I was born in 1961 which means when Nirvana’s Nevermind came out I was 30 years old. That’s not too far outside the demographic. And yet I have never, not once, listened to that album. Not even by accident when I was at a party or in someone else’s car. I haven’t singled out the band to avoid and I’m not even bragging. It just didn’t happen. I don’t hate all music that falls into that category of rock-that-must-be-lame-because-it-happened-after-I-was-young. For example, about five years ago I discovered Radiohead (better late than never), and I became so obsessed with OK Computer that for a while I went to sleep and woke up with a loop of “Subterranean Homesick Alien” playing in my head.

I’m not writing about Nirvana since I’ve never really listened to them. (I recognize “Come as You Are” if I hear it, just so you know.) So why would I even bother to read an essay about Nirvana, specifically their third album, In Utero, which I have also never listened to? Because Chuck Klosterman wrote it. His new book, a collection of essays called Eating the Dinosaur, is bound to have chapters on topics that many readers will not care about. He says as much in the essay on former  basketball star Ralph Sampson (whom I remember very well.) But Klosterman’s writing is so good and his observations so unique, it’s all worth reading. For example, the Nirvana piece has almost as much to say about David Koresh as it does Kurt Cobain. There’s an essay on the interview process–why do people subject themselves to it and why (or why not) do they tell the truth? There’s an essay on voyeurism that draws heavily on Hitchcock’s Rear Window. (Guess what? Never watched it!) And my favorite so far, a piece on the ethics of time travel.

So whether his subject is strictly theoretical (see time travel) or pop culture or sports, Klosterman has something interesting to say and you are probably not too old to enjoy it.

Special thanks to Stan Hynds,  head adult book buyer for Northshire Books in Manchester, Vermont, for sharing his thoughts on Eating the Dinosaur and giving us some insight into his psyche. I must go purchase me Radiohead's OK Computer...and a copy of Eating the Dinosaur of course. To read more articles and reviews by Stan and other contributors you can visit the Northshire Bookstore's Blog.

The Northshire Bookstore lives in an old Victorian building that was originally a farmhouse and then an Inn for over 100 years. Located in Manchester, Vermont, Northshire Bookstore was voted Best Bookstore in the country by Publishers Weekly magazine and Best of New England by Yankee magazine. Featuring print books, ebooks, audio books, DVDs, music, and print on demand, come see why so many people rave about this family-owned, independent bookstore.

Let us help promote your business with a story ABOUT YOU! For more information, visit our Advertising and Promotions page. To stay up to date on our latest stories and information around New England, visit our home page at www.allthingsnewengland.com, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!