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19th out of 60 books
—
22 voters
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action (Darwin Awards #1)
"Only two things are infinite-the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not so sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, The Darwin Awards vividly portrays the finest examples of evolution in action, and shows us just how uncommon common sense can be.
Marvel at the thief who steals electrical wires without shutt
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
April 30th 2002
by Plume
(first published 2000)
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Mar 26, 2009
ein Leichter
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like to read about death while on the toilet
A good bathroom book. Although entertaining, I found the book's self-righteous tone unnecessary. I am perfectly capable of finding entertainment in the misfortune of others, without having to be convinced that the individuals where somehow deserving of their misfortunes.
It is what it is. If you know the website, then this is that. In book form. Which is much easier for toilet reading (for some reason, people still look at you funny if you bring a wifi connected laptop into the crapper).
This book was hilarious. I am now seriously wondering how the human race has managed to survive for as long as it has. Surely for each idiot mentioned in this book there are loads more just waiting to do something fatally stupid? And doesn't it seem that it's the stupid ones that breed more frequently than those who possess a brain?
Anyway, this book chronicles the bizarre ways in which people have 'improved our gene pool by removing themselves from it in an astonishingly stupid way'. Also eligib...more
Anyway, this book chronicles the bizarre ways in which people have 'improved our gene pool by removing themselves from it in an astonishingly stupid way'. Also eligib...more
3 likes · like · see review
Think of the stupidest thing a person could ever do. Multiply this by a factor of ten. Then imagine that this person gets killed in the process of carrying out the stupid act. This is an example of a Darwin Award.
In the founding days of the Internet, these Darwin Awards were one of the first chain letters to be created, named after the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. In 1993, UC Berkeley began collecting them, finally starting a website www.darwinawards.com. Since July of 1999 there have be...more
In the founding days of the Internet, these Darwin Awards were one of the first chain letters to be created, named after the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. In 1993, UC Berkeley began collecting them, finally starting a website www.darwinawards.com. Since July of 1999 there have be...more
Oct 22, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those Who Can Laugh at Stupidity Causing Death
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Ultimate Reading List
The Darwin Awards commemorate ""individuals who ensure the long-term survival of our species by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion." The subtitle is "evolution in action." The description on the back cover asks you to "Marvel at the thief who tries to steal live electrical wires. Gape at the lawnchair jockey who floats to a height of 16,000 feet suspended by helium balloons." These purport to be true, verified stories: I guess that's why in the end I just can't...more
The Darwin Awards - something I had been planning on reading for a very long time. Some of the tales in this book are reminiscent of the show 1000 Ways to Die - in fact, I recognized some of the Unconfirmed tales as very similar versions as tales from the show. Whether that gives more credence to the show or less to the book, I've yet to decide. As it stands, the Darwin Awards simply is what it is - a collection of deaths or near-deaths that will cause you to simply shake your head at the antics...more
A sword-swallower died in Bonn after he put an umbrella down his throat-and accidentally pushed the button that opened it"
This book is not about scientifically evolution theory, but then the evolution of mind is happening and observable in life. Natural selection.. We never know how long our life will last. If we don’t survive to pass this generation, I just hope stupidity doesn’t take any part in it. Because if it does, then you'll win the Darwin awards and sometimes without ever knowing it. Aw...more
This book is not about scientifically evolution theory, but then the evolution of mind is happening and observable in life. Natural selection.. We never know how long our life will last. If we don’t survive to pass this generation, I just hope stupidity doesn’t take any part in it. Because if it does, then you'll win the Darwin awards and sometimes without ever knowing it. Aw...more
Suicide, a topic that is untouchable. It is a dark and morose gesture to discuss, right? WRONG! In this comical book about accidental death, the author Wendy Norcutt exposes the idiotic side of the world.
"The Darwin Awards" is a book that awards people for improving the gene pool, by removing themselves from it. This is a book that celebrates idiocy. Learn about the gangster from Sao Paul who threw the pin while holding onto the grenade, or the sun tanner who spent 45 minutes in a UV machine wi...more
"The Darwin Awards" is a book that awards people for improving the gene pool, by removing themselves from it. This is a book that celebrates idiocy. Learn about the gangster from Sao Paul who threw the pin while holding onto the grenade, or the sun tanner who spent 45 minutes in a UV machine wi...more
The Darwin awards is a collection of stories (verified and unconfirmed) about the idiocy of the human race. Each chapter is a collection around one underlying theme. The book can be read cover to cover or thumbed through and read randomly.
