I understand that ironic humor is perhaps an acquired taste, but if you have the taste for it, then I highly recommend the book Half Empty by David Rakoff. In this intelligent collection of essays, Rakoff explores the darker side of optimism which is sometimes better known as pessimism. As dark as the essays may get, this is the first book that I have read in a long time that made me laugh outloud on a public bus. Usually I can control myself or manage a little chuckle that could also be interpreted as a facial tic or perhaps having something stuck in my teeth. But, this book made me laugh in an unmistakable way and loud at that.
I imagine that it says a lot more about me as a person than it does about the book itself that a collection of essays on pessimism is what brought me into public peals of laughter, but I still recommend the book. It’s delicious spring reading at its very best. Dark enough that it doesn’t give you a cavity, but intelligent and funny enough that it gets you through a challenging week with a smile on your face. Priceless.
