Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations

I love reading Frank Rich in the NYT. When I saw his son has a book out, it piqued my interest - and I have now given copies as gifts to so many of my friends! It's perfect for both someone close or that someone you might not know so well - laughter is universal and Simon Rich gives everyone a little slice of life to enjoy with this one. My personal favorite is the museum patron, and I will gift my favorite art history professor with it shortly. Hope he does a follow up soon!

In this day and age, it's hard to find truly funny original work. This book does not disappoint. Simon Rich starts from a unique place (example: inside the head of an ant on an ant farm) and proceeds to delightful ridicule. The anti-war pieces I found tedious, but the rest of the short pieces are delightful, especially the views of students. The reading level is at sixth grade level, so it can be enjoyed by all.

I love Simon Rich's sense of humor. His imaginings of what a situation would be like (What a conversation between God and the man who stands with a cardboard sign informing the public the end is near, for example, or what his mother believes runs through his mind when he is home alone at age 15) are just brilliant. Not all the entries are great, but the gems make up for the others. I loved sharing this with my family and friends, and despite age, gender, and frankly taste difference, they all found something to love in ANT FARM. The book goes fast, but you can revisit it again and again. It is well worth buying.

And I'm not just saying that as an Emmy-winning 40-yr-old comedy writer in Hollywood trying to suck up to a young guy who will be running this place in about six months (how do you do sir?)...Ant Farm is a delightful bruschetta of absurdity served on crackers of keen insight.

A rising star in the world of comedy writing, Simon Rich was the youngest ever writer to be hired on Saturday Night Live (22 during his first season with the show). His first book is a hilarious collection of short comedic pieces about fear, despair, and chaos. Like poetic candy for fans of intelligent comedy.