If This Isn't Nice, What Is?

A collection of 15 graduation speeches and treasured wisdom from the New York Times–bestselling literary icon and author of Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions.

Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. His words were unfailingly insightful and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. Chosen and introduced by fellow novelist and friend Dan Wakefield, a selection of speeches and essays in this expanded 3rd edition include:

• “What to Do When You Have the Power; In the Meantime, Remember to Skylark!”

• “Why Social Justice Does More Than Art to Nourish the American Dream”

• “How to Make Money and Find Love!”

• “Somebody Should’ve Told Me Not to Join a Fraternity”

• “How to Have Something Most Billionaires Don’t”

Hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and at times deeply serious, these reflections are ideal not just for graduates but for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the long and challenging passage to full-time adulthood.