Meh. I’ve heard others compare him to David Sedaris and for me I found Sedaris way more funny and interesting. I did have this on my book shelf for longer than I’d like to pretend so maybe it was dated, but the thing I found the most annoying was his way of ending an essay literally with no conclusion or resolution. They kind of left me hanging in a way that I didn’t enjoy or find reflective. I also got the book thinking it was more of a cultural critique of the rich and modern life but felt it was more like tales of me, me, me and you make your own conclusions from my story. I expected more “meat” in his criticism of class and culture I guess… I don’t think I literally laughed out loud once - more shoulder shrugging tales.

I liked several of the stories, but it seemed like Rakoff was trying too hard to be clever and sound educated. He is mildly funny, but not as funny as he thinks he is. I have seen him compared to David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs, neither of which I am a fan of. The audiobook was narrated by the author, which only made to tone more smug and smarmy. An amusing enough read, but better experienced in print.

A collection of essays about wanting more, whether it be more beautiful, more self sufficient, more spiritual, or more included. Reading the essays one right after another was a bit much, I kept getting an image of Rakoff chortling "Oh the cleverness of me!" as he typed. Taken one at a time, they're entertaining and enlightening, especially the one about Log Cabin Republicans..

If I could give a negative number of stars for a book - this one would merit it. I am just SO grateful that Mr. Rakoff wrote this book. Without it I would never have known how much better and smarter and more intelligent the author is than the rest of us. Perhaps this book should be required reading in schools so that more people will be aware of what a pompous ass the author truly is. There was no way to win me back after he all but mocked the happiness of the new citizens as they took the oath and received their citizenship papers. Yes, by all means, that is the perfect moment to point out how foolish all of those peasants are for actually showing joy to be a citizen of the US.

This was interesting, biting, and surprisingly insightful. Best quote — “Lenny Bruce described flamenco as being an art form wherein a dancer applauds his own ass.”

Also, his vocab was unmatched! Holy shit.

Goodwords:
Oenophile
Stultifying
Lachrymose
Monomaniacally
Metastatic
Bedouin
Elegiac
Erotophobe
Internecine
Seraglio
Aphoristic
Farthingaled
Architectonic
Lubricious
Cant
Arboreally
Tintinnabulate
Mediagenically
Perspicacious
Abstemiousness
Appestat
Self-abnegating
Hoosegow

Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torment of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Quest for Artisinal Olive Oil, and Other
First World Problems by David Rakoff. I picked this up at the library, having remembered that Rakoff is a funny writer. I first heard him on the
public radio program This American Life and he was sometimes compared to the most funnier David Sedaris, a mentor and a friend Unfortunately, I just
could not get into the autobiographical essays in this 221-page book, feeling neither engaged nor amused.

Really funny. Looking forward to the day I read a humorous book and there isn't a trans joke in there. Rakoff waited until about 2/3 of the way through to spring his unfunny and unnecessary use of the word "tranny". Especially disappointing as earlier in the book he gives people shit for using gay slurs.

The title of this book is really catchy and I rushed out immediately to buy it. Instead of a critique of all the ridiculous things people do and care about in the first world, it was a random report of different experiences he did on purpose to see what it would be like. For example, is fasting a problem of the first world? Perhaps he means pushing aside food when there is plenty, but that is more like anorexia. Fasting is not a first world phenomena and I would say it is not widespread either. (think obesity) Yes, I chuckled here and there, particularly when he made fun of the Bushes, but overall this was a let down.

this slim book of essays bowled me over--Rakoff is funny, perceptive and merciless as he examines such American preoccupations as eternal youth, food, and the pursuit of perfection in all things.

A podcaster I love is writing a book and he said something about striving to write essays as well as this author which brought me to this book. Listening to this as an audiobook was def the right call, it was interesting to hear essays written during GWB era - half timeless, half quite specific

"Don’t Get Too Comfortable" book came as an entertaining book that asks the readers to laugh together. This book more tells about absurdity of American life and also its excessiveness. Although this book contains of humorous essays, it also has moral for feeding readers mind. For me, if I am allowed to quote one of passage of this book that really suits with my current situation, I will choose “The only failure in your 20s is inaction. The rest is trial and error.” That passage really describes me who always feel insecure and afraid to make mistakes in my upcoming 20th.

When I was looking for a book for my reading assignment, I was curious about its title. Once, I thought it was a romance book, but I was wrong. Therefore, I decided to read it. At the beginning of this book, I did not see where the humors are since I had known it was a group of humorous essays. However, I tried to keep reading until I found a humor. It was in an essay entitled ‘What is the Sound of One Hand Shopping.’ The passage is “As I ate them, fine crystals of salt sprinkled on the potatoes crackled under my teeth, releasing tiny bursts that tasted of the sea and its minerals. There was no sting at the back of the mouth, no bitterness, just a silky, salty essence wrapping each bite of potato.”

From this book, I get to know how American life is, what their unique is, and many others. I think this book is recommended to be read for everyone who wants to laugh easily. Reading this book with accompanied by a cup of coffee, that will be a good chosen to prevent burnout. I hope my review will benefit for all of you. Thank you, have a nice day.

It was a pleasure to listen to David Rakoff read his book “Don’t Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems” (2006). His book of criticism and personal philosophy made for the very best rides to work and back home. I sat in the driver’s seat and chuckled, laughed, and joked as if Rakoff was right there, saying things like, “That’s unbelievable”, “Oh my god!”, and “That’s too funny” to myself while listening. This book, I admit, is the first audiobook I’ve ever finished. It helped that David Rakoff, the author himself, read it with his own voice. It isn’t shocking to find out that Rakoff worked for NPR, GQ, NYT Magazine, and Vogue. He is sharp, funny, and unabashedly honest - while still being pleasantly modest - about his thoughts and opinions on matters that very well could have made him some enemies. I was sad to find, when, three quarters through with the book, I checked if he had a live Instagram account. I couldn’t find him - he passed in 2012 and I am sad that I won’t ever know his thoughts on the world’s current situation as we approach 2020.

Some of my favorite stories told in this book include Rakoff’s un-grandiose (for lack of a better word) journey in becoming an American citizen (he was born in Canada), the banality of cryogenics (I was shocked to find that yes, this is a real and serious thing that does not only exist in the 2001 film “Vanilla Sky”), the meaninglessness of the couture fashion industry, the extreme narcissism involved in fasting (for spiritual reasons not related to religion), and the ridiculous irony of gay Republicans. When Rakoff observes people, certain enterprises, or anything, he asks why. And he doesn’t ask why just to shoot off his opinion at you – he genuinely cares about these topics, wants to understand, *tries* to understand, and comes to a conclusion so thoughtful – in terms of the subject he speaks of as well as his final thoughts on it – that he gains a trust and respectability that is, well, comforting.

While some people may deem “Don’t Get Too Comfortable” just another nonfiction book written by a self-deprecating author, either in the very best or the worst way, I would argue that Rakoff is not self-deprecating. He is exceptionally interested – in the way others think and create things as well as the way he himself thinks and creates – and that makes him different than just someone pointing out the idiocy of the world. David Rakoff successfully turns criticism into an art form by the clarity of mind with which he seeks to understand, a clarity he gains not from distancing himself from the things that make him uncomfortable but instead, by fully engaging himself with/in those things and paying very close attention to how everything makes him feel. To me, doing that is one of the most human things of all.