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Summary: How Pinhead Jocks Are Destroying Civilization
Review: A book like _Dumbth_ is one sorely needed by modern society. Too bad it wasn't around 30 years ago, when it was needed even more!Steve Allen is an excellent author, presenting his point clearly, concisely, and with plain language. Unlike Bloom's _The Closing of the American Mind_ and Gross's _Higher Superstition_, this book is intended for all people interested in saving civilization. Despite its mild leaning to the left, and other biases on Allen's part, it describes the "dumbth" epidemic quite fairly. Allen really takes aim at the various forms of the smug (and militant) "know-nothing" pop-culture attitude that place glamour, muscular stupidity, and faddishness above knowledge. Add to that academic anti-intellectuals with their political agendas. People who deny or debase intelligence, reason, science, and technology are attacking civilization, and also humanity. Man is the only animal on this planet for whom all the above is as natural - and necessary - as breathing.
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Summary: What is "Dumbth"?
Review: Although a little slow reading, Mr. Allen offers many good tips on how to improve your mind and your ability to reason. Unfortunately, some examples used to illustrate his rules were tarnished by his political bias. For instance, Mr. Allen refers to former president Ronald Reagan more than a dozen times, all of them negatively. These were unnecessary distractions from the theme of the book. He could have chosen other examples to explain his rules. It's too bad he has such a dislike for conservative potiticians like Mr. Reagan. If it weren't for President Reagan, Mr. Allen's grandchildren would probably be speaking russian. Overall, I was disappointed. His liberal political agenda and his snobbery got in the way of an otherwise useful book.
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Summary: Liberal Elitist Snob
Review: Although a little slow reading, Mr. Allen offers many good tips on how to improve your mind and your ability to reason. Unfortunately, some examples used to illustrate his rules were tarnished by his political bias. For instance, Mr. Allen refers to former president Ronald Reagan more than a dozen times, all of them negatively. These were unnecessary distractions from the theme of the book. He could have chosen other examples to explain his rules. It's too bad he has such a dislike for conservative potiticians like Mr. Reagan. If it weren't for President Reagan, Mr. Allen's grandchildren would probably be speaking russian. Overall, I was disappointed. His liberal political agenda and his snobbery got in the way of an otherwise useful book.
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Summary: An Excellent Captivating book
Review: As an old fan of Steve Allen, I clearly remember his clever comedy and excellent wit from which many of today's hosts derive their ideas. This book shows a more serious side of Steve Allen who presents ways you can improve the quality of life in an easy to read manner, giving helpful examples. It's a self help book that doesn't read like a self help book. Although this book shows some of Steve's biases and strong personal opinions, I believe this book deserves a top rating for his contribution to helping us understand ourselves better. Read it with an open mind. As for the biases, Steve has the courage to put in writing some of who he is, whether we like it or not. It's an insight into the author as well.
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Summary: Disappointing scholarship: what was he thinking?
Review: For a book that presumes to teach us to think better, this is disappointing scholarship. Its flaws include: (1) The book includes only an anecdotal diagnosis of the problem, that as a society we are getting dumber. Scientific American has recently documented an overall rise in IQ scores, though: does this mean we're really getting smarter? This book doesn't even approach this kind of discussion: there's no attempt at objective or statistical analysis, just a long string of anecdotes on egregiously dumb behavior that anyone has seen, which may or may not mean anything. It looks like this book was slapped together in three weeks, not surprising considering how prolific the author was. (2) The analysis of what's causing the problem is superficial. He mentions TV only briefly. It deserves more serious and detailed consideration, comparable to (but with a less hysterical tone than) Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, by Jerry Mander. (3) The author fails to recognize that no matter how good the education system, it will still produce some dummies, and these people tend to be the ones with unglamorous jobs he rails against. One really ought to be kinder and more patient with these people than the author describes (e.g., in the incident when his room service help doesn't know what marmelade is), they're often doing the best they can. (4) The author gives 101 suggestions on how to get smarter, many of which are pretty good, but there is no summary, and no index. Their omission makes searching through such a long list too difficult for the book to be useful. This last problem is particularly thoughtless, since this book went through two editions. If you can afford only one book on critical thinking, get The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan, instead.
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Summary: Give the book a try
Review: His suggestions are wise and can be put to good use. What some consider to be angry babble is nothing more than old fashion comedy. Those people seriously need to lighten up!
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Summary: lighten up Steve!
Review: I like Steve Allen and believed that perhaps through his comic view, he could suggest some fun and creative ways to be smarter and more efficient. Instead, his examples of dumbth seem more like an example of a bitter old man who hates repeating himself and prefers intellectual snobishness to human fallibilty. The book stinks. My advice to Steve.... Lighten up!
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Summary: It changed my life!
Review: I read this book about 10 years ago. It really changed the way I observe the world. Steve Allen really tells it like it is!
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Summary: 101 REAL points of light
Review: I've been a fan of Steve Allen's writing since the "Meeting of Minds" series in the 1980s, and was saddened and almost angry that he died and left us with one fewer candle in the darkness. I have the unhappy feeling, though, that this book is preaching to the choir; anyone who is likely to pick it up is probably already disheartened by the full-blown Dumbth-ridden society we live in. I'd love to give it as gifts to a few folks who could benefit, but they wouldn't be likely to read it (because they don't read, period) and wouldn't recognize themselves in it. I, however, recognize myself plenty in this book, and have resolved at the least to become more conscious of what I'm doing, thinking, and taking in. I was a bit put off by Allen's frequent referencing to his own works in the "101" ways" section, but not enough to put the book down.
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Summary: What is "Dumbth"?
Review: In american education, self-esteem trumps knowledge. Grading students by achievement was replace by a system where EVERYBODY passes. Learning correct English was replace by "encouraging authentic speech". Learning "dead facts" replaced with "expressing your feeling" about the subject. This leads, says Steve Allen, to the production of a generation of people who are DUMBTH. What IS "dumbth"? It is not just ignorance, although the ignorance of american students is appaling; it is contempt for knowledge as "elitist" and "snobbish". It is not just unjustifiably high self-exteem, it is the feeling that one's very existence gives one the right never to be spoken to "negatively" (i.e., criticized in any way). It is not just stupidity or lack of critical thinking skills, but the belief that feelings and impressions are somehow *better* than facts and logic in making decisions. It is not just lack of manners and civility, but the conviction that civilized behavior equal hypocricy, and that "expressing your feelings in your authentic words" is the way to speak to complete strangers. (Of course, *they* don't have the right to speak that way to *you* - that might hurt your all-important self-esteem.) Mr. Allen, in his book, clearly exposes the many sad results of the dumbthing-down of the United States - the declining standards of the work ethic, civility, decency, and competence. He also tells us what to do against it - with 101 different things you can do to fight "dumbth" in yourself and in others. His book is both pessimistic and optimistic: pessimistic in its shocking revelations about the degree the U.S. has become "dumbth", and optimistic in its determination to do something about it. If you are not afraid to learn the hard truth about dumbth america, and are willing to do something about it, this book is for you.
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