I Love You More Than You Know (2006)

''You make a living making fun of yourself,'' says Ames' teenage son after reading one of Dad's essays. The kid is spot-on. Jonathan Ames himself admits that ''sex scenes and bathroom jokes are my bread and butter.'' The two quotes encapsulate both the allure and repulsiveness of Ames' writing. His self-loathing humor is tops, but you'll either warm immediately to his tales of French prostitutes, dominatrices, and pre-op transsexuals, or not. And while he's unafraid to write about the pleasurable — but often embarrassing — human body, his lack of heart belies the book's tender title, I Love You More Than You Know.