Library News: Humorous Non-Fiction

Once again, David Sedaris brings together a collection of essays so uproariously funny and profoundly moving that his legions of fans will fall for him once more. He tests the limits of love when Hugh lances a boil from his backside, and pushes the boundaries of laziness when, finding the water shut off in his house in Normandy, he looks to the water in a vase of fresh cut flowers to fill the coffee machine. From armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds to the awkwardness of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a sleeping fellow passenger on a plane, David Sedaris uses life's most bizarre moments to reach new heights in understanding love and fear, family and strangers. Culminating in a brilliantly funny account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection will be avidly anticipated.--From publisher description.

David Sedaris is an American author working in many genres.

Cabell Library PS3569.E314 W48 2008

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Reviewed by John Glover, Reference Librarian for the Humanities

Joseph Epstein's conversational little book is a pleasure to read if you've ever enjoyed looking down your nose at anyone, or if you've ever felt the horror of being looked on by those around you. For that matter, it's a pleasurable read if you enjoy thinking about all the weird tics and quirks displayed by people in their unceasing attempts to prove themselves ever so slightly better than their fellows. Epstein's manner is self-deprecating, but all the same, it's a pleasure to watch his own snobbism at work as he dryly skewers the sensibilities of social climbers everywhere. Almost the epitome of light reading, this book is perfect for the beach, or a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Epstein roams through every aspect of life where we check the people around us, judging those below, emulating those above. He touches on clothing (bespoke and otherwise), schools (ivy-laden or state), and home décor (Picasso or pink flamingos). Epstein's life in academia, occasionally mixing and mingling with the tony, has given him perspective to speak on a broad range of society. Whatever his own predilections, he is a compassionate observer of human foibles, whether his own or others'.

Internet Resources HN90.S6 E67 2002eb

Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian

Bill Bryson, who has written nonfiction books on various subjects, including the joys and trials of hiking the Appalachian Trail, his love of England, and small-town America, has outdone himself with A Short History of Nearly Everything. He attempts to explain the history of scientific discovery of our planet and our universe—from to the smallest atomic particles to the largest expanse of space. The highest praise I can offer this book is that despite the fact that it is about science, I was hooked. The tone is funny, entertaining, and educational, and the facts are presented in a way that the reader can understand, whether they are from a scientific background or not. Physics, astronomy, geology, biology, chemistry—it's all there. Bryson weaves these fields of knowledge together to present a whole picture of the world in which we live, and does so in a way that encourages the reader to not take life on earth for granted.

Cabell Library Q162 .B88 2003

Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian

If the title itself doesn't pull you in, take a glance at the "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of this Book" ("The first three or four chapters are all some of you might want to bother with...The book thereafter is kind of uneven") and the lengthy and random Preface, Acknowledgements and Appendix. The middle content is actually quite amazing and entertaining as well. This is Eggers's memoir, written when he was in his late twenties and had already experienced more than many people two and three times his age. Before his senior year of college, both parents died of unrelated types of cancer within a few weeks of each other. That said, this is a surprisingly non-depressing book.

Dave becomes unofficial guardian of his eight-year-old brother, Toph, and together they move from the Chicago suburbs to Berkeley, California. The writing is so experimental and striking, and the content so varied, it is difficult to describe more of the plot so I'll just mention a few of my favorite situations described in the book: Eggers at school with Mr. T's children; early days of Might Magazine, which he founded; his near-miss getting on MTV's The Real World San Francisco--he was beaten out by Jed (who ends up working for Might Magazine, ironically); finally, in a later edition is a hilarious true story about him, his friends, and a whale in the San Francisco Bay. Today, Eggers edits McSweeney's (check out the Lists on the website), a literary journal and publishing house which he founded; he has also published a novel, You Shall Know Our Velocity (2002), a collection of short stories, How We Are Hungry (2004), and has edited various anthologies.

If you like this book, you may also books by consider less "heartbreaking" humorous nonfiction authors, such as David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day; Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim), Sarah Vowell (Assassination Vacation; Take the Cannoli), or Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods; In a Sunburned Country).

Cabell Library CT275.E37 A3 2000