The Baby Boom, by P. J. O'Rourke

The arrival of a new book by P.J. O'Rourke is always a cause for celebration.  He is, hands down, one of the funniest, most insightful living writers.  The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn't My Fault) (And I'll Never Do It Again) continues his string of great humor, great social commentary, and great thinking.  O'Rourke fans will not be disappointed.

In the style of a rambling memoir, O'Rourke recounts his own life as a mirror of his generation.  Much has been written about baby boomers, none of it as funny as The Baby Boom.  Randomly open the book and you will, without fail, find some laugh-out-loud one liners.  But reading the book cover to cover and seeing the themes and running jokes develop make this much more than a collection of jokes and anecdotes.

I devoured the book and found plenty to love, but I am still nostalgic for some of his past books.  I don't know of a better book on our system of government than Parliament of Whores.  And no one breaks down international economic theory better than O'Rourke in Eat the Rich.  The Baby Boom is more like CEO of the Sofa, a loosely structured stream of consciousness.

O'Rourke is a national treasure.  Long may he make us laugh.