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Don't Bunch Up: One Marine's Story
by William Van ZantenCaptain William Van Zanten was one of the “Magnificent Bastards” of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, in 1966–a year when any day could bring death or dismemberment from a Bouncing Betty or a punji stake, a firefight or a sniper bullet. He and his men faced B-52-sized mosquitoes, rain, heat, disease, and a determined and elusive enemy who kept the Marines off-balance, edgy, and sleepless. Yet Van Zanten persevered with a soldierly professionalism built on rigorous training. Dedication and boot camp forged the volunteer Marines of the early war years, so when the stakes went through the roof in Vietnam, commitment of man to man and man to unit was total. They supported each other with a soldier’s intimacy and endured with a soldier’s humor–and together that meant survival. From the Paperback edition.
Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason
by Dave RubinThe Progressive Woke Machine—from outrage mobs and online censorship to activists masquerading as journalists—is waging war against the last free thinkers in the world. This book is both an explanation of the current political upheaval and your guide to surviving it.America, and the West in general, is in the midst of an identity crisis that's headed towards an outright revolution. The progressive left, once the advocates of free expression and individual autonomy, now undermine these values at every turn. This uncomfortable truth has turned moderates and true liberals into the politically homeless class. In response, Dave Rubin launched his political talk show The Rubin Report in 2015 as a laboratory for anyone trying to make sense of our shifting political landscape. He discusses the most controversial issues of the day with people he both agrees and disagrees with, including those who have been dismissed, deplatformed, and even despised before they've had a chance to speak for themselves. Based on his own story as well as his experiences from the front lines of the free speech wars, this book will inspire you to make up your own mind about what you believe on any issue, and show you how to: * Check your facts, not your privilege: No matter your gender, economic class, or level of education, you're still allowed to have opinions (for now!). Rubin separates facts from feelings, dispelling today's most pervasive myths, like the wage gap, gun violence, racism, affirmative action, climate change, hate crimes, and more. * Learn to stand your ground: A difference of opinion should not be a deal-breaker for any relationship, professional or personal. Sadly, these days, it often is. Rubin will show you that losing a few friends is a small price to pay for standing up for what you believe in--and why choosing an authentic path is ultimately worth it. * Defend liberalism while you still can: Time is running out to defend individual rights, limited government, and free expression. Rubin provides a roadmap for true classically liberal principles regardless of your party affiliation, and shows you why freedom is impossible without them. Don't Burn This Book empowers you with time-tested and common-sense principles that can turn the tide against authoritarians on both sides in this increasingly polarized world. This book is a rallying cry for anyone who wants to live freely, which is quickly becoming the most radical belief you could have.
Don't Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM
by Sarah Berman"Don't Call It A Cult is the most detailed, well-reported, and nuanced look at NXIVM's history, its supporters, and those left destroyed in its wake. If you want to understand NXIVM--and other groups like it--reading Sarah Berman's account is essential."--Scaachi Koul, bestselling author of One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will MatterThey draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labour. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, an organization run by Keith Raniere and his high-profile enablers (Seagram heir Clare Bronfman; Smallville actor Allison Mack; Battlestar Galactica actor Nicki Clyne). In her deeply researched account, Berman unravels how young women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities found themselves blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. With the help of the Bronfman fortune Raniere built a wall of silence around these abuses, leveraging the legal system to go after enemies and whistleblowers.Don't Call It a Cult shows that these abuses looked very different from the inside, where young women initially received mentorship and protection. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world. It explores why so many were drawn to its message of empowerment yet could not recognize its manipulative and harmful leader for what he was--a criminal.
