The Well-Read Commuter reviews It’s Not Me, It’s You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally In

It’s Not Me, It’s You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman
By: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

What this book is about:
Stefanie Wilder-Taylor has never been one to take the conventional route. Whether financing a move to LA with only a best friend's Bat Mitzvah windfall or accidentally freebasing cocaine, Stefanie is living proof that the unlikely can happen -- usually to her. When it does, the best response is a potent combination of pluck, luck, humor, and frequently, alcohol. In a series of candid essays, Stefanie recounts how a nice Jewish girl from Queens became a Hollywood producer, writer, and mother of three, with some surprising detours along the way. From disproving her mother's "cars aren't free" refrain by going on Hollywood Squares and winning one, to signing up for a romantic sunset cruise that turns out to be a hellish frat-fest staffed by a pushy pirate-attired crew of small people, Stefanie shares her triumphs, missteps, and the many lessons learned. She reveals why it's never a good sign when your new therapist brings out a stuffed bumblebee and a whiffle ball bat, and how to outsmart a potential stalker by channeling your inner Tori Spelling. Through the good, the bad, the poignant, and the outrageous, she displays a voice that is by turns self-skewering, hopeful, and wise. It's Not Me, It's You is personal storytelling at its funniest, bravest, and most irresistible.

Did you like this book:
This book should come with a the warning, “May cause random outbursts of uncontrollable laughter.” Consider yourself warned, if you read it on a plane then people will think you are completely crazy, but you won’t care. Wilder-Taylor’s book is a wild ride through her life that will leave you wanting more, grateful that she was lucid enough to remember these stories and searching amazon.com for her other books. This is a solid book that you can count on for big laughs. You can’t go wrong here.

The Well-Read Commuter reviews Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel and Act the Way We Do

Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel and Act the Way We Do
By: Wednesday Martin, Ph.D.



What this book is about:
As Wednesday Martin explains it, her marriage was meant to be. Unfortunately, it was also statistically doomed to fail. What did Martin do to statistically doom her marriage: gambling, adultery, an addiction to buying jewelry on HSN? Nope. She married a man with children. Experts estimate that more than half of all adult women in the U.S. will do the same in their lifetimes, and that up to 70% of those partnerships will fail. In addition, Martin was a childless woman marrying a man with children which put her marriage even more at risk for ending in a divorce. Martin explains that with those odds in addition to picking out a wedding dress, she might as well have picked out a divorce lawyer as well. Sadly, the greatest predictor of divorce is the presence of children from a previous marriage. In fact, divorce rates are fifty percent higher than average in remarriages with children. With blended families becoming the norm, who is going to help these families survive and beat the odds?

Did you like this book:
Stepmonster is a truly groundbreaking book that for once focuses on the stepmother herself. Take a look at the cover and you’ll know that it is going to be something different. You won’t find any ridiculous photos of a happy blended family walking on the beach or stories making you feel guilty on those days that you just want everyone to shut up and go away. You also won’t find out the secret to how Martin won over her stepchildren so no need to cue the sappy music. Instead, you will find stepmother-centered advice that deals head on with the myths and mis-information, overcompensation, depression, anger and resentment that goes hand in hand in a world where stepmothers must behave and act exceptional in order to just be considered adequate. Martin also delves into the historical and cultural context of our views on stepmothers, wicked or otherwise. What I think most stepmothers will find in this book is peace of mind and some sense that they are understood for a lot cheaper than the going rate of a therapy session. It puts other stepfamily books to shame If you are a stepmom, put yourself first and get the book today.

The Well-Read Commuter reviews Hedge Fund Wives

Hedge Fund Wives
By Tatianan Boncompagni



What this book is about:
From the author of Guilding Lily comes a tale of New York City movers and shakers. Newly ensconced in her life as the wife of a New York hedge fund derivatives trader, Marcy Emerson is as unimpressed with her neighbors' materialism and gossiping as she is cowed by the seeming perfection of her new female acquaintances. Nevertheless, she dutifully establishes close friendships with fellow hedge fund wives Jill and Gigi as she becomes increasingly aware of her husband's growing preoccupation with money and appearances—especially when she accepts a job in Gigi's catering business. When Marcy faces incontrovertible evidence of how far John's loyal good nature has been stretched, she realizes that for the sake of her own life she must re-evaluate her priorities.

