Postby Cardinal Queequeg » Sun Mar 04, 2007 12:51 am
An Incomplete Education by Judy Jones and William Wilson
Difficulty rating: 2.5
Education/Humor
I found it difficult to categorize this book as either educational or humorous, because it is solidly both. Personally, I believe that this volume has a place on the bookshelf of every FSM member. The book has a terrific tongue-in-cheek approach to covering the high points of a basic college general education degree. The fly sheet reads:
"From Quark to Quattrocento... Boswell to Bosnia... the Dreyfus affair to the Doppler effect... Mary Magdalen to Laurie Anderson... Teapot Dome to The Magic Mountain... metaphysics to microeconomics... Lao Tse to Levi Strauss... Napoleon to NAFTA. Plus: How to tell the Iliad from the Odyssey."
The subjects covered in the book include American studies, art history, economics, film, literature, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, science, world history.
To give an example of the authors' approach, in the science section, while discussing DNA (which they call "the splice of life"), there is a heading: GENE-POOL ETIQUETTE. It begins:"When a man makes a pass at a woman, he's trying to get into her genes, according to the briefly trendy young science of sociobiology, wildly controversial in the late 70s and a continuing annoyance to women and others like them. Its proponents suggest that social behavior, as much as any physical characteristic, is genetic."
I always loved my professors who had a great sense of humor...
So you can tell, the authors are fairly irreverent. But through the humor, there is a world of great reading, and learning here. From Aeschylus to Zoroastrianism, there probably is a college degree in this book. I can tell you that if my sophomore class in Shakespeare had been entitled: "Bellying up to the Bard," I probably would have learned a hell of a lot more. This book is wonderfully written, and will make you laugh out loud.
If you want a list of the 10 greatest books of all time, to quickly learn the difference between Impressionists and Expressionists, or even Opera manners (for Americans they recommend: "... most people opt for comfort and just try to have clean hair."), this is one that you won't be sorry you bought.
It can be purchased inexpensively either on Half.com or Alibris.com.
Cardinal Queequeg
In the name of the Pasta, and of the Sauce, and of the Garlic Toast, RAmen.
I look, you look, he looks, we look, ye look, they look.