Don't Call Me Home: A Memoir
by Alexandra Auder&“Don&’t Call Me Home is about madness and love. Alexandra tells the best stories about her extraordinary childhood as she travels the world with her mother Viva. Wit and wisdom wrapped and bound with love.&” --Debbie Harry &“Alexandra Auder&’s Don&’t Call Me Home is thrumming with life, in all its absurdity, vividness, and gunk. I literally laughed and cried, and cheered hard throughout for our intrepid narrator, who has gifted us an incomparable tale.&”--Maggie Nelson author of The Argonauts and On FreedomA moving and wickedly funny memoir about one woman&’s life as the daughter of a Warhol superstar and the intimate bonds of mother-daughter relationshipsAlexandra Auder&’s life began at the Chelsea Hotel—New York City&’s infamous bohemian hangout—when her mother, Viva, a longtime resident of the hotel and one of Andy Warhol&’s superstars, went into labor in the lobby. These first moments of Alexandra&’s life, documented by her filmmaker father, Michel Auder, portended the whirlwind childhood and teen years that she would go on to have.At the center of it all is Viva: a glamorous, larger-than-life woman with mercurial moods, who brings Alexandra with her on the road from gig to gig, splitting time between a home in Connecticut and Alexandra&’s father&’s loft in 1980s Tribeca, then moving back again to the Chelsea Hotel and spending summers with Viva&’s upper-middle-class, conservative, hyperpatriarchal family of origin.In Don&’t Call Me Home, Alexandra meditates on the seedy glory of being raised by two counterculture icons, from walking a pet goat around Chelsea and joining the Squat Theatre company to coparenting her younger sister, Gaby, with her mother and partying in East Village nightclubs. Flitting between this world and her present-day life as a yoga instructor, actress, mother, wife, and much-loved Instagram provocateur, Alexandra weaves a stunning, moving, and hilarious portrait of a family and what it means to move away from being your mother&’s daughter into being a person of your own.
Don't Call Me Inspirational: A Disabled Feminist Talks Back
by Harilyn RoussoFor psychotherapist, painter, feminist, filmmaker, writer, and disability activist Harilyn Rousso, hearing well-intentioned people tell her, "Youre so inspirational " is patronizing, not complimentary. In her empowering and at times confrontational memoir, "Dont Call Me Inspirational," Rousso, who has cerebral palsy, describes overcoming the prejudice against disability--not overcoming disability. She addresses the often absurd and ignorant attitudes of strangers, friends, and family. Rousso also examines her own prejudice toward her disabled body, and portrays the healing effects of intimacy and creativity, as well as her involvement with the disability rights community. She intimately reveals herself with honesty and humor and measures her personal growth as she goes from "passing" to embracing and claiming her disability as a source of pride, positive identity, and rebellion. A collage of images about her life, rather than a formal portrait, "Dont Call Me Inspirational" celebrates Roussos wise, witty, productive, outrageous life, disability and all.
Don't Call Me Mother: A Daughter's Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness
by Linda Joy Myers&“I wanted to tell the secret stories that my great-grandmother Blanche whispered to me on summer nights in a featherbed in Iowa. I was eight and she was eighty . . .&” At the age of four, a little girl stands on a cold, windy railroad platform in Wichita, Kansas, watching a train take her mother away. For the rest of her life, her mother will be an only occasional—and always troubled—visitor who denies her the love she longs for. Linda Joy Myers&’s compassionate, gripping, and soul-searching memoir tells the story of three generations of daughters who, though determined to be different from their absent mothers, ultimately follow in their footsteps, recreating a pattern that they yearn to break. Accompany Linda as she uncovers family secrets, seeks solace in music, and begins her healing journey—ultimately transcending the prison of her childhood and finding forgiveness for her family and herself. This edition includes a new afterword in which Myers confronts her family&’s legacy and comes full circle with her daughter and grandchildren, seeding a new path for them.
Don't Call it a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM
by Sarah BermanThey draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labor. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a cult run by Keith Raniere and many enablers. Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman uncovers how dozens of women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities instead were blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world.
Don't Call us Carnies: We are Showies and damn proud of it
by Norma Brophy Wendy StuartWhile many Australian teenagers have dreamed of joining a travelling circus, Norma Brophy wanted to run away from it. As a born and bred 'show person', she adored her early years on the road, running wild in town after town with her fellow little 'showies'. But growing up backstage of a famed travelling show wasn't all fun and games. At 15, Norma fled the circus and her father's violent ways, only to be drawn back by another formidable force - love.In this vibrant, uproarious and poignant memoir, multi-talented showbiz matriarch Norma Brophy comes out of retirement to reveal a world of interest to many but understood by few. From a time before cars to the hardscrabble Depression years, in and out of war time and across the golden era of Hollywood-tinged showmanship, right up to today, Norma paints a vivid picture of Australian show culture. With authority and candour, Norma plays ringmaster to a cavalcade of characters and places that have helped form not only the story of her own record-breaking, death-defying family, but also that of countless other travelling show people, circus and rodeo folk whose exploits and ingenuity will leave you agog.
