Rating: 
Summary: like Jackie Gleason in Drag
Review: Critics of DFW tend to fall into one of two categories:1. Too stupid/impatient to get what's going on/being attempted; or 2. Smart, but ideologically encumbered/terminally insecure, and thus predisposed towards rejection. Both sets of critics appear to have missed the point. The joy of DFW is that he doesn't attempt to answer his own questions. This is the literary equivalent of socratic method. He presents his argument to the reader, and then asks (as in Chapter 1 of Infinite Jest), "what's _your_ story?" Like any other educational experience, what the reader elicits is directly proportional to what the reader invests. Challenging? Yes. Pedantic? Often. But also by turns hilarious, insightful, and deeply moving. Consider anything he's written as one half of a dialogue. It's left to the reader to respond.
Rating:
Summary: freaking hysterical
Review: I got this book on a recommendation from a stranger who was reading the title essay while having a frothy brew down at the local watering hole. He was laughing so much I had to ask him what the hell he was reading. I got the book the next day and, well, you simply have to read the title essay. It's about his experiences on a carribean cruise ship- he goes into great detail about every aspect of "cruise-life", including (while going through one of his agrophobic moments) measuring the L x W of his cabin in Keds size 11 shoes. That cracked me up! He goes deeper too in this essay and the others (with a lot of unruly pontification) but I'll let you get the book and read it for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Great Essay on David Lynch
Review: The other essays in this volume are pretty amusing, but the real find here is Wallace's long consideration of David Lynch's career. It the best thing I've ever read on that filmmaker. Wallace catches the peculiar combination of innocence and horror that inhabits Lynch's work and makes him so special. Along with his essay "Laughing With Kafka" (not in this book but you can find it online), Wallace shows real talent as a critic, and could probably be a great one if this fiction day-job doesn't pan out (that's a joke, son.)
Rating: 
Summary: I love this man
Review: This was the first DFW work I ever read, and it still sticks in my mind as a brilliant, beautiful collection. Even those who have tried Infinite Jest and hated it (and you are legion) should give this a try. You will be blissfully surprised. A friend of mine was recently on the cruise ship that is the subject of the title piece. She said that everything she saw reminded her of a specific line, that he had left nothing out. DFW is one of the greatest writers of our (or possibly any) time. Forgive him his excesses, and you will be amply rewarded. I suppose I should make a token effort to say what the book is about. Okay, then: cruise ships, state fairs, tennis, David Lynch, agorophobia, preformance anxiety, etc. There. Now read it.
Rating:
Summary: An H-Bomb in reverse
Review: David Foster Wallace is an endearing writer, and these essays (which cover tennis, luxury cruises, state fairs, movies/television) are disarmingly sincere and phenomenally crafted. His "journalistic" pieces in particular make the works of a Hunter Thompson or even a Tom Wolfe seem amateurish by comparison. Despite DFW's repeated assertions that he's not a crack journalist, these essays prove that he's not only good: he's celestial. However, if you hate the subjects, you'll definitely be put off by his fixation with minutiae and his legions of footnotes. (The final essay describing a Caribbean cruise boasts over 130 of the little buggers.. each of them delicious.) On the other hand, I can't think of an author who has done better with the subjects than DFW. He's intelligent without being haughty and genuine without being sickening. A great introduction to his works.
Rating:
Summary: didn't even read the whole thing but BUY IT!
Review: It's true, there are two essays in this book that I have not finished (especially the essay on television). However, cruise ship holidays, pro-tennis tournaments, David Lynch and state fairs. Amazing writing, very funny indeed. He manages to observe the social mores of the that special tribe that takes 7NightCruises, gives advice on why not to date girls whose mothers look like Lynchian characters and gives us an insight of tennis players and their whimsical, yet understandable behaviour. Very funny stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Bipolar Reading
Review: David Foster Wallace is a very entrancing writer. His prose is, for lack of a better word, beautiful (though he falls into bouts of "like ____ or something", more notably in Infinite Jest than here). Most of this book is his own personal narrative on events he's either experienced or sent on assignment to experience. These tend to be eye-opening, entertaining, and marvelous. There are also a couple of essays, doctorate-level in complexity, on entertainment and David Lynch. These are very tough to get through unless you're truly interested in the subject. The Lynch essay got more readable towards the end, where it turned into a personal narrative. The amusement level of this book is, overall, very high. Wallace's odd take on the world is something very unique, which you have to experience yourself. He's semi-agoraphobic, and possibly boviscopophobic (get used to big words). He's a ping-pong guru (maybe). He lost at chess to a 9 year old girl. He has a fear of chickens. He lets you into his world. Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: One of America's funniest writers
Review: Almost all of the essays in this book are excellent, but the title essay, where Wallace recounts a luxury Caribbean cruise is worth the cost of the book alone. I reread it roughly every couple months. Wallace's prose is not for the average reader, but these essays are very accessable for the most part and a good place to start if you've not been introduced to him. I believe is one of the funniest men of letters in American history and hopefully, will continue to be so.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book in public.....
Review: I tried to read this book while waiting out a long afternoon in a public house. I was laughing so hard, I drew stares and people started moving away. I woke my kids up at midnight to read them the skeet shooting episode--they looked worried. DFW is PJ O'Rourke on crack...the funniest, most intelligent, most ascerbic book in years
Rating:
Summary: I Loved Every Word!
Review: I cannot think of enough good things to say about this collection on non-fiction by one of the greatest authors of all time. My favorites were the title essay, the discussion of the author's experience as a young tennis player, and his "portait" of David Lynch. This is a must-read for anyone who wants/likes to think!
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