As any true cynic knows, the number of annoying groups, trends, and events in our culture today is mind-boggling. Bayan has narrowed the field to a little over 900 of the most irritating, each with a properly pungent definition. From Alimony to Performance Artists, Activists to Infomercials, Literary Critics to Car Phones, Fur Coats to Personal Ads, The Cynic's Dictionary skewers the self-important and pricks the puffed up, never sparing the wit. True cynics will delight in discovering new things to be cynical about, and even the odd optimist might finally wake up and stop being so confoundedly cheery all the time. Irascible and irreverent, The Cynic's Dictionary is the perfect companion for anyone who has ever been dismayed, bemused, vexed, or appalled by our times.
You can contact me directly via my professional website, richardbayan.com.
I was born in New Brunswick, NJ, and raised there during the idyllic 1950s and '60s. After graduating from Rutgers with a degree in history, I picked up a master's in journalism from the University of Illinois. I worked briefly for a couple of trade magazines and Time-Life Books, then found my professional calling as an advertising copywriter -- first at Barron's and later at Day-Timers, where I served as copy chief from 1985 through 1999.
While at Barron's I wrote my first book, Words That Sell, a copywriter's thesaurus that quickly became a standard marketing reference. The Cynic's Dictionary followed ten years later. In 2003 I was asked to write a sequel to Words That Sell, and the result was (surprise!) More Words That Sell -- actually a very different book with a more targeted approach to selling. In 2006 I completed a major revision and expansion of the original Words That Sell.
I quit my day-job in 1999 and have been busy since then establishing myself as a freelance writer-consultant. My clients have ranged from Louis Borders (co-founder of Borders Books) to a small art cinema in Allentown, PA. I've also launched a political blog called The New Moderate (http://newmoderate.com) to help fill the gap between the battling "red" and "blue" camps that dominate the political and cultural debate in the U.S.
I live in a quaint, tree-shaded, 115-year-old former livery stable in Philadelphia with my young son and a geriatric cat. I'm always available for freelance projects or contract work. Wish me luck (and buy my books!).
