Field Guide to Luck [Paperback]

Alys R. Yablon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Field Guide | Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Take Control of Your Destiny!
 
From the good luck provided by shamrocks, rabbits’s feet, and horseshoes to the misfortune caused by broken mirrors, black cats, and umbrellas opened indoors, our lives are filled with signs and superstitions that guide our destiny and influence our fate.
 
Fortunately, Field Guide to Luck can help you recognize dozens of influential charms, dates, sayings, and symbols wherever you encounter them. Learn what objects are on your side, which practices are best avoided, and where these curious beliefs come from. This indispensable guide reveals their fascinating origins and offers tips for putting them into practice. With Lady Luck on your side and a lucky penny in your pocket, you’re sure to lead a charmed life!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—A compact trim size, alphabetical organization, and short entries make this guide appealing and easy to use. Each of the 94 entries includes a general description, origins, variations, practice, and cultural context, as well as one to three related superstitions to send readers on a sort of choose-your-own-adventure experience. Topics range from the familiar (black cat, fortune cookie, wishbone) to the more exotic (evil eye, maneki neko, yantra), and each entry has examples drawn from movies, television, and music, most of which will be known to teens. Seventy of the entries are also illustrated in a center section of color plates; the lurid colors of the computer-generated collage images may appeal to some (or may end up snipped out of the book). Although there are 16 books and articles and 30 Web sites listed in the sources, there are no footnotes or endnotes, so Yablon's assertions are difficult to back up. However, as a starting point or as a bit of fun, casual readers should find this book enjoyable.—Jenny Gasset, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Alys R. Yablon is a freelance writer and editor. Her last book was Ask the Kabala Oracle Cards, a collaboration with Deepak Chopra. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594742170
• ISBN-13: 978-1594742170
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.9 x 5.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a charm, April 12, 2008

By 

samantha "samantha" (columbus, ga) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Field Guide to Luck (Paperback)

My grandmother was very superstitious and was always ready with a quip on how to improve your luck. As a result, I have always had an interest in how different cultures treat luck and I thought this book might make a good gift for people in my family. Was I wrong. The cover is made of a cheap-feeling material and the illustrations inside are unattractive. The text is very small and dense, which makes it difficult to read. Moreover, the writing is ponderous and labored---not the smart and incisive reading you would expect from a field guide. With so many other great books about luck on the market, I would give this one a pass.