those "... for beginner's" books,classic or dud

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you know the ones that explain complicated ideas in a comic book form...has anyone read any of them? are they a good way of getting the gist of a particular idea or thinker,or a lazy way out of actually reading,say,something by freud? i have noticed,with surprise,that they tend to be written by people who are well respected within that area (for example the joyce one is written by david norris,who i gather is well known as a joycean scholar(although i could be wrong),although anyone reading his evening herald column would be forgiven for thinking mr men for beginners would be approaching his intellectual limit...)

― robin, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

new "i'd like to see them try to write a "mark sinker's noise for beginners"" answers...

― robin, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I've read "Chomsky for Beginners." It's pretty lame, with pointless, overly cartoony illustrations, and didn't add much to my understanding of ol' Norm. There's a similar series to this called "Introducing..." that's actually a lot better. The Kafka one is illustrated by R. Crumb, and the Chomsky one is so difficult I haven't even been able to finish it (it's much more about his linguistic work than his politics).

― Justyn Dillingham, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

book for beginners might be my only shot with Joyce. I got stopped fairly quickly by Ulysses

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

have read the quite excellent Freud one ("excellent" here meaning "I know all I need to pretend that I know about Freud and I didn't even have to read him"), and have failed to read the rather dull Sociology and Einstein ones. so, uh, it depends on author, artist, and subject. right.

― thom, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

all you need to know about sociology you learned in kindergarten. apologies to any sociologists

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

text: jacques attali says noise is cool but he sux cz sometimes it ain't
pic: small calvin-type kid bursts balloon, baby is crying cz noise made him drop icecream, mom is tearing hair out, chin-stroker w. che badge stands nearby "appreciating" the scene

― mark s, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they'er alright, but you need to be aware of their biases. The one on the Russian Revolution is ridiculously pro-Bolshevik.

― DV, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

For Beginners Piano - Plone!

― jel --, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to work at a bookstore, so sometimes I would read these while at work. I seem to remember the Saussure one was surprisingly good.

― Mary, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never read one but the comics would infuriate me. I'd rather everything was in a neat, vertical list.

― Maria, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The one on the Russian Revolution is ridiculously pro-Bolshevik.

I thought that one was actually published by an English-language Soviet book company. At least that's the one I read back in the eighties, it was entertaining enough propaganda (especially compared to official US variants).

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The Kafka one by R. Crumb is great, 'cos the pics are really gd and it sorta makes a change from Bob's usual carload of obsessions (tho' he sometimes can't resist drawing Franz as a sweating bug-eyed pervalist ...)

― Andrew L, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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