En fin, toute cette fricassee que je barbouille icy n’est qu’un registre des essais de ma vie….
(All this fricassee I scribble here is nothing but a record of the essays of my life….)
--Michel de Montaigne, “Of Experience”
A curious observer in the vast world is at the center of these astute and wonderfully varied essays. From climate change to the American obsession with certificates to the vanity of gym patrons to his education as a foodie, there is nothing that Michael Cohen does not wonder about. In the tradition of the best personal essays, these two dozen selections only seem sometimes to free-associate. Cohen knows his purpose, and, in each essay, it isn’t long before he leads us to discover that purpose along with him. There’s a lifetime of reading and thinking poured into this collection, but it’s never displayed showily. Like a friendly guide or a talented teacher (which he is), Cohen inspires our own curiosity and makes us wonder about all the things we’ve haven’t thought to wonder about before. – Evelyn Somers, Associate Editor, The Missouri Review