If you’ve ever wondered what makes Klosterman’s books so compelling, the secret is out: he’s honest. In a culture so obsessed with following trends and enjoying things because we’re told to, Klosterman is honest with what he likes and dislikes. That is what makes this collection of essays so compelling.

He covers a lot of ground here: Garth Brooks, Time Travel, Abba, Football, Technology, and the list goes on. He has an ability to compare two seemingly unrelated things to unearth profound connections. I’ll never think about David Koresh without the flannel-clad image of Kurt Cobain in the back of my head again!

The last essay clinched the collection for me. He confessed his belief that technology is degrading our relationships, along with his inability to resist its pull. I’m typing this review on a Dell laptop in a WordPress interface that will automatically publish it in a month or so. Touché, Klosterman, touché.

Klosterman, Chuck. Eating the Dinosaur. Simon and Schuster, 2009.