"Family, Friends, and Other Strangers" commemorates those Baumgard has lost. "Applause for Four Paws" is dedicated to those whose affinity for their pets, and theirs for us, is unquestioned. "Me, Myself, and I" may seem overly self-indulgent, but when can a writer be self-indulgent, if not while 'confessing'? Set adrift after his wife died, Baumgard met a few women who, unaware, helped to fill the void. They were not lovers. Rather, they made him feel he signified. Their stories are a way of showing his gratitude. The section on poetry covers a wide range of topics and styles among them haiku and limericks.