When You Are Engulfed In Flames

Sedaris has changed over the years - his earlier books were darker and angrier, and though he may have mellowed with age, his humour has remained sharp.

The title piece, about moving to Japan to help quit smoking, is worth the price of admission. He has some good observations about Japan and he's clearly enamoured of the place, and it's easy to see why, with Sedaris' love of the weird and wonderful.  

I laughed my way through That's Amore, about a rude neighbour Sedaris had in New York, and some of the other pieces seem a bit thin, but there are a few good laughs. He has mastered the ability to find the funny in situations, such as when the town child molester tries to befriend him, but this is not as consistent as Me Talk Pretty One Day which is the standard bearer for the funny essay collection book.