Our Dumb World: The Onion’s Atlas of the Planet Earth – 73rd Edition

by: Onion

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Reviewed by Michele E. Davis

This paperback edition of the 2007 hardcover version of Our Dumb World contains “30% More Asia”! If only high school geography was this sarcastic and realistic, maybe Americans would know exactly where the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, or Jordan are, but as it is, geography is so dull that Our Dumb World brings a breath of fresh air and levity to our world. Laid out like a regular Atlas, you see the land mass, flag, facts and major contemporary details about each country.

Taking after their irreverent humor that their weekly newspaper elicits, with headlines that could read: “Florida fallen off Continental Shelf, orange juice production low, adult diapers high,” this Atlas pokes jabs at every major country as you guffaw your way around the globe. Even the most uptight, humorless individual would read these pages and laugh. Everyone has heard of Palestine, but has it been thought of in the context of, “On 24-Hour Suicide-Bombing Watch”? Or Yemen & Oman, “Doing Terrorism’s Grunt Work.” These are all headliners that sum up a specific land mass pretty adequately with that snide Onion ”˜we know you love reading us because we’re such good writers of cynicism.’ This book delivers a good belly laugh and perhaps even some education thrown in for good measure.

Armchair Interviews says: Beautiful layout, well written, and funny. A must have for your high school student; then you can borrow it.

Author’s Web site: http://www.TheOnion.com/content/atlas