A book by Robert Urban
The Best Book Ever Written
The title has already done a considerable amount of the bragging. You are welcome to form your own opinion.
About the book
An unreasonable title. Recognizable people.
The Best Book Ever Written is a collection of first-person stories, odd encounters and comic observations. The title makes a large promise. The material comes from a much more familiar place: the strange business of being a person among other people.
I like the stories that appear during an otherwise ordinary day. Somebody says something. An encounter takes an unexpected turn. A small detail gives away far more than the speaker intended. You carry it around afterward because it has become impossible not to notice.
That is the territory of this book. There are observations and detours, a conversational voice, and ample room for everyday life to make its own case for being ridiculous. The title is part of the joke. The invitation to read is sincere.
Come for the title. Stay for the telling.
The pleasure of a personal story often lies in the way it is told. A familiar situation can become entirely different when someone notices the right detail or admits the part most people would leave out.
If that is the kind of writing you enjoy, this book offers another way into my humor. You can read it independently, or alongside Wisecracker and Lick the Spoon to spend more time with the same storytelling voice.
For the reader who asks, “Best according to whom?”
A fair question. A title like this is an invitation to arrive with your skepticism intact. Read the available sample on the retailer’s listing, if one is offered, and see whether the voice is your kind of company.
For a book-club conversation, consider how the title changes your expectations before the first story. Which encounters felt familiar? Which observations made an ordinary situation newly noticeable? A confident title can start the conversation; the stories have to keep it going.
Before you choose
A few reader questions.
Is The Best Book Ever Written an actual book title?
Yes. It is a book by Robert Urban, with its own cover and Amazon product listing.
Where can I browse all of Robert Urban’s books?
Use the Books by Robert Urban link at the top of this page or the complete catalog link below. This page is devoted to this particular title.
Do I have to read another book before this one?
No earlier title is needed. You can choose this book as your introduction to Robert Urban’s stories and observations.
Judge it for yourself.
Find The Best Book Ever Written on Amazon and choose from the available purchase options.
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