After a slow and inauspicious beginning, Seinfeld broke through to become one of the most commercially successful sitcoms in the history of television.

This fascinating book includes classic articles on the show by Geoffrey O’Brien and Bill Wyman (first published in the New York Review of Books and Salon.com respectively), and a selection of new and revised essays by some of the top television scholars in the US – looking at issues as wide-ranging as Seinfeld’s Jewishness, alleged nihilism, food obsession, and long-running syndication. The book also includes a comprehensive episode guide, and Betty Lee’s lexicon of Seinfeld language.

Well written with in text refrencing to specific episodes that isn't too invasive. Contains a variety of well written academic essays.

I found this during the tailend of my research for a paper on seinfeld and pop culture, and i wish i had found it first. it brought together many of the articles and book chapters i had found before (although some were reedited for maximum seinfeld discussion)and a bunch that i couldn't find through my university library. it's a great read for anyone interested in the cultural aspects of the show. book also includes a "complete" glossary of seinfeld terms, a complete listing of the episodes with synopses, and many interesting chapters. i liked this study much better than "seinfeld and philosophy," which i thought less captivating. and because many of these articles come from published works (books, scholarly journals) they have been well written and edited. all in all it was the perfect buy for my research.