This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons

Kaplan's newest collection of hilariously wry drawings plunges readers into a black-and-white world drenched with sarcasm, irony and satirical humor: a place where children wisely declare that""your priorities change once you get a new toy,"" and husbands plaintively tell their wives""Of course I care about how you imagined I thought you perceived I wanted you to feel."" Indeed, the jargon of psychotherapy and self-help books is a favorite target of Kaplan's, and the bluntness with which his stocky characters discuss their hopes, fears, anxieties and dislikes is one of their greatest charms. Kaplan has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker since 1991, and his book should do well--especially if it's displayed face-out, so his fans can easily spot his signature style.