Pros: Profusely illustrated; quality paper; semi-helpful Table of Contents and Index
Cons: A mile wide and an inch deep. Not much lasting 'knowledge' to be found here.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for interesting pictures, facts, and 'I didnt know that..!!' moments you will find plenty of these trivial moments in Take Me to Your Leader.
sleeper54's Full Review: Ian Harrison - Take Me to Your Leader
...
Take Me to Your Leader seems unsure whether it wants to be Ripley's Believe It or Not or the Guinness World Records; whether it wants to be Karl Marx or the Marx Brothers; whether it wants to sip club soda and awaken sober and chaste in the morning or drink straight from the bottle and party like there is no tomorrow.
This 'good':'bad' dichotomy leads to some interesting content decisions. For instance the, the chapters are numbered 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 12, and 13. Either the rest were misplaced at the printers or author/compiler Ian Harrison found those missing numbers 'less interesting'.
Take Me to Your Leader tries to take " . . .an irreverent, sideways look at the many bizarre occurrences on our sometimes twisted planet..." which is a goal admirably met. Subtitled "weird facts, bizarre stories, and life's oddities" it features a wide range of stuff you did not know you need to know ...and probably really do not need to know.
• Odd laws still on the books ("It's still legal... in Iowa to kiss a woman—but not for more than five minutes, and not if he has a moustache.");
• painted and costumed dogs;
• hoaxes (The Mercury Theater 1939 broadcast of The War of the Worlds, Bigfoot, the 'Paul is dead' Abbey Road album cover);
• webs built by spiders on drugs (though the fine print does warn the reader to not try giving drugs to spiders);
• how to survive a hostage situation, navigate a minefield, or endure an alien abduction;
...all this and so much . . .'more' is found in Take Me to Your Leader
Some of it is rather lame...
• Lists of ways to say 'I love you' in 80-some languages..??
• Popular world karaoke songs/lyrics..??
• A section on American baseball, with a playing field diagram that places the shortstop behind the catcher..?!?
Some of it is rather disgusting...
• A portrait of a man with dozens of rings and other facial piercings;
• A gallery of human parasites featuring liver flukes, pinworms, tapeworms, etc.;
• Londoner Isobel Varley, in her rotund buff totality, showing off her totally tattooed body. (Do we really need to know she also has 16 genital piercings..?? Thank god they did not show us..!!)
Some of it is rather 'entertaining'...
• A photo-look at the signals female beach volleyball players use to communicate with their partner, lovingly photographed from behind as they flash the signals with hands held at their ...well 'behinds'. (As an aside I will simply say they are an amazingly fit collection of young ladies. At least judging from as much of their 'physique' as can be seen here...)
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a collection of odd facts, moments, and events, with illustrations galore, you could do much worse than this one. It breaks the shackles of mere 'listing' and really shares some interesting, little-known information.
Light-weight by design and application, Take Me to Your Leader is probably better suited to a 'bathroom read' than use as the "illustrated reference book", a status they try to claim on the back cover. But if you, or someone you know, like this sort of odd, I didnt know that..! type of read I think you will find this an entertaining, at times, read.
This review is also an entry to fellow user laurashrti's National Library Week Write-Off. Our local public library is one of my most tangible assets that I realize from all the tax dollars I contribute to my home town. It is a great resource for finding new items and expanding one's mind and culture.
I urge you to 'check out' Laura's write-off and add your own celebratory thoughts and reviews to the occasion.
From pictures of dressed-up dogs to Bond Girls, and extreme sports to extreme weather, WTF? is packed with information that is curious, compelling, in...More at HotBookSale
From pictures of dressed-up dogs to Bond Girls, and extreme sports to extreme weather, WTF? is packed with information that is curious, compelling, in...More at HotBookSale
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