“Kreider locates the right simile and the pith of situations as he carefully catalogues humanity’s inventive and manifold ways of failing” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In We Learn Nothing, satirical cartoonist Tim Kreider turns his funny, brutally honest eye to the dark truths of the human condition, asking big questions about human-sized problems: What if you survive a brush with death and it doesn’t change you? Why do we fall in love with people we don’t even like? How do you react when someone you’ve known for years unexpectedly changes genders? With a perfect combination of humor and pathos, these essays, peppered with Kreider’s signature cartoons, leave us with newfound wisdom and a unique prism through which to examine our own chaotic journeys through life. These are the conversations you have only with best friends or total strangers, late at night over drinks, near closing time. This edition also includes the sensationally popular essay “The Busy Trap,” as seen in the New York Times.
Tim Kreider Books
* A People Top 10 Book of 2018 * Tim Kreider, a New York Times essayist and author known for his sharp observations, explores his often perplexing relationships with women. While psychologists and philosophers have labeled him as one of their own, Kreider primarily identifies as an essayist. His writing, marked by keen insights, dark humor, and emotional honesty, draws comparisons to David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and the late David Foster Wallace, who admired Kreider’s wit. This collection highlights his unique perspective on romantic, platonic, and ambiguous connections. Kreider reflects on his struggles with lasting love and commitment issues, even tracing back to a groundbreaking attachment study he participated in as a toddler. He shares stories of cherished female friendships, including an adventure on a circus train to Mexico, and his experiences teaching young women at a New York college, where he learned valuable lessons from them. In a notable essay from The New York Times, he contemplates the enduring bond with his nineteen-year-old cat. Each piece is described as “heartbreaking, brutal, and hilarious” (Judd Apatow), further establishing Kreider as one of today’s finest essayists.