York (&somewhere else I can't remember, all I know is it involved hitchhiking), and then finally his escape to France, where he finds three French teens lying in the road in front of his house, supposedly waiting for Madonna to drop by to visit him (ha.)

Many of these essays have been published in magazines like Esquire, and some form of most of these have also been heard on the public radio show "This American Life". He really knows how to exploit his material, and I admire him for that.

Do =not= buy this to learn deep insights into the human soul, for crying out loud, do =not= buy this to be inspired, and unless you're an idiot, do =not= buy this to find out what living in France is like for an American. Buy this because you want to laugh uncontrollably, buy this because you like reading about people who have very strange lives, and buy this to see how writing should be done. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (The Christian Science Monitor) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book. 
Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths.  Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times). 

Praise for When You Are Engulfed in Flames:

"Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life." --Kirkus Reviews

This latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain."  --Booklist

Table of Contents:

It's Catching
Keeping Up
The Understudy
This Old House
Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?
Road Trips
What I Learned
That's Amore
The Monster Mash
In the Waiting Room
Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle
Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool
Memento Mori
All the Beauty You Will Ever Need
Town and Country
Aerial
The Man in the Hut
Of Mice and Men
April in Paris
Crybaby
Old Faithful
The Smoking Section



... Read more

Editorial Review

Behind the humor of these pieces, readers will see Twain's serious thoughts on the relationship between God and Man, biblical inconsistencies, Darwinism, science, and the impact of technology on religious beliefs. "A fascinating panoply of wit, satire, farce, fantasy, lyricism, heresy, the sardonic, and the controversial."--Patricia Hassler, Booklist. ... Read more

Reviews

Generally, a good collection, December 24, 1999
In the decades since his death, many of Mark Twain's writings have been reorganized into common themes such as protests, speeches, short stories and sketches, and full works of fiction in larger volumes. A recent welcome addition to these is The Bible According to Mark Twain, which includes diaries of Adam, Eve, and other Old Testament characters, various speculations on what the imaginary Heaven might be like (including Captain Stormfield's), some autobiographical dictations, a few pieces that appear in print for the first time, and, of course, Letters From the Earth.

It also contains too many of the editor's notes that plague most of Twain's posthumous releases. Here, notes take up 50 of the book's first 260 pages (10 more are blank). Why do editors feel compelled to insert their version of Twain's autobiography before every entry? If they must share this information with readers, they can do so at the start or the end of the book, without interrupting Twain's far superior writing. Granted, some of the details are worth knowing: Twain read Paine's Age of Reason while piloting riverboats. This helped shape his views toward Christianity. But other statements are extremely irritating: "...we have omitted the five-and-a-half page attack on the concept of the virgin birth (mistakenly referred to as the immaculate conception) because that discussion is not closely related to the writings in this volume." Yes it is! Claims like this make me wonder what else is missing. The rest of Twain's writings on religion need a book of their own, WITHOUT the gratuitous editorial comments.

I'll let Twain have the last word:

"From the beginning of time, whenever a king has lain dangerously ill, the priesthood and some part of the nation have prayed in unison that the king be spared to his grieving and anxious people (in case they were grieving and anxious, which was not usually the rule) and in no instance was their prayer ever answered. When Mr. Garfield lay near to death, the physicians and surgeons knew that nothing could save him, yet at an appointed signal all the pulpits in the United States broke forth with one simultaneous and supplicating appeal for the President's restoration to health. They did this with the same old innocent confidence with which the primeval savage had prayed to his imaginary devils to spare his perishing chief -- for that day will never come when facts and experience can teach a pulpit anything useful. Of course the President died, just the same."

Indispensable religious satire, October 4, 2002
Mark Twain promptly proves with this volume that he is, indeed, as the title states, "America's Master Satirist." Having grown up in a fundamentalist Presbyterian community, Twain knew his Bible well; and, like any thinking person, his beliefs and attitudes relating to it changed as he grew older, wiser, and more experienced. Although Twain - due to many factors, such as the death of several children and his wife and his failed investments - grew famously bitter towards the end of his life, his vision remained remarkably clear-headed, though clearly suffued with pessimism - indeed, his zest for the truth and absolute intolerance for mankind's accepted irrational beliefs became even more razor-sharp during this period. Although there are writings in this volume from all phases of Mark Twain's career, the majority of them do come from that latter period - a period in which, indeed, the exploration of these themes was the main facet of his writing. Included are such well-known items as the Diaries of Adam and Eve (as well as several other Old Testament characters), Captain Stormfield's Visit To Heaven (published here in full for the first time ever), and, of course, his masterpiece, Letters From The Earth. In these, and the other, oftentimes more obscure pieces, Twain burlesques and satarizes freely, calling mankind on both his steadfast taking to irrational and illogical beliefs, as well as on his sheer stupidity and gullibility. If one is looking for a satire along the lines of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, then this is DEFINITELY not the place to look; however, if you have a fondness, as I do, for the darker, more probing side of Twain, then this is a volume that you must most definitely pick up.

Who says it's not possible to be funny when you're angry?, April 27, 1998
The Bible According to Mark Twain gathers together a group of writings by the famous author that were either published years ago or not at all. The writings all deal with Mark Twain's intense study and understanding of the Bible. The book begins with some humorous ideas of what Adam's and Eve's diaries may have looked like during their first days together and then later after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Twain is unable to comprehend how they could be punished for doing something bad (eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge) when they still had no conception of good and bad until they ate the apple. Later works detail some thoughts on Noah and the flood and the importance of flies. It was important to preserve the disease carriers. When Twain takes a walk through Heaven you discover halos, harps, and wings are just for show. And finally he finishes up with a scathing attack on the stupidity of mankind, pointing out that statements like, Thou Shall Not Kill, and committing genocide do not go together. Or how could man conceive of a Heaven as Heaven and leave out sexual intercourse? If sanity is dangerous to your health, don't read this book.

Mark Twain's Take on Bible Stories, November 28, 2005

In this book Mark Twain aims his satire at favorite stories from the Old Testament. He worked on these essays for most of his life but was afraid their irreverent nature would damage his career, therefore, he just kept re-writing and re-editing them. Most of them were not published until after his death and for some this is their introduction.

Adam and Eve, in their diaries, present bittersweet divergent stories of their dysfunctional relationship. Their accounts could be prototypes from a marriage counsellor's office, or short versions of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus."

Captain Stormfield has a dream about ending up in Heaven when he thought he was going to the other place. "He was deeply religious, by nature and by the training of his mother, and a fluent swearer by the training of his father." In this original and inventive story, we learn all those things about heaven that were left out of the Bible - but would be included in an imaginary book, "How to experience Heaven in six weeks on $10 a day."

An "Etiquette in the Afterlife" excerpt: "Do not try to show off. St. Peter dislikes it. The simpler you are dressed, the better it will please him. Above all things, avoid overdressing. A pair of spurs and a fig-leaf is plenty...leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay outside and the dog would go in."

In the masterpiece, "Letters From The Earth," Satan has been temporarily expelled from heaven and is wandering around the universe. On a lark, he decides to visit earth, an outlying little spot in an outlying galaxy that God had once played around with for a few days. Satan is astounded at what he finds, and writes home:

"This is a strange place, an extraordinary place, and interesting. There is nothing resembling it at home. The people are all insane, the other animals are all insane, the Earth is insane. Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God'...if I may put another strain on you - he thinks he is the Creator's pet. He believes the Creator's proud of him; sits up nights to admire him; yes, and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to Him, and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea? Fills his prayers with crude and bald and florid flatteries of Him, and thinks He sits and purrs over these extravagancies and enjoys them. He prays for help, and favor, and protection, every day; and does it with hopefulness and confidence, too, although no prayer of his has ever been answered...he thinks he's going to heaven! He has salaried teachers who tell him that. They also tell him there is a hell, of everlasting fire, and that he will go there if he doesn't keep the Commandments."

Of course, Noah makes an entertaining appearance, and through it all, Mark Twain has an opportunity to expound about those things in the Old Testament that do not quite make sense to him.

The authors offer scholarly histories about these essays for those who are interested. When they finally let loose with the words of Mark Twain, the reader feels a breath of fresh air. This is a fine collection of satires on religion by perhaps America's premier homespun author; a very definite five stars, and well worth your time.

A heavenly work of devilish mischief, September 2, 2004
"The Bible According to Mark Twain" is one of those serendipitous finds that is as delightful as is it unexpected. Twain shows himself to be a serious thinker about biblical issues, especially as they pertain to the saintly rogues and roguish saints who populated his world. The works in this volume expand on biblical themes, and are as human as they are irreverent. There is no sacrilege or blasphemy intended in Twain's musings -- simply the toil of a man trying to come to terms with the sometimes illogical world inhabited by religious people.

Twain muses on the story of Noah's ark by wondering about the germs that must have been stowed aboard along with Noah and his family. What kind of a God would ensure that such dangerous organisms would survive the "destruction" of life on earth, allowing them to renew their deadly work afterward? Twain's Captain Stormfield, recently deceased and on his way to heaven, shows the author grappling with the recently-discovered enormity of the universe, and with a heaven segregated (not by race and religion as one Earth) by planet and geographical region. "Letters from Earth," authored by Satan before his banishment to eternal fire, makes rather pointed comments about earthlings' desire for a heaven that is both bereft of earthly pleasures (notably sex) and filled with activity that earthlings normally shun (singing, church services, rubbing shoulders with Jews, blacks and heathens).

Few if any of the completed and incomplete works in this volume were published in Twain's lifetime. Yet the writings show him to be a religious man, in the sense of one who wrestles with the great eternal questions. Twain could not have been satisfied with the pious niceties he likely received from the religious worthies of his day. His questions continue to challenge us to enlarge our conceptions of the deity. Not for him was a deity who looked too much like the rascals and fools he encountered on a day's perambulation. Many of his questions (for instance about the historicity of the Bible) were very perceptive and continue to challenge us to this day.

