text: Truly the author's pen is mightier than the sword as he takes on Christmas, parents, children, evangelical Christians from Kentucky, television, Macy's, the result of a dalliance during the Viet Nam War, and "keeping up with the Joneses".  
  
  This short book is much funnier than his best-selling "Me Talk Pretty Some Day" as the author's humorous cynicism is at its best.  One can't put it down for fear of missing some insight into the American psyche.
  
  Three of the stories appear to be autobiographical (with obvious changes made to "protect the innocent") wherein the author "tells" the others in the guise of another.  
  
  Regardless, Sedaris pulls no punches and will have the reader in stitches, even if there's a little guilt attached to that feeling.
  