You can fool some of the people all of the timebut wouldnt you rather really know what youre talking about? Why are conservatives on the right and liberals on the left? What is an archetype? Most people drop these and other cultural references in conversation all the time without really knowing much about them. But with this witty, information-packed book, you can quickly bone up on the actual facts behind the multitude of data, events, and words that come at you each dayand that youve been casually bandying about without really understanding. Here are invaluable explanations of a wide range of topics that are assumed to be common knowledge, from deciphering newsspeak (What is a spin doctor?) to psychobabble (Whats the difference between the ego and the id?) to cyberlingo (What is cyberlingo?); from the supposedly obvious (What makes cholesterol good or bad?) to the deceptively simple (What is a formula race car?). Perfect as a quick reference tool, for browsing, or simply for sharing impressive, newfound knowledge with family and friends, this handbook will endow you with genuine cultural literacy in just a few hours of fun-filled reading.
About Artists & Writers:
Lynette Padwa is the author of Everything You Pretend to Know and Are Afraid Someone Will Ask and the coauthor of several other books. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.