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Title: Dumbth: The Lost Art of Thinking With 101 Ways to Reason Better & Improve Your Mind by Steve Allen ISBN: 1-57392-237-4 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: September, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.37 (19 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: FLAWED THEORY
Comment: In many respects this is a very important book to read, however I found that in the first portion of the book where Mr. Allen shows examples to illustrate how people are getting more inefficient to be somewhat flawed.
In one he tells us of a room service operator not knowing what marmalade is. Now, this is not a good thing for a room service operator not to know, but perhaps the person was young and starting out on a first job and, like me never grew up with marmalade in the house. Regardless I can't quite draw that the lack of knowlege of marmalade shows the decline of civilization.
If we are to believe everything the author writes about this subject, then we would have to say that he too, is a product of the same "Dumbth" as at one point he mentions actor Robert Young "who played Marcus Welby in the 50's." Point of fact in the 1050's Young played Jim Anderson on Father Knows Best, it was a decade or so later he became known as Marcus Welby.
If you can forgive and get through Mr.Allen's "know it all" attitude this is a book worth reading. Most helpful to anyone are the 101 ways to combat "Dumbth" that end this book.
Rating: 3
Summary: Fascinating/useful though Allen shows some dumbth of his own
Comment: My thoughts on this book are mixed. Generally, I think that this book has some useful, insightful and funny observations and theories about how to think well.
However, there is one glaring defect: Allen's irrational interaction with others. Perhaps in Allen's reading of human psychology, he missed the two most fundamental features of human thinking.
First, people almost all of the time are thinking only of themselves. What's that mean? Steve Allen is not the center of everyone's universe! They are! Allen practically expects people to drop everything to cater to him. For instance, a receptionist at the nerve center of a hotel is supposed to know everything about him. Guess what? The poor, underpaid receptionist has his/her phone ringing off the hook with hundreds of other Allens all of whom think that they're the most important people in the universe.
Second, nobody likes to be criticized. Nobody--including you, Steve. Would an intelligent person spin their wheels pointing out to someone that they had to repeat information or that their thinking is faulty? Only if you want to make them angry, unhelpful and waste your time. A smart person does what it takes to get the job done--maybe even repeating themselves. They don't waste their time with puerile games of intellectual posturing.
Here's something to think over. When one goes fishing, they bait the hook not with what they want to eat (in the case of Allen, marmalade jam) but with what the fish wants. If you want people to be cooperative, think about their perspective and how to give them what they want to accomplish your end. Typically, it's not all that difficult either. It can be as simple as being polite and complimenting them on doing something well rather than pointing out their faults.
But you can always bang your fists insisting that everyone stop to fetch your marmalade jam as if they care, but that's just dumbth.
Rating: 4
Summary: Joining the intelligensia...
Comment: It is often said that comedy serves the same role in society today that the court jester used to play in courts of old -- not just a person who helps to release tension and entertain, but also a prophetic voice, a truth-teller, someone who can deal with the unpleasantness of reality without becoming a threatening or problematic figure. Steve Allen definitely falls into the latter category -- while there is no question that Allen's talents in the entertainment field are considerable (he was the creator of the Tonight Show, which is still running, in addition to 'intelligent' shows such as 'Meeting of the Minds' for PBS), he brings an uncharacteristic intelligence to his productions (which includes more than 50 books, in addition the work in acting media).
Steve Allen coined the term 'Dumbth' for the earlier edition of this book. He speculates (in ways that might put professional educators to shame) on the level of ignorance and stupidity (not the same things) in society today. Allen was one of the originators of the 'Man in the Street' interview, asking such as questions as 'Would you vote for an acknowledged heterosexual?' and finding the most bizarre responses. Reality being twice as true but half as funny as most comedy, he highlights the difficulties children have with geography -- not only could half a class of children in Miami not find London on the map (and they thought the Falklands were off the English Coast, that Quebec was in Alaska, etc.) but also that eight percent of these kids -- in Miami, remember -- could not find Miami on the map...
After recounting tale after harrowing tale, Allen does something few comedians (and alas, sometimes few educators) do, and that is to suggest solutions! His earlier text suggested 81; in republication, Allen came up with 20 more solutions, for 101 in all. Some are simple logical propositions, well known to logicians and others trained in analytical reasoning -- beware of erroneous assumptions, drawing conclusions from insufficient evidence, etc. Others are more personal in nature -- not falling in love with the first answer, not looking for the easiest answer, not giving in to prejudice or superstition. Once could easily make a calendar out of these 101 rules, as they are each but a page or two in length, yet contain wisdom beyond common sense.
Rule 75 is perhaps the most important one -- it perhaps should be elevated to Rule 1 status. 'Stop thinking you "don't have time" to improve yourself.' This is good advice, not just for figuring out reasoning and intelligence skills, but for almost everything; the wise person will understand that there is time for the important things, and the designation 'important' is truly up to us.
Allen's warning in the final rule (be sceptical of the internet) as well as his concern about rationality and reason not being a cure-all (sometimes it is merely a placebo) deserve further treatment, alas, not from the great Allen himself, but perhaps some disciple shall. Allen states that sometimes the problem is not that people are not rational and reasonable, but rather too much so -- that they take the processes and results to such extremes that it becomes difficult to deal with; often this leads to another kind of problem of reason, the most insidious and difficult kind to deal with -- the problem of those who are correct.
An interesting text, a good and revealing trek through the state of current culture, done with humour and grace. This is not a text on logic, so don't go into it expecting such. Allen wraps much of his personal life and experience into his narrative, so do expect that -- Allen has lived an interesting life, and who among us hasn't seen the truly stupid taking place around us daily?
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Title: Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality by Steve Allen, Martin Gardner ISBN: 0879756381 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: September, 1990 List Price(USD): $33.00 |
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Title: More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, & Morality/Book II by Steve Allen ISBN: 0879757361 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: April, 1993 List Price(USD): $33.00 |
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Title: Vulgarians at the Gate: Trash TV and Raunch Radio: Raising Standards of Popular Culture by Steve Allen ISBN: 1573928747 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: April, 2001 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! by Michael Moore ISBN: 0060392452 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 19 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Bushwhacked : Life in George W. Bush's America by LOU DUBOSE, MOLLY IVINS ISBN: 0375507523 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 23 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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