Funny about That

For a half-century Gould has entertained readers with his stories about the State o' Maine. In the 50 essays here, collected from his columns in the Christian Science Monitor , he continues his observations on life's foibles. Gould reminisces about a family Christmas gathering at which the cookstove caught fire, overnight rail journeys between Portland and New York City and his dog's stage debut. He ponders the disappearance of salt cod as signaling the decline of civilization; he writes about Maine winters, mountain guides and lumberjacks. Gould doesn't get excited about the America's Cup competition; he prefers the local annual Chowder Race in Friendship Harbor. And he defends the term ``old geezers'' over ``senior citizens.'' Although these pieces are seldom profound and frequently trivial, they remain a pleasure to read. Illustrated. (Jan.)