Analytical Point of View

‘The General Book of Ignorance’ is the first book in a series of book addressing various topics which the majority of people are considered ignorant , it was written by the authors John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

, but it contains various collaborations of work published by other authors.

This book is a very eye-opening and interesting read, ‘The General book of ignorance’ promises wit and talent, with the author being John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, a fairly famous actor, many readers would be keen to find out what interesting replies he will have say about ignorance.

‘The General book of ignorance’ is a very quirky read; it is basically a book which provides insight into a range of topics that many people are generally ignorant about. It contains various facts from early history to the technology used nowadays. The book consists of 230 ‘ignorant’ questions and factual answers; the information which arises is curious and informative. Things such as ‘an algae is not a plant, but a bacteria’ and ‘the peanut is not a nut, but a pea’.

The language used by the authors is colloquial and smart arse’y, slightly sarcastic in a way. It occasionally mocks the simplicity of the question proposed, and the ignorance of the person. The authors write in a style which arouses the curiosity of the reader. Especially in the questions, this pulls the reader on, to subliminally satisfy their sudden thirst for knowledge. Lloyd and Mitchinson also present some questions rhetorically which makes you think before you continue on. ‘Were George Washington’s teeth actually made from wood?’

The simplicity and clarity through which the information is perceived through the author, to us is what makes this book so interesting and simple to read, and understandable by a simpleton.

I thoroughly enjoyed the colloquial language of the author and the slight sarcastic tone, which intrigues you to know more, and the quirkiness of the replies. ‘The most likely survivor of a nuclear war is not the cockroach. It’s a pick bacterium which smells of rotten cabbage’. A let down, was that there is no contents page, which makes is very difficult to find the ignorant topic you are interested in, and could make reading the whole book pointless for you.

This book is an interesting read which, opens up a new perspective. For me, the pros outweigh the cons of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone with an ‘itch’ of curiosity, and is keen to satisfy it. It is a general book which would intrigue anyone capable of understanding the language in it, mainly high school level vocabulary.

You don’t really know how ignorant the majority of humans can be, until you have read this book.