"The Bible According to Mark Twain" may not rock your religious world, but it will set you to thinking about the way that in every age, "God" acts and thinks suspiciously like ourselves!

Without any doubt this book belongs on everyone's bookshelf., February 7, 1996
Marvelous. Compelling. Funny. (How rare to review a new work by Mark Twain!) This book is rare, old scotch with just enough ice. It's a fine, black Connecticut cigar. It's a wide tie with a brave picture on it. It's a moonlit sail on the seas of time, and the distant rasping, drawling voice of God, winking at the human race through his prophet Samuel. Get it. Read it a little at a time. Hope like hell somebody finds some more papers out there in California that nobody has had the chance at, and that the small minded are at lunch and the office boy leaves them in the outbox and they, too, come to print while yet we live. No one can possibly get past the mythic Mark Twain to a deeper understanding of the great writer and his later passions without a thorough reading of the Eden stories, and an enjoyment of his darker humor. As an anthology, this book is a delight. But this work includes previously unpublished writings, and so it must be in any Twain lover's library. The author of this book is Clemens himself. The editors have, with appropriate reverence and irreverence, expanded the horizons of our understanding. Hoorays and war-whoops all round.

Surprisingly non-controversial, July 10, 2001
I am a very religious person, and I was somewhat skeptical about reading this book when I received it as a gift. My husband and I read each other the diaries of Adam and Eve, and by the end we were both so moved we cried. True, it is excellent satire, but it is hardly offensive. Mark Twain manages to weave in sincerity and bits of truth with his masterful parodies.

Not as great as the other works, November 9, 2005
I am a fan of Mark Twain and have read all of his major works: Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Connecticut Yankee, Prince and the Pauper, etc... and so I was excited to discover this book at my local library. After reading it I realized why it is not as well-known as the other works; it is not as entertaining, endearing, humorous, or heart-wrenching. In short, this book is a collection of several writings. These include Twain's writings on the Bible, and commentaries written by others on Twain's writings on the Bible. The former is not one continuous work, but actually several different works written to parallel different parts of the Bible, primarily the Old Testament. The most notable of these is the story that mocks Genesis. Told from both Adam's and Eve's point of view, it retells the Genesis story and the life of the first humans with a touch of wit, dry humor, sarcasm, and ribaldness. Though funny at times, and probably at the edge of decency when they were first published, the humor and points made in these stories are nothing significant in today's world. All in all an alright edition to the canon on Twain.

The quintessential Twain on religion., September 1, 2010
This book is a long needed source for the views that Mark Twain held on religion. It would be best though if you read his 'Letters From the Earth' book before reading this one. You will get the full dose of 'Twain' humor before you delve into his insights and background work for those stories. 'Letters From the Earth' was also published long after Twain's death, around 1962. This book contains a large amount of 'new' material from the Twain Project library at the Univ of Cal Berkeley, and really is a must have book. You will not be disappointed at all, surprised occasionally, but never disappointed.

The truth hurts, December 30, 2007
Its facinating how religious fanatics blindly believe every fairytale putforth in a fiction book written by early man with one hell of an imagination. Even when Mark Twain has ripped their world apart with deductive reasoning they will still hold on to their primitive beliefs with a vengence. Enuf of the soap box, I luv how this author gets deep into some of the Bibles fallicies and reveals it in a straight forward and sometimes comical manner. The story in paticular of God sending Moses to ravage the Midinaites slaughtering innocent men women and children even the livestock and houses and selling the young girls into prostitution has touched me deeply. Would I personally believe in a murderous vengefull God, Not unless I was brainwashed from early childhood and cud seriously overlook these atrocities and blindly believe everything I was force fed.
I wud reccomend this book to every one sitting on a fence wondering and thinking about things that dont make sense. I cant get off that soap box. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Editorial Review

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

No matter what your favorite holiday, you won't want to miss celebrating it with the author who has been called "one of the funniest writers alive" (Economist). ... Read more

Reviews

The perfect introduction to a spectacular writer, August 9, 2000
The holidays bring out something truly special in David Sedaris, making this more a "best of" than a mere holiday book. It's simply brilliant and, as many reviewers have experienced, one of those rare books that may cause you to laugh out loud in spite of yourself. Its only flaw is that it's a short book, but in content it's a giant.

Avid NPR listeners will instantly recognize the first essay in this book, "Santaland Diaries"; the author's reading of that story is their single most requested encore. His description of becoming a Christmas Elf at Macy's is a true guilty pleasure; scathingly unkind and screamingly funny. If you ever held an undignified job, this is somehow your story - even if you never (pardon the pun) stooped so low as to play an elf.

Sedaris writes like a post-modern Mark Twain, with a dry and piercing wit that drips with charm and cynicism in equal measure. His is the kind of writing that makes me go back to re-read a sentence, a paragraph, even a whole story hoping to savor some particular gem I only wish I'd written. His tone is often dark, even bleak, but there's a wry quality in his stories that lets you know he's really doing it all for effect - setting you up for an even bigger laugh because you know he's enjoying every minute of telling his sad, hilarious stories.

Get in on his story now so you can savor the feeling of waiting impatiently for his next book - and there's no better way to start than to read Holidays on Ice.

Read right before Christmas for great laugh!, August 11, 2001
This book was a really fantastic collection of 6 short stories regarding the holiday season. I had heard so much about David Sedaris and what a talented satirical writer he was, and I was much impressed by his ability to parody the American publics love/hate relationship during the holiday season. His life as an elf in the Macys's shopping store in New York had me laughing out loud. And the upbeat Christmas letter that includes the introduction of a Vietamese stepchild was hilarious.

I finished the book in two days of light reading and realized the author is truly dark and twisted but extremely talented. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is next on my list. I guarantee you'll like this book, but just to add to the fervor of the writing, I suggest you read it a week before Christmas during your most hellish and frantic points of your life; it'll add to the hilarity of your situation.

the best way to experience David Sedaris, April 5, 2000
To say that David Sedaris doesn't see the world the way that others do is a grievous understatement. He finds equal humor in the bizarre and the mundane. His wit can be both razor sharp and gentle as feather. He writes and says things that maybe you've thought about before and if you haven't thought about them before you'll certainly give them plenty of thought afterwords.

Sedaris gift for storytelling is on display at its finest in this audio collection of holiday-themed stories. The most famous is, of course, "The Santaland Diaries", in which Sedaris relates in hillarious detail his experiences working as an elf at Macy's Santaland in New York. This piece is an American classic which should be compulsory reading for anyone who has worked a retail job during the holidays, not to mention anyone who has ever shopped a store during the holidays. Almost as good is "Front Row Center WIth Thaddeus Bristol" which skewers both a pompous theater critic and the sometimes attrocious children's holiday plays he's reviewing.

In all, this collection contains six stories read by Sedaris himself, his sister Amy and actress Ann Magnuson. The different voices work well to set the tone for each story over the course of the tape, and the variety helps sustain interest which can be an issue with single reader audio programs.

For many of us, the holidays mean laughter and tears. David Dedaris understands this and has given the world six of the finest tools with which to cope.

Be wary, just a collection, July 24, 2003
This book is an excellent collection of some of Sedaris' earlier works, and the story for which the book is named is one of his best. But beware, if you are already familiar with Sedaris you may have already read this one without knowing it; all of the stories contained within appear either in Naked or Barrel Fever.

Excellent twist to the usual holiday fare., July 15, 2000
David Sedaris has a sick sense of humor, and he conveys it well in this book of Christmas shorts. It opens with the extremely funny "Santaland Diaries", giving an insider's view of elves at Macy's. Next comes "Season's Greetings", an overenthusiastic 'family newsletter' that spins off into satirical tangents with the unexpected addition of a Vietnamese daughter. "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" tells of young David's encounter with his father's "Christmas present" ::wink:: "Front Row with Thaddeus Bristol" is a theatrical review of the Christmas pageants in the elementary schools (we've all had to suffer). "Based on a True Story" is a somewhat sickeningly funny look at a hustler trying to gather holiday special ideas. Finally, "Christmas Means Giving" rounds out the collection, telling of two families who can't stop competing with each other. I'm a newcomer to Sedaris's wit, and the next book on my list is 'Naked'. This was a great way to be introduced without being overwhelmed--even if they are Christmas stories being read in July.

embarrassed with laughter, February 14, 2006
I was sitting on an airlpane reading this book and the gentleman next to me asked me if I was "OK". I was uncontrollably laughing. Even after trying to put it down for a few minutes and gaining my composure, it was a fruitless attempt because within seconds I was embarrassing myself again.

Sedaris...Funny, Intelligent, High CQ, November 7, 1999
Actually, I toyed with giving this five-stars. However, I figure I should employ five-stars for IMPORTANT literary treasures, such as the collected works of Shakespeare, "War and Peace," and "Valley of the Dolls." So, need a laugh? Well, any of Sedaris' books will do. They..."Barrel Fever" and the even better "Naked"...are funny, provocative, and full of weird and colorful people. While "Holidays on Ice" takes from his other books, it is a veritable laugh-o-rama. And "SantaLand Diaries"? I have read it a half-dozen times, and I STILL chortle merrily. David, what are you writing? This Midtowner wants more. And, folks, not only is Sedaris an intelligent, witty writer and essayist, he is just as cute as a button. I enjoy getting his books so I can see his little impish face peering out from the end page. And, really, when it comes right down to it, isn't that what it's all about: the author's CQ (Cute Quotient)?

SantaLand Diaries, August 22, 2001
Sedaris shines when his essays focus on real characters and events. His pieces on family life and French expatriate living in Me Talk Pretty One Day stand out as examples.

