Amazon.com
Every Wednesday, work at Amazon.com--along with just about every other company connected to the fantastical "information superhighway" invented by Vice President Al Gore and actress Hedy Lamarr--grinds to a halt as employees hasten to read the latest issue of The Onion, America's most popular newspaper based in Madison, Wisconsin. But most of the paper's fans have started reading it only within the last few years, and are sadly unaware of The Onion's mighty journalistic legacy. To combat this cultural illiteracy, Editor in Chief Scott Dikkers and his writing staff have assembled this collection of great front pages from the last hundred years. Here is just a sampling of the headlines:
A New Century Dawns! McKinley Ushers in Bold New "Coal Age"
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Boasts: "No Man Can Stop Me"
AWESOME! Nation Wowed by Tremendous Hindenburg Explosion
Martin Luther King: "I Had a Really Weird Dream Last Night"
Clinton Denies Lewinsky Allegations: "We Did Not Have Sex, We Made Love," He Says
And those are just the headlines; the stories themselves are all masterpieces of the journalist's trade. Of course, readers with delicate sensibilities may find some of these accounts a bit too risqué, and perhaps even tasteless. (Among the potential offenders: Rosa Parks's decision to "screw this bus shit" and take a cab.) But if you're looking for an antidote to all the 20th-century hoopla promulgated by stuffed shirts like Peter Jennings and Harold Evans--not to mention the best history book since 1066 and All That--then Our Dumb Century is the one for you. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
The Onion has quickly become the world's most popular humor publication, misinforming half a million readers a week with one-of-a-kind social satire both in print (on newsstands nationwide) and online from its remote office in Madison, Wisconsin.
Witness the march of history as Editor-in-Chief Scott Dikkers and
The Onion's award-winning writing staff present the twentieth century like you've never seen it before.
Customer Reviews:
Bought this for my husband...........2007-02-09
The bathroom reader.
He did enjoy this book. Especially the short entries.
One of the funniest books I have ever read, but you need to know some history.......2006-08-30
This book contains the funniest satire that I have ever read. The Onion is a fictitious newspaper that contains satire of the news rather than news. The first page is dated January 1, 1900 and the last page January 1, 2000. A great deal of knowledge of history is necessary to appreciate some of the stories. For example, the headlines for August, 1914 are
*) British Croquet Mallets Prove Useless at Front
*) Belgian Forces Halt German Advance Using Cream-Topped Waffles: Huns No Match for Delicious Regional Confection
*) Infectious Diseases Celebrate Opening of Panama Canal
If you are unaware that this was the month that World War I started, then the headlines and stories will make little sense to you.
Each headline is then followed by a short story that is also satirical and I laughed through most of them. No historical figure or event of the times is immune to the satirical wit of the writers. The main headline of October 29 is "Allen Funt Lets President in on Hilarious `Cuban Missile Crisis' Prank." Funt was the host of the "Candid Camera" television show of the sixties where people were filmed in situations that were not what they appeared to be.
This is one of the top five funniest books that I have ever read. Nearly every major event and personality of the twentieth century is lampooned in some way.
Why didn't I bring this to work today? I need a laugh..........2006-07-28
As I sit here going on my 10th hour of work (more accurately, I'm waiting for some people to perform their jobs so I can finish mine), I'm wondering why I don't just keep my copy of this book in my desk.
The Onion's acerbic wit and sarcastic humor never fail to raise a fit of laughter out of me, and to have several hundred pages of it in one convenient parcel is one of God's little gifts to mankind.
This book is worth the full cover price for one moment. The often-hilarious left-column bullets (this is newspaper speak, people) provide much of the humor, and one in particular is an instant classic. Writing of the death of Jerry Garcia, the clever and near-palindromic line "Head Dead-Head Dead" initiated instant bits of laughter from me, especially because I realize what many people do not: The Grateful Dead were never that good.
This book is kind of like watching the tripe "news" stories Geraldo files incessantly, if only Geraldo didn't believe that he'd someday win a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize.
Every page yields multiple high points and for anyone who has ever chuckled at so-called legitimate news, this book is a must-have.
HYSTERICALLY FUNNY, French Surrender.......2005-11-28
The first real laugh I had after the 9-11 attacks came from The Onion. I saw an article with the headline, "9-11 Hijackers Surprised To Find Selves in Hell."
Huh?
It looked like a real newspaper article, which is part of the joy of reading The Onion. There usually isn't one false note, from the look to the language.
