We Learn Nothing: Essays (A Smart and Funny Essay Collection)

I bought this book after reading an essay("The Busy Trap")by this author in the New York Times online. I had never heard of Tim Kreider before, but this essay was so topical, so insightful, so on-target that I simply had to see what else he had to say.I was a little hesitant because it became clear after a bit of research that Kreider's politics and mine were pretty far out of sync. (Not that I mind competing viewpoints, I just don't like the whole bashing thing.) I need not have worried. Unlike much of Kreider's work of the George W. Bush era, which consistently savaged all things Republican, We Learn Nothing is not overtly political. Each essay is unique, highly original, wistful, soul-baring, poignant, and achingly human. Although a naturally passionate lefty partisan, Kreider is, to his immense credit, rigorously intellectually honest and reflexively fair throughout this latest collection. He is unsparingly critical of himself and those with whom he aligns, and gracious and empathetic to his philosophical opposites. It feels a little like an act of atonement, as though Kreider is saying: Sorry I got a little carried away there. See, I'm much better now.I cannot recall ever having read an author so preternaturally incisive, so aware, so adept at performing what amounts to a full monty of the soul without seeming self-indulgent. Kreider is relentlessly introspective and profoundly self-aware. Yet this is no act of mere navel-gazing. Above all, We Learn Nothing is the work of a sensitive, piercing intelligence trying to make sense of the world by first making sense of itself. This book should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with this messy, confusing, brutal, beautiful, tragic, hilarious, stupid, fragile thing we call life. Scratch that: This book should be required reading, period.After reading this book I thought, I would love to spend an afternoon with this guy over beers, discussing anything and everything.

I heard of Tim Kreider after reading a terrific piece of his in the NY Times called "The Feast of Pain" and after remarking on social media how much I liked it, this book was quickly recommended to me by several funny pals whose advice I trust. This book is a collection of autobiographical essays that often appear to be setting themselves up as comic pieces, but then-after setting up these terrific premises, Kreider rarely goes for the punchline, instead dropping in a well thought out, brilliantly written piece of insight on the human condition. The way I've described that makes it sound like a flaw, but it's really not, he's a thoughtful and engaging writer. After starting out with a phenomenal essay about not just getting stabbed in the neck, but telling and retelling the story of getting stabbed in the neck, the book book earns enough good will that it got me through some of the later essays, that in my opinion, dragged a little. Still, even when he's not at the top of his game, Kreider is very, very good. Also as I said in the title, I bought this on a Kindle not knowing that the book also featured illustrations (the subtitle, Essays and Cartoons was clearly too difficult a concept for me to grasp.) I enjoyed the cartoons, but would have preferred to have bought a print edition to be able to see the cartoons larger.

I have been a fan of Tim Kreider's since I came across a copy of "Why Do They Kill Me?", started flipping through and found the comics darkly hilarious and his comments attached to them by turns acid or sentimental in the best possible ways. I bought it on the spot. I loved his unrelenting cruelty toward conservatives in general and the Bush administration, because at the time I identified with the powerless rage at the absurd and awful things which happened then. I bought his other books over time and followed his work on his website. After Obama was elected, Tim lost a lot of the fire that was animating the rage that fueled his earlier work and his cartooning largely stopped. His site saw updates only rarely, and he started doing more writing. His writing had become my favorite part of his cartooning as I became more familiar with his voice, so when he announced that he was producing a book of long essays I was very excited.Tim has gotten older and wiser, and it is reflected in this book. His retrospective appraisal of his work during the Bush years is frank, of himself he says looking back at it makes him wince and think "what a sorehead" about the person who made it. Those turned off by vicious vitriol won't find a lot of it here. Largely ignoring the political sphere, he focuses on personal issues pretty much exclusively, which is rewarding for a long time reader like myself because I get to fill in the gaps where his older cartoons or writings hinted at things but never fleshed them out. That's not to say this book is only for the super fans: because he is an excellent writer, he manages to make a series of personal vignettes into powerful essays worth reading for anyone, about topics like friendship and family. In spite of the subject matter being well-trod over by just about every other writer there ever was, Tim manages to say it in a way that gives a fresh perspective or simply states it so well that one can't begrudge him for writing it down.

Highly recommend. Not sure what I expected, but it was better!

The font and paper quality are poor. The seller refused to accept the return. Description of the book on Amazon is misleading. I want to return the book and claim refund but the seller is providing only replacement. Replacing one poor quality book with another poor quality book doesn’t help. Will the seller improve quality of paper or font by replacing the book? Nothing can be more ridiculous.

Outstanding book, deep and hilarious at the same time, I challenge you to read this and not to come out with a new perspective about life

Drôle, authentique, émouvant, vrai, juste...Tim Ferriss en a parlé, je l'ai commandé, j'ai adoré.Tim Kreider sait trouver les bons mots pour partager ses émotions et ses idées, c'est un régal.On quitte le livre (et l'auteur) à regret à la fin..

I bought this book after coming across one of Kreider's articles and enjoying the combination of depth with light hearted fun. This is a very personal book - and without knowing any of Kreider's other writing, seems to me to be at that point in the writer's life in which he sees the world as more complex and tries to find a point of balance between contending pressures. I hesitate to say - but this seems to be mature writing and thinking.All of the essays are enjoyable, although not all are of quite the same excellent standard. I rather enjoyed his writing more than his cartoons - not that they are bad, but I think the writing is better. Read this if you enjoy intelligent witty writing that makes you think again about everyday subjects - the subjects are not at first light profound or amusing, but the way Kreider presents them makes them both. If you enjoy essay style writing then this may be for you.I also think this gives an insight to a certain train of thinking in the US - and it is refreshing because it novel and interesting.