Holidays on Ice features fewer such gems. Most of the stories here are fictional, and in my opinion do not work nearly as well. The standout exception, however, is the hilarious SantaLand Diaries, one of the funniest things I've ever read and which in itself is well worth the price of the book. This is the real-life story of Sedaris' stint as a Macy's SantaLand elf. Sedaris focuses on our collective stupidity, but as always he mixes in just the right amount of self-depreciation to make the piece come off perfectly.

I believe that it was Tom Clancey that said that the difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense. The figures in SantaLand Diaries (elves, Santas, and the Great American Public) behave just irrationally enough that the story has to be true. Ironically, aside from being hilariously funny Sedaris uses all of this illogical behavior to give us an interesting look at human nature.

This is a two star book that is saved by a five star story. Buy it and read the last thirty pages.

If you only read one Sedaris essay..., July 8, 2003
While all of the stories and essays in Holidays on Ice are good, the standout is clearly "The Santaland Diaries". I always think that if I laugh out loud while I'm reading something, then that by itself makes the book worth the price of purchase. I actually had to put the story down till I pulled myself together enough to resume reading it. "The Santaland Diaries" is a glimpse at our own attitudes and behavior during "the festive holiday season". Perhaps it is a clicheed sentiment (if a cynical opinion can be sentimental), but it is true that during the one time of the year when we should be celebrating peace and love for our fellow man, we behave like looters and scavengers in an orgy of mass consumption, ready to slit the throat of anyone who we percieve is trying to interfere with our quest to have a picture taken with a guy in a Santa suit. Sedaris illustrates this with biting humor and, of course, fiction is never as funny as what happens in real life. By the way, I'm pretty sure the story in "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" actually happened too. Besides, I just love a story with a good whore in it.

Give until it Bleeds!, May 2, 2003
To call David of Sedaris's sense of humor unique, might be an understatement. In "Holiday's on Ice." David delivers his wicked black humor with a Christmas theme that will doubtfully ever translate into a classic made for TV movie. These are certainly not heart warming, life affirming tales to read in front of the fire place with a nice glass of eggnog. To Sedaris, Christmas is an odd assortment of disgruntled department store elves, ..., tv executives, and suburbanites struggling with the "true" meaning of Christmas. "Give until it bleeds."
As always Sedaris uses his unique viewpoints, and sometimes personal experiences to create rich and creative stories. "Holidays on Ice" is a collection of his finest holiday based stories. While not as involving and complete as "Naked," or "Me Talk Pretty One Day." "Holidays On Ice" is a nice Sedaris for beginners book. Stories like "Santa Land Diaries,"
and "Dinah, The Christmas Whore" are as involved, and as well told as any other story in his longer works. "Holidays on Ice" proves once again that David Sedaris is one of the finest Humorists, and all around story tellers in America today. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

So, you've been bitten by a zombie?

Bummer.

But there's no need to panic! Yes, your life will be undergoing a major transformation, but this doesn't have to be the end-all it once was when the Disaster first hit. There have been significant breakthroughs in the last decade in helping you keep significant parts of your wit and dignity. Together we can limit the damage.

Zombies for Zombies is a motivational guide designed specifically to make a profound difference in your accidental, strange new life. You say you don't want to become another one of those ghastly creatures you see on the news out in the Tempe Containment Zone? You don't have to—if you follow the great advice inside, including:

• How to dress for your new lifestyle Handy recipes for brains
• Fitness ideas for keeping you somewhat energetic
• New skin-care techniques to help ward off "rotting flesh syndrome"
• How to overcome that darned zombie social stigma
• Dance steps for the motor-impaired

Completely Revised and Updated Since the Containment Zone Disaster!

"Face it, being bitten by a zombie is inevitable. Thanks to this indispensable book, we can finally stop making survival plans and start making the most of our new lives as zombies. Even for the uninfected, Zombies For Zombies is a scream."
—Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising

Reviews

Z4Z Laugh Out Loud from A to Z, October 7, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Z4Z. There were many times when I was laughing so hard that my roommate insisted that I read her the passage! David P. Murphy is creative and hilarious. His references to current cultural phenomena left me laughing and smiling for hours on end. Every time I thought that I had a favorite part of the book, Murphy made another reference that sent me into a laughing fit! I really loved reading Z4Z and hope David P. Murphy has many more hilarious books to come!

Downright Uproarious, August 27, 2009
Although I don't exactly have a taste (ahem) for zombies, I found this book very funny indeed. The writing is smart and snarky and the illustrations are imaginative to say the least. If you enjoy ridiculing self-help books, you'll get a big kick out of this one. Don't shy away just because you're repulsed by the living dead. If you have any sense of humor, you'll laugh out loud at Zombies for Zombies. If you don't laugh out loud . . . well, I guess you waited too long after being bitten. Zootie

Zombie how? Zombie wow!, December 1, 2009
Been bitten by the undead? Unable to curb the never ending hunger for the flesh of the living? Then You need Zombies For Zombies. With it's prophetic advice, you'll soon be on your way to become the best zombie you can be. And with only three small payments I'll even throw in some recipes that'll keep your decaying taste buds buzzing. here's how to order

Zombies for Zombies, July 19, 2010
Being a Zombie fan, this was hilarious. A guide for Zombies to live in Modern Day World. Do not recommend for the young. There is a section/chapter not suitable for young readers

Great Book......Nice Bonus, November 29, 2009
As a certified Zombie Hunter ([...]) I can say that this book is far and away the best book written thus far covering this topic, just because it's the only one too does not diminish my opinion. I recommend you buy it.....before it's too late. As a bonus my copy showed up autographed by both author and artist....COOL!

Extremely clever guide for post-lifers, November 29, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Z4Z. After reading through reviews already written on the book and author, I tried to come up with a new, original way of expressing why this book was so entertaining. I have decided that I can only reiterate what other readers have already expressed.

David Murphy has totally captured the needs and desires of post-lifers. While compiling this guide, he left no stone unturned in showing them how to keep up their "quality of life" as long as possible. I also read this at the time Zombieland came out, but that only helped me visualize all of the situations presented in the book.

Although I did not read the book within seventy-two hours as suggested, I found it easy to pick up the book whenever I wanted to escape into David's world of zombies. If I laugh out loud at a movie, that usually earns an immediate thumbs up. To find myself laughing out loud while reading a book was an unexpected surprise. At times, his cultural references would trigger memories and give me pause . . .

So I suggest that you pick up your own copy and enjoy!!!

Zombies Are For Everyone!, November 23, 2009
A GREAT book! I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a motivational guide to help them deal with life and the pressures that accompany the drama life brings.

If you appreciate humor, slapstick, smarts, November 17, 2009
I admit to being a stranger to the zombie genre. I've never been attracted to the back story or lore, so claiming an attachment to the genre and therefore unimpeachable standing to contribute a review of Zombies for Zombies, I cannot. (True, I did see "Shaun of the Dead" a few years ago, a colleague insisting, and found it both arch and engaging, but it didn't convert me.) So I come to Zombies for Zombies as a living-dead ignoramus. So be it. However, I was given Zombies for Zombies as a gift, and out of obligation to the giver, started to read. And what happened? This book made me laugh. And on that singular level (laughing is something we can all claim to be an expert on, right?) Zombies for Zombies succeeded. _It made me laugh_ -- over and over and over, with each page I turned and with each chapter I read.

I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me. I devour Woody Allen, reach for Mel Brooks DVDs repeatedly, snuggle up to Jon Stewart, and TIVO Conan. I appreciate humor of a subversive kind and this is where Zombies succeeds. Its humor is stylized and drawn from the masters of triple-edged story-telling. Think Monty Python, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart.

So. True. I can't tell you if it qualifies as a success when parsing the Zombie question, but it leads with a strong story line, leans on the forever crying-to-be-parodied 'For Dummies' format, and then delivers non-stop innuendo, slapstick, and laughs.

Bottom line: if you have a brother, sister, friend, child, or neighbor who _is_ wrapped up in the dead/undead/living dead conversation, you can't go wrong with this book.

(I said devour Woody Allen....too funny.)

Livin' Large in the Z World 4.5 stars, October 28, 2009
So you've just been bitten by a zombie and are about to change into one yourself? Well, fear not, you don't have to go all horde-y and go on a brain munchin' spree. Instead, you can read this detailed how-to book for the recently bitten as they prepare for their transition into post-life.
David Murphy has created a zombieverse where most of the undead go all runny in the head and turn into the horde, which are your traditional flesh and brain eaters. But I believe the percentage is around 18% that work hard to retain at least some of their humanity...at least enough that they are elligible to live in one of the Scarlet Shores facilities that have been built near the barricaded areas where the horde resides. There, these post-lifers get the opportunity to socialize with others of their kind, get quality meds that keep them happy with their diminished abilities, and overall, a chance to un-live as much of a normal un-life as possible.
This book was funny and a highly detailed step by step program to adjust to your new rotting existence by the author. The illustrations were top-notch and the book was pretty entertaining overall. I think I liked the two interludes that consisted of short stories even better than the chapter by chapter overview on how to prepare for your transition. I am not sure if David has done other short stories but I think if he compiles some more involving the horde I would like to check them out.
The author keeps a snarky edge through out this book and while I have to admit that not all of his humor hit the mark, overall Z4Z was quite entertaining. If you can appreciate zombie humor or plan on getting bitten by the living dead any time soon, this is probably not a bad book to add to your collection.

Zombies for Zombies, October 20, 2009
Zombie for Zombies is a how-to-book and advice book, to living as a Zombie. A must for anyone who has been recently bitten. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a huge zombie fan. But if you add in a bit of snark, a little bit of humor then I'm good to go. Which is exactly what I found in Zombies for Zombies, I thought it was hilarious! This book holds all sorts of information that is vital to a zombie. From behavior, to grooming, stories of success and even tips to spice up your zombie sex life. Not to be missed! With the popularity of the paranormal I wonder if this book will spawn other books such as Vampires for Vampires or Werewolves for Werewolves?? ;) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Q: What is this book about?

