Monday, April 21, 2008

Book 24 of 52 -- Blame It on the Dog: A Modern History of the Fart



I couldn't write the review of this book since it was such a fun book to read... so I stole this extremely accurate review.

After experiencing the sweet smell of success from his previous book on flatulence, "Who Cut the Cheese: A Cultural History of the Fart," crepitus king Jim Dawson has cut loose again with a sequel that manages at the same time to be hilarious and scholarly. Dawson's good-natured tone also keeps "Blame it on the Dog" away from being a bathroom book in questionable or sophomoric taste.
If you think that Dawson wrote in his first book everything known about flatulence, think again. You'll read about a modern-day Le Petomane (read the first book if you haven't yet), farting among the famous, farting among the fish, and a canine invention that Dawson is afraid will render invalid his brand-new book--or at least its title.

The book is so engaging that, after reading a couple of chapters (like the subject, the chapters pass quickly but their effects linger long after), I picked up the newspaper and read the headline "Spectre of the Future" as "Sphincter of the Future." That concept prevails in the chapter on flatulent robots, but you'll have to read it for yourself. "Blame It on the Dog" and its predecessor will make the perfect combination on your silly shelf--sort of like corned beef and cabbage. As Dawson said, bad taste [and I mean that in a good way] and worse puns prevail throughout. And it's all about flatulence. What more could you want?

No comments: