Rating: 
Summary: It can be embarrassing...
Review: I must admit that it can be bit embarrassing how little I knew about geography. Davis pulls everything together with facts of old and new. This book forced me to pull out the some maps a few times, which expanded my understanding. He answeres the questions I had always wondered (and a few that I should have already known),an easy and intersting read. Reasonably priced.
Rating: 
Summary: I love this book!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If school textbooks were like this, we would be more geography literate. The author includes some history to make it all the more interesting. Thumbs up!
Rating: 
Summary: The title of the book says it all.
Review: I thought this particular title was poorly researched and written. The main sources he cites are almanacs and dictionaries. Large portions of the information is controversial, and the author does not even attempt to support it or cite his sources. The author also seems to also portray a bias against religious groups.
Rating:
Summary: Great Idea...
Review: If you pick this book up thinking you are going to get great details about Geography you are mistaken, but if you do what I did and just expect a fun book with some great facts then this is the book for you. I own all of his books and this was my first. Davis makes reading the book enjoyable, as he does his others. BUY THIS BOOK, and have some fun with it. I completely annoyed my wife with "Hey, did you know that..."GREAT BUY!!!
Rating: 
Summary: I can barely stand it!
Review: In general, I find the book mostly readable. The topic is interesting and the presentation is enjoyable - when the author sticks to the facts. But having read roughly 3/4 of it so far, I find myself contantly fighting the urge to just dump it in the trash in response to the sniveling diatribes that crop up every other page. According to the author, we humans should spend our lives feeling totally guilty simply because we exist and have spent that existence screwing up the planet in political power struggles, profit mongering, and general poor behavior. It's a wonder we even bother to take time out from our well-deserved self-flagellations to attempt to educate ourselves with a book about the world around us. Even when expounding on world efforts to bring CFC emmisions under control, the author whines, "We are just left to wonder if it is too little, too late". I cringe at what might await in his book about the Bible! I think I'll pass.
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: 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: Excellent primer on world geography
Review: Kenneth Davis' volume, "Don't Know Much About Geography," is a light-hearted, sometimes tongue-in-cheek look at world geography and how that geography has played a part in world history and the shaping of cultures. Though this is not an in-depth treatise on geography, Davis makes the subject relevant to his readers. A must read for any student just beginning geography as well as adults who want to refresh their memories.
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: 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.
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