A: Well, that’s difficult to say. I haven’t read it yet—I’ve just picked it up and casually glanced at the back cover. There clearly isn’t a plot. I’ve heard there’s a lot of stuff about time travel in this book, and quite a bit about violence and Garth Brooks and why Germans don’t laugh when they’re inside grocery stores. Ralph Nader and Ralph Sampson play significant roles. I think there are several pages about Rear Window and college football and Mad Men and why Rivers Cuomo prefers having sex with Asian women. Supposedly there’s a chapter outlining all the things the Unabomber was right about, but perhaps I’m misinformed.

Q: Is there a larger theme?

A: Oh, something about reality. "What is reality," maybe? No, that’s not it. Not exactly. I get the sense that most of the core questions dwell on the way media perception constructs a fake reality that ends up becoming more meaningful than whatever actually happened. Also, Lady Gaga.

Q: Should I read this book?

A: Probably. Do you see a clear relationship between the Branch Davidian disaster and the recording of Nirvana’s In Utero? Does Barack Obama make you want to drink Pepsi? Does ABBA remind you of AC/DC? If so, you probably don’t need to read this book. You probably wrote this book. But I suspect everybody else will totally love it, except for the ones who totally hate it.

  ... Read more

Reviews

Satisfying Meal, October 21, 2009
Klosterman does not go for the easy joke here; although he is consistently and absurdly amusing. Neither is Eating the Dinosaur a mere collection of pop culture references; although Mad Men, Nirvana, ABBA, The Fog of War and other mentions abound. What raises this book to a 5 star rating is the author's ability to weave humor and pop culture into genuinely insightful analyses of issues both important and sublime.

He starts with a very funny and equally revealing essay about why people answer questions during interviews. Just as the reader recognizes that this is not nearly as obvious a matter as it seems on first blush, Klosterman enters into a discussion of the nature of truth and of selfhood. Errol Morris contributes this gem: "I think we're always trying to create a consistent narrative for ourselves. I think truth always takes a backseat to narrative." (This would explain why each of my satellite radio news channels tells me about events in seemingly different worlds.)

Klosterman is less serious but just as interesting in exploring the challenges inherent in time travel. Even it were possible, he argues, the only reason to do so would be to eat a dinosaur.

His dissection of advertising through the medium of Mad Men and Pepsi is subtle and persuasive. He tries to convince us that we understand we are being conned by the ad. However, we reward the message that does the best job of setting the hook because we want to be a part of the process.

His best piece finishes the book and rather courageously tries to resurrect the Unabomber's arguments in Industrial Society for the Future without creating any sympathy for Ted Kaczynski. Klosterman shows how 130,000 years of psychological evolution, in which men observed actual images, have been replaced in one century by mediated experience. The media that the author has made a living writing about has created a new and false reality. "We are latently enslaved by our own ingenuity, and we have unknowingly constructed a simulated world, " concludes the author. "As a species, we have never been less human than we are right now."

Eating the Dinosaur is a lot to swallow. Whether the reader accepts its conclusions or not, however, consumption is both fun and enlightening.

Klosterman's Weakest Collection - Maybe, December 11, 2009
I've read (and generally enjoyed) all of Klosterman's books (even the novel), so whenever he has a new one, I pick it up right away. I tore through this skimpy one in about two days, and on first read was disappointed to find it to be among the least engaging of his work. I say "first read" because I'm kind of tempted to set it aside to revisit in a year or so. The problem with Klosterman is that he is usually so entertaining that one tends to read him quickly, eager to come across the next clever line or hilarious juxtaposition. But in the case of this book I realize that I may not have wholly engaged with the larger ideas he's writing about. And since many of the essays in this book take on bigger themes than those his previous books, it might be worth a second, slower read.

That caveat established, my initial impression is that this is Klosterman's weakest collection. Yes, is has the trademark humor, clever turns of phrase, and entertaining contrarian pronouncements. But the humor's not as everpresent, more of the pronouncements struck me as definitively wrong, and the level of navel-gazing seems to be ratcheted up. What I mean by that is most of his earlier work felt like the ideas and observations were just gushing out of his head, almost uncontrolled. Here, he seems to be working a great deal harder to figure out just what it is he's trying to say, and what that says about him. On the plus side are essays like "Something Instead of Nothing," a genuine attempt to understand why people answer interview questions. Another good one is "Oh, the Guilt," a rambling but interesting attempt to link the personalities of Kurt Cobain and David Koresh with the concept of authenticity and their resulting fates. I also quite liked the final piece, "Fail," which is a reconsideration of the Unabomber Manifesto and its relevance to our current internet-addicted society. There's a bit about ABBA ("ABBA 1, World 0.") that's quite in line with much of his earlier work and a good analysis of a pop culture phenomenon.

However, many of the essays simply don't work. For example, in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Ralph Sampson" Klosterman attempts to parse how people react to the failures of public figures. I was really curious to see what he had to say about the basketball player who was my favorite player during his college years (Klosterman and I are the same age). But his conclusions are pretty facile and the route he takes to get to them is awfully convoluted and muddled. Similarly, as a lifelong pro football fan, I was curious to see what he has to say in "Football: Liberal or Conservative?" Unfortunately, his conclusion that football is somehow "liberal" because it embraces change is arrived at through some various dubious logical leaps that dont' stand up to anything beyond a cursory examination. His bit on time travel ("Tomorrow Rarely Knows") has nothing new or interesting to say on the topic, ditto for his one on voyeurism ("Through a Glass, Blindly") and the one on laugh tracks. And his bit on modern advertising ("It Will Shock You How Much It Never Happened") just struck me as completely wrong.

My guess is that if you really like Klosterman, you'll pretty much like this collection. If you mostly like him (like me), you'll read this and find some choice nuggets to extract. If you don't like him, this book won't change your opinion one iota. And if you've never heard of him, start with one of his earlier books, like Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.

Pop Culture Philosphy, October 27, 2009
On its face, just like the best of his other books, Eating the Dinosaur appears to be a book about the mundane and the fleeting. However, underneath that glossy surface, there are insights into our cultural ethos that are unmatched by other modern works. The essays include:

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Something Instead of Nothing: Why do people answer questions? For who's sake? What does that say about us? This is far more interesting than it sounds at first and, I think, provides insight into the current human condition. Interviews and answering questions are odder than you would think.

Oh, the Guilt: What do David Koresh and Kurt Cobaine have in common? Really interesting look at what makes self-made cultic leaders and culturally-created messianic figures different. Great examination of the Waco disaster as well - definitely want to read more about it after reading the little bit included here.

Tomorrow Rarely Knows: An essay about why time travel is impossible. Good, but the information is not very original. I had heard most of this before, but interesting none the less.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Ralph Sampson: Society's Reactions to Public Failures. As a lifelong Houston Rockets fan, I was excited to see this essay. Though the premise and the conclusions are valid, this essay on failure and how it is viewed by society ultimately comes up short. The circuitous route that Klosterman takes to get to his point has a few too many curves.

Through a Glass, Blindly: Voyeurism. The most interesting part of this essay were the discussions of the Hitchcock movies Vertigo and Rear Window. An understanding look at why we watch other's lives. The conclusion that Klosterman comes up with here is right on. This, along with the first essay in the book, deftly describes an individual's desire to be recognized and validated.

The Passion of the Garth: Fictional Reality. I am not a big country music fan and barely remember Garth Brooks' attempt to break into the rock world as Chris Gaines. After three slower essays, this one is great fun. The underlying discussion of created personas and how fiction can be truer than reality takes a back seat to the sheer entertainment value of the piece.

The Best Response. This one is just filler really. The one area that fell very short of Klosterman's best work (Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs, IV) are the filler questions. There really was not anything worthwhile in between the chapters, and though this grouping of questions is a little better then the filler in the rest of the book, its not by much.

Football: Liberal or Conservative? Great. As an avid football fan, one of my favorites in the book. Not much to say about it besides the fact that if you are a football fan, this one is a must read and almost worth the price of the book. This, along with the soccer essay (S,D, & CP, I think) is the best of his sports essays.

ABBA 1, World 0. Not great. Unclear about the point of this one, and I don't particularly care for ABBA's music.

"Ha, Ha," he said. "Ha, Ha." Canned Laughter. Very good. I always hated canned laughter, but now I know why. Your perception of canned laughter, both on television and in everyday conversations, will change after reading this.

It Will Shock You How Much It Never Happened. Advertising. As a Mad Men fan, this one was good. Though confused about the direction he was headed at times, the conclusion results in a great question about the nature of advertising in today's society.

T is For True: Irony and Its Pervasiveness. A look at the lack of literalism in today's society and what that means for us in the future. This one is a must read and will change the way you think about irony and its effects. One of the best in the book.

FAIL: Technology, Good or Bad. Worth reading for a couple of good points, but one of the weakest chapters in the book. Hard to take even one philosophical insight from the Unabomber and point out its value, but Klosterman succeeds (barely.)
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Chuck Klosterman has a unique talent to turn discussions about Nirvana, David Koresh, and Mad Men into philosophical treatises worth reading. Even if you disagree with many, or even all, of his conclusions you cannot ignore Klosterman's insight into pop culture and society. He is the best writer of the "educational & entertaining non-fiction" genre, and Eating the Dinosaur is one of his best.

A more self aware Klosterman, October 19, 2009
Chuck seems more aware of his own celebrity and status as a writer in this book than his previous ones. This comes, alongside the welcome addition of an index, making it all the easier to look up his culturally mundane references for a second time, if need be. The following is a sampling of the first 10 things referenced in the index (in alphabetical order, of course): Abba (pgs. 147-158), ABC, Abdul (Paula), AC/DC, Ace of Base, Across the Sea (Weezer), advertising, A-11 offense, Aerosmith, Aero-Zepplin, Against the Machine, and the Akron Beacon Journal.

