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

De: David Rakoff

Narrado por: David Rakoff

The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

David Rakoff’s collection of autobiographical essays, Fraud, established him as one of our funniest, most insightful writers. In Don’t Get Too Comfortable, Rakoff journeys into the land of plenty that is contemporary North America. Rarely have greed, vanity, selfishness, and vapidity been so mercilessly and wittily portrayed.

Whether contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the good times and chicken wings of Hooters Air, portraying the rarified universe of Paris fashion shows where an evening dress can cost as much as four years of college, or traveling to a private island off the coast of Belize to watch a soft-core Playboy TV shoot, where he is provided with his very own personal manservant, David Rakoff takes us on a bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess, delving into the manic getting and spending that defines the North American way of life.

Somewhere along the line, our healthy self-regard has exploded into obliterating narcissism, and Rakoff is there to map that frontier. He sits through the grotesqueries of “avant garde” vaudeville in Times Square immediately following 9/11. Twenty days without food allows him to experience firsthand the wonders of “detoxification,” and the frozen world of cryonics, whose promise of eternal life is the ultimate status symbol, leaves him very cold indeed (much to our good fortune).

At once a Wildean satire of our ridiculous culture of overconsumption and a plea for a little human decency, Don’t Get Too Comfortable is a bitingly funny grand tour of our special circle of gilded-age hell.©2005 David Rakoff; (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year

“If you’ve ever thought that the world makes no sense, there is one author who will help you laugh along…. Whether Rakoff is detailing one of the last flights on the Concorde, touring the craft department of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine, or visiting a private island near Belize to witness a Playboy video shoot, Rakoff’s humorous cultural critique balances his distain with a sharp wit that has one chuckling along for the ride.” — The Calgary Herald

“He’s funny, he’s smart, and not merely does he not suffer fools gladly, he doesn’t suffer them at all. The pleasure of reading what results when an exceedly sharp pen encounters an exceedingly inviting target are not to be denied, and Rakoff offers many such delights in these pages. …bloated wallets and bloated egos are his subjects here, and he deflates them with precision and self-evident satisfaction.” — Miami Herald

“David Rakoff is at his cynical best in Don’t Get Too Comfortable… [He] takes no prisoners in this book… There’s something to amuse and offend everyone.… Rakoff is a master wordsmith whose rapier wit and shrewd story manipulation are matched only by his ability to find poignant humanity in the most unexpected places… [A] thoroughly entertaining book.” – The Edmonton Journal


Praise for Fraud:
“Fraud marks the debut of a significant new voice . . . Rakoff is something special.”
—The Globe and Mail

Praise for David Rakoff:
“With Fraud, David Rakoff manages to successfully pass himself off as the wittiest and most perceptive man in the world.”
—David Sedaris

“Rakoff likes to paint himself as urbane to a fault, an outsider anywhere unpaved. But then, in the woods or on a mountaintop, he reveals himself, despite his searing and hilarious observations, to be a completely unrelenting romantic.”
—Dave Eggers

“Possessing a wicked wit and a sharp, elegant writing style, [David Rakoff] has become known as one of our most potent humourists.”
—The Oakland Tribune

More wonderful David Rakoff

I love all this author's stories, which I must hear, rather than read, because his voice is so important to the personal quality of his work. I highly recommend all David Rakoff's print and audio books, but if you need to make a choice between this and his audio collection before this one, choose this one; it's a bit more full of the good stuff. He gets better all the time.

Genius

Rakoff once again hits nerves and makes insightful points. Kudos.

Painfully Funny

Rakoff suffers for his craft and we benefit - a behind the scenes look at the day in the life style journalist and his real life shortcomings. Unabashed and unapologetic, painfully aware of his place in the world and always able to see the humor i any situation, this collection of stories is a great listen, well narrated and had me laughing until I cried several times. I loved his first effort "Fraud" and his appearances on "This American Life" but one need not be a lifelong Rakoff fan to be delighted by these tales.

I downloaded this after he died

It broke my heart to listen to this, knowing he had spent such a long time being ill. But on the other hand, its a piece of his wonderful wry legacy and I for that I am grateful.

Entertaining and Interesting

Any additional comments?

David Rakoff has an intriguing voice that captivates one from start to finish. This is the first book I've listened to by David and it was highly entertaining. His stories are embellished I'm sure, but it makes for interesting listening. As a faithful NPR listener, this book is in the same vane as a "This American Life" story or David Sedaris.

How he says it is as good as what he says

Loved it so much I bought two more of his books. Other titles moved to the back of the questions so I can listen to David.

Classic Rakoffian Rakoff

Listen here Canada, he's ours now and you can take a hike, you can. Mr Rakoff reads his work in this recording and its truly wonderful. Just buy it and find out how much you wish your friends would show up with David Rakoff as their date for dinner.

A talent unlike others

What made the experience of listening to Don't Get Too Comfortable (Unabridged Selections) the most enjoyable?

David Rakoff took sardonic and dry humor to a new level. His capacity for the rhythm of language as well as timing of information was unique.

What did you like best about this story?

David's pseudo-affected tone.

Which character – as performed by David Rakoff – was your favorite?

Himself!

Raw Talent To Spare

If you could sum up Don't Get Too Comfortable (Unabridged Selections) in three words, what would they be?

David Rakoff had a keen wit to share with the world. This piece is a fine example of that pitch perfect place of sardonic sight and well aware narrative.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Learning of his Japanese language studies, gave insight to how he writes so well in and around culturally sensitive humor.

Any additional comments?

His work lives on.

The standout use of vocabulary and prose

This was my second “listen” and I actually enjoyed it more than the first time ‘round. Miss him.