But the interviews of the demons in Hell who react to the arrival of the 9-11 terrorists was the first real laugh I needed after that national tragedy. (One demon is quoted as saying, "They actually looked surprised to be here, which is kind of strange considering how they got here. They kept asking about a garden and 72 virgins.")
OUR DUMB CENTURY has many laugh-out-loud headlines, photos and stories, covering "history" from 1900 to 2000.
I've never read it cover to cover. I think the best way to read it is to just pick it up, open it, and start reading somewhere.
(p.s. re: French Surrender: throughout the entire book, the subtitle for every single war--no matter when or where--is "France Surrenders". Hilarious!)
Perhaps not quite as good as others are saying..........2005-10-26
But still pretty damn good. The changing typefaces, grammar ("iced-creams" in 1920!!!) and parodies of the styles of the times, were absolutely brilliant. Notice how the banner motto changes from "THe Most Reliable Source of News-Worthy Items in our Great Republic" in 1900, to "America's Finest News Source" in 1990, to "America's News Source" in 1998!
I also love how the printing quality goes from extremely blurry in 1900 to sharp in 1970 to laser-printer style in 1998. How they researched all this I don't know.
I think the funniest part is the parody newspaper from the mid 1700s - complete with bizzare spelling and references to how filthy life was in that era ("my neighbor's Wife hath the Small-Pox and wakes me with her conftant Screaming...")
Also, the benefit of hindsight allows brilliant skewering of myopic and racist attitudes of the time - like "The Machine - will it replace the Chinaman?" in the 1910s; or economists in 1929 saying "Buy Buy Buy! Stock Market Invincible!" before the stock market crash! And you've got to love how every trial from Fatty Arbuckle's to Michael Jackson's is called "Trial of the Century!"
If I have a problem with this publication, it's the high expectations I got from these reviews. But don't let that dissuade you! Buy Buy Buy!
Book Description
One-hundred years of professional wrestling: From "shoots" to "works," carneys to cage matches, heroes to villains, it is all here in a bold and colorful manner.
Featuring nearly 500 incredible photos, this color book takes a look at the most notable events in the fascinating history of professional wrestling and highlight its greatest stars, from legends like Frank Gotch, William Muldoon, Lou Thesz and the Fabulous Moolah, to today's superstars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chyna, Triple H, and Lita.
In these pages, you'll find tough guys and heroes, the managers fans love to hate, ring beauties, oddballs, freaks and monsters, tag teams, famous feuds, finishing holds and moves, and everything in between. A "slamography" of more than 500 wrestlers, including their career highlights, is also featured, as well as some of the hottest wrestling collectibles on the market today.
Professional wrestling remains one of the hottest forms of entertainment in the world and fans agree that there is no greater show on earth.
Customer Reviews:
A good book but it misses a lot.......2003-10-24
I was looking for a book that would be a complete history of wrestling, but there doesn't seem to be one out there. This book has lots of good photos, including memorabilia such as ads & publicity photos, but there's a lot missing here. Only the briefest of bios are provided (I wish it included at least year of birth, height, weight), some major wrestlers are omitted entirely, & there's no index. Unlike a "real" encyclopedia, most of the book is not arranged alphabetically (only the "Slamographies" section is alphabetized), so an index would be useful. I'm mostly a fan of 1950s - 1960s wrestlers, so I wanted to find information on the old stars, but this book misses some of the biggest attractions of that era (like Haystacks Calhoun). A worthy addition to your wrestling reference library, but will somebody please write a definitive encyclopedia on this subject?
History of Pro Wrestling Would be More Accurate Title.......2001-12-13
This book is pretty good. It has a lot of really neat picture and tons of good facts and stories. Any wrestling fan should own it. There are several spelling mistakes, however, which make the bok seem like an amateur effort. Overall, still worth reading and owning
If you are a wrestling fan this book is for you!!!.......2001-08-27
The authors of "Professional Wrestling", Kristian Pope and Ray Whebbe have outdone themselves with this one. If you are a wrestling fan, young or old, long time or new, there is something in this book (actually a whole lot of things), to keep you interested for a long time to come. My favorite chapters were the "Ring Beauties" and "Slamographies", the former because there is not a lot of press about the ladies around and over the years they have had a profound influence on the "sport" both in the ring and behind the scenes. The last chapter "Slamographies" tells you every thing you ever wanted to know about every wrestler that has made some sort of impact on the sport. I am going to test my wrestling fan friends with the info presented here and maybe pick up a few bucks in the process. Great Stuff - Thank you Kris & Ray
Book Description
This value-priced atlas is perfect for students. Reflecting the most current status of world nations, it contains 52 pages, of which are detailed, computer-generated maps. New thematic maps of each continent cover topography, population, land use and mineral resources. Each country's political boundary is clearly distinguished with a contrasting band of colour to help make this atlas easy to read. A world statistics chart includes the largest islands, principal mountains, longest rivers, major ship canals and the dimensions of the earth and solar system. This new edition has added a world reference guide with the national flag, area, and capital of each country, as well as a discussion of map projections and how computer-generated maps are created.
