Our Dumb World by Inc. The Onion
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Book Reviews of Our Dumb World
Book Review: The GREATEST book ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
Occasionally, a book comes along of such great importance that to not buy it--even if it means letting your kids go hungry for a couple nights--would be a crime. In fact, it should be a crime, and I advise you to write your local legislator. Such a book is Our Dumb World, the Atlas of the Planet Earth from the Onion.
The seventy-third edition of this magnum opus offers an even more profound look at the world we live in than any of the previous seventy-two. Some of the new features are mentioned on the cover, including curvier latitude lines and 30% more Asia. And unlike lesser atlases, Our Dumb World includes all the continents, even the ones you'd rather not think about.
The featured maps for each nation are worthy of the Cartography Hall of Fame, should such a Hall of Fame exist. Even obscure countries like France have detailed maps which point out the locations of important sites and regions like the Institute for Pretentious Mustards and the sole acre of France that has never been surrendered to a foreign power.
Of course, a great atlas--and this is the greatest of them all--is more than just maps. There is history: did you know that in 1200, Japan invented karate to defend against invading stacks of wooden boards, or in 1968, it formed a tentative peace treaty with Mothra? There are cultural facts: for example, Ecuador has a Gross Domestic Product of $5.62 and tried to privatize the equator.
I would not recommend this book for children, as its intense brilliance may cause their small brains to explode. For everyone else, however, it is imperative that you buy this book (or it will be once we get that law passed). Sadly, Amazon's rating system restricts the number of stars you can give a book to five, which may be fine for minor writers like Shakespeare or Steinbeck, but inadequate for this book, which merits 1,356,298 stars.
Book Review: Hilarious & intelligent, great eye for detail
Summary: 5 Stars
As someone who loves geography and the Onion, this book is the perfect combination for me. This book is not for the easily offended, as the Onion merrily meanders along the line between good taste and going too far when it comes to jokes about genocide, corruption, child prostitution, AIDS, and the like. To that end, many country profiles are quite sobering reminders that many people around the world live in conditions that simply aren't "funny". However, the subtle humor, and the strategy of taking the style of an Eyewitness Guide (or other pretty but "generic" atlas) and infusing the substance with the usual humor from the Onion was rather clever.
Other reviewers have said that the Onion went for quantity over quality with this one, and while there are times when the material gets a little repetitious (genocide jokes in Africa & Latin America, for example) overall I thought this was a hilarious and intelligent book. I think one needs a strong interest and grounding in geography to fully enjoy it, however, as the humor often relies on the country context at hand. Therefore, for people who like geography and/or travel, and enjoy the irreverent humor of the Onion this will likely be a four or five star book. For people who like the Onion but aren't that interested in geography, it might be a three star book. For people who like geography but don't "get" the Onion, or for anyone easily offended ... you will probably want to find a different book to read. For me, however, it was an enjoyable read and a pretty reasonably priced find as well.
Book Review: Stress-Busting Laughs for the Literate
Summary: 5 Stars
In these time of global economic crisis, there aren't too many people out there who wouldn't benefit from some laughter. If you like your laughs delivered via the written word instead of the television, this book is for you.
The Onion's atlas of the world delivers laughs for anyone willing to read it. The essays are offensive and xenophobic; it's as if the stereotypical Ugly American wrote the summaries of each locale. This book does need to be read in small doses, because an overload of the material is possible. If you buy a rich cheesecake it's best eaten in small doses. You'll still get lots of enjoyment but the joy will be spread out over a longer period of time.
Recommended, and quite highly!
Book Review: Ignore the idiots
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is brilliant- its not offensive unless you are a whiny little gremlin who gets butthurt over the slightest thing, and ignore the trolls who rate this one star becuase they thought this was a real atlas. Also my condolences to the person whose son got suspended for bringing this to school, it's really not that bad (a few swears and sexual references throughout, but nothing explicit), I mean almost every room in my high school has this book :) totally worth it, many hours of good laughs.Book Review: Brilliant, Hilarious, and Dark
Summary: 5 Stars
Every single time I open Our Dumb World, I find myself laughing out loud and being ashamed of it. This book is FULL of hilarious commentary on almost every nation in the world. The humor is direct and piercing, and sometimes so incredibly dark that it's painful. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who is sensitive, but if you can let loose and appreciate it for the clever satire it is, you won't be disappointed.