“Highly recommended reading for all those hungry for surprise” (A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author)-a rollicking assortment of personal stories and essays on relationships, technology, and modern society from the news editor at Funny or Die and previous artistic director in the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

This hilarious collection of essays spans a multitude of topics. There’s the open up letter to Charles Manson, a courageous archeologist’s journey into a suburban man cave, and a about NEARLY a Genius long overdue, sternly worded letter from Leif Erikson to Christopher Columbus. Walt Whitman also shows a spin course.

Nate Dern’s razor-sharp eyes examines modern society and technology, man buns, dating apps, and juicing crazes. Anyone who’s ever scrunched their eye at WiFi Terms & Conditions, paid attention to the reason why that led a vegetarian to stop meat, or appeared on in horror on the changing audacity of fact TV will appreciate Dern’s wicked and funny undertake modern life. NEARLY a Genius is definitely fun, and funny, “a breathing of oxygen you could eat up bit by bit or all at one time” (Abbi Jacobson, cocreator and celebrity of Broad Town).