Laura Penny's first book is full of crap
SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) -- Claptrap. Poppycock. Merde. Bullshit.
This is the subject of Laura Penny's first book, “Your Call is Important to Us: The truth about bullshit”. Through chapters on public relations, corporations, governments, insurance, the service sector, and the press, Penny dissects our culture to reveal the obvious bullshit that we have all learned to tolerate. A hysterical yet educational book, it is a must-read for the average North American who is slightly alarmed at the state of the world.
“Your Call is Important to Us” is the first book written by Penny, who is currently a PhD student and teaching fellow at King's College, in Nova Scotia. The book begins with an introduction to bullshit, which Penny claims is an omnipresent industry. Bullshit has two functions—to save or to sell—which can be accomplished by “covering arses or kissing them,” respectively. It is inescapable for both those who think they have mastered the bullshit code and those who seem far too apathetic to be tuning into bullshit central.
Penny makes an interesting distinction between “expert” and “moron” bullshit. Moron bullshit is designed to please. Shiny and simple, it is most often found in advertising and on the six o'clock news. Complex bullshit uses jargon to confuse and impress, and is often found nestled in government and corporate policies.
A series of chapters follow this introduction, taking a closer and well-researched look at common examples of bullshit in our society. Although her anti-corporatism and anti-Americanism are evident throughout each chapter, she is in no way ashamed of her blatant biases.
Highlights include the chapters on the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, which clearly detail the inner-workings of two industries saturated with complex bullshit.
Penny's tone is one of the most unique aspects of “Your Call is Important to Us”. Her informal writing, which can be initially distracting, often uses common slang and expressions such as “crappy,” “warm fuzzies", and “old fogies”. This does not, however, undermine the sophistication of the book, which is full of philosophical and historical references.
Her writing is also phenomenally clever. Full of puns, witticisms, and occasional black humour, nearly every sentence holds some quick quip. While this makes for a unique and hilarious read, it requires the reader to go slowly to fully decipher Penny's ingenuity. At times the writing becomes too dense, to the degree that it obscures Penny's point.
The final chapter of the book begins by stating that Penny never intended to offer a solution to all the bullshit she presents. She writes that she has “chosen to deal with all the horrible things… by making fun of them.” It is clear that her only defense against the increasing tide of bullshit is to reveal it and mock it mercilessly.
This is the subject of Laura Penny's first book, “Your Call is Important to Us: The truth about bullshit”. Through chapters on public relations, corporations, governments, insurance, the service sector, and the press, Penny dissects our culture to reveal the obvious bullshit that we have all learned to tolerate. A hysterical yet educational book, it is a must-read for the average North American who is slightly alarmed at the state of the world.
“Your Call is Important to Us” is the first book written by Penny, who is currently a PhD student and teaching fellow at King's College, in Nova Scotia. The book begins with an introduction to bullshit, which Penny claims is an omnipresent industry. Bullshit has two functions—to save or to sell—which can be accomplished by “covering arses or kissing them,” respectively. It is inescapable for both those who think they have mastered the bullshit code and those who seem far too apathetic to be tuning into bullshit central.
Penny makes an interesting distinction between “expert” and “moron” bullshit. Moron bullshit is designed to please. Shiny and simple, it is most often found in advertising and on the six o'clock news. Complex bullshit uses jargon to confuse and impress, and is often found nestled in government and corporate policies.
A series of chapters follow this introduction, taking a closer and well-researched look at common examples of bullshit in our society. Although her anti-corporatism and anti-Americanism are evident throughout each chapter, she is in no way ashamed of her blatant biases.
Highlights include the chapters on the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, which clearly detail the inner-workings of two industries saturated with complex bullshit.
Penny's tone is one of the most unique aspects of “Your Call is Important to Us”. Her informal writing, which can be initially distracting, often uses common slang and expressions such as “crappy,” “warm fuzzies", and “old fogies”. This does not, however, undermine the sophistication of the book, which is full of philosophical and historical references.
Her writing is also phenomenally clever. Full of puns, witticisms, and occasional black humour, nearly every sentence holds some quick quip. While this makes for a unique and hilarious read, it requires the reader to go slowly to fully decipher Penny's ingenuity. At times the writing becomes too dense, to the degree that it obscures Penny's point.
The final chapter of the book begins by stating that Penny never intended to offer a solution to all the bullshit she presents. She writes that she has “chosen to deal with all the horrible things… by making fun of them.” It is clear that her only defense against the increasing tide of bullshit is to reveal it and mock it mercilessly.
