Goffman's collection of essays on face-to-face behavior is an examination of people in risky occupations and situations: gamblers, criminals, coal miners, stock speculators; Goffman astounds us with the unexpected richness and complexity of brief encounters between people. These exreme cases are of interest because of the light they shed on the normal: The study of the trapeze artist is worthwhile, because each of us is on the wire from time to time.