Since technology changes at lightning speed, it makes sense that everything around it changes with the same vigor. Those who relish in the embarrassment of radio shock-jock victims roped into lavish prank phone calls will be pleased to learn that David Earthman has ensured that this genre of humor keeps up with the changing times. Specifically, E-mails from Hell: The Wrath of William Wyndell is a compilation of David Earthman’s childish, outlandish, sometime offensive (but almost always humorous) “pull-my-finger”-type prank emails that successfully egg on unsuspecting victims and pull them into email exchanges.

The book makes no attempt to hide its desire to be classified as a humorous one, yet it is clear that Earthman takes his craft quite seriously. For example, he actually categorizes his exchanges into specific topics, including chapters focusing on death, education, marriage, employment, customer service, roommates, hobbies and pets. Within each chapter, he sends unsuspecting people e-mails seeking information, responding to advertisements, or finding some other reason to engage people in humorous (and often unapologetically offensive) lengthy electronic exchanges. For example, he e-mails a school about whether they can accommodate his son’s intense body odor (which causes him to smell like raw sewage). In another, he crafts a response to an ad about a missing dog, telling the desperate owner that he is considering selling the dog to a laboratory wanting to test electric dog collars. After this admission, he explains he would return the dog for a bikini top for his new car. And yes, people actually respond to his electronic communications.

In another e-mail, Earthman discusses the sale of a car, indicating he is not a car dealer but often sells marijuana. Without hesitation, the potential buyer expresses a lack of interest in the marijuana but requests the serial number which, of course, Earthman provides with too many digits, followed by too few. He then completely ignores the enthusiastic buyer’s concern relating to the invalid serial number, and suggests that the buyer throw in a few tickets to Disney on Ice, or some movie tickets with Twizzlers to close the deal.

What is most amusing about this book is Earthman’s skill at pushing people’s limits, as well as the length of time people tolerate Earthman’s behavior and engage in such outlandish banter. E-mails from Hell is an innovative idea and an amusing collection of e-mail exchanges that is well worth the half hour it will take readers to breeze through it.