Tim Kreider, author of We Learn Nothing, a book of essays and cartoons, is the stranger you want to sit next to on a 12-hour plane ride.

My assumption could be wrong—Kreider may not be as fun and insightful in person as he is in his words—but it definitely doesn’t merit not reading his book. I discovered Kreider’s writing in a blog he wrote for the New York Times (he’s a writer there and a cartoonist) and instantly wanted to read more of his work to understand his personality and perspective.

His book manages to cover probably every single emotion humans feel through unique yet universal experiences. For instance, his stories range from explaining his near death incident to his mysterious but very close friend to discovering he had an entirely new family. Additionally, his writing—eccentric and honest—was refreshing in comparison to the novels I’ve read in school or at home. While his stories follow a generic plotline, his diction is one of the most informally captivating I have read; I forgot I was reading, and felt like I was having a conversation with him. I remember reading lines and immediately wanted to put the book down to find someone to talk about those lines and his thoughts with.

The passion with which he writes with translates into energizing the reader, making every story more satisfying than the one before. Kreider holds nothing back, and in turn, weaves together some brilliantly written stories.

Image Source: http://www.thepaincomics.com/