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Starter Villain
by John ScalziNow a New York Times bestseller!Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Starting from Happy: A Novel
by Patricia MarxWhile waiting in line for apple pie at a party, Imogene Gilfeather, a lingerie designer who does not understand the reason for romance, meets Wally Yez, a scientist whose business card says "An Answer for Everything." Imogene is told that Wally is the perfect guy. ("Perfect," she replies, "is not my type.") He is told that her company, Featherware, manufactures intimates (that gets his attention). Unfazed by Imogene's indifference (who needs love when you have a career, friends, and an undemanding affair with a married man?), Wally resolves to win her over. E-mails turn into late-night phone calls; one date turns into two and then into more. Thus begins the most absurd and amusingly unbalanced relationship to grace the pages of a novel. Wally is certain he and Imogene are meant for each other (They both use mechanical pencils! Neither has had mumps! They are so alike!), but convincing his beloved is another matter. ("Do you know why it is I don't have pierced ears?" she asks. "Because it's too permanent.") In defiance of the odds, or the gods, or perhaps just Imogene's qualms, Wally and Imogene become a pair. They celebrate their anniversaries--the first time they touched each other on purpose, took public transportation together, saw the other with wet hair. But can they possibly end as happily as they've begun? ("Does he really have a cowlick? If yes, no bed will ever be big enough.") Made up of hundreds of chaplettes, clever illustrations, and darkly funny commentary on getting together and staying the course, Starting from Happy is a cunning and sophisticated send-up of coupledom that showcases one of the finest comic writers of our time.
Starting from Happy
by Patricia MarxWhile waiting in line for apple pie at a party, Imogene Gilfeather, a lingerie designer who does not understand the reason for romance, meets Wally Yez, a scientist whose business card says "An Answer for Everything." Imogene is told that Wally is the perfect guy. ("Perfect," she replies, "is not my type.") He is told that her company, Featherware, manufactures intimates (that gets his attention). Unfazed by Imogene's indifference (who needs love when you have a career, friends, and an undemanding affair with a married man?), Wally resolves to win her over. E-mails turn into late-night phone calls; one date turns into two and then into more. Thus begins the most absurd and amusingly unbalanced relationship to grace the pages of a novel. Wally is certain he and Imogene are meant for each other (They both use mechanical pencils! Neither has had mumps! They are so alike!), but convincing his beloved is another matter. ("Do you know why it is I don't have pierced ears?" she asks. "Because it's too permanent.") In defiance of the odds, or the gods, or perhaps just Imogene's qualms, Wally and Imogene become a pair. They celebrate their anniversaries--the first time they touched each other on purpose, took public transportation together, saw the other with wet hair. But can they possibly end as happily as they've begun? ("Does he really have a cowlick? If yes, no bed will ever be big enough.") Made up of hundreds of chaplettes, clever illustrations, and darkly funny commentary on getting together and staying the course, Starting from Happy is a cunning and sophisticated send-up of coupledom that showcases one of the finest comic writers of our time.
Starting Over: A Novel
by Dan WakefieldThe comic national bestseller of love and loss set amid the sexual revolution of the 1970s When Phil Potter decides to divorce his wife, Jessica, after a few difficult years, he imagines he&’s in for a wild jaunt through the sexually liberated 1970s. But his new start—Phil has also left behind his job in PR for a teaching gig at a junior college—is more solitary drinking and TV dinners than raucous orgies. Even the women he does manage to connect with are equally disaffected with their own divorces or failing marriages, and Phil begins to understand the harsh, though often darkly funny, realities of starting over and searching for love the second time around. Capturing both the excitement and struggles of feminism and the sexual revolution, Starting Over depicts the pleasures and pitfalls of dating in the seventies with humor and a deep understanding of how relationships work—or, more commonly, don&’t work. Replete with spot-on cultural references and rendered under Wakefield&’s careful journalistic eye, Starting Over is a stunning reminder of the hardships of love in the modern age.