What this book is about:
Hedge Fund Wives whisks the reader off into a world of eight carat diamond rings, personal chefs and private jets as seen through the eyes of New York City newcomer Marcy Emerson. This isn’t your typical novel of over indulgence as Marcy is forced to find herself when she is tossed aside for a thinner, blonder model in the dog-eat-dog world of high stakes finance. Set amid the backdrop of the modern day volatile market, the reader gets to see both the excess and the hangover when that comes after the market crash.

The Well-Read Commuter reviews Everyday Astrology

Everyday Astrology: How to Make Astrology Work for You
By: Gary Goldschneider



What was this book about:
With nearly two million copies in print, Gary Goldschneider's Secret Language of Birthdays and Secret Language of Relationships are mainstays of any bookstore astrology section. Now the best-selling author has returned with his biggest and most ambitious work yet: Gary Goldschneider's Everyday Astrology. Whether you're wooing a Gemini first date, asking a Virgo boss for a raise, or persuading your Pisces roommate to do the dishes, Gary Goldschneider's Everyday Astrology offers advice for any situation imaginable. Once you start paging through this book, you'll find it impossible to stop!

Did you like this book:
I thought this book was interesting. It is broken down into a really easy to use format and filed with insightful information. I read my horoscope just about everyday and I enjoyed thumbing through this guide. The cover of the book and jacket design are appealing and make it an ideal birthday gift for the friend or co-worker that is hard to buy for. Whether you take astrology seriously and want to gain some serious insight or just want to learn a little bit more about your sign Goldschneider’s latest book delivers.


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The Well-Read Commuter reviews The World According to Twitter

The World According To Twitter
By: David Pogue



What was this book is about:
David Pogue, the weekly tech columnist for the New York Times and CNBC correspondent, dared to pose various questions to his Twitter fans and they answered with hilarious results. Pogue asks his readers to tweet about bad dates, first kisses, annoying bosses, bad toasts, embarassing moments and much more.

Did you like this book;
The World According to Twitter is a delicious walk through the hilarious and bizarre. You don’t have to Twitter to be able to appreciate the bite-sized morsels of humor that deliver a big punch. When asked to finish a familiar saying in a new way one of Pogue’s Tweeters responds, “ He who is without sin.....has a lot of catching up to do.” Need I say more? Good clean fun that you will find a tweet above the rest.

The Well-Read Commuter reviews The Scarecrow

The Scarecrow
By: Michael Connelly
Narrated By: Peter Giles

What This Book Is About:
Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paper to write the definitive murder story of his career. He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent. Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poet made his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

What Did You Think Of This Book:
This is a solid book with a really likeable main character, Jack McEvoy. I listened to the audio book while traveling with friends and the entire car was completely silent as the story unfolded. The story flows along at a good pace and wraps up neatly at the end. While it is a crime mystery, there is not a lot of gore. It is a smart, sexy thriller that I can see having a wide appeal.

The Well-Read Commuter reviews The Castaways

The Castaways
By: Elin Hilderbrand
Narrated By: Kate Hale

What This Book Is About:
Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

What Did You Think About This Book:
Elin Hilderbrand is a seasoned author that knows how to take a reader on a great ride that you won’t be ready to get off of at the end. This was my first of Hilderbrand’s books which are always set in Nantucket. At first I thought that narrator Kate Hale’s voice might be a little too syrupy sweet for my tastes, but it did not take me long to get very invested in this multi-layered story with complex and well-developed characters. I was so engrossed in the story I pulled over in traffic to retrieve the next disk that had fallen out of my reach because I could not wait to hear how the story continued to progress. As the couples each delve into the mysterious death of their good friends the inner complexities of adult friendships are explored. This was a great read superbly written and narrated.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews The Ravens

The Ravens
By: George Dawes Green
Narrated By: Maggi Meg Reed & Robert Petkoff

What Is This Book About:
When Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko drive into the small town of Brunswick , Georgia, their only thought is to fix their car's leaky right tire and continue on to Key West, Florida, away from their dead-end jobs as computer technicians in Ohio. But when Shaw discovers that the 318 million dollar Georgia State Lottery has just been claimed by an ordinary Georgia family, he sees an opportunity - he and Romeo will blackmail the Boatwright family for half their winnings and ditch their deadbeat lives for good.

