The hilariously intrepid young author of "War Reporting for Cowards" returns from Iraq only to dive head-first into another absurd, terrifying world: the American leisure class. Like Hunter Thompson crossed with one of David Brooks's bobos in paradise, Ayres embeds himself in LA's "liesuretocracy" an over-the-top world of caviar facials, billionaire charity balls, souped-up SUVs, and monster home loans . . . not to mention $1,000-a-night brothels and million-dollar poker tournaments. Ayres's highly leveraged lifestyle lands ...
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The hilariously intrepid young author of "War Reporting for Cowards" returns from Iraq only to dive head-first into another absurd, terrifying world: the American leisure class. Like Hunter Thompson crossed with one of David Brooks's bobos in paradise, Ayres embeds himself in LA's "liesuretocracy" an over-the-top world of caviar facials, billionaire charity balls, souped-up SUVs, and monster home loans . . . not to mention $1,000-a-night brothels and million-dollar poker tournaments. Ayres's highly leveraged lifestyle lands him a surreal night with a supermodel, a date at Michael Jackson's birthday party in Neverland Ranch (Ayres bribes the organizers five grand to get in), and a wife courtesy of Craigslist. But disaster is never far away. In the book's brutal final section, Ayres is forced to confront the excesses of his generation at a scene of apocalyptic destruction: the Katrina-ravaged South. Told with a blend of offbeat irreverence, genuine pathos, and incisive social commentary, "Death by Leisure" is a savage and darkly humorous odyssey that taps directly into the contemporary psyche.
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Add this copy of Death By Leisure: a Cautionary Tale to cart. $32.84, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
