Eating the Dinosaur

In one of the most noteworthy essays, Klosterman provides a somber analysis comparing the personal tragedies of deceased Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian cult who died in the cult's Waco compound after a raid by U.S. federal forces. Cobain took his life in 1993 at 27, seemingly at the height of his fame and success. Klosterman, through a winding look at Nirvana's “bad” album In Utero, the act of musicians destroying their instrument and the meaning of “mainstream,” argues that Cobain did it to escape his mainstream success, while Koresh was persecuted for deviating from the mainstream.

Another essay on athletes who are considered “busts” is a brilliant look at why we sometimes want certain athletes to fail. Using the case of former NBA center, Ralph Sampson, who was seven foot four and much maligned for being a bust despite four All-Star appearances and persistent knee injuries, Klosterman highlights why some underachievers are celebrated and others like Sampson are vilified.

There are also particularly interesting essays on the reasons why American football is able to maintain and grow its popularity and ABBA.

Klosterman doesn't hesitate to be bluntly critical, whether it's celebrity figures – he says Beyonce “doesn't really have any personality at all,” and regular human nature.

That's not to say there aren't some tedious parts as Klosterman seems to over analyze things in his pontifications on time travel and its impossibility and on voyeurism. He comes across as a bit too sure of himself sometimes, which can be a little grating.

Eating the Dinosaur is quite entertaining but it also leaves you feeling a little bit smarter.

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