All the Trouble in the World: The Lighter Side of Overpopulation, Famine, Ecological Disaster, Ethnic Hatred, Plague, and Poverty

Political humorist O'Rourke (Give War a Chance) takes a swipe at ``fashionable worries,'' reminding us that ``This is a moment of hope in history''-no more evil empire to threaten us. His contention that this is ``the best moment of all time'' and the U.S. is ``the best place to be'' is funny mostly in one-liners and anecdotes, but his larger arguments flag: while Miami's efforts at multiculturalism are worthy of parody, a field trip to ``multiculturalism in practice''-the war in Bosnia-is no real contrast. After skewering environmentalists, whom he accuses of crying wolf too often, the author visits the polluted Czech Republic to proclaim sophistically that collectivist government can't solve ecological problems. As usual, O'Rourke has a good eye for self-righteousness, but his libertarian reach exceeds his wisecracking grasp. (Oct.)