Starting Over on Blackberry Lane: A Romance Novel (Life in Icicle Falls #10)
by Sheila RobertsFrom USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts comes an empowering story filled with hearth and humor about three women who band together to take back their houses and their lives. Stefanie Stahl has a husband with renovation ADD. He can’t seem to finish anything he starts, and her house is littered with his “projects.” If he doesn’t smarten up, she swears she’s going to murder him and bury him under the pile of scrounged lumber in the backyard. Her friend Griffin James is suddenly single and thinking maybe she needs to sell her fixer-upper and follow her career bliss up the ladder of success, even if that scary ladder is clear across the country. But getting her place ready to sell proves harder than she originally thought. She needs help. She’s not the only one. Cass Wilkes, their neighbor, has an empty nest—with a leaking roof. When her ceiling crashes in, she knows it’s time to do something. When Grant Masters offers his handyman services at a fund-raiser auction, the three women go in together to outbid the competition and win their man. (Cass’s friends think she should win Grant in a different way, too!) Now it’s time to make some improvements…in their houses and their lives.Previously published
Starting with June
by Emilie RoseResisting June may be his toughest job Investigating small-town police corruption has never been on former Marine Sam Rivers's radar. Still, taking this assignment gives him the opportunity to figure out what's next after his medical discharge. The task should be a straightforward one. That is, until he meets Deputy June Jones. Almost instantly the warm, sexy woman occupies his thoughts. For a man who craves solitude, suddenly he can't get enough of her. He also can't forget his reason for being in Quincey, North Carolina. As his investigation progresses, it threatens his secret relationship with June. But can he turn his back on all the love and hope she offers?
Startled by His Furry Shorts
by Louise RennisonOn the rack of romance. And also in the oven of luuurve. Woe is Georgia: Dave the Laugh has declared his love for her (at least she thinks he was talking about her), and she has finally given Masimo an ultimatum to be her one and only and he has to think about it. And will she ever be able to stop thinking about the Sex God plucking his guitar strings of loveosity?
Startup: A Novel
by Doree Shafrir<P>From veteran online journalist and BuzzFeed writer Doree Shafrir comes a hilarious debut novel that proves there are some dilemmas that no app can solve. <P>Mack McAllister has a $600 million dollar idea. His mindfulness app, TakeOff, is already the hottest thing in tech and he's about to launch a new and improved version that promises to bring investors running and may turn his brainchild into a $1 billion dollar business--in startup parlance, an elusive unicorn. <P>Katya Pasternack is hungry for a scoop that will drive traffic. An ambitious young journalist at a gossipy tech blog, Katya knows that she needs more than another PR friendly puff piece to make her the go-to byline for industry news. <P>Sabrina Choe Blum just wants to stay afloat. The exhausted mother of two and failed creative writer is trying to escape from her credit card debt and an inattentive husband-who also happens to be Katya's boss-as she rejoins a work force that has gotten younger, hipper, and much more computer literate since she's been away. <P>Before the ink on Mack's latest round of funding is dry, an errant text message hints that he may be working a bit too closely for comfort with a young social media manager in his office. <P>When Mack's bad behavior collides with Katya's search for a salacious post, Sabrina gets caught in the middle as TakeOff goes viral for all the wrong reasons. <P>As the fallout from Mack's scandal engulfs the lower Manhattan office building where all three work, it's up to Katya and Sabrina to write the story the men in their lives would prefer remain untold. <P>An assured, observant debut from the veteran online journalist Doree Shafrir, Startup is a sharp, hugely entertaining story of youth, ambition, love, money and technology's inability to hack human nature.
The Starving Artist's Survival Guide
by Marianne Taylor Laurie Lindop Paul WeilA Blackened Chicken Soup for the Artistic Soul Passion, humiliation, and depravity are the cornerstones of the artistic spirit. How else to rationalize one's deliberate choice to face a life of unsigned rejection letters, calls from worried parents and collection agencies, and cups and cups of ramen noodles? Being a noble artiste is a rough gig. It's one part denial, one part masochism. And it gets all the respect of being a fry cook, without the convenient minimum wage. Only a fool would agree to such soul crushing -- until now. The Starving Artist's Survival Guide boldly reassures both the dreamer and the doer that you are not alone. Regardless of whether you are a painter, a poet, a musician, a writer, an actor, or simply paralyzed by an English lit or fine arts degree, help has arrived. Topics include the pros and cons of various artistic day jobs ("People love clowns, except for the 80 percent who want to beat them up and the 20 percent who do"), coping with form-letter rejections through the healing power of haikus ("You, blinking red light, / A call back from my agent? / No, just goddamn Mom"), a survey of artists' dwellings (from the romanticized loft to Mama's rent-free attic), and most important, "Holding On: Ten Good Reasons to Keep Your Head out of the Oven." Both celebrating and satirizing the pretentious poor, The Starving Artist's Survival Guide recognizes that the best way to cope with self-inflicted poverty is with unbarred humor, not macramé and coupon clipping.