What Did You Think About This Book:
I thought the concept of this book was so interesting. The Boatwright family is barely hanging on in a house that is about to be foreclosed on and then their fortunes change. Overnight they are the winners of the 318 million dollar lottery. However, two grifters have turned their lives upside down and not only is winning the lottery the worst thing that has ever happened to them, they might no live long enough to collect their winnings. The adrenaline flows right up to the end of this book as the story smashes the normal flow of a story, refusing to taper off a t the end and leave the reader with a nice, neat package. Like the Boatwright family who is being held captive, the reader will also have no idea what Shaw and Romeo have in store through the unpredictable twists and turns. This is not your average crime story. A fantastic read and the audio book is a treasure with dual narration by the seasoned voices of Maggi Meg Reed and Robert Petkoff.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Homer’s Odyssey

Homer’s Odyssey
A Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Love and Life With A Blind Wonder Cat

By Gwen Cooper

What This Book Was About:
The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old blind kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.Everyone warned Gwen that Homer would always be an “underachiever,” never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night. However, it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes.

What Did You Think About This Book:
I loved this book. It was both deeply touching and laugh out loud funny. By chance, I started this book in the middle and read it to the end and then went back to start at Chapter One. Once I started reading in the middle, I could not stop. Even though I am a “pet person,” I would dare even those among us who choose to live their lives without furniture covered by cat hair or a livingroom full of dog toys not to love the story of this tiny adventurer. At the conclusion of this book I felt as though the author had given us a gift by sharing Homer’s story and what a tale it is! The best part is that Homer is still alive and well and living in New York City so there is no sad, sappy ending here. This book is a must read for anyone that has ever loved a pet and would make a great Holiday gift for the pet people in your life.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews: The Imposters Daughter

The Imposters Daughter
Laurie Sandell

Laurie Sandell is searching for the truth about who her father is. He didn’t leave when she was a toddler. In fact, she grew up in awe of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities. Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. While researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.

This book is presented in a type of comic book format with illustrations to go along with the text. While some might find it obnoxious at first (I did), but the end of the book you will wish you had thought of it. This book manages to be both deep and laugh out loud funny. Sandell is not just outing her father as she fact-checks his three decades of stories, she is on a sincere journey to find her own inner truth. What else can you say about a globe trotting femme who conquers all while stripping in Tokyo, having a lesbian fling in Israel and maintaining a long distance relationship with the help of an Ambien addiction. You will find yourself both feeling sorry for Sandell and wanting to be her best friend because she is so cool. I read this book in about 2 hours. It was really good.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews The Way Home

The Way Home
By: George Pelecanos
Narrated By: Dion Graham

What this book is about: Chris Flynn has been working hard to turn his life around. He is in love with a good woman, he works for his father’s business and he is getting his life and his strained relationship with his father back on track after a troubled youth. The fragile peace that he has been working for is threatened when Chris and a friend from his past find a large stash of cash.

Did you like this book: Delving into the subjects of redemption, youth rehabilitation, and complex family relationships this was a fast moving, interesting book with well developed characters and solid writing from start to finish. Pelecanos was called by Stephen King, “perhaps the greatest living American crime writer.” This was my first Pelecanos book and he is great. Pelecanos kept the story edgy, relevant and witty without getting too gory or too “CSI”. The story moves right along which makes the audio version a great road trip book. Dion Graham’s deep soulful voice

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews: The Cemetery Dance

The Cemetery Dance
By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child



What this book is about:
A prominent New York Times reporter is killed in a brutal attack in his posh Upper West side apartment. His archeologist wife escapes with minor injuries and is able to identify their attacker. The problem is that by all accounts the alleged attacker was dead and buried ten days prior.

Did you like this book:
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but I just don’t read a lot of fiction. I was not too enthused when I found myself stuck behind a construction area accident, going no where fast and with only an audio copy of The Cemetery Dance and a cell phone with a dead battery in the car with me. Reluctantly I popped the book in the CD player. The story that unfolded is a must read summer action/mystery. It is good enough to warrant being tossed in your tote bag to go on vacation with you. I was hooked by Chapter 2 and would have listened to the entire 13 hour audio straight through if I could have. It was fantastic and I can see this sophisticated read appealing to a wide rage of tastes! If you only have time to read one book the rest of the summer- this is it.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Losing Mum and Pup Christopher Buckley

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Losing Mum and Pup
Christopher Buckley

What this book is about: In twelve months author Christopher Buckley coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York’s most glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their relationship was close and complicated.