I picked up this book after I shelved a book next to it while volunteering at the public library. I read it randomly and thus not 100% but I did find it entertaining for 30 min. or so. I shared a abit with my daughter so we could both shake our heads at the lac...more
I picked up this book after I shelved a book next to it while volunteering at the public library. I read it randomly and thus not 100% but I did find it entertaining for 30 min. or so. I shared a abit with my daughter so we could both shake our heads at the lac...more
So, because I am (and forever will be) a book geek, I bought this book while at the Smithsonian. At school, we're required to read informational books, and (I may be stretching the boundaries) this (I think) counts as information. All of the stories are told in a newscaster-type narration with lots of humor and information on unfortunate deaths. I have raved about this book so much about five of my friends want to read it, and I even did voluntary math with my friend to find out the details of a...more
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action
Wendy Northcutt
four stars
The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of
the human genome by honoring those who
accidentally remove themselves from it. That is what the book is about , and I must say most of the stories in the book are funny . The book does it best to make sure the stories in it are true . When it does come by a story that they can not confirm , they tell you . This is a tongue-in-cheek view of Humanity. If you need a good laugh . You my want...more
Wendy Northcutt
four stars
The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of
the human genome by honoring those who
accidentally remove themselves from it. That is what the book is about , and I must say most of the stories in the book are funny . The book does it best to make sure the stories in it are true . When it does come by a story that they can not confirm , they tell you . This is a tongue-in-cheek view of Humanity. If you need a good laugh . You my want...more
I love these Darwin Awards books. They're great to read when you have other things going on because each story is so short. I can literally pick this up when I have 30 free seconds and get a laugh. Many of them I read out loud to my husband as well. My 10 and 8 year olds also enjoy them, although the 8 year old misses a lot of references. A warning: I did wind up having to explain, "Mom, what's S&M sex?" to the 10 year old. Oh well, gotta explain it sometime... At least the guy it referred t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Nov 08, 2007
Alex Segal
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People into Dark Humor, who have a strong stomach
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action is by far one of the funniest books I have ever read. The book has no real linear story but it is extremely funny and says a lot about the world we live in and the people who are in it. The book can generally be called tongue and cheek, but I think that the thought behind the concept deserves explanation.
Named after Charles Darwin, the father of evolution and the theory of natural selection this book uses his ideas to critique the stupidity of humanity. Th...more
Named after Charles Darwin, the father of evolution and the theory of natural selection this book uses his ideas to critique the stupidity of humanity. Th...more
A few of these were funny, most were meh, and some were just sad to me. Yes, people can do fatally foolish things, but there's a difference between ignorance and stupidity and though I understand the intent of this book, I found it difficult to find humor in those that fell in the former category. I also found one of the urban legends and the audiobook narrator's over-the-top cliche accents on dialogue mildly offensive at times. It's a quick book to pass the time, but overall for me fell a bit b...more
This is the 3rd or 4th Darwin Awards book I've read, and it's amazing how there are enough stupid people out there who've died in unusual enough ways to merit book after book in this series.
I can't honestly say whether this one was better or worse than the others I've read because they all pretty much follow the same format of short anecdotes of how these people removed themselves from the gene pool and theoretically proving Darwin right with his notion of 'Survival of th Fittest'.
Perfect book t...more
I can't honestly say whether this one was better or worse than the others I've read because they all pretty much follow the same format of short anecdotes of how these people removed themselves from the gene pool and theoretically proving Darwin right with his notion of 'Survival of th Fittest'.
Perfect book t...more
This book is amazing in more ways than one. Some of the stories are just too ridiculous to believe. It is entertaining anyway. I wonder how some of these people made it past their 20's. This book also serves as a self-esteem booster or to dispell any worries you have about your family, extended family or in-laws. No matter what you think about yourself or your family, you can't top some of the ways other people have found to kill themselves.
I liked the story about the bloke who used to fish by throwing dynamite onto frozen lakes until one day his retriever brought back the 'stick'.
Amusing though frequently implausible. Some of the stories are quite gross. IE the one about the tourists who went for a walk in the tiger enclosure at the safari park or the men who thought it funny to stick their heads through the sky light of a mini bus until it went under a low bridge...
Amusing though frequently implausible. Some of the stories are quite gross. IE the one about the tourists who went for a walk in the tiger enclosure at the safari park or the men who thought it funny to stick their heads through the sky light of a mini bus until it went under a low bridge...
I've always been a fan of reading about Darwin Awards online, so I was excited for this book. The stories were good, but I was disappointed in the amount of "unconfirmed" and "urban legends" that were presented. I would much rather read a book full of stories that were actually confirmed via news/police reports, etc. I hope the subsequent versions of the Darwin Awards have more confirmed stories.
