Neil Forsyth's hilarious collection of email exchanges between various scam spammers and a man who's had enough is a lesson in one-upsmanship. Narrated by Cameron Stewart, whose British accent compliments the text, DELETE THIS AT YOUR PERIL is a must hear for anyone imagining revenge against Nigerian phishes, Russian mail order brides of Frankenstein, and other offers to good to be true. Don't listen at your peril.

Americans are addicted to TV. We watch on average six hours a day. Not only does this cut into productivity, but it isolates us and makes us more lonely, even as it presents itself as a bright, happy alternative to facing real people in the real world. In the essays A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again the late David Foster Wallace attempts to plumb the whys of popular culture. These densely reasoned examinations not only illuminate TV, but also director David Lynch, ocean cruising, tennis, literary theory, and the Illinois State Fair. Read with an empathic air by the always engaging Paul Garcia, they reveal an insightful writer with a facility for language and critical thought. And while he fought depression, he also had a sense of humor and the absurd.

After deregulation ("free markets") caused disaster in 2008 at the collapse, why are conservatives and the Tea Party promoting it harder than ever? Thomas Frank makes this analogy, narrating his ironic look at the delusions of politics, PITY THE BILLIONAIRE: "It's as if the French Revolution is occurring in reverse, with people demanding that the nobility be given more money and privileges." The author brings to bear many observations made about pundits and journalists on both the right and the left, trying to sort out the reasons behind the enigma of doublethink. While many on the right, most notably Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, say they are against big government for the sake of the little guy, the very regulations they oppose (also opposed by big business) serves only to force the little guy to pay for big business (and big government's) mistakes. The two feed off each other, with greed the winner over sanity. Frank hits a lot of nails in his book, fearful that the zombies he's trying to imprison will somehow rise again from their coffins.

Finally, Donna M. Johnson's memoir HOLY GHOST GIRL chronicles her experience as child to a mother who became evangelical evangelist David Terrell's mistress. The book is both honest and puzzling, as the author contemplates the motives of a man whose life was an enigma. Tent meetings across a segregated America began with harsh living conditions, as she traveled with her mother on the ministry's circuit, witnessing hell fire preaching, attempts at healing, and the odd hypocritical philosophy that made the "man of God" kneel in prayer even in private, yet justify his indiscretions at every turn. As the ministry grew, what was formerly a struggle turned profitable, with greed and tax evasion on its heels. Carrington MacDuffie narrates this coming of age story with appropriate naivete in her tone, as Johnson eventually broke away from the life, first with rebellion, and finally with a sense of peace, if not understanding.