Dumbth and 81 Ways to Make Americans Smarter - Hardcover

Allen, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0879755393 ISBN 13: 9780879755393

Publisher: Prometheus Books, 1989

Synopsis

In what may be the ultimate how-to book, Steve Allen addresses a social problem so pervasive that it may well be the cause of many others. The author's thesis started with observation of a sharp increase in instances of inefficiency.

About this title

From Library Journal:

"Dumbth" is the state of the Miami college students in geography who can't find Miami on the map, the people who send flowers to the funerals of soap-opera characters, and innumerable incompetent hotel clerks. Comedian and writer Allen, like Allan Bloom and others back to Plato, thinks stupidity is on the rise, and that what passes for education won't stem the tide. He finds this annoying and devotes much space to limousine companies that fail him at the airport, and other such occurrences. His solutions are chiefly better logic teaching and more common sense--awareness of the complexity of things, understanding of the nature of evidence, and even willingness to watch the news. Alas, no one has told him that the best logicians are troubled by the concept of evidence and find it hard to define simplicity. Still, though spleen outweighs Allen's usual intelligence and wit, readers will find entertaining anecdotes--and something to think about.
- Leslie Armour, Univ. of Ottawa
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Polymath Allen brings his considerable talents to bear on a phenomenon that is increasingly the concern of critics of contemporary Americans--the "unprecedented amount of mental incapacitation" in our society. Coining the word "dumbth" to describe common ignorance in significant categories of knowledge, he cites examples and incidents from his experience as an international traveler, citing also commentaries of educators, philosopher and sociologists. Instructive in a pleasing, popular way, he sketches distinctions between ignorance and stupidity, discusses the many aspects of what constitutes intelligence and recommends the teaching of reasoning in early school years. In a panoply of ways to improve the ability to reason, "rules" are laid out for readers of various levels, each illustrated with anecdotes and suggestions. Tempering missionary zeal with humor and humaneness, Allen addresses a sorry condition and, better yet, suggests solutions.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0879755393
• ISBN 13: 9780879755393
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 359