I had read a previous Darwin Awards book and enjoyed it much more than this one. I'm not sure if the stories in this volume weren't as funny, or if I just wasn't in much of a laughing mood, but I decided to trade this one at a used bookstore without reading the whole thing (I skimmed the last 75-100 pages or so). I enjoy the humor of The Darwin Awards in general, but not so much this one.
This book can border on tasteless but for a quick, entertaining read, it does the trick. Some of the brutal or violent manners of death were hard for a sensitive person like me to read about as it was still someone who was loved by others, despite them making an unwise and fatal decision.
Recommend for sadists or people like me, who can't help but rubberneck when awful things are occuring. The train wreck mentality so to speak.
Recommend for sadists or people like me, who can't help but rubberneck when awful things are occuring. The train wreck mentality so to speak.
This is one of my coffee table books. (I am grossed out by the whole bathroom book idea.) It's fun for guests to scan through or fidget with when they come over. Compared to other books I have put out this book was the most popular with my company. Everybody couldn't resist picking it up and reading at least one story from it. It started many light conversations and helped break the ice.
This book was realy entertaining...but if you have received those Darwin Awards emails over the years...you have already read this book. That was why I rated it a 3 instead of a 4 or 5. I assumed they would go into more detail with each story for a book, but they didn't it was hundreds of 2 to 3 minute stories.
It did keep me entertained on my commute for three days.
It did keep me entertained on my commute for three days.
Another reviewer has mentioned this, but I also found this book to have something of a self-righteous tone. It's a funny book and I enjoyed reading it, but the tone tended towards snide and condescending.
It's recommended in the introduction that the stories shouldn't be read all in one go, but I found the stories so incredibly moreish that I managed to polish the whole book off in a couple of days.
It's recommended in the introduction that the stories shouldn't be read all in one go, but I found the stories so incredibly moreish that I managed to polish the whole book off in a couple of days.
Taken individually, this is a very humorous (albeit semi-gruesome) collection of non-fictional stories. The reason I give it 4 stars as opposed to 5 is that, after about 4 or 5 of the stories, it becomes quite redundant. It's almost a better reference book than anything else. I liked it, but it wore me out pretty fast. You know what you're getting with this one, though.
Nov 21, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who laugh at death.
Shelves:
fun,
non-fiction
I read this book when sending out Darwin Award stories in e-mail to your friends was "cool". After reading the book I realized that reading one or two in your in-box beat sitting down and reading a whole book of them.
If you like to read on the can this would be a good book to keep by the toilet along with your Uncle John's reader.
If you like to read on the can this would be a good book to keep by the toilet along with your Uncle John's reader.
Exactly what it says on the tin, this is a book about stupid people doing stupid things (some of them are merely slightly ill-advised, but then they hit the mother of all bad luck patches, some of them are stupid to the point of being utterly dumbfounding.)
If your sense of humor is a bit dark, and you're a smidge misanthropic this is just the thing to put a grin on your face, but that's about all it will do. There's nothing here more than something to laugh at, and then move on afterwards.
Proba...more
If your sense of humor is a bit dark, and you're a smidge misanthropic this is just the thing to put a grin on your face, but that's about all it will do. There's nothing here more than something to laugh at, and then move on afterwards.
Proba...more
This book was pretty entertaining (and shocking at some points). This book makes it quite clear why getting drunk is not a good idea. I gave this book 4 stars because there were comma errors on practically every entire page. And the chapter on penis problems--I read maybe one story from that chapter. Pretty frakkin' gross.
This book, a companion to the website of hte same name, was a quick and enjoyable read. Great stories of urban legends, and of actual Darwin Award winners: those who "ensure the long term survival of our species by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion."
The author thinks the same way as I do. But when I put in a question on the topic in the answerbag some 2 years back about removing undesirable gene from the pool - well - I was told I was thinking the way Hitler thought!
I very much appreciate this book and recommend it to one and all!
I very much appreciate this book and recommend it to one and all!
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Wendy Northcutt graduated UC Berkeley with a degree in molecular biology. She began collecting the stories that make up the Darwin Awards in 1993 and founded www.DarwinAwards.com shortly after.
Northcutt is the author of the international bestsellers The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action, The Darwin Awards 2: Unnatural Selection, The Darwin Awards 3: Survival of the Fittest, and The Darwin Awards...more
More about Wendy Northcutt...
Northcutt is the author of the international bestsellers The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action, The Darwin Awards 2: Unnatural Selection, The Darwin Awards 3: Survival of the Fittest, and The Darwin Awards...more
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Jul 01, 2009 11:50am