<b>“This is so well written. [When a book like this] comes along, it’s, like, ‘Thank you!’ What a great way to spend an afternoon, an evening, reading these essays. . . . Absolutely great.”—Jon Stewart</b><br> <b> </b><br> <b>“[Merrill] Markoe is easily as funny as David Sedaris. She’s capable of manic riffs and acerbic skewering. Still, her good nature shines through.”<i>—The Washington Post</i></b><br> <br> In this hilarious collection of candid essays, including two pieces new to this edition, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Merrill Markoe reveals much about her personal life—as well as the secret formula for comedy: Start out with a difficult mother, develop some classic teenage insecurities, add a few relationships with narcissistic men, toss in an unruly pack of selfish dogs, finish it off with the kind of crystalline perspective that only comes from years of navigating a roiling sea of unpleasant and unappeasable people, and—voilà—you’re funny! <i>Cool, Calm & Contentious</i> is honest, unapologetic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always shot through with Merrill Markoe’s biting, bracing wit.<br> <br> <b>“This has been a great year for funny women. . . . Let’s call Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling exhibits A and B. Both owe a debt to those who came before, including Merrill Markoe.”—<i>The Boston Globe</i></b><br> <br> <b>“Markoe’s goal is to find the absurdity in everyday life. That, coupled with her sharp wit, makes her writing sublime.”—<i>BookPage</i></b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br> <b>“Laugh-out-loud humor.”<i>—Tampa Bay Times</i></b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br> <b>“Not only crazy-funny, but crazy-heartbreaking.”<i>—The New York Times</i></b>