The Onion's Finest News Reporting, Volume 1 (Vol.1)

From the editors of the most hilarious periodical around comes The Onion's Finest News Reporting, a collection of stories and commentaries with a sublime satirical bite. Devotees of the Madison, Wisconsin, weekly will erupt with laughter at each turn of the page, while newcomers will wonder how they have done without such headlines as "Civil War Enthusiasts Burn Atlanta to Ground," "Saddam Hussein Steps Down Following Sex Scandal," "Lyndon Johnson Jr. Sworn in as George Editor," "Nation's Educators Alarmed by Poorly Written Teen Suicide Notes," and "Massive Oil Spill Results in Improved Wildlife Viscosity." The brilliant parodies following the headlines are consistently smart, irreverent, and hysterical. Some selections are masterworks of absurdity, such as op-ed pieces written from the perspectives of pylons, chemical plants, or appliances. The book also contains some choice picks from the magazine's "What Do You Think?" column, in which ordinary citizens sound off on timely topics such as the teaching of evolution in schools ("I am against evolution being taught in schools. I am also against widespread literacy and the refrigeration of food.") and the cloning of animals ("I can't believe it--imagine a whole field of sheep that all look alike!"). As with all effective satire, this volume seeks to hit society's raw nerves: homophobia, racism, sexism, even Canada--"Perky 'Canada' Has Own Government, Laws" reads one headline. But buyer beware: if Dave Barry is about your speed, you may find some of these stories (and the language) to be tasteless, if not offensive. Others will love this book for those very reasons. --Shawn Carkonen