Starworld: To The Stars Book 3 (To The Stars)
by Harry HarrisonEarthly medicine - helpless in the face of a plague from space.Unexpectedly, long thought lost, the first manned Jupiter probe has returned - but only a madman would have tried to land it at Kennedy International! The result is the biggest air disaster in history. And that's only the beginning: now comes The Jupiter Plague.
Stash Envy: And Other Quilting Confessions And Adventures
by Lisa BoyerAnother book of quilting humor -- from the author of the ever-popular book "That Dorky Homemade Look!" Funny woman Lisa Boyer is an expert quilter. And she's determined to enjoy making quilts. In fact, she will not -- absolutely will not -- let the risk of making a mistake, or a less-than- perfect quilt, keep her from relishing the task! In the 34 chapters of this new book, Lisa covers: The need for new fabric colors -- "blurple," "rorange," and "brellow," to name a few; The virtues of lumps in a quilt; How to share your bum fat quarter at a fabric exchange; How crocheting doilies will drive you back to quilting; How to cope when your quilts lack depth and dimension. Lisa Boyer is a breeze of fresh air. She brings you back to the pleasure of quilting with her confessions and adventures in Stash Envy!
State by State with The State
by The StateFrom the acclaimed comedy troupe The State comes the first-ever e-book edition of their cult classic book, a mock-travel guide that traverses the nation in the same irreverent, subversive and off-the-wall comedic style that fueled their MTV sketch show and subsequent movies and TV series.
A State of Jane
by Meredith SchorrThe author of Just Friends with Benefits pens “a witty true-to-life story that will not disappoint you, it is chick lit at it’s very best!” (Jersey Girl Book Reviews). It’s been a year since Jane Frank’s first relationship ended and far too long since the last time a man kissed her like he meant it. This forever optimist and organizer extraordinaire is ready to fall in love and she has a plan—and a deadline. With the LSAT coming up, Jane wants a boyfriend (better yet, a husband) before acing law school and becoming a partner at her father’s firm. Might as well reach for the stars . . . Except those stars turn out to be flakes. Just like her Big Apple beaus. Interested one day and gone the next, they vanish in dawn’s early light with no warning and no explanation. What’s a girl to do? Try harder! Plan more! Convinced her life won’t really start until she’s married with kids, Jane jumps from one extreme to the next. But she’s about to learn that you can’t force a happily ever after. “Meredith Schorr writes novels that pull you in, with characters you want to hang out with for real.” —Eileen Goudge, New York Times–bestselling author “I laughed my way through this novel. A must-read from Meredith Schorr.” —Chick Lit Plus “There [are] plenty of men on offer and enough funny, cringe-worthy scenes to make Jane’s journey into the dating world a thoroughly enjoyable one.” —Best Chick Lit
A State of Jane
by Meredith SchorrThe author of Just Friends with Benefits pens “a witty true-to-life story that will not disappoint you, it is chick lit at it’s very best!” (Jersey Girl Book Reviews). It’s been a year since Jane Frank’s first relationship ended and far too long since the last time a man kissed her like he meant it. This forever optimist and organizer extraordinaire is ready to fall in love and she has a plan—and a deadline. With the LSAT coming up, Jane wants a boyfriend (better yet, a husband) before acing law school and becoming a partner at her father’s firm. Might as well reach for the stars . . . Except those stars turn out to be flakes. Just like her Big Apple beaus. Interested one day and gone the next, they vanish in dawn’s early light with no warning and no explanation. What’s a girl to do? Try harder! Plan more! Convinced her life won’t really start until she’s married with kids, Jane jumps from one extreme to the next. But she’s about to learn that you can’t force a happily ever after. “Meredith Schorr writes novels that pull you in, with characters you want to hang out with for real.” —Eileen Goudge, New York Times–bestselling author “I laughed my way through this novel. A must-read from Meredith Schorr.” —Chick Lit Plus “There [are] plenty of men on offer and enough funny, cringe-worthy scenes to make Jane’s journey into the dating world a thoroughly enjoyable one.” —Best Chick Lit
State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts
by Nick HornbyA heartbreaking, funny, and honest look inside of a marriage falling apart and the lengths a couple would go to in order to fix it from the bestselling author of About a Boy and High Fidelity.Soon to be a SundanceTV series starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O'Dowd!Tom and Louise meet in a pub before their couple's therapy appointment. Married for years, they thought they had a stable home life--until a recent incident pushed them to the brink.Going to therapy seemed like the perfect solution. But over drinks before their appointment, they begin to wonder: what if marriage is like a computer? What if you take it apart to see what's in there, but then you're left with a million pieces?Unfolding in the minutes before their weekly therapy sessions, the ten-chapter conversation that ensues is witty and moving, forcing them to look at their marriage--and, for the first time in a long time, at each other.
