Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart

There is a line in an Eddie Murphy stand up routine from the 80's where he says "It's the fart game son you'll play it one day". I picked up this book because frankly I am a gaseous girl, who grew up playing the fart game in my house. My father used to lock the windows to our station wagon and made us guess what he had for breakfast, my sisters used to hold me down and poot in my face, we all did the pull my finger joke and we had our own names for the act: The Barking Spider, "just stepped on a frog", Chocolate Zephyr, Rumbling Paducah, A Howdy, Perfwanky, Beefed, cat food pancake. This book is like a bible for me, a reference book, and the encyclopedia fartanica if you will. It isn't just a book that you might put in someone's Christmas stocking to get a guffaw "oh look uncle bob got a book from Santa on farting, what a gas!" It's full of literary references, Shakespearean sonnets, historical data, scientific facts, myths and legends, all you ever wanted to know but they never taught you in 5th grade biology! Besides all the learning you will accomplish, it's also just a funny read and that's really what the game is all about.

Absolutely hilarious, thoroughly researched and very well-written.Appeals to both my literate, probing, analytical University-graduate side...and my giggling, scatological idiot side.Guaranteed to get you a full row of seats to yourself when you read it on the subway, even at rush hour, and (if you can remain totally deadpan), a source of endless amusement when you ask for it in book stores or libraries...even if you already have a copy!Wonderful examples of farts and scatology through history, music, different cultures (Did you know that the Arab words for "silent fart" and "death sentence" are only one letter different?) and literature. And of course, there's a whole chapter on the French music hall entertainer "Le Petomaine"!The transcript of the legendary "Crepitation Contest" record almost made me choke on my Timbits when I read it at a local donut shop.An absolute must-have for both the scholarly and the silly!

I bought this book expecting it to be rather more of a "how-to" guide than it turned out to be. That said, it was still immensely useful and exposes many myths. I, for one, had mistakenly subscribed to that well-known myth that Arabs consider it the height of good manners to break wind during and after a meal. Sadly, this is untrue. If only I had had this book *before* I dined with the secretary-general of OPEC in '96!

this is a fabulous book, i loved it. people probably think no book on a fart can be good but this one was. not only was it funny but it had good context and was very humorous. when i read it, (which was in one sitting) i had tears rolling down my cheeks i was laughing so hard. a great book you should definatly read!

This is great knowledge. Only an anal retentive author such as Mr. Dawson would pay so much attention and detail, and add such light aired wit to such an otherwise offensive topic. Through exaustive and careful reseach, the author has managed to be a cut above the cheese. Good reading for all.