JUST CURIOUS CL [Hardcover]

Cullen Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1995

Offering a new look at everyday things, the editor of The Atlantic Monthly considers a variety of topics ranging from tax courts to religion, archaeology to ventriloquism, in a collection of unpredictable, shrewd, and informative essays.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murphy (coauthor with William Rathje of Rubbish: The Archaeology of Garbage) here collects 37 of his essays, 36 previously published in the Atlantic Monthly, where he is managing editor, and one in Harper's. The pieces are characterized by Murphy's ability to communicate his enthusiasm for the unusual. "Hey, Let Me Outta Here!" describes a visit to the International Ventriloquist Convention, where the author investigated the rapidly growing field of gospel ventriloquism, devoted to spreading the message of evangelical Christianity through puppetry. "All the Pope's Men" is a detailed look at the ongoing religious scholarship on the works of St. Thomas Aquinas. Other articles deal with a variety of subjects, including the debate over cat vs. dog ownership in the U.S., aspects of linguistics and reflections on the Stonehenge monuments in England. An informative, entertaining collection defined by Murphy's unquenchable curiosity for just about every subject.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Cullen Murphy is the editor at large at Vanity Fair and the former managing editor of the Atlantic Monthly. He is the author of The Word According to Eve, about women and the Bible, and the essay collection Just Curious. Murphy lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 251 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; First Edition edition (January 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039570099X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395700990
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cullen Murphy is the editor at large at Vanity Fair and the former managing editor of the Atlantic Monthly. He is the author of The Word According to Eve, about women and the Bible, and the essay collection Just Curious. Murphy lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Just curious about Murphy, March 22, 2009

By 

Daniel Lufkin (Frederick, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: JUST CURIOUS CL (Hardcover)

I'd read Murphy's popular Are We Rome? and noticed that he'd written a book of essays Just Curious, largely collected from his Atlantic Monthly work. Just out of curiosity, I found a very reasonably priced copy on Amazon, ordered it and read it with pleasure. Murphy is master of the light essay in the E.B. White New Yorker style -- thoughtful but not ponderous, interesting but not engrossing. The cover blurb says, "Murphy's mind does not closely resemble that of any other living writer." Exactly. Even in 1995, when Just Curious was published, Murphy was a generation behind the times. Just Curious is 250 pages of quiet enjoyment, delight in craftsmanship. The index alone is worth the price of admission.