Gilb's essays are earnest and baggy (he would probably say conversational); he seems to write until he's said what he wanted to say, and then ends abruptly, without much thought to a coherent narrative or structure.

Most of the pieces are okay, interesting and entertaining, and a couple are seriously cringey (a defense of cockfighting and, not unrelated, an account of his macho-ness). The book is redeemed by two pieces: the fascinating "Vaya Con Dios, Rosendo Juarez," about being asked to write a spec script for a seriously flawed Latino-themed cop show, and the brief but searing "The Donkey Show," which is as good an essay on racist attitudes towards Mexicans as I've ever read. ( )