If you're a fan of his previous works, and particularly Sex Drugs Cocoa Puffs, you should check this out. But if you're reading this, you probably already knew that.

*P.S. the page count here says 255 pages, but in actuality, it is 229 pages, plus the index from p. 233 to p.245... so it's shorter than has been listed. I ripped through it yesterday afternoon, and will probably read it a second time come Holiday break.

Like Pepsi, it's fun AND delicious, December 8, 2009
On the back of EATING THE DINOSAUR, a question is posed: "Should I read this book?" The answer really does sum up what you will find between these covers: "Probably. Do you see a clear relationship between the Branch Davidian massacre and the recording of Nirvana's In Utero? Does Barack Obama make you want to drink Pepsi? Does ABBA remind you of AC/DC? If so, you probably don't need to read this book. You probably wrote this book." And since I know and you know that you didn't, you might just need to read this book.

Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and his fascination with a particular group of women, Garth Brooks and his doppelganger, "Mad Men," football, Ralph Nader --- anything that makes up some semblance of pop culture within the scope of the last decade is viable fodder for Chuck Klosterman's famously erudite take on what makes our commercial world go around. It includes politics, the arts, sports and advertising --- nothing is out of his reach. Like the Gorillaz's song "Clint Eastwood," "the future is coming on," and Klosterman lays out his clean, shiny instruments, ready to dissect whatever comes his way.

There's a good chance that you won't read all the essays in one sitting --- like a great magazine article, you will want to savor one at a time, delving into it several times to soak up all the multivarious responses Klosterman has to simple questions such as the ones posed above. Using Aristotelian logic to understand a new Pepsi campaign is fascinating stuff in his hands. Like a Lego master, he takes each little issue apart and really looks at it, ending up with a snarky but intelligent creation, standing on its own as a little bit of pop culture enthusiasm to which we can all refer in 10 years' time when we're trying to remember why something made such a big imprint on all of us (like "Mad Men").

Personally, I most like Klosterman because he gives weight and credence to things that I like to think about but that may not seem like the types of things adults should spend their precious time considering. But advertising campaigns, TV shows and alternative rock albums are so much a part of my daily life, my personal quilt of culture, that I appreciate greatly the import that Klosterman provides. He makes me feel not quite as ridiculous as I can, as the world collapses around me and I spend time reading the Twitter feed of Betty Draper, a character I feel like I know but who doesn't really exist.

Am I an idiot? No, just a plugged-in member of the general pop culture, just like the Unabomber and The Foo Fighters and the new coach of the Notre Dame football team. Klosterman may be EATING THE DINOSAUR, but really we're just savoring the fossils of our own time; like Pepsi, it's fun AND delicious.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

Klosterman looks for sincerity and authenticity everwhere, November 15, 2009
Chuck Klosterman is very critical in this collection of essays. But that's what he is: A critic. I'm more of a music fan than a sports fan, so the subjects of the sports essays were often foreign to me. Still, Klosterman's insights cross over to other aspects of life. Other reviewers have summarized the essays, so I won't repeat the summaries. A common theme throughout the essays is Klosterman's obsession with sincerity. Whether it is music or sports, sincerity and authenticity are paramount to Klosterman. He's like Linus looking for the most sincere pumpkin patch. And in FAIL, Klosterman turns on himself. He acknowledges his own lack of sincerity by explaining how he agrees with critics of technology, but cannot get enough of technology himself.

Klosterman's references to very current events will likely impair this book's longevity, so read it now. It's a short book and a quick read. I read it over a two-day business trip.

Pop Culture Perfection!, March 13, 2010
My friend John recommended this book to me and I ordered it immediately. John is one of those guys who is smarter than most people, and he has an outstanding knowledge of literature, pop culture, and sports. I enjoy discussing opinions on 2 out of 3 of those topics, but I still don't know what a running back does that differs him from a linebacker. After finishing this book, I understand why John enjoyed it--Klosterman is a doppelganger for John, an expert on all three of these areas.

Eating the Dinosaur is a collection of 13 essays about modern life discussed in terms of popular culture. Klosterman is the uber-hipster with a writing style that is sharp, funny, and biting. Here are some of my favorites:

"Oh, the Guilt" connects Nirvana's Kurt Cobain's and David Koresh's messiah complexes.
"Tomorrow Rarely Knows" is one of the best discussions on time travel that I've read.
"ABBA 1, World 0" about the phenomenon of ABBA Music
" `Ha ha,' he said. `Ha ha.' " discusses what the laugh track on sitcoms says about its viewers and our culture.
"FAIL" gives insight into the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski that I never before considered.

The power of this book is not reading about topics that I enjoy (advertising, Lost, time travel), but also about those subjects in which I usually steer clear from in choosing my literary selections. He has two essays that are sports related, one about Ralph Sampson and one about football. It was the longest piece dedicated to football plays that I've ever read..and I enjoyed it. The next time I talk to John, I'm going to discuss the feasibility of the 4-3 and Wildcat plays, and how the forward pass changed the face of football for good.

In the Ted Kaczynski piece, Klosterman offers this conclusion of the effects of technology that coincide with the Unabomber's views:

Technology is bad for civilization. We are living in a manner that is unnatural. We are latently enslaved by our own ingenuity, and we have unknowingly constructed a simulated world. The benefits of technology are easy to point out (medicine, transportation, the ability to send and receive text messages during Michael Jackson's televised funeral), but they do not compensate for the overall loss of humanity that is its inevitable consequence. As a species, we have never been less human than we are right now. And that (evidently) is what I want.

This is a clever collection of essays that will be worth your time to read.

Hard to Describe, March 11, 2010
This was the first book I have read from this author, and I didn't know anything about him before that. The book itself is hard to describe, because Klosterman's essays are all "about" something like ABBA, but what they're about is not what the actual subject is. For instance, the essay about ABBA is not about ABBA's music, it's about the way ABBA has transcended the way people normally think about popular music. Each section of the book has a kind of twist like that, which made it interesting enough for me to read the book all the way through, but I have to admit that I had zero interest in any of the subjects that he chose. Time travel? Really?

Also, I did not agree with at least half of Klosterman's statements, and many of them can be easily refuted. With just a little bit of thought, I could come up with arguments to a lot of his claims. He makes broad generalizations throughout the book about what people want or what people like, that simply didn't ring true for me. Maybe that's what *he* thinks people want or like, but it's not necessarily the truth.

I also found the little bits between sections, where questions are proposed and answered, to be pretentious to the point of being silly. What are they there for? It didn't make sense to me. He comes across as a condescending nerd at times.

That being said, I think Klosterman has an engaging style of writing, and some of his ideas were new to me. He got me to read an entire book about subjects I have no interest in, so he must be pretty good, right? I think I will read something else of his to see how he holds up.

Buurrrppp!!!, February 9, 2010
Was quite disappointed in this outing by Mr. Klosterman. I have read pretty much all of Chuck's other books and I have develop a somewhat love / hate relationship with Chuck. His latest novel has me weighing more towards the hater side of the relationship.

The opening chapter was excruciating to read to say the least. I almost gave up on the book right there. Is it just me or does Chuck just give you that impression of a pseudo intellectual with way too much time on his hands? Thus, Chuck gets bored and thinks of some sort or idea / theme / trend (other than what he know best - music) that might be outside of what people think he is knowledgeable about, and then spews his wikkepedia / google data about that subject. Listen Chuck, just because you NetFlix'ed some obscure movie or read a "smarty-pants" book that you came across, that doesn't make you have the right to express you wit and views on those matters. Some of the Chapters that epitomize my little rant are: "Something Instead of Nothing", "Tomorrow Rarely Knows", "Through a Glass, Blindly", It Will Shock You..."

With that being said (and as always), Chuck does come through with some interesting and entertaining views/opinions. I liked his insight on Laugh Tracks used in sitcoms ("Ha, ha" he said "Ha, ha"). Very interesting and thought provoking - pretty funny too. The chapter `T is for True' was also good. In other words, Chuck should stay with the following topics: Music, Television from the 80's to present, Current (non-foreign) Movies, "Remember When" reflections - but only from the past three decades, Modern trends, Pop Culture, Facebook, etc.

Half the chapters are good the other half are horribly not. In other words, quite enjoyable at times and then those certain chapters just makes you want to skip the book all together and then tell Chuck to just keep his Tina Fey glasses, pseudo-intellectual beard, "I'm so hipper than you" thoughts to his damn self. I shudder to recommend this book to anyone but I guess I might? But let me warn you, if i do recommend; don't blame me if you find yourself asking why did I just waste "half" my time with this search-engine, chronicle book.

OK; something for everyone, January 29, 2010
I am happy that I am not the only person who prefers Downtown Owl to most of Klosterman's essay work, which is his bread and butter. It is easy for me to relate to much of his work as a fellow 30-something NoDakian. Like all of his work - some of it is really funny, some of it thought-provoking, some of it is contrived, and much of it inane. He, like many, needs to get over the notion that everyone seems to have that everything has to be either liberal or conservative. Some of it just is what it is.

Overall, it is hard to review his essays without creating an entirely new essay. There's something in here for pretty much everyone - sports fans, music snobs, technology lovers and pseudo hipster technology naysayers, and pop-psychology fans - not to mention ABBA fans. It's an entertaining read. Nothing earthshattering - but fun for a light-hearted affair. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the three-ring circus of a vicious presidential race, plunging into the wars between dictionary writers, or confronting the World's Largest Lobster Cooker at the annual Maine Lobster Festival, Wallace projects a quality of thought that is uniquely his and a voice as powerful and distinct as any in American letters. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

maybe exactly what you need right now, October 17, 2006
I've been working too much lately, getting into my car at night with my head still swimming about all the things that are going on at the office. I try not to get like this, but sometimes, especially at this time of year, it's hard not to. Someone sent me a copy of an interesting audiobook though and I wanted to share a bit about it with you. Listening to it in 15 minute snippets on the way to and from work these past few weeks has turned me around.

