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A review by junethebookworm
Head in the Cloud: Why Knowing Things Still Matters When Facts Are So Easy to Look Up by William Poundstone
2.0
If you're smart enough to be reading this book, then it's almost certainly not a surprise to you that "general knowledge" might not be as "general" as the name implies. You can feel smug when you know the answers to the "general knowledge" questions the author poses -- "Haha, what kind of dumb-dumb can't locate Nebraska on a map?" -- and then feel humbled again when you don't know one ("Wait, who did invent the phonograph?") and immediately look up the answer on your phone ("Oh damn, it was Edison? I mean, that makes sense, but mostly I associate him with light bulbs"). In this manner, I picked up a few factoids along the way, which made the read more interesting.
As a librarian, I'm totally on board with Poundstone's main idea: that is, "Known facts are the shared points of reference that connect individuals, cultures, and ideologies. They are the basis of small talk, opinions, and dreams; they make us wiser as citizens and supply the underrated gift of humility -- for only the knowledgeable can appreciate how much they don't know." This idea is at the very heart of why libraries exist, and I enjoyed the book for attempting to make the case for that. I'm only giving it two stars because I think it would've worked better as perhaps a long article, and it does come off a little preachy and/or self-satisfied at times. Nonetheless, an interesting little book on a topic well worth considering.
As a librarian, I'm totally on board with Poundstone's main idea: that is, "Known facts are the shared points of reference that connect individuals, cultures, and ideologies. They are the basis of small talk, opinions, and dreams; they make us wiser as citizens and supply the underrated gift of humility -- for only the knowledgeable can appreciate how much they don't know." This idea is at the very heart of why libraries exist, and I enjoyed the book for attempting to make the case for that. I'm only giving it two stars because I think it would've worked better as perhaps a long article, and it does come off a little preachy and/or self-satisfied at times. Nonetheless, an interesting little book on a topic well worth considering.