Don't Call us Carnies: We are Showies and damn proud of it
by Norma Brophy Wendy StuartWhile many Australian teenagers have dreamed of joining a travelling circus, Norma Brophy wanted to run away from it. As a born and bred 'show person', she adored her early years on the road, running wild in town after town with her fellow little 'showies'. But growing up backstage of a famed travelling show wasn't all fun and games. At 15, Norma fled the circus and her father's violent ways, only to be drawn back by another formidable force - love.In this vibrant, uproarious and poignant memoir, multi-talented showbiz matriarch Norma Brophy comes out of retirement to reveal a world of interest to many but understood by few. From a time before cars to the hardscrabble Depression years, in and out of war time and across the golden era of Hollywood-tinged showmanship, right up to today, Norma paints a vivid picture of Australian show culture. With authority and candour, Norma plays ringmaster to a cavalcade of characters and places that have helped form not only the story of her own record-breaking, death-defying family, but also that of countless other travelling show people, circus and rodeo folk whose exploits and ingenuity will leave you agog.
Don't Dance in My End Zone: How to Rise Above and Face Your Challenges
by Jarrius Jj" Robertson Jordy RobertsonIn his debut book, New Orleans Saints super-fan Jarrius “JJ” Robertson shares the secrets to his inspiring courage and perseverance. At only 16 years old, Jarrius has already survived a year-long coma, 13 surgeries, and 2 liver transplants. Known for his joyful and hilarious personality in the face of a life filled with challenges, Jarrius was the perfect selection for the 2017 Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance, and he has gone on to share the message of his organ donation nonprofit It Takes Lives to Save Lives around the country.This book features Jarrius’ motivational story and is full of his trademark sense of humor. Jarrius also shares …Advice on how readers can overcome obstacles in their own livesInspiration for kids looking to get involved in their communitiesFun sports facts and storiesFull-color photos throughout the book of Jarrius’ life from childhood to today
Don't Dismiss My Story: The Tapestry of Colonized Voices in White Space
by Ruben Britt Alicia S MonroeDon't Dismiss My Story: The Tapestry of Colonized Voices in White Space provides readers with a historical account of white-centered power dynamics and dominance in elementary, secondary, and higher education and the legacy of failure and hopelessness experienced by non-white students, faculty, and administrators. The book deeply examines the constructs of white privilege and entitlement and provides readers with a transformative framework to create authentic, inclusive learning spaces where multi-hyphenated identities are welcomed, seen, and heard. <p><p>The opening chapter offers a historical perspective of the origin of colonialism and its impact on education in the United States. Readers learn how the founding principles of education in the U.S. are based on the colonial school's model of the British education system, which is the bedrock for exclusion, elitism, and the preservation of white privilege and Eurocentric culture. Following chapters address the psychological and social effects of exclusive education and encourage readers to examine their own personal biases and privilege through self-reflection. The closing chapter offers a transformative framework to stimulate the cultivation of authentic and inclusive learning environments through intergroup relational and collaborative practices that focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in educational spaces. Each chapter features an introduction, reflection exercises, key takeaways, and a case study that spotlights a real-world experience to deepen and enrich learning for all readers. <p><p>Don't Dismiss My Story is an essential resource for current and prospective educators and education professionals who are committed to co-creating learning spaces that "call out" inequities and "call in" hope and equitable access for all students at all levels of education.
