The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (and How to Do Them)

by Peter Sagal

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Product Description

Somewhere, somebody is having more fun than you are. Or so everyone believes. Peter Sagal, a mild-mannered, Harvard-educated NPR host—the man who put the second "L" in "vanilla"—decided to find out if it's true.

From strip clubs to gambling halls to swingers clubs to porn sets—and then back to the strip clubs, but only because he left his glasses there—Sagal explores exactly what the sinful folk do, how much they pay for the privilege, and exactly how they got those funny red marks. He hosts a dinner for three of the smartest porn stars in the world, asks the floor manager at the oldest casino in Vegas how to beat the house, and indulges in molecular cuisine at the finest restaurant in the country. Meet liars and rich people who don't think consumption is a disease, encounter the most spectacular view ever seen from a urinal, and say hello to Nina Hartley, the only porn star who can discuss Nietzsche while strangers smack her butt.

With a sharp wit, a remarkable eye for detail, and the carefree insouciance that can only come from not having any idea what he's getting into, Sagal proves to be the perfect guide to sinful behavior. What happens in Vegas—and in less glamorous places—is all laid out in these pages, a modern version of Dante's Inferno, except with more jokes.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 4 out of 5 stars

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

Relieved to know I'm not the only one who found some vices kinda boring, 2008-10-09
Over the years I've dipped my toe in some of the vices Peter explores in his book and came away with the same vague emptiness that he describes. I thought it was just that I didn't "get it". Experiences that I thought would be fun and naughty were, well, pretty dull. Peter does a great job of describing what he sees and how he feels about it without getting preachy. He's funny and clever throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed this read and his conclusion that no matter what you're into, he perceives that most people are a bit disappointed to find it wasn't as fun as they thought and have a sense of always wondering if there's isn't something they are missing out on just over the horizon. If you were looking for precise "how to" books, this isn't the one, and never intended to be.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1 out of 5 stars

Pretentious, 2008-09-06
Peter Sagal amuses himself more than he does the reader. The subjects are interesting, however his content and snarky comments are not. This is not the humor of Wait Wait... as some may think. The humor of his weekly NPR show is far above the humor of this book. If you want NPR-type of of humor, stick with David Sedaris.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars

The wit of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, 2008-08-19
Peter Sagal's first book is a humorous examination of the most common of American vices. The incongruity of this self-proclaimed square and the strip clubs, swinger parties, etc. he visits--with his wife in tow--makes it all the more entertaining. If you are a fan of Sagal's witty repartee on "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!," you'll love this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars

Very entertaining - good summer read!, 2008-05-09
Sagal's talent for entertaining with biting and insightful commentary on the absurd and unseemly make this a good summer read. For those of us who are dedicated "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" fans, you'll hear echoes of his crazy laugh throughout this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars

A Light-Hearted Look at the Subject, 2008-04-14
If you only know Peter Sagal from his radio show "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!", you may be slightly surprised at this book. It contains much of the humor he brings to the show, although of course not the ad libs, but beneath the light-hearted facade is an exploration of behavior patterns our society views as vices and portraits of people involved in them. If you don't know Sagal at all, you may be disapointed in the book, as it is NOT a dry, scholarly study.

Three of the seven topics involve sex, which perhaps reflects current American pre-occupations reasonably well. However, he omits our fascinations with lethal weapons and with violence generally, which also figure considerably in our entertainment (espeically television, movies, and video games). The manifestations of his selected vices tend towards the middle and upper classes.

The book is well written, and much of it is a first-person account of Peter's (and, often, his wife's) field work in the various subjects. Professional sociologists will be put off by the light tone, but may find some useful anecdotes nevertheless. The rest of us can derive some voyeuristic pleasure from seeing how the other half lives.

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