I’m a fan of Tom Papa. He’s smart and funny and learns from his own mistakes. These days, I mostly hear him as a guest on NPR’s Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, so I was excited to read this book and get a bigger dose of his comedy. Almost immediately, I was really surprised by this book.

In We’re All in this Together . . ., there are stories about growing up and about acquiring stuff, about drinking too much and why your cat will eat you if you die and how he would go out crabbing with his dad and sisters when he was a kid. He talks about how we all make mistakes and and drink too much and embarrass ourselves at parties and have regrets. He talks about how we can learn from all that and be better people.

In these essays, Papa shows us who he really is, a dad who thinks about exercising but doesn’t actually do anything about it, a New Jersey kid who chose to go to Manhattan to find a bigger life, and a stand-up comedian with the heart of a philosopher.

Papa’s humor is gentle and intelligent, and he speaks from the experience of middle age. He sees us all for who we really are, flaws and all, and he’s okay with that. We all have problems. We all have challenges. We all struggle with jazz. And we all need a friend who helps us face things with laughter and compassion. Papa is that friend in these short essays filled with family stories, warnings about pirates, a little self-loathing, bad haircuts, and life lessons that are surprisingly insightful for a book written by a comedian.

I really enjoyed We’re All in this Together . . . I did expect it to be more punchy and a little offensive, but it turned out to be lovely and kind and honest in a way that felt tender and warmhearted. This would cheer me up if I were down and help me get a more balanced perspective on life. This book would actually be a great gift for someone graduating or starting a new chapter in life. Papa brings smiles and encouragement to help us be better, because as he says, We’re All in this Together.

Egalleys for We’re All in this Together . . . were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.