Don't Ever Tell: A Message of Hope, Healing, and Redemption After Adultery
by Christy NealA collection of stories and wisdom from the journey of a Christian woman who finds herself lost in adultery.The story of Scarlett addresses the taboo topic of Christian women and adultery, giving those women who have been silenced by their past sexual sin, a voice. This bold adventure of an unsuspecting Southern girl next door helps women realize they should never say never. Christy Neal walks readers through the darkest moments of Scarlett’s life, traveling the lonely road of failure and despair, to reveal that God can indeed take people’s ugliest messes and turn them into beautiful messages of hope, healing, and redemption. When all seems lost because of her choices, and when others look down on her, Scarlett chooses to continue looking up. Her heartfelt journey challenges the reader’s thinking and transforms critical judgment into a compassionate connection, teaching them that when all is lost, everything becomes gain.“In Don’t Ever Tell, author Christy Neal takes the reader along on her faith-filled journey from heartbreak to hope. Told with honesty and candor, this book will be a lifeline for women who are struggling to forgive themselves for infidelity and will thoughtfully guide them from regret to redemption.” —Mary O’Donohue, former post producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show and best-selling author of When You Say “Thank You,” Mean It
Don't Focus on Why Me: From Motorcycle Accident to Miracle
by Kijuan M. AmeyImagine you have life by the horns, future is looking very promising, and you’re only 25 years of age. You serve your country by enlisting in the Air Force, one year left on your bachelors degree, and just founded and launched your very own business called Kiwi Enterprise LLC. At this point it seems as if nothing can go wrong, until on one beautiful day it does. <p><p>Have you ever wondered why people tell you to have a plan, or a backup to the plan? Have you ever thought of the what if’s, when it comes to life altering changes? Do you find yourself asking how someone could be smiling with all they are faced with on a consistent basis? If you answered yes, to any or all of these questions, and would seriously like to know how to turn tragedy into triumph, then this is the read for you! Come along and explore this journey through my darkened eyes that have been made to see clearly.
Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost
by Richard RushfieldA strange and salacious memoir of life at the ultimate hippie college during the height of Reaganomics Opening its doors in 1970, Hampshire College was once known as a land of eternal partying, where countercultures thrived and jocks were nowhere to be found. Self- proclaimed nerd Richard Rushfield knew this progressive Massachusetts campus was the place for him, offering a chance to shed his squeaky-clean California upbringing. He was part of the freshman class of 1986, hiding out from Reagan-era excess in a liberal haven where overachievement and preppy clothes were banned. By turns hilarious, ironic, and steeped in history, Don't Follow Me, I'm Losttakes readers to a campus populated by Deadheads, club kids, poets, and insomniac filmmakers, at a time when America saw the rise of punk and grunge alongside neo-conservatism, earnest calls for political correctness, and Take Back the Night vigils. Shunned by all of the school's reigning subcultures, Rushfield joins the most hated clique on campus, the Supreme Dicks, navigates a dating scene where to express interest in anything is social suicide, and mostly avoids class where hippie professors blather on about post-structuralism. Culminating in a mad clash of slackers and yuppies, Don't Follow Me, I'm Lostcaptures a watershed moment for American youth in one hilarious and unforgettable trip.
Don't Forget Me
by Philomene GrandinIzzy Young was a distinctive figure in the folk music and beatnik world. He set up the Folklore Center in New York&’s Greenwich Village, where Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris and Allen Ginsburg performed, and he produced Bob Dylan&’s first show in New York in the 1960s. In 1973, Izzy moved to Sweden, where he opened up a similar cultural centre.In Stockholm, the young Philomène and her father resided in the basement of the folklore centre, living a bohemian life, rich in culture and love. Thirty years later Izzy is fighting dementia.In a raw and unembellished manner, Philomène depicts the emotional rollercoaster of losing a beloved parent and a larger-than-life personality to an invisible, invincible foe. Interspersed are small moments of joy as the fog briefly parts to allow for a reconnection. Philomene masterfully intertwines the two timelines with a beautifully sparse language that vibrates with emotion. Don&’t Forget Me is a deeply personal book, yet the story itself is highly universal.
Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantanamo
by Mansoor AdayfiThis moving, eye-opening memoir of an innocent man detained at Guantánamo Bay for fifteen years tells a story of humanity in the unlikeliest of places and an unprecedented look at life at Guantánamo.At the age of 18, Mansoor Adayfi left his home in Yemen for a cultural mission to Afghanistan. He never returned. Kidnapped by warlords and then sold to the US after 9/11, he was disappeared to Guantánamo Bay, where he spent the next 15 years as Detainee #441.Don't Forget Us Here tells two coming-of-age stories in parallel: a makeshift island outpost becoming the world's most notorious prison and an innocent young man emerging from its darkness. Arriving as a stubborn teenager, Mansoor survived the camp's infamous interrogation program and became a feared and hardened resistance fighter leading prison riots and hunger strikes. With time though, he grew into the man prisoners nicknamed "Smiley Troublemaker": a student, writer, and historian. With unexpected warmth and empathy, he unwinds a narrative of fighting for hope and survival in unimaginable circumstances, illuminating the limitlessness of the human spirit. And through his own story, Mansoor also tells Guantánamo's story, offering an unprecedented window into one of the most secretive places on earth and the people—detainees and guards alike—who lived there with him. Twenty years later, Guantánamo remains open, and at a moment of due reckoning, Mansoor Adayfi helps us understand what actually happened there—both the horror and the beauty—a vital chronicle of an experience we cannot afford to forget.
