Don't Get Too Comfortable (Unabridged Selections)

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

By: David Rakoff

Narrated by: 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 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.

Critic reviews

"Rakoff knows the incantatory power of a story well-told, the art of keeping words aloft like the bubbles in a champagne flute. He possesses the crackling wit of a '30s screwball comedy ingenue, a vocabulary that is a treasure chest of mots justes, impressive but most times not too showy for everyday wear." (Los Angeles Times)

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.

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.

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.

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.