The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness

One of veteran comedian Poundstone’s highest-profile recurring gigs involves panelist duties on National Public Radio’s Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! game show, and the accomplished funnywoman draws quite effectively on her natural ease in front of a microphone, bringing the droll quality of her stand-up comedy to the audio medium. The narrative centers on her quest to find the elusive experience of bliss through various experiments, ranging from the altruism of donating plasma and volunteering in a nursing home to the hedonism of renting a sports car or watching movies at home with her three kids for 24 hours in a row. Poundstone’s turn imitating the teenage angst of her technology-addicted son leaves a particularly memorable impression. An Algonquin hardcover. (May)