Customer Reviews:
Just Okay. Depends what you're looking for..........2007-06-21
I was expecting more. Maybe I was confused by the title "Headline Atlas," especially when coupled with the publisher's description that it "[reflects] the most current status of world nations."
As you can see, the publisher emphasizes "thematic maps... topography, population, land use and mineral resources... world statistics... [and] a discussion of map projections and how computer-generated maps are created." You'd think you were getting a broad-based geographic text, with perhaps some kind of historical commentary (what else do they mean by "current status of world nations" after all?)
But that's not what this book is about. Above all, it's an atlas: a collection of maps.
Is that bad? So what if it's skimpy in other areas. What's the beef? Well, again the publisher's description is misleading, in my view: "Each country's political boundary is clearly distinguished with a contrasting band of colour to help make this atlas easy to read."
In my opinion, that "contrasting band of color" is a MAJOR impediment to making any sense of these maps. I mean, the maps are necessarily small to begin with. Then they put a band of color along each country border, which (for instance) may put half of a city name in color, leaving the other half white, or the like.
And at the scales in these maps, that "band of color" may be 20, 50 or 100 miles wide. It's an artificial, antiquated technique for map-making that makes it harder, not easier, to see things.
Besides getting in the way of some text, all those colored lines make the page visually busy. Add that to the small print, plus the necessity of breaking the world up into arbitrary sections to fit into the pages, and, well, I just think it's a pain to look at, much less rely on for serious reference.
It is indeed a thin and compact volume, which another reviewer thought were positive attributes. But I don't understand the virtue of such portability, to the detriment of all else.
It is hard for me to imagine somebody needing to drag around a seriously-compromised "atlas" like this. If one is in a geography class, presumably one has a geography book on hand. If one is doing homework, then one can find a larger, better-printed, "student atlas" to buy for one's home. Or, for free, use a really nice atlas in a public libaray.
So, if you really need something thin and light, to have on hand if you are away from home and suddenly need to know where Tibet is, I suppose this book is just the thing. For any other research or study purpose, I just don't think it's worth the money, even when on sale like it is here. If you spend twice as much as this book costs, I really believe you can get an atlas with more than twice as much information, that is more than twice as easy to use. And for all that, you'll be more than twice as likely to actually use it.
Perfect Size.......2005-08-19
This is a handy little atlas. Regular book size makes it easy to transport. Lots of information. I would have liked a map of the world that was a fold out. It would be larger and easier to read.
Book Description
All The News That’s Fit to Reprint
The latest book in the New York Times bestselling Onion series includes every news story, opinion piece, news-in-brief, horoscope . . . yes, every last word that appeared in The Onion between mid-October 2003 and mid-November 2004. And this is the biggest book yet in the series. That’s right—Embedded in America includes eight additional weeks of award-winning coverage from The Onion, including two extra weeks of post-presidential election coverage.
Here they are at last: all the issues of The Onion that you missed because you had a life to live. And each page takes 0.0 seconds to load!
Embedded in America is Volume 16 in the popular and bestselling Onion series. Look for a new volume every year.
Customer Reviews:
laughs, laughs, laughs.......2007-01-12
always enjoy the onion archives.
guaranteed snickers to chuckling outloud
"Navie teacher believes in her students".......2006-12-22
Classic. This book is a fun read. The writers are very clever and their use of satire and spin on every possible topic, guarantees that you will find something you like in the book.
Elderly women loses her battle with mortality.
Naive teacher believes in her students.
Teacher constantly using janitor as example.
"Cool dad" a horrible father.
500 dollar stereo installed in 400 dollar car.
Classic
Flak Jacket in a Wal-Mart Parking Lot.......2006-03-19
What more do you need to know? The Onion takes us into their land of comedy that unfortunately is all too real.
