Free Chairs

Have you noticed that when you’re in a bookstore, and you’re reading a book of jokes or meditations or moving little “chicken-soup” stories or “deep thoughts,” the first few in the book are very meaningful and funny and enjoyable? But when you buy the book and take it home, most the ones after that are really lame and just seem to be taking up space. So you have to ask yourself, what kind of a dope-jerk-moron am I for dishing out $11 dollars for this piece of crap?

That won’t happen with this book! John Sheirer looks at life’s ordinary moments in extraordinary ways. On the surface, these essays are about reading a note written while falling asleep, cataloging the ways an athlete’s body breaks down, missing the signs of flirting, facing a classroom full of bored students, daydreaming at a funeral, gazing into an under-construction restroom-and dozens of other everyday events. But these little subjects lead to some of life’s most important themes, including love, loss, politics, education, family, death, parenthood, and tolerance. All the while, Sheirer’s essays remain readable, delightful, optimistic, sometimes biting, and often laugh-out-loud funny.