If you're a public radio junkie, the series it's based on is probably old news to you. It's called "This I Believe" and it's a compilation of essays from individuals writing about what they believe in. Very simple concept. The people who have written essays are young and old, famous and not, successful and not, religious and not. There are some from the 1950s, some from 2006. I'm finding that spending a few minutes on my drive to and from work every day where I stop thinking about what happened today or what needs to happen tomorrow does me good as a person. Some of them made me cry (probably more than I should admit) and some made me laugh. Some I fast-forward through b/c I've no interest in the topic - but with 80 distinct essays to listen to, you can fwd through quite a few and still have lots to listen to.

You might be one of those people who is going to think this is smarmy, a little too saccharin or otherwise not as clever as you'd like -- but you should at least listen to a couple of excerpts. You may be surprised by the range of this collection - there are essays on the belief in science and math and the written word; others about kindness and hope and family; some on pizza delivery drivers and good barbecue and feeding monkeys on your birthday. I'm tempted to point out a couple of my favorites but I won't - because I'm pretty sure the excerpts that speak most vividly to me will be different than the ones that touch you. You should give yourself a few minutes right now to sample one or two from the npr website. And then you should buy the audio or the print book. It's maybe exactly what you need right now.

Reader's Digest level banality, January 4, 2008
Clearly, I'm in the minority on this one. But this book just didn't work for me at all. It seems like such a promising concept, too - "based on the NPR series of the same name, 80 essayists - from the famous to the previously unknown - complete the thought that begins the book's title".

But the result is - despite being a bestseller - a dreadful book. If I had checked it out in a bookstore, rather than buying it here on Amazon, I might have figured it out from the back cover. Here are the four 'quotes from inside' that the publishers use as a teaser:

"I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it." Jackie Robinson.
"I believe in empathy." Azar Nafisi.
"I believe in the pursuit of happiness. Not its attainment, nor its final definition, but its pursuit." Andrew Sullivan.
"Be cool to the pizza delivery dude; it's good luck". Sarah Adams.

Well, yes. Am I supposed to argue with any of these noble sentiments? Hardly (though I might suggest a different justification for being cool to the pizza delivery dude than trying to generate future good karma). But it's precisely the completely unobjectionable, generally safe nature of the assorted beliefs expressed in the book that make it - and I may burn in hell for this - a major YAWN. If you crack open the book and can wade through some of the most mind-numbingly pompous prose imaginable, there are further nuggets to be gleaned:

Benjamin Carson believes that "there is no job more important than parenting".
William F. Buckley believes in God, but, being WFB, finds it necessary to express himself thusly: "This I believe: that it is intellectually easier to credit a divine intelligence than to submit dumbly to felicitous congeries about nature".
Jackie Lantry believes in the power of love to transform and heal.

Again, I'm not questioning the validity of these beliefs (what would give me the right?), but they end up being expressed in most cases with a kind of cliched banality that is available free in any Hallmark store. More charitably, in considering why this book ended up being such a disastrous collection of woolly-minded writing, almost never rising above hackneyed cliches and Reader's Digest level banality, I believe that the problem lies in the formulation of the question. It seems that asking people to come on the radio for three minutes to sum up the core beliefs of their lives is a poor mechanism to generate anything of interest. It's a trap, causing most respondents to founder in banal generalities.

The (very) few interesting contributors were smart enough to avoid the lure of the pompously abstract profundity, and rooted their answers in the specific. Here are the opening sentences of the three most interesting (OK, let's be honest, the only three truly interesting) essays:

'I consider myself a feminist, and I feel like a moron admitting it, but it's true: I believe in Barbie.'
'I believe in always going to the funeral. My father taught me that.'
'There is no such thing as too much barbecue'.

Let me be clear again - this review is in no way a critique of the expressed beliefs and opinions of the contributors. It is concerned only with the interest level and readability of their efforts. On those criteria, this book has to be considered a dreadful, soporific, failure.

Inspiration to examine your own belief system, October 20, 2006
When I first received my copy of "This I Believe," I had no idea that it was actually from a popular 1950s radio show of the same name. Originally, "This I Believe" was hosted by Edward R. Murrow. It was aired throughout the United States and became so popular that two volumes of the essays were published and hit the Top-10 Bestseller's list for three years.

It was easy to become hooked as I read the first essay, and though some of the essays are 50 years old, they are still very relevent to what we are going through now as individuals and as a society.

The essays (of which there are 79) are 3-4 pages each and are essentially a brief outline of why the writer has a particular belief. The essays are personal stories which are written in a positive manner without being judgmental, preachy or obnoxious.

Some of the more well known writers include: William F. Buckley, Jr., Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, Bill Gates and Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame).

In the "Afterward" written by Dan Gediman, he explains the history of the famous radio show and how he was inspired to put together a book of some of the more famous essays from the show, while including some new essays from both famous and unknown writers of our day.

The appendix includes the original introduction of the radio show "This I Believe" by Edward R. Murrow, how to write your own "This I Believe" essay, and suggestions on how to use "This I Believe" in your own community. They also challenge you to write your own "This I Believe" essay and send it in to their website www.thisibelieve.org.

"This I Believe" is thoughtful, inspiring and thought provoking. It would provide invaluable insights and topics for those interested in public speaking or blogging. For teachers it can provide inspiration to help students find out their own belief systems.

Really an essay of the human heart, "This I Believe" challenges you to discover what your own belief system is. Do you know what you believe?

good gift for contemplative people, better on radio, December 22, 2006
"This I Believe" can be approached as a quick read of a couple hours or a casual read with occasional stops to contemplate the latest essay. Even though the collection is an extract from a large number of contributions, there will be some you can skim right through, thinking, "yeah, whatever" or that it wasn't that interesting a thought. I admit I felt almost guilty for not giving some of the authors more than a moment's notice, considering the person was talking about a core belief with passion. My guess is that a typical reader will feel the same, only for a different group within the diverse set.

However, there are others that should prompt more serious thought. After all, the purpose of the essays is two-fold: give a window into what other people hold true, and also promote thinking about one's own values and beliefs. To me, it's less important to try to write my own essay than to ponder whether I agree with the author's belief, or how it might apply to me, or whether I recall family members or others with similar beliefs.

Even so, these are not long, deep essays, given the limit of a couple of minutes when spoken. The ones focused on religion, for example, are only a key thought or two, usually with a relevant example of their application or their origin. Others recall an important moment or two in one's life, perhaps where somebody else made a difference in the author's future. These are often the most personal and best essays.

I found "This I Believe" on NPR. The ones I recall from this book are fine as short essays, but they are even better on the radio. The amusing take on barbeque is an example: made to be spoken. Many others are really personal stories that read well, yet probably would be an even nicer CD for the car.

The mixture of famous people and "regular" (albeit articulate enough) people was absolutely necessary. Reprinting some from the 1950s was a good touch, showing that many beliefs hold true fifty years later, as you would expect. The new essay by a woman who also contributed fifty years ago was one of the highlights.

The book could maybe have used some "bad guys" or cynics to express their beliefs. The authors are good folks (please leave aside whether you think Bill Gates, Newt Gingrich, etc. are "good"), in that they describe positive beliefs and values, people who often want to make a positive contribution to the world. Maybe some meanies or troublemakers could have explained what beliefs made them tick, too.

The background on the original "This I Believe" from the 1950s complements the individual contributions and was very helpful. Jay Allison's introduction also nicely reviews the genesis of the NPR program and how the process unfolded.

There's SO MUCH we can learn from eachother!, December 13, 2006
I don't believe,I KNOW... that this one great book! The title along with the subtitle are responsible for me picking this up and deciding that I had to read it. The sub-title: "The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women" drew me in like a magnet because I think we can all learn a lot from eachother and that is, I think, the whole point of this book. I do want to know what 'remarkable' people believe!

This book is essay style. Contributors are widely varied, the famous and non. The essay's are perfect in length, cutting straight to the point. -I love that! There were some essays that left me wanting more, I wanted to keep on reading because what they were saying was wonderful!

As I was reading through the book, I took a piece of paper to bookmark a good spot that I wanted to go back to later, then I tore the bookmark in half to save a spot at a part that I thought would be good to mention in my review, and then I tore another piece, until finally I stopped bookmarking all together because it's all so good, (and because I was running out of bookmark)that if I started quoting excerpts in my review, it would most likely get outta hand and then the review police here would go cutting out half of my review. (yes they will too!)

There's a lot of things to think on in this book. The thing I was thinking as I was reading this was: What do I believe? I mean, it must have been hard to pick one thing to write about when there are so many subjects we have beliefs in. Ya know? -Well, there was one guy who believed that "There is no such thing as too much barbecue." -that was a fun one.

The truth is, this is an excellent read. I feel you will come away from this book feeling like a better person for having read it. Something you read from this book just may change the way you think about or do something (big or small) in your life.

Enough inspiration to last a lifetime..., January 23, 2007
In 1951, it would have been hard to find four more powerful men than Edward R. Murrow, Bill Paley, Ward Wheelock and Donald Thornburgh. Murrow was one of the country's most respected journalists. Paley was the founder and CEO of the CBS television network. Wheelock was an influential advertising executive from Pennsylvania, whose accounts included the Campbell's Soup Company. Thornburgh was the general manager of the local CBS affiliate in Philadelphia.

