Department of Book Reports 38: Oh The Places You Will Go!

The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (And How To Do Them) by Peter Sagal (HarperCollins, $24.95)

It's to Peter Sagal's credit he can make us feel as if we've over-indulged, we've seen too much, simply by reading his book. This is a book to be gorged on, and then lie back swooning on the sofa, over-sated on the dazzling array of excesses. Get out the Scharffen Berger Chocolates, kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Peter eschews those everyday vices such as smoking, drinking, drug abuse, the common, yet probably physical addictions in favor of those vices that leave you feeling:

You knew you shouldn't.

But...

You loved it.

And now...

You feel terrible.

The Book of Vice is armchair travel at it's most hedonistic. I'm too old to partake in most of this stuff, but it sure is fun to read about it! Be careful about reading this one in public; you'll snort out loud and laugh at things you really don't want to explain to the stranger sitting next to you on the Metro.

As card-carrying Felbernauts, we've attended 2 tapings of Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! The only time I've ever heard Peter mis-pronounce something was at the Seattle taping when he confided to the radio audience that Seattle was founded by "assa" Mercer and the studio audience screamed out ASA Mercer, as our 4th grade history teachers taught us. Our rearview mirror sports a Carl Kassel Air Freshener. (We dream of getting him on Jackson Street Books' answering machine.)

Dave von E: your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate The Book Cellar on Friday, Nov 2nd at 7pm and report back to the troops on how Peter was dressed and how much Maker's Mark he consumes during his presentation. (And get us a personalized signed first edition, K?) democommie™™™™®© will meet you there after he sucks down last call at the Playboy Club.

P.S.:
I would like to point out to you that after last weeks' Book Report, I Am America (and So Can You!) rocketed to the #1 spot on the Booksense Bestseller List. Congratulations Troops! We know it was your purchases which drove this acheivement for such a humble tome. Let's do it again for Peter's book:

The Book Sense National Bestseller List
Published Thursday, October 18, 2007 (for the sales week ended Sunday, October 14, 2007). Based on reporting from many hundreds of independent bookstores with Book Sense across the United States.

Debuts for the week:
Hardcover Nonfiction
#1-I Am America (and So Can You!), by Stephen Colbert (9780446580502)

The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (And How To Do Them) is available at Jackson Street Books and Fine Independent Bookstores everywhere.