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An Incomplete Education, Revised Edition (Hardcover)

by Judy Jones (Author), William Wilson (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)

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5 new from CDN$ 39.95 57 used from CDN$ 4.28

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Product Details

Hardcover: 704 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Revised edition edition (Oct 17 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345391373
ISBN-13: 978-0345391377
Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.3 x 4.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 1.4 Kg

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #117,400 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#54 in Books > Reference > Education > Research
#59 in Books > Reference > Education > Questions & Answers

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

You'll find everything you forgot from school--as well as plenty you never even learned--in this all-purpose reference book, an instant classic when it first appeared in 1987. The updated version takes a whirlwind tour through 12 different disciplines, from American studies to philosophy to world history. Along the way, Judy Jones and William Wilson provide a plethora of useful information, from the plot of Othello to the difference between fission and fusion. It's not a shortcut to cultural literacy, the authors write in their introduction, but it's an excellent "way in" to the building blocks of Western civilization: the "books, music, art, philosophy, and discoveries that have, for one reason or another, managed to endure." Think of it as finishing school for your brain; study up and you'll gain a lifetime's worth of cocktail conversation--as well as a new list of books you simply must read.

From Library Journal

The current emphasis on cultural literacy and the first edition's popularity (LJ 6/1/87) induced an update of this fascinating refresher course of core curriculum subjects. Two freelance writers, aided by several contributors, cover in bite-sized portions some "essentials" for an educated person. The treatment of 12 disciplines is au courant, sometimes irreverent and cynical, but substantially reliable, helping the authors achieve their purpose?to provide an entertaining invitation to information that has inspired and/or confused us over the years. While some topics, e.g., American studies and art history, are only slightly revised from the 1987 edition, coverage in science and political science is updated or new. One of the most successful chapters treats in a novel approach the culture, history, and geopolitics of 18 countries. Not strictly for the reference collection, this book can be profitably read by people of widely different age groups who may approach its contents selectively. An excellent layout with numerous photos and illustrations adds to the overall appeal.?Stanley P. Hodge, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index

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	69% buy the item featured on this page: An Incomplete Education, Revised Edition 4.0 out of 5 stars (49)
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Customer Reviews

49 Reviews

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (49 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete And Holding..., Jul 29 2003

By A Customer

The authors make a valiant attempt to encapsulate vast expanses of social, political, economic and religious history; complete with the appropriate personalities and technological advances. They barely survive the effort. While entertaining in most cases, they approach the material with a sarcasm (and at times a contempt)that detracts from their original intent.Case in point: "The Egyptians used the number zero (0), but did not know what they had". This statement effectively dismisses the intellectual achievment of the Egyptians in the area of mathematics and simultaneously implies a sort of ineptness. they then go on to praise Greek mathematical accomplishments. The authors ignore the fact that Pythagoras , the " Father" of Greek mathematics, studied in Egypt for 22 years. Pythagoras did not go to Egypt to teach anyone anything;he went to be taught by the best and brightest minds in the ancient world. More importantly, a cursory examination of the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus which is conservatively estimated to be 2-3 thousand years old, would have effectively put to rest the issue of mathematical primacy and origin. I assume here that the gratuitous put-down of Egyptian mathematical genius had the implied objective of establishing Greek contributions as first and greatest with respect to ranking and chronology on the world stage. Interesting...
I had other concerns about the book, but soon concluded that this was merely the authors take on the worlds institutions and personalities filtered through their Western education. The book is a selective distillation of what the authors consider the most important elements of their education which is, by no small leap of faith, assumed to be shared by the reader. Its well written, but incomplete and holding...

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Missing the point, Jul 23 2002

By A Customer

I think those who are critical of this book would benefit from reading the introduction. If they did so, they would find that it is not really meant to replace an in-depth knowledge of the topics covered. On the contrary, this book is meant as something of a sampler: it gives just enough to pique the reader's interest, and the reader is then expected to research further the topics in question on his or her own. To criticize the discussions in this text for being shallow is thus completely misguided, I think. I believe that it's similarly unfair to criticize the authors for not covering every topic under the sun -- it is an 'incomplete' education, after all. I also am surprised at the level of annoyance other reviewers have expressed at the tone of the writing in this book. Unlike these reviewers, I found the book humourous and the writing suitably light, considering the stated aims of the authors. I highly recommend this book.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting facts - Annoying presentation, Dec 3 1998

By	GreenleeD@hotmail.com (Texas) - See all my reviews

Reading this book reminded me of dining at a fine restauraunt with an excellent menu and, unfortunately, extraordinarily annoying waiters that buzz about my head like flies - filling my tea at every sip, dragging on endlessly about the soups of the day, and continually checking on my status. Urghhhhhh! Just give me the food and shut up already!

The authors of this book eventually wore me down with the presumtion that I would be more entertained with their apparent whit and comical sarcasm than with broadening my extent of knowledge. In fact, if one were to edit out the exra author-only-pleasing chatter, An Incomplete Education would be a surprizingly short read.

However, in all fairness, I did find the mere girth of this volume to be an excellent support brace for a broken passenger seat in a 1975 Toyota Corona. So, I suppose if you drove a make and model such as this, and if your passenger seat, too, was broken, then I would have to recommend this book highly. Make sure you wedge it with authority between the frame edging and drive shaft hump - it seems to work best that way.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for my history loving mum!
Great book with loads of info on everything! Reminds me of a "Bathroom reader"; something you can pick up and open at any page when you are feeling the need for some factual food... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Ms. Annabell

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing incomplete about it
As one review stated, you'll find everything you learned in school but have forgotten, and all the things you DIDN'T learn. Read more

Published on Aug 10 2004 by abbykapoff62

5.0 out of 5 stars Even anti-intellectuals should treasure this wonderful book.
I first flipped through this book my sophmore year of college, and I immediately fell in love with the immense breadth of it's scope. Read more

Published on Jun 27 2004 by a reader

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book !
The authors are way too condescending. The Title is totally misleading. They basically just try to be witty and tell you what they think is good and bad without offering any... Read more

Published on April 19 2004 by philip stenson