Notes from a Big Country

After nearly two decades in England, Bill Bryson returned to the country of his birth. Gathered here are 18 months' worth of his "Mail on Sunday" columns about that strange phenomena, the American way of life, in which he brings his bemused wit to bear on one of the world's craziest countries.

From perfectly formed potatoes to adulterous U.S. presidents, and from domestic upsets to millennial fever, Bill Bryson just cannot resist airing his opinions on his fellow Americans. After twenty years in England, Bryson is now back on the other side of the pond, and is obviously having a little trouble finding his true American self again.

With his trademark wit, Bryson bemusedly examines that strangest of phenomena: the American way of life. Whether he is discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the comical sight of oneself in shorts, or the jaw-slackening direness of what's on TV, all topics receive the inimitable Bryson treatment.

This collection of comic pieces, taken from his regular column in The Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine, will delight Bryson's ever-growing legion of fans.