Luncheon at the Cafe Ridiculous

The syndicated columnist takes a satirical look at many of the more absurd trappings of nouvelle American culture--channeling, fashion, relationships, and diet soda

The trends and caprices of contemporary American culture are witnessed with lively sarcasm and wit in this collection of Kahn's columns from the San Francisco Chronicle . She skewers such current phenomena as nouvelle cuisine, unisex lavatories and electronic dating with incisive jollity. In a nostalgic section, "The Family That Shabooms Together," she shares reflections on family life past and pres ent, and describes growing up in New York and Chicago when the fads of the time seemed less threatening. Few subjects escape the razor-edge scrutiny of this untiring chronicler of the American pop scene. Author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Syndicated columnist and self-admitted "trend slave" Kahn brings together a collection of 74 witty and incisive essays culled from pieces originally appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle . She provides lively commentary on the West Coast scene and vagaries of California life, addressing a diversity of such trendy topics as liposuction, answering machines, power drinking, safe sex, and the demise of the G-spot. She confesses she's "only three credits short of a B.S. and one taco short of a full plate"; her solution to the problem of people who walk around talking to themselves is to issue earphones to them, sans radios. Then they'll look just like normal people singing along with Sting. This engaging collection of waggery and satire should enjoy a wide readership among public library patrons.
- Joseph Accardi, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., LaCrosse
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.