I Wear the Black Hat
I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) is a book written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2013. It is a collection of twelve essays examining the nature of villainy through the lens of popular culture, rock music, and sports. It is the eighth book released by Klosterman. The book debuted at number 5 on the "New York Times" bestseller list. Overview. "I Wear the Black Hat" investigates the thesis: A villain is someone who knows the most but cares the least. The book explores how villains behave and  why, and many of the essays surround famous athletes and musicians Essays. "I Wear the Black Hat" consists of twelve essays: Reception. The book received mixed reviews, with The A.V. Club giving it a B−. Writing for the "New York Times", James Parker said "I Wear the Black Hat" is, "...not [Klosterman's] best book, but in considering it we should remember the young person, probably not a reader of The New York Times, to whom its haphazardness, its occasional pointlessness and above all its difficulty keeping a straight face will come as sweet, sweet relief." "Publishers Weekly" wrote of  Klosterman, "His circuitous arguments are occasionally self-indulgent and too reminiscent of David Foster Wallace, but the writing is always intellectually vigorous and entertaining." Michael Robbins said in his review of the book in the "Chicago Tribune" that, "What's most frustrating about "I Wear the Black Hat" is that I'd love to read a good version of it."