"More than forty years of scribble, scribble, scribble, and I have been sued only once. . ." But this collection of essays is no less a pleasure to read for all that. Mordecai Richler is an exuberant essayist, with a combative wit and sharp eye, regularly offending some, endearing himself mightily to others, and always hugely entertaining. Like all great satirists, he is passionate about the world in which we live; it's that appetite for life and friendship, his love of sanity and common sense as much as his hatred of sacred cows, that lies at the heart of this irresistible book.

Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) wrote ten novels; numerous screenplays, essays, children's books; and several works of non-fiction. He gained international acclaim with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which was later made into a movie. During his career, he was the recipient of dozens of literary awards, including two Governor General's Awards, The Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Mordecai Richler was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2001.

Mordecai Richler's profile page

"Ought to be shoved into a time capsule so future generations can laugh their heads off. . . . This is prime Richler, clear-eyed, intolerant of lies and deception, disrespectful of sacred cows." —The Ottawa Citizen

"If Richler had had the good fortune to share chronological space with the great Southern humourist [Mark Twain], I have no doubt the two men (smoking stogies, popping corks, swapping yarns) would have gotten along just fine." —The Vancouver Sun

"A fabulous collection—as politically incorrect as firing up an Export 'A' in the health food store. But you can't keep a good satirist down." —Chatelaine

"Everything in this book is worth reading. Richler manages to irritate some of the people all of the time." —The Halifax Daily News