I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow, by Jonathan Goldstein

Canadian humorist and radio host Jonathan Goldstein, on the verge of turning forty, gives us a window into his last year as a thirty-something.  His account of his life during this year of his life is full of randomly funny stories, occasional bits of wisdom, and even a touching moment or two.  Goldstein describes himself as a "humorist," which, as he explains, "is a comedian who doesn't necessarily make you laugh."  He made me laugh, and I can imagine that his radio show, WireTap, is entertaining.

Goldstein sort of reminded me of a Canadian Jerry Seinfeld.  Goldstein has an inadvertently hilarious dad, some quirky friends, and enough goofy encounters in his days to provide some good material for humor.  His random thoughts reminded me of my co-worker Jesse.  Some examples:

• "Waking up this morning, it occurs to me that if grade school went on forever, I'd now be in grade thirty-four."
• "In the midst of showering, I realize I've been using the same bar of soap for about a month now.  From this I conclude that I am either a) in the midst of a Hanukkah-type miracle; or b) simply not scrubbing hard enough."  He later asks his mom, "Who taught me how to shower anyway?  Because I don't think I've been doing it right." 
• "Whatever happened to those 2001 moon colonies we were promised--a place where we could eat ice cream all day and still bounce around as light as lunar dust?  Sometimes I just can't stand the unbearable fatness of being." 

I like his take on running: "I've recently taken up running, and have been trying to figure out a route that would allow me to run nearly all the way downhill while never having to actually go uphill."  And I agree with him that "jogging is good for the heart, but it can also be good for the soul."

True to his self description, Goldstein made me laugh, but mostly I'll Seize the Day was funny without making me laugh.  Goldstein's humor is low-key, a bit neurotic, sometimes whiny, and even mildly, thoughtfully  depressing ("At thirty-nine, I'm beginning to see that middle age might mean having more failures behind you than triumphs ahead."). 

I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow may not be for everyone, but will be enjoyed by fans of off-beat, deadpan humor who have a couple hours to kill.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!