How Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot - by Jim Sollisch (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published in major publications, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, these relatable essays about everyday life sparkle with humor, pathos, and optimism. Sollisch doesn't waste a word--or a moment of your time--getting to the point. He pokes and prods every experience until it yields a surprising insight. What's really behind people's obsessions with bucket lists? How did Boomers, who had the best parents, ruin parenting forever? Why do men have to unlearn just about everything they know to become good fathers? Why is there an Encyclopedia of Jews in sports? What's with guys still asking fathers for permission to marry their daughters?
Whether he's explaining how he lost his two-year old son at the mall or revealing the real reason he donated a kidney, Sollisch is a master storyteller and a keen observer of the small truths that make us human. There are odes to basketball, grocery shopping, monogamy, rants against air travel, the death of the family dinner, and bad writing that will have you nodding your head.
Sollisch's voice is distinct and familiar--like someone you meet at a party and instantly feel like you've known forever. Some readers may have heard his voice on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, where he was a commentator reading his own essays for several years.

Book Synopsis

Originally published in major publications, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, these relatable essays about everyday life sparkle with humor, pathos, and optimism. Sollisch doesn't waste a word--or a moment of your time--getting to the point. He pokes and prods every experience until it yields a surprising insight. What's really behind people's obsessions with bucket lists? How did Boomers, who had the best parents, ruin parenting forever? Why do men have to unlearn just about everything they know to become good fathers? Why is there an Encyclopedia of Jews in sports? What's with guys still asking fathers for permission to marry their daughters?
Whether he's explaining how he lost his two-year old son at the mall or revealing the real reason he donated a kidney, Sollisch is a master storyteller and a keen observer of the small truths that make us human. There are odes to basketball, grocery shopping, monogamy, rants against air travel, the death of the family dinner, and bad writing that will have you nodding your head.
Sollisch's voice is distinct and familiar--like someone you meet at a party and instantly feel like you've known forever. Some readers may have heard his voice on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, where he was a commentator reading his own essays for several years.

Review Quotes

From Kirkus Reviews: "A layered, frank, and entertaining appreciation of everyday wins. Coming in at under 200 pages, the book's 74 essays blend funny anecdotes and sage life advice into an effectively pithy package. Previously published in national newspapers, including the New York Times, this is an impressive debut.Our verdict: Get it."

"This smart and charming essay collection reads like a best friend's memoir--hilarious and honest." Margaret McMullan, author of Where the Angels Lived.

"Laugh-out loud funny. . . I could barely get through an essay without reading excerpts to my husband." Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor

"Filled with crisp new insights about who we can be and how to live a good life." Josh Seftel, Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning film director.

"It's always a good day when a column by Jim Sollisch lands in my inbox." Elizabeth Sullivan, Opinion Editor, Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Sharp but always generous observations about the perils and delights of modern life." Patrick O'Connor, Writer/Director Zebra and the Bear

"You don't have to donate a kidney-- just your eyeballs-- to read this very funny, very human collection." Marc Jaffe, comedian, writer for TV Show Seinfeld

About the Author

Jim Sollisch has written personal essays and stories for just about every major news outlet in the United States. His subjects include parenting, sports, cooking, faith, advertising, culture, gardening and occasionally politics although there's no subject he can't cover in 500 words or less. For years, he was a commentator on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Sollisch is a copywriter and Creative Director at Marcus Thomas Advertising in Cleveland, Ohio, where he has been a willing participant in the masochistic ritual of being a Cleveland sports fan. As a copywriter, he's learned to never waste a word, and his work, which includes a Super Bowl spot, has won hundreds of awards. He is crazy about cooking and is the creator of the Chorizo Date Burger, which he ranks as his finest achievement.