Everything Great Thinkers

Yes, James Mannion wrote: "According to classic TV legend, he even ended up on the Ponderosa Ranch. Ben Cartwright and his sons made him welcome on an episode of 'Bonanza,' and inspired his muse when he was reluctant to write the final installment of 'Oliver Twist.'" The author (trust me, I know him quite well -- wink, wink, nudge, nudge) was attempting a wee bit of whimsy with this quip. He knows full well that the show featured AN ACTOR playing the part of Dickens. Why would fictional characters (the Cartwrights) inspire a real person (Dickens) to finish a novel (Oliver Twist) that was written a more than a century earlier? The phrase "according to classic TV legend" should have been a clue. If the reviewer read that Napoleon Bonaparte appeared on I Dream of Jeannie or George Washington popped by Samantha's house on Bewitched (they did), would he think that the author really believed that these historical figures were still alive and guest starring on 1960s American television? Come on! Isn't it lovely that some people take time out of their busy lives to trash a book and potentially affect a man's income and reputation because of their inability to get a subtle joke. Perhaps it wasn't the funniest joke ever to find its way into print, but I think most people reading that sentence would get it. And if not, then how far we have fallen as a civilization! Believe me, there are probably a few real errors within those covers that someone could find, given the tight deadline and negligible renumeration that hacks suffer to produce this kind of book. At least Old Mannion tried to infuse a few laughs along the way to counterbalance the dryness of the material. I'm glad the reviewer was finding amusement in the bathroom with this book prior to writing his review. For many reasons, both sacred and profane, the close proximity of a toilet bowl is an appropriate place for most Everything Books to be shelved.

This is a fun and informative book. It is both educational and funny. The pantheon of Great Thinkers included here run the gamut, and venture well beyond the predictable. Also, this book is totally unique among these various series. I recommend this book. I learned and laughed, which is my litmus test for a good read.