Over lunch one day, the four men "bemoaned the spiritual state" of the nation. In order to counteract the negativity they had observed, they decided to "produce a daily five-minute radio program featuring a well-known, successful man or woman sharing his or her personal philosophy. The hope was that these programs would be provocative, stimulating, and helpful to listeners."

The men asked prominent citizens to put their beliefs on paper as an encouragement to those struggling with "atomic warfare, increasing consumerism, and loss of spiritual values." The men sought "to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization."

Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, Harry Truman and Albert Einstein were some of the show's original contributors.

The show was a resounding success, airing from 1951 until 1955. Shortly after the program premiered, a housewife took its founders to task, pointing out that common folk had beliefs, too. Heeding the housewife's advice, the show soon broadened its scope to include people from all walks of life and, as a result, the program enjoyed great popularity.

In 1952, Murrow edited a book of essays from the show. It became a best-seller, outpaced only by the Bible. A sequel, This I Believe 2 was published in 1954.

The series was dealt two crippling blows in the mid 50s. In 1954, Campbell's Soup Company, Wheelock's primary advertising account, pulled their business from the Philadelphia agency. Without their business, Wheelock did not have the financial resources to continue underwriting the show. When Wheelock was lost at sea in early 1955, Murrow personally financed the final few installments and then halted the show's production.

In 2005, National Public Radio revived the series. Prompted by the many submissions, Allison and the show's co-producer Dan Gediman, recently compiled a printed collection of essays, including several from the original series.

The essays contained in This I Believe bridge the gap between divergent cultures, viewpoints, tenants and socioeconomic levels.

The messages found in This I Believe are as timeless as they are hopeful. Running through this multi-layered tapestry of beliefs and tenants are the comman threads of hope, love, family and faith. Treat yourself and pick up a copy of this book. Keep it on your bedside table and use it to open your eyes to the goodness that lies in the human heart and rely on it to help you through life's more difficult times.

Enjoy!

Faith isn't just for conservatives, December 22, 2006
I like the extensive mixture found here. Among the essayists are Leonard Bernstein, Warren Christopher and Bill Gates - as well as pediatric psychologist Debbie Hall, astrophysicist Allan Lightman, restaurant critic Jason Sheehan, retired elementary school teacher Ruth Kamps and part-time hospital clerk Jackie Lantry.

The book's dust jacket says it's "a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs - and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them - reveal the American spirit at its best."

My hope is that readers will not only find delight and encouragement in these readings but will be prompted to share their own personal philosophies. Everyone has them. They're the core set of beliefs which form the lens by which people view the world.

The reality is, most people live by a set of beliefs they would have a hard time identifying. And even if they could articulate them, many would not want to hold them out to scrutiny. Yet, the effort and risk seems very much worth it all. This is what the authors in this book have done. They've shared what is most personal - and unfortunately for many people, most private.

If through dialog and discussion we understand each other better, then this is a much needed book. It's a view into our humanity and the very condition of our culture.

Furthermore, it seems we refine our beliefs through sharing them, and hearing viewpoints which differ from ours. If we are all on a process of discovery then we should not only be reading about what others believe, but talking about these things with those in our communities. I'd suggest this book is step in doing that. Lastly, if truth exists, then humility regarding my beliefs is certainly a virtue. If there's something I currently believe which isn't true, I want to know it. And that's the challenge of viewing my own and other's beliefs (including those in this book) with a perspective of care and evaluation.

I wish the book had included an outline for identifying a person's own beliefs. Maybe questions like this could have been included.

- What does it mean to be human?
- What is best in this world?
- What is worth aspiring towards?
- Why are we here?
- How should we live?
- Where did we come from?
- Where are we going?
- What happens if we're wrong?
- What's reliable?
- How can we know?

The Thoughts of The Prominent and Others, February 24, 2007
When I first picked up this book it fell open to the essay by Albert Einstein. As a physicist, this was like receiving a message directly from the gods. It was only after reading his entry that I understood that here were the semi-private thoughts of many of our leading thinkers.

The book is based on the radio program first created by Edward R. Murrow and then revived half a century later by National Public Radio. The concept of the radio programs is simple. People explain their personal philosophy in a relatively few words. Some of these come from the original show aired in the 1950's, many are more recent. The original show featured people from the carefully selected upper crust of society. The current show does that, but also allows more ordinary people to participate. In fact Appendix B invites you to participate by writing and submitting your own essay.

As you would expect the essays vary greatly. Some of the philosophies are enlightening and help you to form your own. Others are less interesting, just not applicable to you. In collection however, the philosophy that comes through is helpful and enlightening.

A good read!, October 15, 2006
In 1951, National Pubic Radio began a program in which participants used a few hundred words to encapsulate their deepest-held beliefs. The program, though incredibly popular, lost funding after a couple of years, was discontinued, and then reborn in 2005.

Now, editors Jay Allison and Dan Gediman have compiled eighty of the essays from both the original set of broadcasts and the most recent ones. The result is a stunning compilation of the beliefs of courageous individuals.

Browsing through the table of contents, you will be struck immediately by the famous individuals that have submitted their essays. From Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, and Jackie Robinson to Bill Gates, Collin Powell and Isabel Allende, these popular figures become transparent and vulnerable as they reveal their most closely held beliefs. And yet, often it's the essays by the ordinary among us, the laborer, the abandoned, the teacher, the AIDS researcher, that will bring tears to your eyes and move your heart profoundly.

These essays are extremely readable due to their short length and the intimacy of the project. If you pick up this book, you may find yourself compelled to read on, fascinated by how differently (and similarly) we live.

Perhaps the greatest impact this book has on its reader is in its implicit invitation to create one's own "This I believe" statement. Reading others' reflections on life causes one to wonder, "How would I put my deepest beliefs into words?" Just having the chance to sit back and to wonder about this is extremely rewarding.

In the words of one essayist, a civil engineer, given this chance to reflect, we find that "we are more than the inhabitants of our cubicles, more than engineers or even parents, husbands, and wives...we are transformed and connected by the power and beauty of our creativity."

This I Believe is an outstanding book. In this day and age, we are constantly driven to go, go, go. Don't miss this opportunity to sit back and learn about what your fellow citizens believe and to think about what you hold to be most dear and true.

Armchair Interviews says: We all need our own "This I believe" statement in this trying world.

Thought-provoking essays!, January 22, 2007
I just finished THIS I BELIEVE,
edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, and now find myself
wanting to listen to the National Public Radio series of the same name.

The book is a compilation of 80 essays that have been written
by the famous to the unknown, each one looking at how the author
arrived at his or her own personal beliefs and then shared them
with others.

I liked the fact that it featured such well-known contributors as
Colin Powell, William F. Buckley Jr. and Gloria Steinhem, in
addition to such others as a Brooklyn lawyer, a man who serves
on the state of Rhode Island's parole board and a part-time hospital
clerk from Rheboboth, Massachusetts.

As the subtitle indicates, these are the PERSONAL PHILOSOPHIES
OF REMARKABLE MEN AND WOMEN, and I found almost
all of them quite thought-provoking . . . and though some of them
were actually quite old (having been featured in the 1950 series
hosted by Ed Murrow), they were still as relevant today as this
statement from Oscar Hammerstein II indicates:

I have an unusual statement to make. I am a man who believes he is
happy. What makes it unusual is that a man who is happy seldom
tells anyone. The unhappy man is more communicative. He is eager
to recite what is wrong with the world, and he seems to have a talent
for gathering a large audience. It is a modern tragedy that despair has
so many spokesmen, and hope so few.

Among the other tidbits of wisdom I gained from reading were
the following:

* [Brian Grazer] The answer is simple. Disrupting my comfort zone,
bombarding myself with challenging people and situations, this is the
best way I know to keep growing. And to paraphrase a biologist I once
met, if you're not growing, you're dying.

* [Pen Jillette] Believing there's no god means I can't really be forgiven
except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me
want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first
time around.

* [Steve Porter] I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things
are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is
a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what
normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises
of the future.

A striking set of selected portraits by Nubar Alexanian added to my
enjoyment of this fine book.
... Read more

Editorial Review

This exuberantly praised--and uproariously funny--first collection of nonfiction pieces by one of the most acclaimed and adventurous writers of our time--the author of "Infinite Jest"--"reconfirms Mr. Wallace's stature as one of his generation's preeminent talents" ("New York Times") 5-city author tour. Print ads . ... Read more

Editorial Review

From the National Book Award-winning author of The Corrections, a collection of essays that reveal him to be one of our sharpest, toughest, and most entertaining social critics

While the essays in this collection range in subject matter from the sex-advice industry to the way a supermax prison works, each one wrestles with the essential themes of Franzen's writing: the erosion of civil life and private dignity; and the hidden persistence of loneliness in postmodern, imperial America. Reprinted here for the first time is Franzen’s controversial l996 investigation of the fate of the American novel in what became known as "the Harper's essay," as well as his award-winning narrative of his father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease, and a rueful account of his brief tenure as an Oprah Winfrey author.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

A brand-new book of hilarious and insightful personal essays by the iconic, irresistible Sloane Crosley.

From the author of the sensational bestseller I Was Told There'd Be Cake comes a new book of personal essays brimming with all the charm and wit that have earned Sloane Crosley widespread acclaim, award nominations, and an ever-growing cadre of loyal fans. In Cake readers were introduced to the foibles of Crosley's life in New York City-always teetering between the glamour of Manhattan parties, the indignity of entry-level work, and the special joy of suburban nostalgia-and to a literary voice that mixed Dorothy Parker with David Sedaris and became something all its own.

Crosley still lives and works in New York City, but she's no longer the newcomer for whom a trip beyond the Upper West Side is a big adventure. She can pack up her sensibility and takes us with her to Paris, to Portugal (having picked it by spinning a globe and putting down her finger, and finally falling in with a group of Portuguese clowns), and even to Alaska, where the "bear bells" on her fellow bridesmaids' ponytails seemed silly until a grizzly cub dramatically intrudes. Meanwhile, back in New York, where new apartments beckon and taxi rides go awry, her sense of the city has become more layered, her relationships with friends and family more complicated.

