101 Damnations: The Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells

Funny Business Mass e-mails. Telemarketers. People who call the Hamptons ""the country."" Muggers, allergies, teenagers and things that stick to the soles of your shoes. In 101 Damnations: The Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells, edited by Michael J. Rosen (Mirth of a Nation), writers and humorists take quick, hilarious swipes at the things that drive them crazy. From Kurt Andersen's one-paragraph consideration of ""the weird remarks between silence and praise,"" to Andy Borowitz's dismissal of the phrase ""and all that good stuff,"" to Onion writer Tim Harrod's list of things he simply hates (""Reality TV, Tailgaters, Hangnails... Cartoons that Look Distinctive but not Expressive... Cheap Wristwatches), this collection is sure to please curmudgeons, cynics, Luddites and average fed-up Americans everywhere. (Aug. 5)