The Harm in Asking: My Clumsy Encounters with the Human Race

(Paperback)

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Welcome to the perverse and hilarious mind of Sara Barron. In The Harm in Asking, she boldly addresses the bizarre indignities of everyday life- from invisible pets to mobster roommates, from a hatred of mayonnaise to an unrequited love of k.d. lang, from the ruinous side effect of broccoli to the sheer delight of a male catalogue model. In a voice that is incisive and entirely her own, Barron proves herself the master of the awkward, and she achieves something wonderful and rare- a book that makes you laugh out loud. Simply put- if you read it, you will never be the same.* *That's not true. You'll probably stay the same. But you'll have laughed a lot. And you'll have learned a fun fact about Jessica Simpson's home spray. See You didn't even know she had a home spray! The learning has already begun.

Reviews

Praise for The Harm In Asking

Whether [Barron is] moving into a friend's walk-in closet because she's priced out of Manhattan real estate, discussing her love of bad music, or going on a hot date at Chipotle, we're lucky to squirm alongside her. . . . Barron makes for great company. The show-stopping penultimate essay alone . . . is worth the price of admission.--Entertainment Weekly

If youre searching for something both well-written and hilarious . . . then this Buds for you.BUST Magazine

"Sara Barron has a knack for colliding into life's odd characters and sharp corners with hilarious and heartrending results. Here she navigates this journey with the biting humor and telling observation of a born storyteller."Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison

Made me laugh so hard, my ribs and sides ached. . . . IfSex in the Cityhad been based on reality, it would have been more like . . . Barrons book. . . . If you like funny, brutally honest, self-deprecating writers who write about lifes everyday degradations (Barron has been compared to David Sedaris), then you may want to pick up a copy ofThe Harm in Asking.--PopMatters.com

"Pick upThe Harm In Askingas soon as you can so you can feel like youre talking to your favorite friend, the one who is not afraid to say salty things and expose her secrets for the joy of watching you respond with a hearty laugh."--HelloGiggles.com

"There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments thoughout. . . . Fans of the Chelsea Handler/Tina Fey awkward-and-unashamed sense of humor will find a kindred spirit."--Publishers Weekly

Sara Barron is the reigning queen of New Yorks live storytelling scene. InThe Harm in Askingshe proves she's even better written down." Jon Ronson, author ofThe Psychopath Test

Praise for People Are Unappealing

Sara Barrons essays . . . are, dare we say it, as funny as David Sedaris . . . When you aren't squirming, you're laughing out loud." Los Angeles Times

"A wickedly funny and dirty treasure trove of modern day oddballs." Sloane Crosley, author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake

"Hilarious . . . Sedaris and Crosley come off as adorable children in Barron's presence." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Author Bio

SARA BARRON'S work has appeared in Vanity Fair; on Showtime's This American Life,NPR's Weekend Edition, andToday; and at HBO's Comedy Festival. She is a frequent host of The Moth- True Stories Told Live events.