THE COWARD'S ALMANAC
By
Poor Marvin's solicitous bible for phobophiles -- those who prefer their feet cold, their knees weak, their hair on end, and their hearts in their mouths -- has moments that will make a yellow belly quiver in delight. But a panic it's not. On behalf of the diffident, the jittery, the dastardly, the pusillanimous, and the hysterical, Kitman has provided numerous holes for the pigeon-hearted to roost their soaring Angst. He suggests ""kemophobia"" (""fear of sitting too close to the edge of the chair and falling oW'), ""Brontephobia"" (""fear of Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bronte""). Among the 62 ""Basic Fears"" are ""not finishing the Sunday paper,"" ""biting off your dentist's finger,"" ""becoming an avid viewer of the Joyce Brothers Show."" He documents office fears, dining out fears, sex fears, old maid fears, computer fears, newspaper fears, Christmas fears. At times his heart is replaced by his foot: ""He who runs away will live to fight another day. So don't stop""; the ""Just-a-minutemen's"" slogan is ""Let me think it over and call you back sometime."" You may flinch -- not always from funk.