Did you like this book: Anyone who was a Political Science major in college in the 90's likely did not get out of school without reading writings from both William F and Christopher Buckley and we were all the better for it. Had I not thoroughly enjoyed the early 90's release of Thank You For Smoking, Christopher Buckley’s story of the Tobacco Lobby’s heyday, I likely would not have picked up this book I am glad I did though, it was a strange poetic journey of the year Buckley lost both his mom and dad. The book twists its way through life, death, hospitals, funeral homes and everything in between. Comedy and tragedy tenderly intertwine in this thoughtful and strangely uplifting work of nonfiction.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews She’s Out There! Essays by 35 Young Women Who Aspire to Lead the Nation

She’s Out There! Essays by 35 Young Women Who Aspire to Lead the Nation

By: Amy Sewell, Heather Ogilvie


What this book is about:
It is no longer a question of if or when we will have a female President, it is a question of who it will be. In She's Out There! Amy Sewell and Heather Ogilvie present a collection of essays from thirty-five young women under the age of thirty-five who aspire to become the leader of the Free World. The book also contains inspiring quotes from current women leaders around the world and fascinating information about the causes they support. The goal is to inspire young women across the country to break the glass ceiling in every walk of life.

This book was a homerun, no doubt. I think that it appeals on many levels and I found it an interesting commentary on the exciting times that lay ahead of us. We live in a Country where the rights of women are not guaranteed in the US Constitution (we take for granted that someone, somewhere went back and added us skirts in there, they didn’t) and there are currently only 104 women currently serving as US Governors, Congresswomen, Senators and Presidential Cabinet Members. Do the math. Women make up fifty percent of the population and there are 50 Governors, 438 members of Congress, 100 Senators and about 12 Cabinet members. That means only seventeen percent of these top positions and public offices are held by women. Other countries routinely out stride us in the numbers of females in public office and public leadership roles. However, like a rose in the desert, this book focuses on some of the amazing women who walk among us and who will likely be the next generation of female leaders. This book is an obvious choice as an extra special gift for any female graduate. Use the book as a holder for the card envelope, though. I am sure in this economy the graduate will still want the money.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Love Equals Sacrifice

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Love Equals Sacrifice
By: Michael Stidham

What this book is about: As a Certified Public Accountant, Michael Stidham dealt with numbers most of his career. Alzheimer's was just another passing word he heard on television. Little did he know that one word would become a focal point in his life. So began his journey back to the Catholic Faith and the realization that Love Equals Sacrifice.

Did you like this book: With Alzheimer’s set to ravage the Baby Boomer generation, I think voices of unpaid family caregivers, such as Stidham, will be of great importance and comfort to those that seek to fill the role of family caregiver. I think this was an interesting book because it was from the perspective of a male caregiver’s point of view. Many books of these sorts deal with the perspective of a female caregiver. Stidham also did not delve extensively into the back story of his family before the disease, but rather stuck to the nuts and bolts of his routine as a caregiver and his journey back to his faith. I thought there were several points in the book that Stidham really could have elaborated more so that it was not so matter of fact, but overall an interesting and short read.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win

When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win

By: Carol Leifer

What this book is about: Hollywood comedy fixture Carol Leifer faced a dilemma. She could either stop telling the story of the greatest experience of her life (seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium) or lie about her age. Carol had always found that after finishing telling the story of singing along to every song that summer night in New York, it was followed with amazement by those that the story had just been told to and the comment “Wow, the Beatles!” However, by the late nineties the amazement was then followed with the less that amazing and slightly unsettling question, “The Beatles? God Carol, just how old are you?” Leifer then realized she could deny her authentic self, keep the story under wraps from now on and keep people guessing about her true age or continue to share the story of her night with the fab four from Liverpool. How she chose to face that dilemma and just about everything else that came her way follows in her third book.


Did you like it: In tough times good comedy can be both a gift and an escape. This book delivers both. Consider your passport stamped, as Leifer dishes on the demise of her marriage, discovering her inner lesbian, adopting seven dogs from animal shelters, calling out lazy feminists and surviving class reunions. Part advice, part biography and completely hilarious you will find yourself recommending it to all of the women in your life whether they are 31 or 71. Well written and a joy to read. I also loved the format of the book- subjects are presented in sixteen short chapters so it is the perfect book to throw in your purse and pull out whenever you are faced with a wait. However, the first two chapters were so hilarious that I read the entire book in one sitting. Being an avid Seinfeld and Larry David fan I was familiar with Leifer’s writing and straightforward sense of humor, but she outdid herself for this book.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews Obama’s Blackberry

Obama’s Blackberry

By Kasper Hauser

Obama’s Blackberry dares to pose the question, just what would have happened if after Barack Obama moved into the White House he had been allowed to keep his beloved Blackberry? According to the comedy company Kasper Hauser, President Obama would be getting Evites to Irian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s birthday parties, economic advice from Oprah, drunk dials from Ann Coulter and hilarity would definitely have ensued. If only the Secret Service had not required that the device be turned off and turned into them.

