Rating: 
Summary: Helpful companion to the avid reader
Review: Everytime I read a novel, poem, or essay, there is invaribly a literary illusion, historical mention, or theme that I know nothing about. At this point, out pops the good old Dictionary of Culteral Literacy. Its a book of knowledge that quickly covers many different topics that one day in your life you might need to know a quick fact about. I use this book as my general Cliff's notes.
Rating:
Summary: indispensable
Review: I originally bought this book in 1990. It has come in handy more times than I can remember. Honestly, The D of CL should be in every home. I appreciate the concise definitions and well categorized subjects.
A must for any student!
Rating: 
Summary: know something about everything
Review: I was given this book as a birthday present about 8 years ago. It is still on my shelf, and it still gets used every once an awhile. It is a wonderful book for people who are very curious, people who would like a little refresher on general knowledge, and for people who love jeopoardy and triva pursuit. The book is divided into different categories which cover a broad base of knowledge, including history, religion, mythology, social science, and literature. I would like to see a new edition with more current event information, however, I still believe that this is a good buy, especially for students, teachers, or trivia buffs, because it is an excellent (and quick) reference guide to just about everything.
Rating:
Summary: The time has come for a 3rd edition to update this work
Review: The first edition of "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy" was published in 1988 and this second edition came out five years later. Almost twice that amount of time has expired and we have yet to see a third edition, which is sorely needed. I was considering this work as a reference book for students in a popular culture class, but the contemporary period was already underrepresented, even without the update. You cannot really claim cultural literacy when "Madonna" is only "A work of art depicting Mary, the Mother of Jesus, especially one that shows her holding the infant Jesus." Actually this volume is a bit more than a dictionary because the entries are often longer than what you would expect to find in a traditional dictionary. Effort has been made to provide appropriate contexts and, more importantly, cross references to related words; cultural associations even have their own special little symbol. However, if you are dealing with non-contemporary literature the first two sections on the Bible and Mythology & Folklore provide a solid foundation for understanding the illusions often found in great books. The World and American History sections are certainly passable, but that is the sort of information you can find in much better reference books. I have found the World and American Politics sections to be more useful and would recommend those teaching Government classes look them over. However, many sections on science seem to me to be at least padded if not outright unnecessary. For a dictionary on CULTURAL literary I do not think we need to cover "saliva," "flower" and "carnivore." Being able to identify the differences between the Marx Brothers is culturally important and you might be able to make a case for understanding how gonorrhea affects each of the sexes, but recognizing the different types of rock is going too far a field. Still, "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy" could well be a worthwhile addition to your desk reference set.
Rating:
Summary: The time has come for a 3rd edition to update this work
Review: The first edition of "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy" was published in 1988 and this second edition came out five years later. Almost twice that amount of time has expired and we have yet to see a third edition, which is sorely needed. I was considering this work as a reference book for students in a popular culture class, but the contemporary period was already underrepresented, even without the update. You cannot really claim cultural literacy when "Madonna" is only "A work of art depicting Mary, the Mother of Jesus, especially one that shows her holding the infant Jesus." Actually this volume is a bit more than a dictionary because the entries are often longer than what you would expect to find in a traditional dictionary. Effort has been made to provide appropriate contexts and, more importantly, cross references to related words; cultural associations even have their own special little symbol. However, if you are dealing with non-contemporary literature the first two sections on the Bible and Mythology & Folklore provide a solid foundation for understanding the illusions often found in great books. The World and American History sections are certainly passable, but that is the sort of information you can find in much better reference books. I have found the World and American Politics sections to be more useful and would recommend those teaching Government classes look them over. However, many sections on science seem to me to be at least padded if not outright unnecessary. For a dictionary on CULTURAL literary I do not think we need to cover "saliva," "flower" and "carnivore." Being able to identify the differences between the Marx Brothers is culturally important and you might be able to make a case for understanding how gonorrhea affects each of the sexes, but recognizing the different types of rock is going too far a field. Still, "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy" could well be a worthwhile addition to your desk reference set.
Rating:
Summary: A Must- Have
Review: This book gives short descriptions of everything you could ever want to know about. It is truly the companion to any culturally-literal person. I used it in my government class and it helped a great deal, and I also used it in a lit class to decipher the Bible. It helps in any subject, definitely something every college student, and people of all ages, should own.
Rating:
Summary: A Must- Have
Review: This book gives short descriptions of everything you could ever want to know about. It is truly the companion to any culturally-literal person. I used it in my government class and it helped a great deal, and I also used it in a lit class to decipher the Bible. It helps in any subject, definitely something every college student, and people of all ages, should own.
Rating:
Summary: The REAL scoop
Review: This book is an excellent resource, although because of the number of references, it cannot go into depth on many. But if you are looking for a general understanding of a concept, person, or phrase ingrained in American culture, you will find it here.I fear that many critics of this book chastize it for its failure to include persons or events near and dear to their hearts. While I am sympathetic to that concern, the reader must understand that this book is akin to a popularity contest of culture, with the most commonly used/understood concepts rising to the top. This is actually a good thing, although it seems shallow at first blush. As the authors note, the ability to communicate/read well stems from shared understanding. This book succeeds by providing what, at a minimum, should be known by someone because most literate Americans also know it. The authors, in fact, do not suggest we educate ourselves only within the confines of this book, or take its ideas as intrinsically more valuable. Rather, they say only that this is where we must start. If my friends from abroad asked me what single best reference would prepare them to interact intelligently in America, this would be it.
Rating:
Summary: The REAL scoop
Review: This book is an excellent resource, although because of the number of references, it cannot go into depth on many. But if you are looking for a general understanding of a concept, person, or phrase ingrained in American culture, you will find it here. I fear that many critics of this book chastize it for its failure to include persons or events near and dear to their hearts. While I am sympathetic to that concern, the reader must understand that this book is akin to a popularity contest of culture, with the most commonly used/understood concepts rising to the top. This is actually a good thing, although it seems shallow at first blush. As the authors note, the ability to communicate/read well stems from shared understanding. This book succeeds by providing what, at a minimum, should be known by someone because most literate Americans also know it. The authors, in fact, do not suggest we educate ourselves only within the confines of this book, or take its ideas as intrinsically more valuable. Rather, they say only that this is where we must start. If my friends from abroad asked me what single best reference would prepare them to interact intelligently in America, this would be it.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable reference
Review: This book is unbelievably useful and germaine. I initially purchased it to prepare for taking the Jeopardy! test (it's recommended by some of the champs), but it's usefulness goes far beyond that. Nobody can learn everything, and we all go through life not quite understanding that one mythological reference, parable, euphemism, historical reference, or slang term. It's all here in this one book! You will be unbelievably well grounded for existence in American society if you have this volume. Although it's great for looking up unknown references, I'm reading it from cover to cover and can't put it down.
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