Sic Semper Tyrannis

Whatcha' Readin'?

I finished John “I’m a PC” Hodgman’s book The Areas of My Expertise a couple days ago. His is a very unique literary voice. Never have completely fantastical falsehoods been delivered with such a convincing high style that seems more appropriate for the late 1800s than our 21st century.

And that’s Hodgman’s schtick. He is a master of the verbal deadpan. This is far removed from a book of jokes. I found it to be more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. The basic premise is a modern almanac, filled with all kinds of totally useless, (and false) information, like a list of 700 hobo names, profiles of all of the states and some bizarre stories from history. I don’t want to ruin any of it by giving away some of his stuff.

This book I do recommend as one of the smartest, sardonically enjoyable reads in a while.

posted by Mike @ 7:07 AM