As always, Crosley's voice is fueled by the perfect witticism, buoyant optimism, flair for drama, and easy charm in the face of minor suffering or potential drudgery. But in How Did You Get This Number it has also become increasingly sophisticated, quicker and sharper to the point, more complex and lasting in the emotions it explores. And yet, Crosley remains the unfailingly hilarious young Everywoman, healthily equipped with intelligence and poise to fend off any potential mundanity in maturity. ... Read more

Reviews

Absolutely hilarious and near perfection, June 17, 2010
I read about this book in a magazine and thought it would be a nice, relaxing read. It turned out to be that, and terrifically funny to boot.

The book is a collection of essays that include the musings of a twentysomething on life in New York City, travel in and out of the U.S., family pets, and other subjects. The author is quite simply an incredible writer. She manages to be witty, hip, current, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, with just a touch of sweetness thrown in. There are a number of subtle and overt pop-culture references that are hidden like Easter Eggs throughout the text, so I found myself reading a paragraph and having to go back and read it again to get at all the nuances within.

The only minor problem with this book was a few instances where the sentences sort of started to wander off and I got a little lost in her thought process, but this was a small issue in my opinion.

I realize that I am gushing so much in this review that I probably sound like a friend of Ms. Crosley's or a plant of some kind. I'm not, though I can now be counted as a fan. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was just wonderful from start to finish. I'm going to buy her other book immediately!

Insightful and fun, June 18, 2010
Sloane Crosley is an extraordinary talent. Much like the other notorious essay writers of today (Sedaris, Vowell), her essays are private and often hilarious glimpses into her life. From encountering clowns in Lisbon to getting kicked out of Paris, Crosley has seen - and done - a lot. And her essays let you experience her life in a way that feels like you, too, were there.

How Did You Get This Number is a fantastic book, with an extraordinarily strong voice. (Which is obvious, considering her last book, the fantastically titled I Was Told There'd Be Cake, is in development as a series on HBO.) She makes the mundane interesting, the outrageous seemingly normal. Her writing is vivid, detailed and doesn't leave anything out. Her conversational tone is welcoming, and her stories addictive. And throughout it all, you just wish you were friends with her.

Show Me on the Doll, the first and my favorite essay, details her random trip to Lisbon, where she, as mentioned, met clowns, got lost and found a tower that didn't lead to anything. Still, the experience was enlightening in a way a trip to Paris wouldn't have been. Le Paris!, which chronicles two trips to the city beautiful, shows the humor in traveling, and how things aren't always how you remember them to be. Take a Stab at It is a relatable tale about crazy roommates, and If You Sprinkle is a fantastic tale about growing up and who we - and those who were cool in elementary school - become. It's about those passive-aggressive friendships, and how there's no way to predict the future, despite what the game Girl Talk may suggest. Off the Back of a Truck was incredibly surprising - in a fantastic way. While most of Crosley's essays point out her embarrassing moments, with pure self-deprecating writing, this one shows a very honest, vulnerable person getting over a relationship. None of her other essays have documented her dating life, so I found this one especially telling - in a good way. I really enjoyed it, as it shows how much you take on in a relationship, and how sometimes it's too much.

As much as I enjoyed Crosley's first book, I definitely prefer this one. I still have a thing with her last lines (I like last lines to be epic and sometimes hers left me wanting more), and some of her essays were a bit much (to the point that you wonder if it really was all true), but still I really enjoyed the book. Her essays take you through a maze and just when you think you're completely lost, they bring you right back to where you started. She's a tremendous talent, and I can't wait to see what else she has to come.

Such fun, August 22, 2010
I don't usually read and review essays as I don't particularly like the genre - mainly because I like to get truly involved in my stories and just as I find myself getting completely engrossed - the story ends and the author moves on to something else entirely.

However, i made an exception for this book and was so happy that I did. Author Crosley is hilarious and fun! fun! fun! and so is her writing.

This book of essays that deal with glimpses and events of everyday in this author's life are marvellous. From the sublime to the more ridiculous (clowns!?) each essay contains a nugget that can be taken away for future reference - all the while providing an engaging and totally fun read. What else could you ask for?

The author has certainly experienced some interesting things and was smart enough to write the down so that we could all enjoy them. As I was reading this book, I almost felt as though I was "there" living them through her eyes.

Wonderful!

Sloane Crosley, November 4, 2010
I enjoyed the short stories in the book for their entertaining nature and how easily I could relate to the author. Several times throughout the book I found myself laughing outloud and had to try very hard to stop because I was in a quiet public place! I had the opportunity to meet the author at a book reading/signing event and she seemed very down to earth and interested in her fans. I've loved Sloane Crosley since I read her first book, "I Was Told Their'd Be Cake"! I had all my friends reading her too and we had a great time talking about the stories and seeing Sloane in person.

like Sedaris written by a hip NYC chick, October 27, 2010
Cute collection of essays in the Sarah Vowell/David Sedaris mode, except written by a precocious, hip New Yorker rather than an uncomfortable social outcast. Good for the "This American Life" crowd, you know who you are. 3 and 1/2 stars.

Don't Worry About How You Got the Number, Just Dial On In ..., October 14, 2010
I covet essay collections, and with this book Crosley delivers one that snaps, crackles and pops with the hilarious and strange, the I shitchu not and the heartachin' pieces of life.

I'm unabashedly and ridiculously partial to those who bring the wry and witty repartee to everyday observations (i.e. stank taxis, the often incestuous nature of makin' friends & maybe mores in workplaces), but someone who experienced and exposed the agonizing anxiety of Girl Talk?! She essentially planted herself in a pot o' gold at the end of my Reading Rainbow with that mention alone.

"Off the Back of a Truck", "If You Sprinkle" and "An Abbreviated Gift of Tongues" compelled me to share this book with a friend with instructions to keep it swappin'. Her powers of observation are both subtle and supreme. The girl is funny and keen and sharp with the wordplay and this book is well worth the read.

Witty 'Musings", September 18, 2010
Sloane Crosley is a gifted essayist. I am not sure that I love this genre but I have to admit that she is darn funny. She is not really talking about more than the mundane peculiarities of everyday life at her age but she has a great knack for getting it all down on paper and then examining it from all sides instead of just letting it go like most of us would do. Actually, I am quite grateful for the Sloane Crosley's of the world because they remind us that life is always interesting even when it's not and everyone has a great story to tell even when they think that their life pales in comparison to everyone else's.

Loved it, September 11, 2010
This author cheers me up, whether I need cheering or not. Her first book got me hooked (how could you not love the title, I Was Told There'd Be Cake)? Keep writing, Sloane.
I Was Told There'd Be Cake

Even better than the first, August 20, 2010
I was anticipating Sloan Crosley's new book, How did you get this Number, since I finished the first book. I am only half way through this book, but so far it's better than I expected. The first book was great, so I am so happy that her second book is smarter with the same wittiness and charm of the first book.
I recommend!

When Does It Get Funny?, October 11, 2010
Very overwritten, in my opinion, so the funny lines get buried. It's like she's trying so hard to sound smart that the conversational tone gets lost.

Also, I didn't believe the veracity of some of the stories, such as her conversation with "Ed" on the flight to Alaska. Too pat to be believable. I really tried to read more of the book so I could change my mind, but had to just put it away unfinished and go read some classic Thurber to get my laughs. ... Read more

Editorial Review

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favoritesas the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

No matter what your favorite holiday, you won't want to miss celebrating it with the author who has been called "one of the funniest writers alive" (Economist). ... Read more

Editorial Review

Few writers roiled the American cultural scene like Henry Louis Mencken. Pathbreaking journalist, trenchant social observer, and unbridled humorist, Mencken was the most provocative and influential cultural critic of the last century. To read him today is to be plunged into an era whose culture wars were easily as ferocious as our own, in the company of a writer of boundless curiosity and vivacious frankness. In the six volumes of Prejudices published between 1919 and 1927, Mencken attacked what he felt to be American provincialism and hypocrisy, and championed writers and thinkers he saw as harbingers of a new candor and maturity. Laced with savage humor and delighting in verbal play, Mencken's prose remains a one-of-a-kind roller coaster ride over a staggering range of thematic territory: literature and journalism, politics and religion, sex and marriage, food and drink, music and painting, the absurdities of Prohibition and the dismal state of American higher education, and the relative merits of Baltimore and New York. Now, The Library of America restores the full text of Mencken's landmark work to print in a deluxe two- volume boxed set, ensuring that new generations of readers can rediscover his one-of-a-kind genius.
... Read more

Reviews

A brilliant social critic, September 10, 2010
H.L. Mencken was a cultural, artistic, movie critic of the early 20th century in the United States, between 1917 to 1926. He tackled the issues facing Americans of the day, from Communists and Leftists, to Conservatives and Fascists. No one was safe from his glare. He went after authors he felt were unworthy of praise; and for those authors worthy of praise that fell short, he attacked with both wit and charm. In this two-volume collection, the Library of America gives us the entire collection of Mencken's work; his attacks on Prohibition, criticizing Mark Twain and Jack London as hacks and unworthy of remembrance. These two volumes are worthy of being republished, because it gives the reader a look at what good columnists are supposed to do, be witty and be aggressive. His writing style might seem outdated to modern readers, and hard for many readers to follow. Mr. Mencken does not use small words, and his sentences and paragraphs can be quite lengthy. But for those brave enough to delve into the cultural history of 20th century United States this is well worth the trip.

Reviewed by Kevin Winter

A+ Grade, September 28, 2010
Good Amazon service and delivery. Less expensive than same edition through Library of America. ... Read more