A wiser, more cheerful book I haven t read in years. Baker s humor always has that snag of reality, like a drop of blood or a dried tear, that turns a belly laugh into a deeply satisfying gut reaction. - Newsweek Baker has a sense of the absurb, a gift of characterization and an ear for dialogue which make his prose crackle with laughter and ache with sadness. - Los Angeles Times Elliott Baker knows what he loves with the same fierce clarity that he sheds on what he detests. - The New Leader