Still the best news source in the world.......2006-03-04
With the poor quality of our mass media right now, the Onion is the closest thing to the truth available and this volume is no exception. Whether as a reaction to this president or not, the Onion has been getting better every year that Bush Jr. has been in the White House. These volumes will all be classics in short order.
Funny stuff.......2005-12-06
Yes, the fake news stories on The Onion's website are funny, sometimes hilarious. But the fact is, the site itself has become somewhat difficult to navigate lately. When all you want is a few laughs about current events and what "local man" and "local woman" are up to, it's worth getting the articles in book form. These books also make an excellent gift for someone relatively hip and intelligent when you actually have no idea what he or she would like.
Average customer rating:
- Remarkable Bit of History
- A great gift idea for journalists...
- Page One Review
- Interesting to go through the past century
- First Page takes you back over a century of New York Times
|
The New York Times Page One: One Hundred Years of Headlines As Presented in the New York Times
Manufacturer: Galahad Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
History & Theory
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Media Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1578660882 |
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable Bit of History.......2002-10-21
These are the headlines that made the news. Often three lines, set in Italics Times, page one headlines of the "New York Times" defined American news for years. The internet, and national papers have diminished this effect somewhat, but for most of the Twentieth Century, the NYT was the news. Because of their influence, they were not only the reporters, but the generators of our news. If they didn't report it, one might wonder if it really happened.
This edition has no glorious essays explaining how wonderful people were in 1955, or how great the generation was in 1940. Instead, we get page one completed, unedited.
Only the days which made big news made the cut, but each page of the book is a complete front page. More than reproduced headlines, we can read the seondary and teriary stories, see the pictures, and know the weather. My birth year, 1966 apparently was only a big deal to me, as nothing newsworthy enough made this book.
It is a hearty book, tall and wide. It is smaller than actual paper, and the body copy seems to have shrunk to about 6.5-7 pt. Printing methods were not as good in 1900, and you'll see the smudges in the ink as the plates wore throughout the day's printing. This makes intriguing history, but occasionally difficult reading. Newer pages are reproduced cleanly.
I fully recommend "The New York Times Page One" as more than a curiosity. It would make an interesting book to provide school rooms to see the actual stories of the modern history they are studying.
Anthony Trendl
A great gift idea for journalists..........2001-08-28
or for others who love newspapers and history. It's all here -- the moon landing, Nixon resigns, WWII, WWI. It's the first rough draft of history, as told by the paper of record. It's a coffee-table sized book that is a fascinating read and a conversation piece.
Page One Review.......2001-07-11
This is a great book for collection. It marks the important milestones in the 20th century. It will improve your general knowledge about the events in the last century and encourage you learn more about them. What is more exciting is to watch them as they were presented on the first page of NY Times. To relive those moments through the print and pictures and titles as presented on the Page One. It is much more than an encylcopedia for the last century.
It is fun to see how an incident was presented on Day One which went on to become World War One. A must collect for history lovers!
Interesting to go through the past century.......2000-12-19
I received this as a present from one of my journalism students, and I really enjoy flipping through it. It's a coffee-table book of the major stories of the 20th century, and what a fun flip it is. I also enjoy the journalism aspect, as the style and layout changes over the decades are shocking. I wonder what the 2097 New York Times front page will look like--perhaps we will be printing the papers out on our own printer each morning, who knows. Anyway, this is a fun book for those who like a little history to go with their morning newspaper...and you don't have to be from New York to enjoy it.
First Page takes you back over a century of New York Times.......2000-06-10
I read this book first in my school's library, starting from the back and working my way towards 1896. I was amazed at all the things that had occured during those 100 years. From the crash of Flight 800 and the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, this book illustates provides the front page of our last century and hopefully a window to the next!
Customer Reviews:
Funny book.......1997-07-18
I read this book to my parents while we were in the car. My father started laughing so hard that he had to pull over to the side of the road! I don't belive I have laughed as hard before. I would really recommend buying this book, you'll laugh for awhile. :
Book Description
This successor volume to China beyond the Headlines takes the reader even farther beyond the front stage to explore a China few Westerners have seen. Seeking to bridge the gap between what specialists understand and the general public believes, the contributors challenge readers to move past the usual images of China presented by the media and to think about shared problems. In an entirely new set of essays, they explore such critical issues as environmental degradation, nationalism, unemployment, film and literature, news reporting, the Internet, sex tourism, and the costs of the economic boom to vividly portray the complexity of life in contemporary China and how surprisingly often it speaks to the American experience.
