"Observer" columns from Russell Baker are the perfect light-beer chasers for the hard-stuff of daily news—but few of the short pieces in this pleasant, bland collection [So This Is Depravity] stand up well to the sterner tests of time and hard-cover compilation. The most obvious sufferers from the format, of course, are dated columns on the political scene—lots on Watergate—that are usually common-sensical enough …, yet often over-simplified and a bit preachy. But other pieces that should be less frayed by time—on inflation, language (the "Have a nice day" craze), the sexual revolution, city living (parking, cabs, noise), marriage, parenthood, taxes—also tend to seem rather limp in retrospect…. [When] consciously emulating Mencken or Perelman or Woody Allen, [Baker] consistently lacks the edge needed for that darker brand of humor. Still, none of these never-too-long pieces is without a smile or two, especially for those...