“Okay, this was a book club’s holiday pick for an uplifting story. They didn’t like my pick from last year, David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice because it was “too dark.” But, assuming my news is up to date, David Sedaris didn’t die of cancer. Go figure.
It’s not without it’s charm, and there are some decent pieces of advice in here, but overall I would say it’s aptly titled. Listening to it in audiobook format is kind of like taking a long car trip with your dad right after you did something dumb, like burning down a chicken coop or running with a screwdriver and falling on it and puncturing your lung. He sort of goes on and on about the right way to do things, dad-style.
He makes a good point about him being a lecturer and therefore the lecture is his final act, but I would say that’s why you should just watch the original lecture on Youtube. It’s not as polished, but I think it’s a closer representation of what he did. Plus, that way you don’t have to read these awkward descriptions of physical things he did during the lecture.
The topic of his lecture being “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” was also a little unappealing to me, as that would mean I would either be currently testing water slides, which seems hazardous, or be a ninja turtle.”