When You Are Engulfed in Flames

The celebrated humorist travels the world in search of. . . something.
With a title inspired by a Japanese safety pamphlet, David Sedaris's new book of essays whips through time and space traveling, in no particular order, through his past and present. Readers familiar with his work will enjoy more tales of Sedaris' childhood in North Carolina. In "The Understudy," he recalls the incredulousness with which he and his siblings observed a live-in babysitter named Mrs. Peacock who collected dolls and demanded that her charges scratch her back with what appeared to be a monkey paw attached to a stick. Sedaris mines his present life for anecdotes that reflect his witty touch on sometimes-macabre subjects — like the practical difficulties of purchasing a human skeleton as a present for his boyfriend.

Are there as many laugh-out-loud moments as in prior books such as Me Talk Pretty One Day? No — occasionally his transitions and endings feel a bit stretched. But Sedaris at his weaker moments is still more fun to read than many other humor essayists at their best. The book, practically a collection of travel essays, is an especially enjoyable read during the summer, when there's more time to dream about far-flung locales like Rotterdam, Tokyo, Normandy, Sydney and North Carolina, and to enjoy Sedaris' distinct way of observing them.