Half Empty

Rakoff, David

ISBN 10: 0385525249 / ISBN 13: 9780385525244

Published by Doubleday, New York, 2010

About this Item

Please reference photos for most accurate description. This is a softcover book in fine (or like new) condition, which means it has almost no or very minor foxing of pages, no writing whatsoever in the book, but may have a remainder mark or stamp on top or bottom of pages. Spine is tight and all pages are intact. Cover has no chipping or tears and minimal rubbing. Absolutely no stickers on my books. ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKE OR MOLD. This book would be a perfect gift. Book Barn Boutique since 2007, quality books at reasonable prices.

Seller Inventory # 000242

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Half Empty
• Publisher: Doubleday, New York
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385525249
• ISBN 13: 9780385525244
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Fiction
  • Humor

About this title

Synopsis

The inimitably witty David Rakoff, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Get Too Comfortable, defends the commonsensical notion that you should always assume the worst, because you’ll never be disappointed.

In this deeply funny (and, no kidding, wise and poignant) book, Rakoff examines the realities of our sunny,  gosh­ 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’t come true.

The book ranges from the personal to the universal, combining stories from Rakoff’s reporting and accounts of his own experi­ences: 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 pos­sibility 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–worthy cultural criticism (the tragedy of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, for instance).

Whether he’s lacerating the musical Rent for its cutesy depic­tion of AIDS or dealing with personal tragedy, his sharp obser­vations and humorist’s flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the power of negativity.

About the Author

DAVID RAKOFF is the author of the New York Times bestselling Don’t Get Too Comfortable and Fraud. He is a writer at large for GQ, regular contributor to the New York Times Magazine, and frequent guest on This American Life.