Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (2005, Paperback, Reprint)

Augusten Burroughs delivers another ruthlessly funny, compelling read in his memoir, "Magical Thinking." Following his two startlingly honest best-sellers, Running with Scissors (2002) and Dry (2003), the self-described "alcoholic, high-school dropout raised in a cult by a crazy psychiatrist" unleashes a brand-new collection of real-life tales in which he extracts hilarity from every shred of his own warped experience.

In "I Dated an Undertaker," a steamy sexual act is performed in the onetime viewing room for Rose Kennedy's wake. "Telemarketing Revenge" reveals a hilarious, if perhaps pornographically over-the-top, solution for those annoyingly relentless dinner-hour callers. And in "Debby's Requirements," a dwarfish, passive-aggressive cleaning lady takes the unsuspecting author to court- his response to the complaint is a gem.

Burroughs is a proponent of "magical thinking," the belief- some readers might argue superstition- that a person can control the world with his mind. In the title story, his wish for the demise of a moody, potty-mouthed boss is granted, though not by means of a moving bus, as he would have liked. Steroid-induced cleaning sprees; sexual encounters with priests; a nerve-shredding session with a sadistic dentist's drill all add up to laugh-out-loud fun.

"Magical Thinking" comes from the heart of a man "made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." The stories offer the irresistibly offbeat perspective of Burroughs' viciously uncensored wit. "Magical Thinking" is a journey through an enchanted forest, a genuine delight to read.