Location:Home » Caribbean » Bargain Books » The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently with the Culturati
In the tradition of the instant bestsellers The Intellectual Devotional and The Intellectual Devotional: American History comes the third installment in this indispensable series. In The Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture, the authors explore the fascinating world of contemporary culture to offer 365 daily readings that provide the essential references needed to navigate the world today. Quench your intellectual thirst with an overview of the literature, music, film, personalities, trends, sports, and pop references that have defined the way we live. From the Slinky to Star Wars; Beatlemania to Babe Ruth; flappers to fascism?refreshing your memory and dazzling your friends has never been easier, or more fun. Whether you're a trivia genius, pop-culture buff, or avid reader, you'll be riveted by this comprehensive journey through contemporary culture.
Nice set for Info Junkies to listen while driving; nothing earth-shattering November 28, 2008 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
"The Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture edition" is a 16 CD set comprised of brief yet interesting segments on various historical figures and other cultural phenomenae. The set, like the other installments in the "Intellectual Devotional" series are designed to be read (or in this case, listened to) in daily segments throughout the year. Each piece runs about 2-3 minutes and focuses on an interesting person or movement from history or culture.
The first figure profiled, interestingly enough, is Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. Authors Kidder and Oppenheim provide a brief overview of Freud, his major career developments, books and discoveries, along with some interesting trivia tidbits and "factoids" at the end of the profile.
Literary classics and genres, as well as composers are also explored similarly, such as Dostoyevsky's ground-breaking novel "Crime and Punishment," composer Tchaikovsky, as well as cultural icons Marilyn Monroe and Andy Warhol.
Bottom line: Nice way to pass the time while driving to work, etc., or prep for your next Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit tournament. However, if you are reasonably well-read, paid some attention part of the time in school, and pick up a decent newspaper a few times a month or so, there is nothing earth-shattering in this installment of The Intellectual Devotional. It is an interesting novelty, and the CDs are nice, but one can find the same sort of stuff on Wikipedia for free.
Well worth a listen, but I would wait for it to come down in price, check it out from the library, OR check out some of the excellent (and free) podcasts on history and trivia from iTunes.
Nightly Routine November 23, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is the 3rd installment in the Intellectual Devotional series and I recommend the series. There are 365 entries and I keep the book on beside my bed and read an entry every night. I even photocopy pages when I go on vacation so I don't get behind!
An Information Bonaza November 22, 2008 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This collection of cd's is really quite more that I could have ever expected. I love to know interesting things about society and culture and this collection is amazing. I find myself listening to and from work everyday and then sharing my new little bits of info to co-workers. For anyone who enjoys quiz shows this is a worthwhile collection. For anyone who prefers listening over reading you will become quite an informed individual at the end of the day...
Good as a book - but the CD version just isn't the same November 20, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is no doubt that the book is valuable for learning new little pieces of trivia and such. Unfortunately, it's not suited for the audio format. This is really a bedside book to pick-up and read a "devotional" a night, or to read one with breakfast each morning. Hearing them all, one after another, as you do in the audio version is tedious and takes something away from what the book is really all about. 4 Stars for content, 1 star as an audio book.
Boring! Could not get past the first CD. November 20, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I guess I had the wrong expectations. If you are pretty good with arts and culture stuff already, you will find this monotoned verson unbearable. But it could be good for someone looking for quick facts and innuendos.
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