Through the mists of time, we reflect on the eloquent words of that immortal statesman, Apollo Creed: "Be a thinker - not a stinker."
Creed is now gone - having suffered an untimely death in that horrible East beats, and beats, and beats West boxing match we all endured so many sequels ago. And sadly, we men no longer heed Creed's proffered advice (should I have said "wee men"?).
Nowhere is the contrast in Creed's admonition more evident than in this weeks' entries in the Library of the Gods....
1) Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski - an almost word-for-word transcription of the groundbreaking BBC series which chronicles the progression of human society through its knowledge of science. Don't let the mention of science scare you from this book. It describes the progression of science in a cultural sort of way that is very readable and enlightening.
The next title speaks more about man, in specific, and less about his progression....
2) The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness by The Von Hoffman Bros.
This is the definitive work that answers the question: What makes a man tick... or itch, or scratch, burp, fart, cuss, or beat his chest. It describes what makes men cry (John Wayne being shot in the back) and what makes them laugh (blowing stuff up).
If you have a man in your life - of whatever age, size, or variety - you and he need this book to understand one another.
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