Don't Forget the Accent Mark: A Memoir
by David SánchezRaised in a Mexican home in an Anglo neighborhood, David Sánchez was fair-skinned and fluent in Spanish and English when he entered kindergarten. None of this should have had any influence on the career path he chose, but at certain moments it did. With the birth of the Chicano Movement and affirmative action, a different and sometimes disturbing significance became attached to his name. Sánchez's story chronicles his life and those moments.No matter how we transcend our origins, they remain part of our lives. This autobiography of an outstanding mathematician, dedicated to others, whose career included stints as a senior university and federal administrator, is also the story of a young man of mixed Mexican and American parentage.A straightforward, unpretentious memoir which speaks volumes about being at once American, Mexican-American, and a noted academic, and about that most American of pursuits, the quest for meritocracy.--David E. Stuart, University of New Mexico, author of The Guaymas Chronicles
Don't Forget the Parsley: And More from my Positively Filipino Family
by Marie Claire Lim MooreMarie Claire Lim Moore builds on her first memoir, Don’t Forget the Soap, offering more entertaining stories about her family in this follow up. Like her first book, Don’t Forget the Parsley is a collection of anecdotes from different points in Claire’s life: stories from her second-generation immigrant childhood in Vancouver and New York City mix with recent expat experiences in Singapore and Hong Kong where she balances multiple roles as wife and mother, corporate executive and author. Her positively Filipino parents continue to have a big influence on her whether it comes to managing family and career, meeting heads of state and world leaders or simply making new friends. From stray observations ("everything is funnier at church") and midnight anxieties ("if Jessica Simpson gets to go to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, why shouldn’t I?") to life mantras ("don’t let perfection hold you back") and litmus tests ("would you serve drinks at my mother’s art show?"), Claire’s warm and honest storytelling will resonate with readers and leave them smiling.
Don't Forget to Scream: Unspoken Truths About Motherhood
by Marianne LevyUntil I had my first child, and this is to my shame, I had little understanding of just how much mothers are hidden, their stories unspoken, even as they cross the street in plain sight. Like grief or falling in love, becoming a mother is an experience both ordinary and transformative. You are prepared for the sleeplessness and wonder, the noise and the chaos, the pram in the hall. But the extent to which this new life can turn your inner world upside-down - nothing prepares you for that.In this frank, funny and fearless memoir, Marianne Levy writes with heart-wrenching honesty about love and loss, rage and pain, fear and joy. She breaks the silence around the emotional turmoil that having a child can unleash and asks why motherhood is at once so venerated and so undervalued.This is the real story of being a parent in the modern world. It is a book that mothers will be glad to have read - and that everyone else should read, too.
Don't Forget to Scream: Unspoken Truths About Motherhood
by Marianne LevyUntil I had my first child, and this is to my shame, I had little understanding of just how much mothers are hidden, their stories unspoken, even as they cross the street in plain sight. Like grief or falling in love, becoming a mother is an experience both ordinary and transformative. You are prepared for the sleeplessness and wonder, the noise and the chaos, the pram in the hall. But the extent to which this new life can turn your inner world upside-down - nothing prepares you for that.In this frank, funny and fearless memoir, Marianne Levy writes with heart-wrenching honesty about love and loss, rage and pain, fear and joy. She breaks the silence around the emotional turmoil that having a child can unleash and asks why motherhood is at once so venerated and so undervalued.This is the real story of being a parent in the modern world. It is a book that mothers will be glad to have read - and that everyone else should read, too.
