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An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't | 
 enlarge | Authors: Judy Jones, William Wilson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $20.99
You Save: $14.01 (40%)
New (29) Used (12) from $20.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  91 reviews
Sales Rank: 156
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 720
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.8
ISBN: 0345468902
Dewey Decimal Number: 031.02
EAN: 9780345468901
ASIN: 0345468902
Publication Date: April 25, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
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.
Product Description
When it was originally published in 1987, An Incomplete Education became a surprise bestseller. Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here’s your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be!
How do you tell the Balkans from the Caucasus? What’s the difference between fission and fusion? Whigs and Tories? Shiites and Sunnis? Deduction and induction? Why aren’t all Shakespearean comedies necessarily thigh-slappers? What are transcendental numbers and what are they good for? What really happened in Plato’s cave? Is postmodernism dead or just having a bad hair day? And for extra credit, when should you use the adjective continual and when should you use continuous?
An Incomplete Education answers these and thousands of other questions with incomparable wit, style, and clarity. American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History: Here’s the bottom line on each of these major disciplines, distilled to its essence and served up with consummate flair.
In this revised edition you’ll find a vitally expanded treatment of international issues, reflecting the seismic geopolitical upheavals of the past decade, from economic free-fall in South America to Central Africa’s world war, and from violent radicalization in the Muslim world to the crucial trade agreements that are defining globalization for the twenty-first century. And don’t forget to read the section A Nervous American’s Guide to Living and Loving on Five Continents before you answer a personal ad in the International Herald Tribune.
As delightful as it is illuminating, An Incomplete Education packs ten thousand years of culture into a single superbly readable volume. This is a book to celebrate, to share, to give and receive, to pore over and browse through, and to return to again and again.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 86 more reviews...
 a good resource November 27, 2008
This book is an excellent resource. It is written so that it leads people to "dip into" it for information that you may or may or may not know; or are unsure of. There are pictures, photographs, charts, and the style is light.
Its fascinating to just browse through. I got one for each of my college aged sons, and I believe they both got some good use out of it.
An Incomplete Education November 18, 2008
I've seen this book in numerous catalogs and knew that my 15 year old daughter would love it. In the catalogs it was around $35 + shipping. I found it here at a much lower price; the book arrived promptly; and it was in excellant condition. I come here first for any of my online shopping needs. Great job guys!
 like LBJ's view of Bill Fulbright October 18, 2008
1 out of 12 found this review helpful
In 600-plus pages that mention nothing about the history of Israel or the wars against Israel, and ignore anti-semitis=im in discussing the Dreyfus affair, the editors ignore the first five books of the Old Testatment in dismissing Judaism as a religion not concerned with reward and punishment, and print a map locating Jerusalem im some place called Palestine. In discussing "Bibles" never mention the illiterate committee that gave us the James, never refer to translations of the Hbrew work alone. Hard to say what other blindness, prejudice, and falsehood creeps into the tome. Asked about Bill Fulbright, LBJ compared him to a bucket of fresh milk squeezed staright from the cow after old Bessie whooshed her tail trough a cowpie and dropped it into the pail. anyone who wants to drink here should be wary.
A great gift item October 4, 2008
I purchased one for my husband who loved it. It is a general overview of many topics and is as much fun as it is educational.
I will be purchasing 3 more as Christmas gifts for those on my list who "have everything."
Not Accurate September 16, 2008
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
There are things in this book that are inaccurate. I can only speak to the religious section because it is a subject I know well but I know others who have complained about the inaccuracies in the science section. For example, the author mentions that the Hadith (written traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) are widely accepted to be unauthentic. In fact, there is a whole science of deciphering whether or not a hadith is authentic, with many books rating thousands of Hadith. These books are so detailed as to include the character, education, public opinion, etc. of all the people who have transmitted a particular hadith. Needless to say, the subject isn's as simple as the author would have the reader believe. There were also some problems in the Zorastrian section that I don't really want to go into now. I think that with a book of this nature, accuracy is paramount so I would consider such mistakes unacceptable. I would venture a guess and say that perhaps the authors themselves have an incomplete education.
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