Zapped by the God of Absurdity: The Best of Paul Krassner

Zapped by the God of Absurdity is a carefully curated collection of Krassner’s own satirical writing and reporting that serves both as a look back on his career and as a memoir. His eye for the absurd serves readers well, such as in his reports from a swingers’ convention and a conspiracy convention — and the trial of Dan White for the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk during which Krassner coined the term “the Twinkie defense.” He also relates personal encounters with such famous figures as Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Johnnie Cochran, Ram Dass, Larry Flynt, Squeaky Fromme, Dick Gregory, Charles Manson, and Robin Williams — not to mention the time he took an acid trip with Groucho Marx.