Your Wildest Dreams, Within Reason [Paperback]

Mike Sacks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Ever accidentally sent a mass email to your office describing your not-safe-for-work fantasy kingdom? Or been confused about the ground rules at a cuddle party? Looking to rent an overpriced room in the Hamptons from a codependent sociopath with a checkered past (and a hot tub)? No? Well . . . huh. Your Wildest Dreams, Within Reason collects Mike Sacks’s unique humor pieces — Craigslist ads, lesser-known tantric positions, letters to famous authors, lists, jokes, and the occasional illustration — into one handsome volume. Originally published in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and McSweeney’s, among other venerable publications, Sacks' writing is original and sharp, yet broadly funny. Whether it’s a groom tweeting his wedding in real time, or a publisher offering editorial suggestions for The Diary of Anne Frank, Sacks' work tangles contemporary social satire with his absurdist sensibilities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sacks (coauthor of Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk) offers 54 short humor pieces, including 25 written in collaboration with fellow humor writers Todd Levin, Scott Jacobson, Bob Powers, Jason Roeder, Scott Rothman, Will Tracy, Ted Travelstead, and Teddy Wayne. The essays, many of which were published in McSweeney's and the New Yorker, is a selection of contemporary social satires, such as signs a college is not very prestigious ("Marching band uses only handclaps") and a bridegroom on Twitter ("Attempting to fist-bump rabbi"). The essays include icebreakers to avoid ("This party reminds me of 9/11"); a director's commentary on the DVD rerelease of a 1990 bar mitzvah video; and a rejection letter to Anne Frank: "Unfortunately, we receive so many unsolicited teenage diaries composed in European attics that it is impossible to publish each one." Highlighting this often hilarious book are Yu's many illustrations, such as the inclusion of Pynchon's muted post horn, and Sancton's 10 drawings depicting "Everyday Tantric Positions" as well as an eight-page pantomime comic strip from Esquire about frustrating Ikea assembly instructions. (Mar. 15)
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From Booklist

Previously published in such publications as McSweeney�s and the New Yorker, these comic pieces should appeal to fans of offbeat humor. It�s difficult to categorize the book because, as Sacks freely admits, the pieces have no �overarching theme, no recurring characters, nothing that links one piece to another.� The pieces, many of them cowritten with Sacks� fellow humorists, range from satire to parody to faux-autobiography (�My Parents�) to instructional articles (�When Making Love to Me: What Every Woman Needs to Know�) to fake correspondence with famous writers to, well, the just plain indescribable (�The Rejection of Anne Frank�). Sacks and his various coauthors are gifted humorists, and it�s safe to say that any reader will emit chuckles, guffaws, and chortles while perusing nearly every page. Some of the material here is rather graphic, especially the illustrated �Everyday Tantric Positions!� and �Kama Sutra: The Corrections.� Recommend this one to adult readers with highly developed funny bones. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Tin House Books (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935639021
• ISBN-13: 978-1935639022
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #838,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Sacks was born in Virginia and raised in Maryland. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans.

He has written for Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker, Time, McSweeney's, Radar, MAD, New York Observer, Premiere, Believer, Vice, Maxim, Women's Health, and Salon. He has worked at The Washington Post, and is currently on the editorial staff of Vanity Fair.

His first book, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Humor Writers About Their Craft, was released in Summer 2009. Some of those interviewed include: George Meyer, Harold Ramis, Al Jaffee, Buck Henry, Bob Odenkirk, Stephen Merchant, David Sedaris, Jack Handey, Robert Smigel, and Daniel Clowes.

Sacks co-wrote Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk, with the Pleasure Syndicate, a comedy-writing group consisting of Scott Jacobson (Daily Show), Todd Levin (Tonight Show), Jason Roeder (Onion), and Ted Travelstead (Esquire). The book is scheduled for release August 28, 2010.

In addition, Sacks has sold a collection of his published humor pieces to Tin House Books, to be released in February 2011. The book, Your Wildest Dreams, Within Reason, will contain pieces from The New Yorker, Esquire, Time, Vanity Fair, McSweeney's, and other publications.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, Witty & Hysterically Funny February 6, 2011

By Midwestern Lady

Format:Paperback

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance copy of this book during the crazy Chicago snowstorm of 2011. I almost didn't mind being locked inside my house because I had this hysterically funny book to read. I was already a fan of Our Bodies Our Junk so I had a hunch I would like this one too. And I was right. The entire book conveys Mike's ability to poke fun of the absurdity of our lives in a way that is clever enough that we are left impressed and charming enough that we don't mind being mocked one bit. Witty, creative and recommended reading.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Wettest Dreams February 14, 2011

By housefinch

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I saw David Sedaris blurb on the cover, I figured Sacks must've gotten ahold of pictures of Sedaris doing something hetero in a park. But the famed humorist's "glowing remark" carries substance.

Your WIldest Dreams is hysterical-you will see yourself in its well-meaning, inept, deranged heroes like Rhon Penny (silent h), Mike the Talking Horse, and Jimmy Jam Johnson, classic rock DJ having a nervous breakdown. You will learn that philosopher Thomas Aquinas was "hung like a champ" and what you might do with someone you've just met at a hospital chapel. Your sobs and laughter will be indistinguishable.

In a million years, as archaeologists search for answers about the decline of the once mighty American white man, they shall find what they seek in Your Wildest Dreams.

I promise Sacks' jokes are funnier than mine.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection from a great writer February 11, 2011

By Jason R.

Format:Paperback

I've been a big Mike Sacks fan for a long time thanks to his work in McSweeneys and the New Yorker, and his collection of interviews with comedy writers, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft, is a comedy nerd's wet dream. This collection doesn't disappoint. Hilarious, weird and cerebral all at once -- if you're not familiar with Mike's work, this is your chance to get on board. Great stuff.