"Life is no way to treat an animal" is the inscription that acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut (now 83 years old) wants chiseled on his tombstone.

In his latest (and possibly last) work, A Man Without A Country, Vonnegut reflects on his life. Everything from his take on comedy to the environment to his time as a POW in Nazi Germany.

It is a humorous and, at times, heart wrenching read that can be knocked out in one sitting. Definitely worth the time (thanks Tim).

[WARNING SPOILER ALERT!!!]

Here's a hard-hitting sample if you're not planning on picking it up:

"Many years ago I was so innocent I still considered it possible that we could become the humane and reasonable America so many members of my generation used to dream of. We dreamed of such an America during the Great Depression, when there were no jobs. And then we fought and often died for that dream during the Second World War, when there was no peace."

Albert Einstein and Mark Twain gave up on the human race at the end of their lives. Like my distinct betters Einstein and Twain, I now give up on people, too. I am a veteran of the Second World War and I have to say this is not the first time I have surrendered to a pitiless war machine...

...the most I can give you to cling to is a poor thing, actually. Not much better than nothing, and maybe it's a little worse than nothing. It is the idea of..."

You'll have to pick up the book to get the rest.