A Practical Guide to Racism

A pretty hilarious take on racism. Written in a faux professorial style by "Professor C. H. Dalton" (the pen name of The Daily Show writer Sam Means), the Practical Guide explains the "true" and "false" stereotypes of nine "races": Hispanics, Jews, Whites, Indians (and Injuns), Blacks, Asians, Merpeople, Arabs, and Gypsies. The takes on these races are hilarious, as almost every stereotype and prejudice you've ever heard is taken as true or backhandedly proven as false. All funny. The point of all this? To prove that racism is silly and contradictory - thus the stereotypes of Merpeople. The Gypsies chapter is basically just a list of grifts and conjobs. The appendices and illustrations are hilarious too.

If you can find this cheap, it show more will give you some laughs. (And to one of my co-reviewers here on LibraryThing who was appalled at "the book's breathtakingly bad taste" - that's the friggin' point.)

And, yes, Lothrop Stoddard was a real person. Look him up in Wikipedia. show less

Book Info: Genre: Satire/Humor
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: people who enjoy satire and won't be offended by the language
Trigger Warnings: Very non-PC language

My Thoughts: Oh, myyyy. This book is so wrong, yet I laughed like a loon at a lot of it.

I'm going to state right away that if you are sensitive to non-PC language, this book will probably upset you. But keep in mind that this is satire, and designed to showcase the negativity of racism by exploiting the ideas for a laugh. And laugh I did. This puts across the ideas behind racism in a way that makes it relatable and humorous. An excellently fun book.

Disclosure: This book was a birthday gift from a friend. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: A look at the races of the world by show more a lovable bigot, capturing the proud history and bright future of racism in one handy, authoritative, and deeply offensive volume.

Meet C. H. Dalton, a professor of racialist studies and an expert on inferior people of all ethnicities, genders, religions, and sexual preferences. Presenting evidence that everyone should be hated, A Practical Guide to Racism contains sparkling bits of wisdom on such subjects as:

* The good life enjoyed by blacks, who shuffle through life unhindered by the white man's burdens, to become accomplished athletes, rhyme smiths, and dominoes champions
* The sad story of the industrious, intelligent Jews, whose entire reputation is sullied by their taste for the blood of Christian babies
* A close look at the bizarre, sweet-smelling race known as “women,” who are not very good at anything, especially ruling the free world
* A crucial manual to Arabs, a people so sensitive they are liable to blow up at any time. Literally.

Including a comprehensive glossary of timeless epithets, with hundreds of pejorative words for everyone from Phoenicians to Jews, A Practical Guide to Racism is an essential field guide for our multicultural world. show less

Meh. This was a big disappointment to me and just plain not funny. Not even chuckle-worthy. I admit I laughed out loud a few times, but it was only astonished laughter at the book's breathtakingly bad taste. And with all its references to current TV shows and people whose fifteen minutes of fame recently zipped by (does anyone still remember who Kaavya Viswanthan is?), I don't think the book will have a long shelf life either. Pass on this one.

funny!

Heh. Merpeople.