The State We're In: The epic, heartstopping love story that you will NEVER forget
by Adele ParksTHE STATE WE'RE IN is the stunning, emotionally powerful novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks.What are the odds that the stranger sitting next to you on a plane is destined to change your life? Especially when they appear to be your opposite in every way.She's a life-long optimist, looking for her soul mate in every man she meets; he's a resolute cynic - cruel experience has taught him never to put his faith in anyone.People can surprise you. In the time it takes to fly from London to Chicago, each finds something in the other that they didn't even realise they needed.Their pasts are such that they can never make one another happy and it's when they get off the plane that their true journey begins...(P)2013 Headline Digital
The State We're In: A unforgettable, heart-stopping love story from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller
by Adele Parks'Spellbinding'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Made me laugh and cry'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'OMG - what an ending' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Opposites attract in this epic love story about a chance encounter from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Just My Luck and Both of You. And once you know it ends, don't forget to #KeepTheSecret. What are the odds that the stranger sitting next to you on a plane is destined to change your life?Jo is a hopeless romantic. Worried she let her soulmate slip away, she's chasing her past all the way to Chicago to break up her ex-fiancé's wedding.Dean is a resolute cynic. After a brief (but not brief enough) trip to London, he's returning to Chicago, where he moved to escape his dysfunctional past.In the time it takes to fly from London to Chicago, each finds something in the other that they didn't even realise they needed.But it's only when they get off the plane that their true journey begins...And don't miss Adele's latest gripping novel, Just Between Us, out now! Readers love Adele Parks 'Deliciously down to earth' The Times'Tightly plotted, brilliantly conceived and totally gripping' Lisa Jewell'Twisty, unputdownable and utterly engrossing' Jenny Colgan'Brilliant storyline, great characters, very clever, loved it!' B A Paris'Addictive and perceptive' Lucy Atkins
The State We're In: A unforgettable, heart-stopping love story from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller
by Adele Parks'Spellbinding'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Made me laugh and cry'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'OMG - what an ending' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Opposites attract in this epic love story about a chance encounter from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Just My Luck and Both of You. And once you know it ends, don't forget to #KeepTheSecret. What are the odds that the stranger sitting next to you on a plane is destined to change your life?Jo is a hopeless romantic. Worried she let her soulmate slip away, she's chasing her past all the way to Chicago to break up her ex-fiancé's wedding.Dean is a resolute cynic. After a brief (but not brief enough) trip to London, he's returning to Chicago, where he moved to escape his dysfunctional past.In the time it takes to fly from London to Chicago, each finds something in the other that they didn't even realise they needed.But it's only when they get off the plane that their true journey begins...And don't miss Adele's latest gripping novel, Just Between Us, out now! Readers love Adele Parks 'Deliciously down to earth' The Times'Tightly plotted, brilliantly conceived and totally gripping' Lisa Jewell'Twisty, unputdownable and utterly engrossing' Jenny Colgan'Brilliant storyline, great characters, very clever, loved it!' B A Paris'Addictive and perceptive' Lucy Atkins
The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife
by Craig PittmanJump into the wacky, wild world of Florida For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be. With a folksy style, an eye for the absurd, and a passion for the history and environment of his home state, Pittman describes some of Florida’s oddest wildlife as well as its quirkiest people. The State You’re In includes a love story involving the most tattooed woman in the world, a deep dive into the state’s professional mermaid industry, and an investigation of a battle between residents of a nudist resort and the U.S. Postal Service. Pittman introduces readers to a who’s who of Florida crime fiction, a what’s what of exotic animals, and an array of beloved places he’s seen change rapidly in his lifetime. Many of these stories are funny, some are serious, and several offer rare insights into the heart of the Sunshine State. For Pittman, Florida is both inspiring and dangerous—an “evolutionary test” for those who live in it. Together these pieces paint a complex picture of a fascinating state longing for an identity beyond palm trees and punchlines.
