By turns playful, angry, clever, serious, sentimental, cynical, and ribald, Joseph Dobrian's essays and journalism turn conventional wisdom on its ear. This collection of Joseph Dobrian's non-fiction provides new, contrarian perspectives on a wide range of subjects, and dares you to disagree. In the course of this book, the author: - explains what it means to write honestly - debunks the concept of "unconditional love" - contrasts modern and old-fashioned ideas of etiquette - discusses the finer points of food, drink, and personal style - looks askance at politics, justice, and religion - dissects "The Awful English Language" - advises on how to keep romance alive - suggests what music to listen to, on the last night of your life Whether or not he's right, is for the reader to decide - but Joseph Dobrian is never in doubt. "The American Orwell. Agree with him or not, Joseph Dobrian is a wonderful writer." - Casper Melick "Even if you can't agree with everything in Joseph Dobrian's aptly titled book of maddening and illuminating essays - and I certainly can't - you can't help but admire the passion and perception revealed in each one. Provocateur, devil's advocate, pontificator, stylist, romantic, 24/7 judge and jury, humanist despite his best intentions to the contrary, he will irritate you, entertain you, and just possibly make you rethink your own indefensible positions." - Holly Carver

Author Biography

JOSEPH DOBRIAN is a business journalist whose by-line frequently appears in The Wall Street Journal. He's the author of the novel Willie Wilden, and is known for his writings on politics, sports, and personal lifestyle. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with four cats.