Popular satirist Joe Queenan proves that cynicism in literature flourished long before Generation X in this acerbic compendium of the best classic satirical writing from the last several centuries, as well as from Ancient Greece. The collection encompasses essays, short stories, plays, and novels, with Queenan's insightful biographies of each featured writer. Selections include engaging, readable works by early wits ranging from Oscar Wilde to Mark Twain, and excerpts from The Prince by Machiavelli; "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift; "Justine" by the Marquis de Sade; as well as works by Rabelais, Moliere, Ben Johnson, Aristophanes, George Bernard Shaw, Jane Austen, and other wits.