Stately Pursuits: A Novel
by Katie FfordeAn out of work and out of love young woman plots to save a crumbling British country mansion from becoming a theme park in this charming romantic comedy.“You’re not doing very much at the moment, darling. I don’t suppose you’d care to house-sit for a while?”Thus begins the irresistible story of two fixer-uppers—an old house and a young woman—and their efforts to recapture their true luster.When Hetty Longden, freshly dumped and brokenhearted, agrees to look after her great-uncle’s long-abandoned mansion in the British countryside, she’s at something of a lifetime low. With no job, no lover, no prospects, and no particular talent for resuscitating crumbling estates, she hope for nothing more than some good old-fashioned escape. What she finds includes a cast of quirky an ever-present neighbors, a couple of SNAGs (Sensitive New Age Guys), some very humorless bank officials, two disarming little canines, one gracious, dilapidated, romantic old house, and, just maybe, enough elbow grease to polish everything up again.A British bestseller that’s as inviting as an elegant old house full of unexplored rooms (after a good scrubbing-down, of course), Stately Pursuits is the funniest, smartest, and warmest read of the season.
States of Confusion: My 19,000-Mile Detour to Find Direction
by Paul JuryRather than deal with the problems he was facing as a recent college grad, Paul Jury decided to leave them in his rearview mirror. He might not have known the direction his life was headed, but he knew the route he was taking to hit all forty-eight contiguous states on one epic road trip.Filled with plenty of adventure and the unforeseen obstacle (or twelve), States of Confusion puts you in shotgun to see where the road takes Paul. All he knows--after crashing on the beer-soaked couch of his younger brother's frat--is that there's no going back.
Station Identification: Confessions of a Video Kid
by Donald BowieThe unique memoir of one man&’s life-long relationship with TV, from childhood with Howdy Doody to the heartbreaking decision to get rid of his set. In 1980, author and professor Donald Bowie was in his thirties and about to give up the most enduring relationship in his life—his television set. In Station Identification, he recounts his long and strange friendship with TV from the unrestrained naughtiness of Howdy Doody to the last episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Over the years, TV becomes his family, his friends, his classroom, and, ultimately, his undoing. Grappling with the urges of puberty, what seems confusing in life is easily understood while watching Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. Years later, after a wonderful night on the town, Donald brings his date home to watch a rerun of The Honeymooners—something close to having her meet the folks. From his suspicions of snobbery among the Sesame Street gang to his observations of the first made-for-TV president, John F. Kennedy, Donald offers a witty portrait of life in the warm glow of his most constant companion.