Customer Reviews:
Modern China in a nutshell.......2007-09-28
This book is comprehensive without being dull as dust. The chapters are complete unto themselves. My reactions: frowning, eye brows raised, goosebumps, laughter, and high interest.
Customer Reviews:
Bucks man admits attacking house; must go to Florida.......2001-11-05
If you like words and aren't opposed to humor, this book will have you laughing your brains out within the first 5 minutes. Not every headline is funny to everyone, but there are so many in here that no matter what your style is, you will be laughing and you will be enjoying it. The absurdity of everyday life has never been so enjoyable. Yay for Jay!
You need this book-- 10 isn't a high enough rating..........1998-04-19
When I first bought this book, I was expecting a few good laughs... what I got was amazing. I cracked open the book and cracked a grin, a few pages later I was chuckling, a couple misprints later, howling... after about five minutes with this, I was reduced to nearly to tears with sides so sore and so out of breath, I was worried I had to stop before I got a hernia or a heart attack, but I couldn't. You cannot set this book down willingly, and it would take a major nuclear war to get me to part with it in the middle. Still, I don't recommend taking this out in public-- you'll be laughing and twitching like you were insane. I loaned it to a friend of mine one day... he got kicked out of study hall for laughing too hard.
With headlines like "Dead man found in cemetary", "Mimes banned for abusive language" and "USPS begins program to help 'stamp out literacy'" you can see what I mean here. And that's just the tip of the iceberg-- these aren't even the best ones in the book. Sure, you can't give Leno all the credit (that goes to the many, many editors across the world who screwed up) but his observations on many of these articles were hilarious. Once you have this book, you just begin to wonder how you ever survived without it.
This is probably the funniest book I ever read--even over Dave Barry's. Somehow, a 10 doesn't seem adequate to describe it.
One last note to parents, though: don't let your young kids see this book... some of the misprints are ones that get a little blue.
Customer Reviews:
A Sometimes Funny Book.......2001-02-08
"Ohio man, 79, pronounced dead, but says he feels much better now"
"Boys cause as many pregnancies as girls"
"Bush gets briefing on drought; says rain needed to end it"
For anyone who has ever watched The Tonight Show with Jay Leno these real but ridiculous headlines from American newspapers are easily recognizable. In this book Jay Leno has compiled numerous headlines contributed by the viewers of The Tonight Show. This book is broken up into 14 different sections covering such topics as little-known facts, crime and punishment, family fun, death, and much more. Also, most of the headlines are accompanied by some type of comment by Leno. I must admit, some of these headlines and some of Leno's comments are pretty humorous. Although this book will not make you fall down laughing, in all probability it will cause a smile and elicit a chuckle. Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable book.
Book Description
The public's knowledge of crime is primarily derived from the depiction in the media. If the media is responsible for the headlines, the conclusion to be reached is that they influence the public's attention regarding crime. This book examines, through the study of cases that have made headlines, what is noted as the fear of crime among the populace. In addition to cases such as Scott Peterson, Marilyn Sheppard, and Jon Benet Ramsey, the authors focus on the changes in the sentencing laws, policies, increased incarceration rates as well as the war on drugs and try to find the factors that brought about change.
Focuses on the mass media and how it has transformed the criminal justice system. Presents 10 cases ranging throughout history right up until the 21st Century. Allows the reader to become involved in the case with an understanding of how the case was portrayed in the media. Explains the theory of crime and what attracts the media.
The focus of this work, the media and its handling of the criminal justice system, will have appeal to anyone involved in criminal justice. The case descriptions, the commentary will fascinate all readers.
Books:
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- Passing Through Paradise
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- Pokemon Fire Red & Leaf Green (Prima Official Game Guide)
- Private Parts
- Programming C#: Building .NET Applications with C#
- Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide, Second Edition
- Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
- Southern Grace: Recipes and Remembrances from The W
- Spirit of Animals
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Dispatches from the Tenth Circle: The Best of the Onion
The Onion's Finest News Reporting, Volume 1
Embedded in America: The Onion Complete News Archives Volume 16 (Onion Ad Nauseam)
Homeland Insecurity: The Onion Complete News Archives, Volume 17 (Onion Ad Nauseam)
Fanfare for the Area Man: The Onion Ad Nauseam Complete News Archives, Vol. 15
