About the Book

Disillusioned with Ivy League post-graduate life, 24-year-old Joel Chasnoff makes real on his dream of giving back to Israel (and of being a badass gun-toting soldier) and voluntarily enlists in the Israeli Army. What follows is a hilarious coming-of-age tale in which Chasnoff takes readers into the barracks, over, under, and through political fences, and face-to-face with the absurd reality of life in the Israeli Army.

The lone American in a platoon of 18-year-old Israelis, Chasnoff finds himself caught in a twilight zone-like world of baby-faced officers, diabolical sergeants, and teenage Israeli mama’s boys who feign injuries to get out of guard duty and claim diarrhea to avoid kitchen work. And all while Joel’s relationship with his tough-as-nails Israeli girlfriend (herself a former drill sergeant) crumbles before his very eyes.

With equal parts irreverence and vulnerability, irony and intimacy, Chasnoff blends an on-the-ground portrait of life in one of the world’s most high-profile militaries with a poignant, thought-provoking look inward at a young man coming into his own.

SPECIAL LIMITED-TIME OFFER:

THE 188th CRYBABY BRIGADE goes on sale February 9, 2010. As an incentive, Joel is making this limited-time offer:

Simply email Joel a photo of yourself reading THE 188th CRYBABY BRIGADE. The more exotic the location, the better. For every photo received by March 1, 2010, Joel will contribute $1 to American Jewish World Service (www.AJWS.org), up to $2,500. And then he’ll post your photo on his website (with your permission).