The poems are short, very accessible, thick with visual detail. Most involve an extended metaphor, many extremely clever, fun, and illuminating. If I were reading an anthology of 4 or 5 poets, Kooser's would most likely be my favorites. Reading a whole book of his poetry alone, however, the cleverness seemed to engender feeling of shallowness. There were definitely poems that did not deserve that assessment but the depth got lost in the cleverness. ( )

Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't put it down. Kooser presents here a bright light in the mostly dim caverns of contemporary poetry. ( )

There's a reason why Ted Kooser was named the Poet Laureatte of the United States-- talent. His poems are moving, simple yet profound, and most importantly, accessible to such a wide range of readers. If you don't think you like poetry, you should read Kooser. Highly recomended first read. ( )