Reason for Leaving

In the last column of a job application, there’s that tricky question: reason for leaving? John Manderino has apparently had to puzzle over that one often and long. His answers are collected here in this hilarious novel-in-stories tracing the history of a guy trying to grow up job by job. Delivery boy, altar boy, busboy, teacher, cotton picker, umpire, Zen monk—Manderino’s protagonist tries on one...