Half Empty

So where has David Rakoff been all of my life?  I love a good misanthrope.  In his latest book, Half Empty, he's dark, funny and wickedly smart.  He's a bit like a David Sedaris, but with a touch of self-loathing thrown in.  As much as I love reading and all of the emotions it invokes in me, it's still very rare that a book actually makes me laugh out loud.  This one had me chortling at least a dozen times.  That's a good enough reason to recommend Rakofff, but there's more.

Even though he's a beautiful, intelligent and gifted writer, he's still incredibly humble about his talents.  He likens his writing process to attempting to cook a gourmet meal with rotten ingredients.  He seems to truly believe that he sucks at his job, but boy, is he wrong.

Though his wit can be cutting, there's a certain tenderness to his writing as well.  He's been through a lot, and has the battle scars to prove it.  But he keeps on plugging away.  He's no optimist, but he gets the job done, and manages to keep us in stitches over his tragic endeavors.  I like him.  A lot.  I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of his work.