Half Empty [Paperback]

In this deeply smart and sneakily poignant collection of essays, the bestselling author ofFraudandDon’t Get Too Comfortablemakes an inspired case for always assuming the worst—because then you’ll never be disappointed.

Whether he’s taking on pop culture phenomena with Oscar Wilde-worthy wit or dealing with personal tragedy, Rakoff’s sharp observations and humorist’s flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the untapped power of negativity.

“Writing like this can only be a positive experience for all concerned. . . .  File Rakoff under ‘essayist, brilliant.’” —The New York Times 
 
“Some people believe in the power of positive thinking. The rest of us believe in David Rakoff.” —Daily Candy 
 
“Tough, suave, dry, and very funny.” —The Paris Review
 
“Rakoff wanders among our cultural myths, piercing them with a finely sharpened sarcasm. . . . As Rakoff tenderly probes his fears, he makes clear that for all his detachment, he is part of our tribe. He’s just funnier than most of us.” —The Miami Herald
 
“A pure pleasure to read.” —The Observer’sVery Short List
 
“One of our funniest writers.” —People
 
“Right now, this country is brimming over with kindness—some real, some feigned. It is wit, unfeigned, that is gasping for air. . . . For the sake of the future, come back soon, David Rakoff.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Full of wit.” —NPR, “Fresh Air”
 
“Rakoff can issue a withering snark with the best of them. But once his rapier wit has sliced the buttons off his target’s clothing, revealing the quivering, vulnerable mass within, his ful“.