Brandon Toropov

Rating: 3.5 of 5

A fun introduction to urban legends. Not a huge selection of tales - nowhere close to N.E. Genge's book - and they were, for the most part, already well-known to me and probably most other people in the world. Toropov opened the book with the concept of "Urban Legends as Collective Dreams" which, although interesting food for thought, seemed out of place given the overall lighthearted tone of this guide. The real gems, though, were the sidebars, especially the "Strange but True" callouts.

I would recommend this guide to anyone new to urban legends, or anyone who wants a quick refresher before digging deeper into modern myths.

Notes for my quick reference:

It was while reading this guide that I began to realize how many urban legends have been used in the TV show Supernatural. Even the BBC show Luther used "killer under the bed" for one of its episodes.

Defined UL as "a compelling story of unknown or enigmatic origin that spreads in various forms and may use humor or terror to deliver a lesson (often involving punishment for violating a social code.) (p.4)"

"As you make your way through this book, consider the possibility of examining urban legends as though they were collective dreams built around shared challenges, concerns, and patterns of thought (p.19)."… (mer)

This guide to Taoism was actually a step above what a complete idiot might need. The authors were both well versed in philosophical speak and, purposefully or not, peppered the book with it. I'm not complaining, though. I thought it was quite a bit of fun.

This book tries to cover the big picture of Taoism, including history, literature, how it impacts worldviews and politics, and even its influence on pop culture. It took me a little longer to read because I kept getting inspired to stop reading and look things up. Many of the websites they mention are now defunct, but the ideas are timeless.

I gave this book 3 stars (out of 5). I would have liked to have given this book 4 or even 5 stars. Unfortunately, the mod-ness that made it so cutting edge in 2002 only made it look a tad out-of-date by 2011. A prime example being the many (many) references to various GeoCities websites. But I guess the "Complete Idiot's Guides" are not lauded for their timelessness. Maybe they'll release an updated Toaism edition one of these days?… (mer)