It was Nietzsche who said that if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever happen. Returning to the original meaning of an idiot as a private man with views, Stephen Bayley draws a firm line between those who have opinions and those who hold stupid mass-produced views one can pick up anywhere. The first group, the idiots, is opinionated, will come up with interesting views and challenge orthodoxy; the other group, the stupid, merely regurgitate what they have heard before. However, the number of stupid people is growing, however, and we urgently need more idiots! Investigating further, Stephen Bayley finds the reason for illegal substances in Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit, unveils the mysteries of Italian cuisine, what Foucault and Barthes have in common, what Princess Diana meant when using the word 'tidy', and why everyone hates accountants with a vengeance. Inevitably, idiocy has to be seen to be believed and Bayley delves deep into the arts, architecture, design, advertising, leather, kitsch and other professions which bring idiocy to the surface. From beards to opera, celebrity to phallic symbolism, A Dictionary of Idiocy dissects existence in bite-sized chunks that even the MTV generation will be able to digest.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'I am fascinated' Andrew Marr, Start the Week, Radio 4 'Wonderful' The Times 'Intelligent' Independent
About the Author
Stephen Bayley regularly appears on television as a commentator on the arts and is a contributing editor for Esquire. He currently has a column in the Independent on Sunday and the Saturday Telegraph.
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More About the Author
Tom Wolfe said of Mr. Bayley, "I don't know of anybody with more interesting observations about style, taste and contemporary design."
Stephen Bayley is one of the world's best known and outspoken commentators on modern culture, art and design. He contributes regularly to The Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, High Life, New Statesman, The Independent, and GQ. Cars are on of his many passions, and he has written extensively on automobiles and automobile design for 25 years for both car companies and numerous publications including Car Magazine. He was awarded PPA Columnist of the Year for his car column in (British) GQ.
As a design consultant his clients include: Ford, Absolut Vodka, Volkswagen, Audi, Foster Associates, BMW, the V&A Museum, among others. Former Chief Executive of the Design Museum, the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design, he appears frequently on radio and television, and lectures at museums and universities all over the world. His numerous books include Design: Intelligence Made Visible with co-author Terence Conran, published by Conran Octopus.
Mr. Bayley has been a judge at many national and international design competitions, including Campaign Press Awards, RIBA Architectural Awards, The Building Awards, Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance at Hurlingham, Cartier Style et Luxe at Goodwood, and the BBC Good Food Awards.
In 1989 he was made a Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres, France's top artistic honour, by the French Minister of Culture.
He lives in London.
Stephen Bayley is one of the world's best known and outspoken commentators on modern culture, art and design. He contributes regularly to The Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, High Life, New Statesman, The Independent, and GQ. Cars are on of his many passions, and he has written extensively on automobiles and automobile design for 25 years for both car companies and numerous publications including Car Magazine. He was awarded PPA Columnist of the Year for his car column in (British) GQ.
As a design consultant his clients include: Ford, Absolut Vodka, Volkswagen, Audi, Foster Associates, BMW, the V&A Museum, among others. Former Chief Executive of the Design Museum, the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design, he appears frequently on radio and television, and lectures at museums and universities all over the world. His numerous books include Design: Intelligence Made Visible with co-author Terence Conran, published by Conran Octopus.
Mr. Bayley has been a judge at many national and international design competitions, including Campaign Press Awards, RIBA Architectural Awards, The Building Awards, Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance at Hurlingham, Cartier Style et Luxe at Goodwood, and the BBC Good Food Awards.
In 1989 he was made a Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres, France's top artistic honour, by the French Minister of Culture.
He lives in London.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I Enjoyed It Very Much,
By J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dictionary of Idiocy (Hardcover)
Stupidity, according to this book, is a matter of opinion, who's opinion I'm not quite sure. A Dictionary of Idiocy contains forthright views and anecdotes on any number of topics. Under the topic of drink for example, we are told that dylan Thomas's definition of an alchoholic is someone you don't like who can drink more than you can. This is a very varied and at times funny read with a wide range of subjects to satisfy everyones tastes. I enjoyed it tremendously.
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