{"product_id":"2940169149166","title":"Half Empty","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe inimitably witty David Rakoff, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDon't Get Too Comfortable\u003c\/i\u003e, defends the commonsensical notion that you should always assume the worst, because you'll never be disappointed. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this deeply funny (and, no kidding, wise and poignant) book, Rakoff examines the realities of our sunny,  gosh­ everyone-can-be-a-star contemporary culture and finds that, pretty much as a universal rule, the best is not yet to come, adversity will triumph, justice will not be served, and your dreams won't come true.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book ranges from the personal to the universal, combining stories from Rakoff's reporting and accounts of his own experi­ences: the moment when being a tiny child no longer meant adults found him charming but instead meant other children found him a fun target; the perfect late evening in Manhattan when he was young and the city seemed to brim with such pos­sibility that the street shimmered in the moonlight-as he drew closer he realized the streets actually flickered with rats in a feeding frenzy. He also weaves in his usual brand Oscar Wilde-worthy cultural criticism (the tragedy of Hollywood's Walk of Fame, for instance).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether he's lacerating the musical \u003ci\u003eRent \u003c\/i\u003efor its cutesy depic­tion of AIDS or dealing with personal tragedy, his sharp obser­vations and humorist's flair for the absurd will have you positively reveling in the power of negativity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47169184366832,"sku":"2940169149166","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169149166_p0.jpg?v=1763673925","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169149166","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}