Russ Kick (1969–2021)

Admittedly, this was not a cover-to-cover read, but a pretty thorough dip into an extraordinary, comprehensive compilation of great works of literature. I was pleased to see it is not confined to the typical "Western" collection so many of us were schooled in until the later decades of the 20th century. I was impressed both with the commentary -- insightful and incisive, and the varied and visionary art that represented each work. Some styles were not to my liking or what I would have show more chosen, but they still ( in most cases) did homage to the original material. I thought 95% of it came across as a labor of love. The Canon was both a memory-jogger of works I'd read and an invitation to read those I hadn't. Either way, it propelled me to turn to literature. Some standouts in my opinion: "Coyote and the Pebbles," "Poems" by Rumi, (both to my point of inclusiveness) "Canterbury Tales"- Wife of Bath!, and Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18." Yes, the entire thing is only excerpts, but as such, is a great appetizer for the works themselves. I marvel at how the works, then the excerpts, then the medium was chosen for each. Definitely not for kids -- but maybe an apt gift for the potential English or Classics major. show less

At times reaffirming, at other times informative and at still other times, questionable. 100 Things You're Not Supposed to Know is filled with information. Some of it I was aware of and knew to be true, other stuff I looked up to confirm and other stuff just bumped this from a higher rating to a lower because now I am more deeply questioning anything I haven't looked up yet.

There's the false assumption that if some states something as "fact" and backs it with some kind of citation that show more challenges a long-held belief, the long-held belief was wrong. But it doesn't work that way - it only works that way if the evidence strongly supports the repositioning of a belief. So, the lost nuclear warheads - it's been officially documented and there's no reason to not believe that since it's something the U.S. Government wouldn't benefit from saying. Other things like old laws still on the books are verifiable, just maybe not common knowledge. And still others have been shown to be true long after the publication of this book, giving Kick some good proof of his research.

However, quoting Dr. Mercola, the anti-vaccine proponent for a piece about how sunscreen causes cancer made me raise an eyebrow. Having researched Mercola and written an article about him, I don't find him as a dependable source. I do find him as an opportunist though, and it was disappointing to see Kick give him ink. It did have the silver lining of shaking me out of the mental complacency I mentioned earlier - believing something just because it's "authoritative" and contrary.

There's interesting information here and a lot if not most is true and accurate (and depressing) but I don't have faith that it's all true, so read with open eyes. show less

In the new megaanthology from bestselling editor Russ Kick, more than fifty writers, reporters, and researchers invade the inner sanctum for an unrestrained look at the wild and wooly world of organized belief.Richard Dawkins shows us the strange, scary properties of religion/ Neil Gaiman turns a biblical atrocity story into a comic (that almost sent a publisher to prison)/ Erik Davis looks at what happens when religion and California collide/ Mike Dash eyes stigmatics/ Douglas Rushkoff show more exposes the trouble with Judaism/ Paul Krassner reveals his "Confessions of an Atheist"/ and bestselling lexicographer Jonathon Green interprets the language of religious prejudice.Among the dozens of other articles and essays, you'll find: a sweeping look at classical composers and Great American Songbook writers who were unbelievers, such as Irving Berlin, creator of "God Bless America"/ the definitive explanation of why America is not a Christian nation/ the bizarre, Catholicfundamentalist books by Mel Gibson's father/ eyepopping photos of bizarre religious objects and ceremonies, including snakehandlers and potsmoking children/ the thinly veiled antiSemitism in the Left Behind novels/ an extract from the rare, suppressed book The Sex Life of Brigham Young/ and rarely seen antireligious writings from Mark Twain and H.G. Wells.Further topics include exorcisms, religious curses, Wicca, the Church of John Coltrane, crimes by clergy, death without God, Christian sex manuals, the "exgay" movement, failed prophecies, bizarre theology, religious bowling, atheist rock and roll, "how to be a good Christian," an entertaining look at the best (and worst) books on religion, and much more. show less

Like any collection of essays, this has some wonderful entries that are dead one, some mediocre entries, and a couple of outright bad ones, but the overall net is good, partially because the book is carried along by some particularly heavy hitters who are also good writers.