A Modest Proposal: Keep this Near the Bathroom Commode!
Written: Feb 20 '01 (Updated Feb 20 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Witty humor. Easy to share. Dirt cheap at $1. Great bathroom and work reading.
Cons: He may offend. Ambrose is dead. Long live Ambrose. If he were around today!
The Bottom Line: In traffic, at work, in the bathroom, this little book is as essential to the well-being of people today as is an MP3 player (and you don’t even need batteries)!
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| bczernik's Full Review: Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary Books |
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[ history ]
I first came across “The Devil’s Dictionary” in 1993, when I was working with a number of individuals on a National Magazine we created called “The Exchange.” The magazine had classic liberal leanings (i.e., libertarian), an “ideology” which have strong connections to people like F.A. Hayek, Milton Friedman, H.L. Mencken and others, including Ambrose Bierce -- basically the fiscally conservative, socially liberals of the world. Many of my cohorts talked about this book and I bought it. We eventually did our own take-off of the dictionary in our magazine. Although it was not AS good as Bierce’s, it did get a lot of attention and comments. Unfortunately I don’t have our to share -- but I will search around and share them once they are found.
[ recommendation for use ]
Essentially you should not read this book from cover to cover but leaving it sit around somewhere. Two good places: at your desk at home/work or the bathroom. Yes, I believe the bathroom is an appropriate place. Why? Because you can scan a few of these definition in the time of “doing your deed” and leaving feeling ESPECIALLY good. If visitors come over and use the “little boys/girls” room, you may here the occasional laugh resonating from the bathroom. It never fails to put a smile on my face. For work, it can help break the tension of an awkward moment. Try having people read a few of the definitions out-loud before starting a meeting. It WILL go better.
Now here are the details for the recommendation:
[ summary ]
“The Devil's Dictionary” started it’s official life in the 1881 as a feature in a weekly newspaper. Eventually in 1906 the collection was pieced together and published under the title “The Cynic's Word Book”. It was reissued under its preferred name, “The Devil’s Dictionary,” in 1911. If you are looking for the humorous definition for a presentation, a school paper or just a laugh, pick up this book and randomly finger through it. This should satisfy. On occasion you may even see a quotation you’ve heard before. Ambrose was been more widely admired now more than by his contemporaries. Fans have included such luminaries as H.L. Mencken.
Born in 1842, Ambrose Bierce was not seen after 1914. He was last seen in Mexico. For Bierce, few topics are taboo. He would comment on anything that came to mind about American society. He was the Eminem of his day -- minus the cussing and music. His occupation was that of a journalist and short story writer. He was best known for his ghoulish horror tales at the time. Despite the inevitable fact that some of these terms and definitions in this book are dated, most still remain entertaining even to the “modern” ear. His perspective is refreshing. If you like political correctness, DO NOT look here. Some topics may still offend. A few may even find this book boring. But if you enjoy some cynical, sometime very cynical humor, this is your book. If you enjoy the samples listed below, you will enjoy the book.
AB’s ability to inject social commentary with humor is excellent. It reminds me of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, although JS’s work was more fanciful. I’ve given this book to a select number of friends over the years (not everyone will enjoy this) and have always heard back about it. It is the gift that keeps giving, especially when you can pick up a soft-copy for under $1 many places (although you can find the terms on the Internet for free, $1 is worth having it around for immediate consumption).
[ samples ]
Arranged as a dictionary, it is easy to skip around to get the choice term and definition for the day. Although it ends up being a short book (140 pages for the soft-cover), there are more than 1000 entries. I have included a semi-random sampling below:
CAT, n. A soft, indestructible automaton provided by nature to be kicked when things go wrong in the domestic circle.
CORPORATION, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility.
FUTURE, n. That period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured.
LOVE, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.
MALE, n. A member of the unconsidered, or negligible sex. The male of the human race is commonly known (to the female) as Mere Man. The genus has two varieties: good providers and bad providers.
VOTE, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
[ conclusion & warning ]
Believe it or not, not everyone will enjoy this book. But for those who enjoy the humor above, pick up this book with your next order at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. I usually do my value equation, but it is simple in this case. $1 + Fun = 5 stars.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bczernik
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Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Wanna-be poet and troubadour, typically working as an Internet Strategist.
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