100 Most Awesome Things on the Planet

This is the first review I've published of a book I didn't love. I hate to do it!

We recently read the 100 Most Awesome Things on The Planet. (CDN, JP, US)

After living in Japan so long I am usually happy with anything in English. I read the back of imported cereal boxes with fascination. I've probably read half of Danielle Steele's books and haven't hated them. I have pretty low standards.

But there was just something about this book that I didn't like. I guess part of that is that I have a different (possibly very 80s!) connotation of what awesome means.

This just seemed so sensationalist. (What was I expecting? The title should have been a giveaway). They rank cars and military weapons and manmade wonders and nature using little happy/shocked faces. That drove me nuts. Who are these people to decide to rank Machu Picchu lower than a cool car?

Of course, the thing that I disliked the most was because I took it so personally. A couple of the highest ranked awesome things are tsunamis and earthquakes (complete with a picture of Kobe). I guess it's too soon after 3/11 for me to deal with that. I guess that yes, earthquakes are awesome. Powerful, destructive. And tsunamis are all that and rare. So it fits the description, but I can't see any good about them. Great white sharks are awesome and have a place in the ecosystem that makes them a force for good. I can't say the same for these two killers.

My son really enjoyed the pictures. They are very well done. It's definitely a good concept, and it seems to be something boys are interested in.