Our Dumb World: Atlas of the Planet Earth

CDN$ 20.48

Fewer clouds on maps - Have a quick flick through this book and you might think it was a Dorling Kindersley world atlas. It has all the DK appeal: well produced maps and state flags, interesting photos plus very clean layouts and typography but as soon as you start to read the words you realise your on planet Onion.The two hundred and two countries mostly get a page each with two pages given to topical (in the American sense) nations like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, North Korea or Cuba for instance. Pages 207-209 covers The Stans: Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakstan. Did you know this last nation has a space programme? Probably not but there is a photo of a rocket strapped to the back of a donkey to prove it. The two pages on Nigeria kick off with a page email: REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE. Dear Reader, WE NEED YOUR HELP May the blessing of God be... and so on in the usual 419 scam prose. The sub-head under Chile says: `Preventing Argentina From Enjoying The Pacific Ocean Since 1818 . It s this offbeat quirky copy that has made The Onion rightly famous and this book contains page after page of it. As with a real atlas you re not meant to read it all but this is one of the Onion s better efforts and with its high production values I think this will be a well-thumbed book.

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• Our Dumb Century
• BORAT: Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A. and Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
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