An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't
by Judy Jones, William Wilson

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Book Summary Information

Author: Judy Jones, William Wilson
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-04-25
ISBN: 0345468902
Number of pages: 720
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Book Reviews of An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

Book Review: THIS BOOK DOES WHAT IT SAYS IT WILL ! !
Summary: 5 Stars

I had given this book 4 stars in an earlier review, but AFTER READING OTHER REVIEWER'S COMMENTS (below) I am upgrading my rating to 5 STARS !!

I think that people need to read the book's introduction to see what the book is SUPPOSED to do before they slam it.

No, the book isn't going to be exhaustive or complete. How can it be? It's only one book and it's not even that thick!

The idea is just to learn enough of someone else's subject so you can navigate and know what they are talking about. You will need to read about it in more detail elsewhere, but at least this book will help you get started.

I did not find any SIGNIFICANT factual errors in the book. Perhaps in a book that attempts to cover all knowledge of the known (and unknown) world there might be an itty bitty error here or there, but I did not notice any. One assumes the authors used appropriate consultants for certain subjects. In the subjects that I am trained in, there were no errors.

Also, I did not find the authors to be condescending, nor did the humor interfere with my learning. In fact, my enjoyment and learning were increased.

That said, I would have to agree that completely serious, humorless people will not be happy with this book.

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Summary of An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

When it was originally published in 1987, An Incomplete Education became a surprise bestseller. Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here?s your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be!

How do you tell the Balkans from the Caucasus? What?s the difference between fission and fusion? Whigs and Tories? Shiites and Sunnis? Deduction and induction? Why aren?t all Shakespearean comedies necessarily thigh-slappers? What are transcendental numbers and what are they good for? What really happened in Plato?s cave? Is postmodernism dead or just having a bad hair day? And for extra credit, when should you use the adjective continual and when should you use continuous?

An Incomplete Education answers these and thousands of other questions with incomparable wit, style, and clarity. American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History: Here?s the bottom line on each of these major disciplines, distilled to its essence and served up with consummate flair.

In this revised edition you?ll find a vitally expanded treatment of international issues, reflecting the seismic geopolitical upheavals of the past decade, from economic free-fall in South America to Central Africa?s world war, and from violent radicalization in the Muslim world to the crucial trade agreements that are defining globalization for the twenty-first century. And don?t forget to read the section A Nervous American?s Guide to Living and Loving on Five Continents before you answer a personal ad in the International Herald Tribune.

As delightful as it is illuminating, An Incomplete Education packs ten thousand years of culture into a single superbly readable volume. This is a book to celebrate, to share, to give and receive, to pore over and browse through, and to return to again and again.

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