Statistically Speaking: A Quirky British Novel
by Debbie Johnson"Emotional, beautiful, wonderful. Debbie Johnson at her finest." --Milly Johnson, Sunday Times bestselling authorFrom Debbie Johnson, the author of the Comfort Food Café series, comes an emotionally rich, laugh-out-loud funny novel about the journey of self-discovery, family reunions, and finding peace with your past. Statistically Speaking is The Amazing Grace Adams meets Bridget Jones.When Gemma's anxiety gets the best of her, she opens her sock drawer and starts counting. Lately, she's been counting a lot of socks.As a high school history teacher, Gemma Jones loves the certainty of the past--specific names, solid dates, proven statistics. Maybe that's because her own past resembles a jumbled-up sock drawer, one where it's impossible to find a match.On paper, Gemma's life is just like any other successful, single thirtysomething. Her students adore her. She lives in a cute beachside cottage next door to the world's sweetest neighbor, Margie. And she's definitely caught the eye of Karim, the resident hot PE teacher at her school. But every day of her life, she can't get one thing out of her mind: the baby she gave up for adoption when Gemma was just sixteen years old.This is the year that Baby--the only name Gemma has for her little girl--will turn eighteen. And it might be the year she actually meets her daughter face-to-face. Or maybe she already has. Katie, a new student who's moved into the area, shares Gemma's hair color (bright red) and build (long and lean). And BTW--totally random stat--she also shares the same birthday (October 3) as Baby. And they're both about to turn eighteen. What are the odds? But Gemma and Katie's mom are becoming good friends, and Gemma is concerned that their newly minted friendship will unravel fast if Katie is indeed Gemma's birth daughter.Gemma doesn't know if this will be the year she finds Baby. But maybe, just maybe, it will be the year she finds herself--and finds peace with her life--past and present. And maybe that's what truly counts.Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson is a heartfelt and humorous novel about self-discovery, familial reconciliation, and dealing with one's past. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a hefty dose of laughter like Bridget Jones or The Good Place, you'll love this book. Fall in love with Debbie Johnson's heartwarming novel (previously published in the UK as Forever Yours). Now available for the first time in the US!"Johnson's heartwarming latest (published in the UK as Forever Yours) will appeal to fans of Jenny Colgan." --Booklist
Stay a Spell
by Nicholas O. TimeSchool librarian Ms. Tremt sends Jada and her friends back to 1977 to learn a valuable lesson in this second zany novel, part of the all-new In Due Time series.Now that librarian Valerie Tremt has given her students access to a time travel portal, they are all abuzz thinking about where they should go. But Jada doesn't want to go anywhere special. All she wants to do is go back to last week and study for the spelling test she failed to make her parents happy. Why does she need to know how to spell? She's going to be a famous fashion designer when she grows up. With a twinkle in her eye, Ms. Tremt says Jada can use The Book of Memories to go back and pass her test, but instead of going back in time one week, Jada ends up in 1977! Lava lamps! Disco music! Huge bell-bottom jeans! And everyone is talking about a cool new movie called Star Wars. Jada finds herself in the designer's studio where her Aunt Katie is an intern. She watches as Katie learns just how important spelling can be--no matter what career you choose. And just when it's time to head home, Jada finally realizes all the endless possibilities that come with having a time machine so she decides to make a quick trip to ancient Egypt to get some fashion tips from Cleopatra. But being in the past is so thrilling that Jada almost misses the deadline to return home. Could she get stuck in ancient Egypt forever?
Stay Cool: Why Dark Comedy Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change
by Aaron SachsHow gallows humor can bolster us to confront global warmingWe’ve all seen the headlines: oceans rising, historic heat waves, mass extinctions, climate refugees. It feels overwhelming, like nothing can make a difference in combating this ongoing global catastrophe. How can we mobilize to save the world when we feel this depressed? Stay Cool enjoins us to laugh our way forward. Human beings have used comedy to cope with difficult realities since the beginning of recorded time—the more dismal the news, the darker the humor. Using this rich tradition of dark comedy to investigate climate change, Aaron Sachs makes the case that gallows humor, a mainstay of African Americans and Jews facing extraordinary oppression, can cultivate endurance, persistence, and solidarity in the face of calamity. Sachs surveys the macabre tradition of laughing during great suffering, from the Black Plague to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906—and offers some of the earliest examples of superlative dark comedy. He also explores how a new generation of activists and comedians are deploying dark humor to great effect, by poking fun at older people’s apathy about climate catastrophes, lambasting oil corporations’ “eco” rebranding, and even producing an off-Broadway dystopian comedy called “Sea Level Rise.” Sachs offers suggestions for how environmentalists can use dark comedy first to boost their own morale, and then to reframe their activism in more energizing and relatable ways. Environmentalism is probably the least funny social movement that’s ever existed. Stay Cool seeks to change that. Will comedy save the world? Not by itself, no. But it can put people in a decent enough mood to get them started on a rescue mission.