A heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius turned out to be just that. When young American writer, Dave Eggers, published his memoir in 2000, the critical acclaim that followed suggested that the title wasn't just an audacious joke - it was an accurate reflection of the work. It's the story of how Eggers came to care for his eight-yearold brother, Toph, when their mother died. Written in a narrative style that is bursting with force and energy, it details the adventures of the two as they come to terms with the loss and their new reality. It is a very funny book thanks to Eggers's wry, ironic voice, and despite the often heartbreaking moments between the two brothers. In the hardback version, his long, jokey preface suggests among other things that readers might like to skip certain sections, and if you don't like the book, he will refund you the price out of his advance. The new paperback version certainly adds to the original. There's a new preface and unusually the book is double covered - what would normally be the back cover is now a new cover called `Mistakes We Knew We were Making'. It includes corrections, clarifications and hilarious details, such as the fact that even though he included the phone numbers of many of the characters in the hardback version, only 24 people phoned them - although the book was read by at least 400,000 people. The double cover and funny preface sound like a smart marketing wheeze, but the savvy Eggers, not the publishers, thought it up and it will make fans who already own the hardback also buy the paperback.
