Scribblings

Jay McNamara's wit and insight are familiar to readers of Vero Life Magazine, where his column regularly appears. These funny essays are just the antidotes to the aggravations we all face each day. Every doctor's office, airline waiting room and handbag should contain a copy of this laugh out loud book, which contains mostly heretofore unpublished material. Short and to the point, McNamara gets to the amusing aspects of life's annoyances.

He writes from a perspective encompassing his myriad occupational and lifetime pursuits, including ad exec, mayor, Marine officer and, importantly, grandfather. Mostly, he brings a timeless Irish sense of humor to everyday events. If he had lived two hundred years ago, he would have been one of those Irish itinerant story tellers who traveled from town to town.

Only in two essays does McNamara turn serious, in one describing his top secret access to military planning prior to Viet Vietnam, and in another describing the saga of his prostate cancer treatment, a story of perseverance and hope for anyone so afflicted. Mostly, though, he is in it for the laughs. If laughter is a medicine, these essays provide strong doses. Just what the doctor ordered for what ails you.