Judy Jones (1) (1946–)

This was a difficult book to read. It does give an overview on numerous subjects and it tries to be breezy and fun. Unfortunately, it often comes across as too glib and surface level, and it seems to assume a basic knowledge that a reader may not have on every single subject covered. Moreover, there are likely going to be topics about which you don't really care, which is to be expected when there are so many topics covered. However, the reason it got one star is I found it to be slightly show more homophobic when mentioning gay subjects. I'm not claiming intent on the part of the authors, who may be incredibly accepting, and it's important to note that this was originally written in the 1980s when everyone seemed somewhat homophobic (and I suspect the author meant the comments to be taken in jest), but in 2024 I really ran up against it. show less

This book rates 6 stars on the pretentious meter. The authors are mildly entertaining, they'd probably be wonderful entertainment at a cocktail party. But if you'd really like to learn fragments of this sprawling series of subjects, do check out this thing called Wikipedia. Of course there was no such thing at the time this doorstop was published. And some of the information is well, old. The country summaries are a good example, but it somehow works in that you get a snapshot of what the show more USA thought about various countries in the 1990s. . Sections on Art History, literature, religion, science and lexicon, were very good. Philosophy and psychology sections made my eyes glaze over, as they should, I guess. I don't know about American History. I don't remember that first chapter. It was many months ago. show less

Judy Jones and William Wilson have written the perfect tome of knowledge for any high school or college student. This large book is divided into twelve main areas of knowledge: American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History. Intended as a “gap filler” for students (and adults) who may just need to be reminded of what they already know, this book has takes a light tone yet contains loads of show more useful information. Some topics include: (in Art History) The Leonardo/Michelangelo Cribsheet, (in Literature) How to Tell Keats from Shelley, and (in Political Science) What You Need to Know Before Answering a Personals Ad in the International Herald-Tribune: A Nervous American’s Guide to Living and Loving on Five Continents. The best feature of this book, however, is the Lexicon (AKA “A Few Hours’ Worth of Remedial Work in Vocabulary, Spelling, Pronunciation, and Foreign Expressions”), which contains such vital lessons as “Twenty-Six Words Not To Write Wrong” and “’How Do You Say in Your Country “Yearning for the Mud”?’: A Stay-at-Home’s Guide to Words and Phrases in Three Foreign Languages”. An invaluable addition to any YA collection, this book is sure to be picked up and read by anyone who finds it lying open on a table. show less

All the things I couldn't be bothered to learn in school...

Most of the writing in this book is written with a refreshing ammount of levity and humor. The work that went into this book is clear. While it's not the kind of book you curl up with and read for hours straight, it is the kind of book you read in snippets over the course of many months, interspersed with other books. It certainly won't make up for serious scholarship, research, and boatloads of reading. It will help guide you to show more things that might actually be WORTH studying, though. For instance, I dispise philosophy, but because of this book, I actually found a philosopher I agree with enough to read. It's amazing what can happen when you read books that dabble in many subjects... show less