Why would anyone aspire to be a curmudgeon? Because, among other things, they mock and debunk pretense and hypocrisy; they are noted for having high uncompromising standards. Curmudgeons disdain mediocrity and fraud and use humor as their principal weapon. The topics covered, whether dealing with Bottled Water, Cats, Affluent Consumption, Keys, Collectors, or Fear of Death, to name but a few are replete with wit, irony and sociological insight. In 'Keys," for example, Dr. Berardo notes: The importance of keys in our lives comes abruptly into focus whenever we misplace or lose them. Our minds frantically search for the time/place where we last saw these guardians of our possessions and keepers of our privacy, these protectors of our offices and homes, these essentials for starting up our vehicles With regard to women's purses and men's wallets, he notes: I don't know how much time in a lifetime women spend searching for things in their purses, but I bet it is significantly more than that exercised by men. In the tradition of Mark Twain, Berardo relates his intensely personal experiences and observations on human behavior to larger societal trends and changing values. Often hilarious, always profound, these essays enlighten and entertain.