martytdx's Full Review: Ross Petras et al - Unusually Stupid Americans: A ...
I admit it - I love stupid humor and stupid humor books. Not joke books, mind you, but texts that provide amusement though the sheer lunacy which is life. The Darwin Awards, for example, is right up my alley, as are books like Letters from an Idiot, and the similar titles. So, when I saw Unusually Stupid Americans by Kathryn and Ross Petras, I thought it would make for an amusing read - and I was right.
[• you could be a STUPID AMERICAN, TOO! •]
The authors, Kathryn and Ross Petras, have worked as a team before with previous titles (The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said, Stupid Celebrities and The Stupidest Things Ever Said by Politicians), and have obviously developed a passion for the stupid because they seem to find it repeatedly. They have obviously spent a lot of time putting this together, and their touch is more than evident in the text. They introduce all of the chapters and each section with a short blurb or jab at the victims du jour. Although this book reads mostly like a police blotter of the stupid or like Jay Leno'sHeadlines, they do try to inject some of their own feelings and humor into it. Even so, the material generally writes itself.
They have categorized the book into 13 sections:
Chapter 1: Stupid Education in the U.S.A.
Chapter 2: Stupid Government and Bureaucracy in the U.S.A.
Chapter 3: Stupid Reactions To Terrorism in the U.S.A.
Chapter 4: Stupid Hypocrisy, Prejudice and Lame Excuses (and Political Correctness, Too) in the U.S.A.
Chapter 5: Stupid Food in the U.S.A.
Chapter 6: Stupid Law and Lawyers in the U.S.A.
Chapter 7: Stupid Money and Stocks in the U.S.A.
Chapter 8: Stupid Taxes in the U.S.A.
Chapter 9: Stupid Business in the U.S.A.
Chapter 10: Stupid Advertising, Marketing and Products in the U.S.A.
Chapter 11: Stupid Entertainment in the U.S.A.
Chapter 12: Stupid Homes and Vacation Spots in the U.S.A.
Chapter 13: The Idiot Next Door
Within each section, they take aim at a specific type of person or event which will have you scratching your head - sometimes at the pure stupidity of the individuals, and sometimes at the fact that this type of stuff occurs - and we hear so little about it. For example, the Facts from Stupid Textbooks; or, What You Learned in High School was Very Probably Wrong section contains a list of textbook facts that are anything but accurate (such as Columbus discovering America in 1942). Another section, Great Moments of Pork-Barrel Legislation, takes particular aim at politicians and their corruption (a particular target of the authors).
Most of the text is simply blurbs, lists or examples of American stupidity similar to something that you would find online, such as examples of America's Garage Sales: Stupid eBay Auctions. They're humorous and the delivery method is effective. Other times, the text is a little more story-like, with a narrative attached, but this is rare. There are also frequent sidebar boxes which highlight truly exceptional stupidity or related dumb acts which might not quite fit the topic at hand - but will still have you shaking your head with a smile.
The authors use the opening paragraphs of each chapter and section to set the tone, adding quips, background and sometimes opinions. I found these portions of the text to be okay, and understand their inclusion, but it seemed too much an attempt to interject themselves into a book of facts - by the end, I had mostly stopped even reading them.
Some of the material moves from humorous to practically sickening, such as the political and corporate scandals in which greed and corruption are laid bare - it's amazing how the American people have been soaked by both our government and corporations. I don't know if 'stupid' is the right word for these portions of the book, and the authors use them to voice their obvious political ideologies even more, as this basically acts as a list of despicable acts more than ones that really amuse.
As a read, this is a fun book, though. In fact, I left it out on the coffee table during vacation and lots of people picked it up for a few pages of reading while sitting on the couches. It definitely lends itself to that - one chapter, one small section, even one or two paragraphs; it is easy to pick up, read and put down without having to know more than what you've read at that sitting.
[• stupid is as STUPID DOES •]
The things covered in this book range from the inanely dumb to the unbelievably stupid to the ridiculously outrageous. You'll laugh, you'll gasp, you'll shake your head and possibly grit your teeth. You won't enjoy it for the author's style most likely, but that is secondary in any case. This is a book of facts, an atlas of dumb acts by Americans of all walks of like that simply provides a fun read.
In parting, I offer two of my favorite quotes, which seem apropos considering the topic of this book:
"There's a finite amount of intelligence in the Universe ... unfortunately the population keeps growing." "Genius comes along only a few times in each generation; stupidity, however, breeds exponentially."
[• related REVIEWS •] • The Darwin Awards » - What people do to remove themselves from the gene pool.
• The Darwin Awards II » - Just when you thought they couldn't get any worse, they do.
• Non Campus Mentis » - Out of the mouths of our college students ... it's frightening.
2005 Summer Reading List » • The Devil's Teeth » - Searching for answers of the Great White Sharks of the Farrallon Islands
• Deception Point » - When NASA discovers a meteorite in the Arctic, it will change the world - but how it changes it depends on a small team of scientists bent on revealing the truth.
A hilarious collection of lists, statistics, news items, quotations, and facts detailing stupid acts of Americans from all walks of life by the author...More at Barnes & Noble.com
Subscribe to More Reviews on Ross Petras et al - Unusually Stupid Americans: A Compendium of All-American Stupidity Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage:
Subscribe to martytdx's Reviews: Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage:
Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.