Anyone who has heard David Sedaris speaking live or on the radio will tell you that a collection from him is cause for jubilation. A move to Paris from New York inspired these hilarious pieces, including «Me Talk Pretty One Day», about his attempts to learn French from a sadistic teacher who declares that «every day spent with you is like having a caesarean section».

His family is another inspiration. «You Can't Kill the Rooster» is a portrait of his brother, who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers of food and cashiers with six-inch fingernails.