My Heart Is an Idiot: Essays

Amazon Best Books of the Month, September 2012: Following your heart can get you in a lot of trouble. This is true for no one more than Davy Rothbart, whose hilarious new essay collection is loosely built on the premise that he falls in love much too easily. But Rothbart's desire to impress his crushes is often just a starting place for a much wilder story. One involves rallying a group of strangers for the best Valentine's Day ever; in another, he finds a dead body in a swimming pool. (My favorite piece involves Rothbart's attempt to seek revenge on a scam artist by dumping urine on his head.) But none of these hilarious reflections would work if Rothbart didn't show such a clear sense of self-awareness. As a character, he's likable, shortsighted, and earnest; as a writer, he is a shrewd storyteller with a deep empathy for all the eccentric people he meets. Given his credentials--as a creator of Found Magazine and a contributor to This American Life--it's no surprise that Rothbart is so attuned to the world around him. Now if only his heart were as perceptive. --Kevin Nguyen