In a foreword that's every bit as entertaining as the collection that follows, Bruce Friedman explains a little something of himself, his theories on his writing style, and what prompted him to want to see his 40 plus years of short stories compiled into one handy edition. Despite his tongue-in-cheek dismay that others might believe he perceives things from a "tilted" axis, there's little doubt that he's refreshingly comical and marches --- in double time --- to his own imaginative drummer.

The unifying thread of the collection is Friedman's remarkable ability to raise our level of consciousness with simple illustrations of human behavior couched in fascinating albeit quirky tales. "Far from the City of Class" portrays a boastful manipulator that grates on the nerves with its familiarity. We've all encountered the type and may have even been a victim of their overpowering arrogance. But after his companions are bullied into a salacious scheme, Friedman ultimately exposes him for the pathetic loser we knew him to be. "The Icing on the Cake" depicts a man pondering his good fortune, yet for one brief moment letting self-doubt creep in to cloud that happiness, a possible portent for future disaster. "The Humiliation" is one of Friedman's purest satirical pieces, as his character indulges in a ridiculous exhibition to air a grievance and redeem his dignity from a 15-year-old incident.

In all of these insightful stories, Friedman employs a strong narrative of examination --- focused on snippets of human behavior that are magnified and brought clearly into the reader's focus. At least most of the time. The first entry entitled "The Subversive" really had me puzzled, and more than a little worried that I was about to embark on a metaphoric journey beyond my understanding. An All-American guy, the narrator's idol just oozing with wholesome values, suddenly goes berserk at the sight of an old woman in a wheelchair. Friedman no doubt intended to convey how the most admirable people may harbor an uglier persona beneath that shining exterior, but the character's reaction to the situation as presented was, frankly, completely lost on me. A less stubborn reader might have thrown in the towel at this point, but trust me on this --- keep reading!

"Wonderful Golden Rule Days" mirrors the sad perspective of those who always view life as a glass half-empty, and meshes the obvious allegory with Friedman's predictable irony. On the other hand, one of my favorites, "The Neighbors," revolves around a feud in the 'burbs, and Friedman eloquently fashions a vivid picture of two comic but quarrelsome old men.

"Lang actually made a physical effort to shut the other man out of his consciousness, biting down on his gums and clamping shut his eyes; but it was as though the other man had a way of sending a sentrylike finger through Lang's defenses, to steal beneath his T-shirt, to press upon his chest."

The real significance of the title as the story unfolds probably won't hit you until the final page, but it's guaranteed to make you rock with laughter.

And then there's an intriguing little mystery, "Our Lady of the Lockers," which explores a darker side to human nature and relationships, in which a policeman may or may not be involved in a murder but was most definitely involved with the principal party. Even in this twisted little tale of crime, the narration is peppered with black humor --- a dose of Friedman's oblique humor kicking things off:

"They found her body in locker three hundred fifty-seven at Jack La Lanne's Gym and Health Spa on East Fifty-fifth Street. Also in lockers three hundred fifty-eight through three hundred sixty-one."

Isn't that an image? With over 460 pages containing 57 stories, there's a wealth of thought-provoking entertainment packed into Friedman's superlative anthology. I have to be honest: I've not read them all --- yet. But it's never far from my elbow; I've carried it from the family room to the kitchen to my favorite reading chair in the library, filling quiet moments with a few delicious titles at random. I'm more than halfway through this magnificent feast, but determined not to rush it. I plan to savor every element of Friedman's "tilted" imagination --- and make it last as long as possible