When you can’t conceal your laughter on a train full of stern and snippy commuters, you know it’s good. When you consider buying a copy for everyone you know this Christmas, you know it’s good. When you pull it out of your purse on date night and start re-reading parts to your hungry date as he tosses his fork under the table just to be able to hide from your hysterical laughter, and you…

When I read de Botton admit to having guiltily scoffed down three pain au chocolat while making sure no one saw, I catch a reflection of myself in the author. You see, it just so happens that I too recently ate numerous pains au chocolat in guilty rapid succession while visiting France. In my defense, they were miniature packets of pleasure…