Don't Forget to Write: The true story of an evacuee and her family
by Pam Hobbs'Dad walked determinedly down the path, joined by two neighbours with five children between them. As we reached the corner of Kent Avenue, I looked back for one last wave. But Mum had buried her head in her pinny and it was a year before I saw her again.'In June 1940, 10-year-old Pam Hobbs and her sister Iris took the long journey from their council home in Leigh-on-Sea to faraway rural Derbyshire.Living away from Mum and Dad for two long years, Pam was moved between four foster homes. In some she and Iris found a second family, with babies to look after, car rides and picnics, and even a pet pig. But other billets took a more sinister turn, as the adults found it easy to exploit the children in their care.Returning to Essex, things would never be the same again, and the war was far from over. Making do with rations, dodging bombs and helping with the war effort, Pam and her family struggled to get by.In Don't Forget to Write, with warmth and vivid detail, Pam describes a time that was full of overwhelming hardship and devastation; yet also of kindness and humour, resilience and courage.
Don't Get Mad, Get Successful
by Bozana SkojoOne day, one of Bozana's Skojo's friends told her she was 'a good poor'. Bewildered by the words at first, Bozana gradually came to realize they really did describe her - someone who was never overcome by adversity, but who fixed up her hair, put on a little lipstick and her 'game face' to work her way out of any difficulties that fate tossed her way. She realized it was a strategy for living that could apply to any situation. In Don't Get Mad, Get Successful, Bozana shares stories from her life and talks about how she did overcome the difficulties, the ups and downs - the loss of a parent, professional and personal betrayals - to emerge as a successful business owner and loving mother of a wonderful son. Her story illustrates a host of practical life lessons.
Don't Get Me Started
by Kate ClintonKate Clinton's first book of irreverent humorLet's get one thing straight. I'm not. I'm out and proud. My closet was huge, complete with a foyer, turnstile, a few dead bolts, and a burglar alarm. It wasn't until I had lived and slept with a woman for a year that it occurred to me to ask, "Do you think we're lesbians?"
Don't Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant, and Downright Mean-Spirited People
by Richard CarlsonInside find helpful advice, such as:Take a Vacation, Not a Guilt-TripDon't Get "Should Upon"Hades or Homecoming?Opt In- or Out-of Family EventsQuit Being Your MotherBan Worry from Your HolidaysIt's Not Daytona—You're Not Jeff GordonDon't Try to Cook Tailgating TurkeysDon't Get Scrooged is a jewel of a handbook on how to avoid, appease, and even win over the Scrooges who haunt your holidays. Whether it's the salesclerk who ignores you in favor of her cell phone, the customer who knowingly jumps ahead of you in line at Starbucks, the unnaturally irritable boss down the hall, or the in-laws who invite themselves (every year) for a two-week stay at your house, you will always need to deal with Scrooges, grumps, uninvited guests, sticks-in-the-mud, and supreme party poopers. Learning to handle them whenever and wherever they appear is not just optional—it's essential.
Don't Get Too Comfortable
by David RakoffThe Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems David Rakoff's collection of autobiographical essays,Fraud, established him as one of our funniest, most insightful writers. InDon't Get Too Comfortable, Rakoff journeys into the land of plenty that is contemporary North America. Rarely have greed, vanity, selfishness, and vapidity been so mercilessly and wittily portrayed. Whether contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the good times and chicken wings of Hooters Air, portraying the rarified universe of Paris fashion shows where an evening dress can cost as much as four years of college, or traveling to a private island off the coast of Belize to watch a soft-core Playboy TV shoot, where he is provided with his very own personal manservant, David Rakoff takes us on a bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess, delving into the manic getting and spending that defines the North American way of life. Somewhere along the line, our healthy self-regard has exploded into obliterating narcissism, and Rakoff is there to map that frontier. He sits through the grotesqueries of "avant garde" vaudeville in Times Square immediately following 9/11. Twenty days without food allows him to experience firsthand the wonders of "detoxification," and the frozen world of cryonics, whose promise of eternal life is the ultimate status symbol, leaves him very cold indeed (much to our good fortune). At once a Wildean satire of our ridiculous culture of overconsumption and a plea for a little human decency,Don't Get Too Comfortableis a bitingly funny grand tour of our special circle of gilded-age hell. From the Hardcover edition.