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Not Quite a Genius

About The Book

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

This hilarious collection of essays spans a wide variety of topics. There’s the open letter to Charles Manson, a brave archeologist’s journey into a suburban man cave, and a long overdue, sternly worded letter from Leif Erikson to Christopher Columbus. Walt Whitman even teaches a spin class.

Nate Dern’s razor-sharp eye examines modern society and technology, man buns, dating apps, and juicing crazes. Anyone who’s ever scrunched their eyes at WiFi Terms & Conditions, listened to the reasons that led a vegetarian to give up meat, or looked on in horror at the evolving audacity of reality TV will appreciate Dern’s wicked and funny take on modern life. Not Quite a Genius is fun, and funny, “a breath of fresh air that you can eat up bit by bit or all at once” (Abbi Jacobson, cocreator and star of Broad City).

About The Author

Mindy Tucker

Nate Dern grew up in the mountains of Evergreen, Colorado, where he enjoyed running on dirt trails and reading Kurt Vonnegut. Formerly the artistic director at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Dern is the current news editor at Funny or Die. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their cat, Renly Baratheon. Not Quite a Genius is his first book.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 8, 2017)
  • Length: 336 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781501122224

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Raves and Reviews

"Nate Dern’s brain is a VitaMix that chops up Kafka, the Internet, Republicans and thousands of other cultural ingredients and blends them into hilarious little treats. The results are not just funnywhich they arebut they’re even kind of profound. Highly recommended reading for those hungry for surprise."A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Know-it-All and Drop Dead Healthy

“Nate is one of those writers and performers that is constantly morphing and changing, always impressing and exceeding my expectations. His book is no differentyou never know where it's going to go next, what genre, what format, what unique new take on an old idea. It's a breath of fresh air that you can eat up bit by bit or all at once like a huge hoagie. His book is, in a lot of ways, like a really wonderful sandwich."Abbi Jacobson, co-creator and star of Comedy Central’s Broad City

“So no, Nate Dern may not be quite a genius. Still, he has written a book that is very smart, funny, thoughtful, and that might be just what the world needs.”—The New York Times Book Review

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