Don't Know Much About Geography: Everything You Need to Know About the World but Never Learned

Rating:
Summary: Don't Know Much ABout(TM) Kenneth Davis
Review: It's been said that the difference between a mediocre author and a good one is a good editor, and the same goes for the difference between good and great and great and outstanding. In all cases, the editor has to be the better of the two. In Kenneth C. Davis' case, a mediocre author had a mediocre editor. He's good at collecting facts, but not so good at verifying them. One that really bugged me was on page 314: "Invisible to the naked eye, Uranus was not discovered until 1781, the first planet to be observed by telescope." Yet, in the period 1609-1613, Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn (though he could not recognize the rings for what they were). Davis' editor should have had him say that Uranus was the first planet to be DISCOVERED (not OBSERVED) by telescope. This is but one of many similar annoyances. The author seems to be better at copyrighting a title and carving a niche than carefully choosing his words and checking his facts.

Rating:
Summary: You can judge this book by the cover...
Review: Looking at the title of this book, I thought it was a question. "Don't Know Much About Geography? (well pick up this handy guide and I'll teach you everything you need to know about the world but never learned)". Don't get me wrong, that's not why I bought it at all- I was assigned to read this book (so take this review with a grain of salt). As I read this book, I began to realize that the title is more of a statement. As in, "YOU Don't Know Much About Geography (you stupid fool so let me put it to you very frankly)". I found this book to be very remedial, rather than eye opening. There was only one time I remeber when I was amazed by the information presented to me- and I can't remeber that single fact, so what's the use. Davis spells out planets names, defines "state" and "nation", facts people need to know (I suppose), but he does it with a fourth grade humor that makes it seem like you are being talked down to. It reads quickly, is packed with information, but all around this book is not as funny as some say it is and at times is like being back in the grade school class that Davis describes in his introduction. I guess that's the point, but where is the imagination in a dressed up encyclopedia about geography? Read it if you have to or you liked the rest of the other "Don't Know Much About" series, otherwise don't bother. It is not much of a referance book either with many facts hidden behind his "get-to-the-point-already" paragraphs, although it does have an extensive index.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Entertaining
Review: Mr. Davis has done a top-notch job of disseminating some very useful and needful information. Don't let the title fool you - more than just "geography" is covered here. You'll learn history, ecology, astronomy, and more. The only caveat, and it's not a huge one, is that he occasionally gets a bit preachy, especially about the environment and his liberal attitude comes through loud and clear. Overall, a good read and well worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: a great read
Review: One of the more memorable times in my school life was in college when a professor actually made history fun to learn. I learned more in that class than I think I did in all the rest of my history classes throughout my life. Mr. Davis is able to do the same with geography in this wonderful book. I recommend this to anyone wishing to learn more about the world we live in.

Rating:
Summary: The joke's on you, Kenneth Davis
Review: This book was written in 1992, so one can forgive Kenneth Davis a few inaccuracies - geography just doesn't stay the same and scientists learn new things about the Earth all the time.

What I can't forgive, however, is when an author who is supposedly trying to teach you something injects his partisan politics into the book. Davis did this in Don't Know Much About History by taking an undeserved shot at Reagan. And he takes a shot at Bush (Daddy-O, not Jr, obviously) in Don't Know Much About Geography.

Davis is trying to pretend that Bush made the world situation worse by liberating Kuwait during the Gulf War. I wonder if he feels like a fool having those words in print, given what we know now about Saddam Hussein? He practically screams "No blood for oil!" on pg. 240. It's embarrassing.

So, considering Davis is prone to injecting his own political interpretations in his writing, I wonder how much credence I can give anything he writes?

That said, if you truly don't know much about geography, this is a decent start. But read with a grain of salt and know where Davis is coming from when he writes about geopolitical "history".