All fantasy, this book was an easy read and non-stop fun. I also could not help thinking that it would be a great gift for any political junkie in your life as no one was safe from this equal opportunity offender. The book was hip, irreverent and a delicious delight as it poked fun at the world we live in and stretched the personalities of the leaders on the world stage. I won’t spoil the punchlines, but the best texts/tweets/forwards were from Kim Jong-il, Prince Charles and Sarah Palin.

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews The Accountant’s Story

The Accountant’s Story

Roberto Escobar with David Fisher

Few men in history have been more beloved and more hated than Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in the history of the world. Born into poverty in Columbia during a time of extensive violence Roberto tells the story of Pablo’s rise from a humble beginning in rural Columbia to the head of a multi-billion dollar drug cartel.

I was hesitant that this book would be a swan-song or love letter of sorts from one brother to another. Instead, I found myself unable to put the book down as I ignored my weekend obligations and opted to be transported into the world of the Medillin Cartel. During the narration Roberto plays the roles of family insider, business partner and historian seamlessly as he recounts both his role in the cartel and his brother’s rise and fall. Roberto leaves a successful career in sports to help Pablo in his illegal business where one of the problems Roberto must deal with is what to do with all of the money coming in from other nations where . It is estimated that Pablo spent $2,500 a month on rubber bands just to hold the money together. As Roberto flips between his roles of telling his story and Pablo’s story he examines the role of the drug trade and how it impacted Columbia both for the better and for the worst. An interesting read for sure. For Roberto who now lives quietly on a ranch in Columbia nursing physical and emotional scars the book must have served as a way to set the record straight on Pablo who plays the dual role in history as philanthropist/ hero and violent drug lord.

Well-Read Commuter Reviews Undress Me In The Temple of Heaven

Undress Me In The Temple of Heaven

Sarah Jane Gilman


What this book was about: A memoir of the author Sarah Jane Gilman and her friend Claire’s 1986 globe trotting adventures. The girls have never left the U.S. when inspired by a "Pancakes of Many Nations" promotion during a drunken night at IHOP they hatch a plan to circle the world, starting in China, which has just opened to tourists. From the moment of arrival, they're out of their depth, perpetually hungry, foolish, and paranoid from relentless observation.

From start to finish this book was fantastic. This is the type of book where midway through the first chapter you are not only hooked, you are recommending it to others. Fantastic writing, an exciting story and rich cast of international characters deliver. It also appeals on many levels, it’s a story of travel and adventure in a time before cell phones and the internet, a story of friendship and a story of humanity. It had me yearning for the impulsive days of my youth. Sadly, until I saw the word “memoir” on the cover of the audio book I almost skipped over it. The cover photo and title suggested to me this was a cheesy fiction romance novel. The audio book is read by the author and also contains an interview with the author at the conclusion of the novel. It was interesting to switch from the conclusion of the adventure in 1986 to an interview of the author’s views over two decades later. Not only would I recommend this book, I will be sure to check out Gilman’s two earlier books, Hypocrite and Kiss My Tiara.

Well-Read Commuter Reviews Outliers

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell

What this book is about:
Outliers is a non-fiction book that examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success to those that are on the fringe or the Outliers in their field. In part it attempts to tackle the question: is success, as American’s like to believe, the result of rugged individualism or is there something else at work? Gladwell examines what made the Beatles and Bill Gates so successful.

Did you like this book?
I really liked this book. It was an easy listen. This is Gladwell’s third book and in it he examines success and challenges all of our notions and long-held beliefs about it. Could it be that success is at times a result of accumulated advantages, luck and some practice? I use to believe that for the most part, we make our own luck and now I am not so sure. This book is a must read for anyone in the education profession and would be enjoyed by anyone else with a curious mind. One thing that I can never understand is how one of criticisms most often hurled at the well-loved Gladwell is that he oversimplifies complex sociological phenomenons. I completely disagree. Gladwell has a knack for pointing out the obvious and the way that he makes statistics sexy and accessible for all makes me wonder where he was when I was in graduate school.