One of the best short story collections I ever had the good fortune to come across so many years ago. An immensely underrated writer, Yates brilliant collection even outshines his more memorable works, Revolutionary Road and Easter Parade. Some of the stories approach perfection both in their construction and their depth of understanding of the human condition. The Best of Everything is only one such example, but in my opinion one of best short stories any writer has produced. Perhaps only an unfortunate life such as his (see A Tragic Honesty, Bailey) can yield work of such astonishing clarity.