Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite Sedaris
Review: Of course there are comparisons to be made between David Rakoff and David Sedaris--they're not just both gay Jewish New Yorkers who write for This American Life and who have appeared on David Letterman, but they also share a profoundly similar world-view. The "Fraud" of the title is Rakoff himself--his introspective essays contained herein reveal more about himself than his putative prey...er, subjects. Similarly, the more mature Sedaris reveals himself in his essays. And in both cases, the writers are intelligent, sensitive, lost, simultaneously sentimental and cynical; even damaged. In Fraud's inscription, Rakoff quotes Addison De Witt: "You're maudlin and full of self-pity. You're magnificent." At his best, in Christmas Freud; Before & After Science; Lather, Rinse, Repeat; and I Used to Bank Here, But That Was Long Ago, Rakoff is indeed magnificent--the equal of Sedaris. But he is also occasionally annoying, whiny, and opinionated--not always wittily so. This uneven performance mars the book significantly, and marks Rakoff as a voice worth listening for, but not ultimately of the consistently high quality of Sedaris.
Rating: 
Summary: What the???
Review: I spent last summer in NYC for an elective in Dermatology. Though I have been in the city before, its feel did not really catch on and I was left wanting. With this visit, I had wanted my stay to count. I thought that this would be accomplished if I let my senses completely engage where it is that I am. I wanted to smell NY, feel it, taste it, hear it, see it and because I loved reading, I thought why not try and read it. Virgin Megastore, Times Sq. is the place where I decided to do just that. I saw David Rakoff's Fraud on display and thought "Oh riiiiight!!!"I made mistakes in my life, but buying this book has got to be one of the biggest ones I have ever done. Just hang me or spit on me whenever you see me. yes I am that serious on how mistaken I was when I bought this book. The book is a compilation of essays written by the author that were published in a number of articles or were broadcast on the air in some show. Now the ones meant for the written world were average. Through them, you could understand what Rakoff wanted to say. You could even say that he is kinda funny in his sordid, pessimistic personality. I admit, I had moments of laughter, not a serious guffaw as such but more of a cute giggle. He is funny. I think the person who cleans the toilet in the place I study in funnier, but I don't see him selling millions in the writing world. The pieces that were meant for broadcast are truly and unbelievably horrible. Rakoff is completely in coherent and his thoughts just seem to jump from one part to another. This, for me, was unappreciated. I think if I wanted to read what a guy actually said, i'd open a history book or something. even there, some of the speeches are modified to make them read cooler. Fraud is extremely average. You certainly get tired of it as you move along, though it is the final essays that strike you as the most memorable. Would I ask a person to buy it, I guess it all has to do with that person's ability to completey waste his time or whether the've got deep pockets to actually afford a hardcover edition of this literary flea of a book. New York this wasn't...
Rating: 
Summary: A fabulous complement to David Sedaris
Review: I first read some of David Rakoff's work in the anthology "Mirth of a Nation," and immediately became intrigued. Reading Rakoff's first collection, I'm even more so. His essays in "Mirth of a Nation" are funny, but heavily edited and shortened. Rakoff's true humor comes through in his full essays. His style complements David Sedaris (with whom he's collaborated in the past) with its wry wit and sharp observations. What made Rakoff's collection so enjoyable was that he's clearly well-read and able to work in numerous random cultural (and not just pop cultural) references--like little inside jokes he's throwing out to his readers. Rakoff, Sedaris and Sarah Vowell make up the holy trinity of contemporary humorists.
Rating: 
Summary: Moments of Laugh Out Loud Funny!
Review: Fans of David Sedaris will feel right at home in the varied worlds that David Rakoff takes you to. Much of the book feels like a wacky travel log, ranging from the urban jungle of New York public schools, to central Tokyo's neon shopping district. With any collection of non-fiction work there's always chapters that stand out more than others, but luckily the majority of his pieces inspire laugh out loud passages, especially sections of his trip to the Aspen Comedy festival. If you're looking looking for a quick, light, and witty read, and are fans of David Sedaris, Sandra Tsing Loh, or NPR you might enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: very tired.
Review: If I had to sit through one more chapter, I would die an unhappy queen. I had very high hopes for this book and obviously it was a serious let down.
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly Witty!
Review: I saw the author in question on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart and after wacthing this obvious nervous, sarcastic and almost manic writer, I decided I MUST have this book. This is the first book I have purchased in a long time which I enjoyed all the way through. It is sarcastic, sardonic, ironic, ridiculous and most importantly HILARIOUS. I adore this man's take on life. He has a touch of the Woody Allen nuerotic thing going on there but it's not self-depricating. His observations are wonderful and he has a style of writing that flows well and is an easy read. I can't WAIT to get my Audio CD version because somehow, hearing him re-live these ridiculous antics will be even better. I fear I may need oxygen after it from laughing so hard.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read it - LISTEN to it
Review: The only thing I can think of kore fun than reading Fraud is having the author read it TO you . . . either on CD or, as in my case, ... Not every author has the talent to read his work without detracting from it, but you'll laugh all the harder when you hear it not just written in his voice, but IN HIS VOICE. I listened to a good chunk of it in the dentist's chair -- two hours of a titanium implant -- and was grinning the entire time.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining essays - travel and introspection
Review: The more I read this book, the more I enjoyed it. It's sort of a David-Sedaris-meets-early-cranky-Bill-Bryson thing. Probably not as funny as either of them overall, but definitely in places. The book is all over the map literally and figuratively. I think it will surprise you. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One Part Smart + One Part Self-Deprecating = An Amusing Read
Review: Never heard of David Rakoff until I saw him on a recent talk show, and as I'm always in the mood for observations on society, etc. by a smart gay man, spent a warm afternoon or two with this often amusing book of essays. Subjects include a trip to Iceland, a wildnerness survival/tracking course, a visit to a New Age mecca, and climbing a mountain somewhere in New England. Mr. Rakoff isn't as funny as David Sedaris, there is a strong undertone of melancholy, and he is self-deprecating in the extreme. He actually admits - twice! - to wearing black plastic shoes, which information astonishes me. I plan to look up his previous work on the internet, and look forward to any future books with great anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: An original voice, not a Sedaris wannabe
Review: I have to confess that I have never heard even one episode of "This American Life." I was prompted to buy this title after reading of it in The Advocate. I'm glad that I did. Mr. Rakoff has a disarming style. His essays cover a variety of topics. Often humerous, Rakoff's stories are never as outrageous or as crude as those by Mr. Sedaris. I especially enjoyed his pieces "The Best Medicine" (which features one huge belly laugh) and "I Used to Bank Here..." "Fraud" is fresh, fun and always amusing.
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