If you call it a mechayeh when you take off your Spanx,

Say, "Darn, I've got bubkes" when your checking account is empty,

And stock the refrigerator with all their favorites when the kids come home ...

... then you'll recognize yourself, your bubbe, and the entire mishpuchah in "The Whole Spiel," a collection of funny essays that takes a heartfelt look at modern life as a member of the tribe.

Read about the great shnecken vs. rugelach battle, the newly discovered Jewish summer holiday of Simchat Squash, and why yesterday's nebbish is today's millionaire tech nerd.

"From the...