Half Empty
, by Rakoff, DavidNote: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- ISBN: 9780767929059 | 0767929055
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 9/6/2011
The inimitably witty David Rakoff, New York Timesbestselling author of Don#x19;t Get Too Comfortable, defends the commonsensical notion that you should always assume the worst, because you#x19;ll never be disappointed. In this deeply funny (and, no kidding, wise and poignant) book, Rakoff examines the realities of our sunny, gosh#xAD; everyone-can-be-a-star contemporary culture and finds that, pretty much as a universal rule, the best is not yet to come, adversity will triumph, justice will not be served, and your dreams won#x19;t come true. The book ranges from the personal to the universal, combining stories from Rakoff#x19;s reporting and accounts of his own experi#xAD;ences: the moment when being a tiny child no longer meant adults found him charming but instead meant other children found him a fun target; the perfect late evening in Manhattan when he was young and the city seemed to brim with such pos#xAD;sibility that the street shimmered in the moonlight-as he drew closer he realized the streets actually flickered with rats in a feeding frenzy. He also weaves in his usual brand Oscar Wilde#x13;worthy cultural criticism (the tragedy of Hollywood#x19;s Walk of Fame, for instance). Whether he#x19;s lacerating the musical Rentfor its cutesy depic#xAD;tion of AIDS or dealing with personal tragedy, his sharp obser#xAD;vations and humorist#x19;s flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the power of negativity. From the Hardcover edition.