A Man Without a Country, Kurt Vonnegut

I love Kurt Vonnegut dearly, even if I don't always agree with him. (We are here on this earth for more than just to "fart around.") This book, mostly autobiographical ramblings, showcases both aspects: his humor, which I fully endorse, and his worldview, with which I take a few exceptions (although his bleak outlook on the modern world, unfortunately, looks increasingly true). He also adds in a few extra tidbits about creative writing--"do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."--story narratives, using a graph of "good fortunate--ill fortune" and "beginning--end," and aspersions on George Bush and his world--"I do know that a sentence, if it is to be complete, must have both a subject and a verb." (This is about as mild as he gets about Dubya. Remember how I said his outlook is increasingly true? This is what I mean. He hates Bush, and I fully support that.)

Anyway, it's good reading for 45 minutes or so, for a Vonnegut fan, but I would hardly use it as an introduction to his stuff; "Cat's Cradle" or "Slaughterhouse Five" would do a much better job of both showcasing his worldview and his humor, and not feeling like they were written during a slow afternoon at the rest home.