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The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action Hardcover – November 1, 2000

by Wendy Northcutt (Author)

107 customer reviews

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"Only two things are infinite-the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not so sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein, scientific advisor to the Darwin Awards, introduces the legendary website that commemorates the remains of people who have improved our gene pool by killing themselves in really stupid ways, showing us just how uncommon common sense can be.

Meet the absentminded terrorist who opens a mail bomb returned to him for insufficient postage. Marvel at the thief who steals electrical wires without shutting off the current. Gape at the would-be pilot who flies his lawnchair suspended from helium balloons into air traffic lanes. And learn from the man who peers into a gasoline can using a cigarette lighter. All four contend for Darwin Awards when their choices culminate in magnificent misadventures.

These tales of trial and awe-inspiring error--verified by the author and endorsed by website readers--illustrate the ongoing saga of survival of the fittest in all its selective glory. Including new material never before seen, as well as favorite award winners from years past, The Darwin Awards vividly portrays the finest examples of evolution in action.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 327 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (October 19, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0525945725
ISBN-13: 978-0525945727
Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.1 x 7.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2585 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Essays

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Customer Reviews

107

3.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		36%
4 star		22%
3 star		17%
2 star		11%
1 star		14%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 135 people found the following review helpful

Documented Gallows Humor

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on November 5, 2000

Format: Hardcover

Before describing this book, let me just say that if you do not find death and mutilation humorous, avoid this book.
If you find fatal mishaps funny, you will enjoy the book greatly. In fact, this has to be the best book ever written about stupid ways to die and lose fertility. Anyone will feel smarter and better about themselves after reading these stories!
This book is about "celebrating self-removal of incompetent genetic material for the human race." In essence, the book proves that "common sense is not so common."
The book's premise is very well framed to put you in a humorous mood. The idea is that when people do stupid things that get them killed or keep them from having children, they thus perform a service by improving the gene pool for the remaining humans. Ms. Northcutt uses many witty quotes to emphasize this point, and establishes the mood well.
She has rules for these awards. To win the Darwin Award, you must (1) die or be unable to procreate, (2) show really bad judgment, (3) cause your own downfall, (4) have the ability to use sound judgment (are not permanently mentally impaired) and (5) have the incident verified by someone else. If you don't meet all these tests, you can still get an honorable mention, or be described as an urban legend or a personal account. I thought these distinctions made good sense, because the story's focus and credibility weighs heavily on the interest it creates for the reader drawn to this subject.
The stories are grouped around themes: comeuppances with animals, problems with relatives, criminal misadventures, problems with fire and explosives, fatal falls, military goofs, macho errors, unsafe sex, watery deaths, and genital-related stories.Read more ›

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46 of 50 people found the following review helpful

So hilarious I laughed till my sides hurt.

By A Customer on October 21, 2000

Format: Hardcover

I bought this book for my teenage son for his birthday -- he is a big fan of the related [...] website. Before I wrapped it, I read the inside flap and was completely drawn in by the concept: namely, how fatally dumb people can be. Once I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. It is THAT funny. There are some cautionary tales, of a rather gruesome nature, that impulsive types (such as my son!) should take heed of. Perfect for teenagers, and the teenager in all of us!

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70 of 81 people found the following review helpful

Careful how you read this

By Marcy L. Thompson VINE VOICE on December 7, 2000

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

The book is full of amazing anecdotes. Some of them are gut-bustingly funny. Some hurt just to read. I really enjoyed this book. So, I started its rating as 5 stars. However, I had three complaints, each of which lost the book a star.
First, the book categorizes stories as "Confirmed by Darwin" and "Not confirmed by Darwin". However, even some of the not confirmed stories have citations to newspapers and other seemingly impeccable sources. It would have been very nice to have an appendix which indicated how the confirmed ones had been confirmed. (Down to 4 stars.)
Second, the introductions to the chapters are not terribly well-written. They aren't awful or anything, but they do contrast with the crisply-written stories themselves. Moreover, some of these introductions are *real* stretches. The contortions at the end of these particular introductions to make them seem connected to the stories in the chapter made me roll my eyes. These would have been better omitted, or turned into interludes, or something. (Down to 3 stars.)
Third, the book seemed like a huge plug for the website. Yes, I realize this material started out in email and morphed into a website, and there really is some interesting additional information on the website. However, I think the book has considerable general appeal, and tying it that closely to the web makes it less appealing as a present for technophobes who appreciate this kind of humor. (Down to 2 stars.)
In the end, I'm giving it one star back because it really is good fun. (Finished at 3 stars.)
Warning: don't read more than five or six stories in one sitting. They lose something when they are bunched together.

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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

One of those books you want to loan to friends...

By J. Cowling on December 3, 2000

Format: Hardcover

This is one of those books that you want to loan to friends (or buy as a gift -- perhaps using the money in the "stupid tax" jar in the kitchen).
I'd been reading the annual awards on the Net for years, and mailing the funniest ones to friends; the tale of the man who welded cargo plane takeoff-assist jets to his car is so outlandish as to not be believed -- and apparently, shouldn't be, so take some of these stories with a grain of salt, even when they're purported to be true.
We all love to read about people from the "shallow end of the gene pool"; it makes us feel that perhaps we're not as dumb as we worry we might be. If you've ever thought about doing just about anything listed in this book...well, um...maybe we'll see you in the next edition.
The Darwin folks have been doing fine, fine work for years, and it's good to see a payoff for them, especially when it's as funny as this. I think it could have been longer (or denser), but it's certainly a good value.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

It's amazing we've survived at all!

By Leslie Curtis on January 24, 2001

Format: Hardcover

Anyone who has an internet account or e-mail has read about the Darwin Awards and marveled at the stupidity of our own race. While I'm sure each episode was tragic for those who knew and loved the Darwin Award winners, those of us who didn't cannot help but be amused by their exploits. It is not meant to be disrespectful to the dead and maimed, but only so the survivors might learn from the winner's mistakes (while, admittedly, having a giggle).
Ms. Northcutt offers a comprehensive introduction explaining the criterion for the awards and the book's inclusions of nominees and urban legends. As you read the stories, you will be amazed at the lack of common sense employed by many of these people as they met their demise (or inability to reproduce). It is the perfect "bathroom book" and would make a great gift for anyone with a wry sense of humor!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Absurdity at its best

For those not familiar with the 'Darwin Awards' series, these books list bizarre ways people have managed to kill themselves and stop their ability to pass along their genetics to... Read more

Published 8 months ago by james

You! Out of the gene pool

I have been a HUGE fan of these since the late 90s and love the collection, especially reading them in high school or adult ed classes for fun.

Published on October 22, 2013 by Trent Norman Ross Gillespie

Hilarious........

It's hard to believe they actually walk among us! Hysterical.....I can't wait to read the others in this series. Read more

Published on November 14, 2012 by Linda Federman

Very weird and very funny...

I read this book cover-to-cover and it is filled with some of the funniest, most horrifying, most obscene stories that I have ever heard. Read more

Published on January 18, 2011 by MICHAEL G LUSTIG

"If you are ignorant,you can always learn;but if you are stupid,its...

From this book ,Wendy Northcutt seems to have used her great knowledge,learned in the renowned halls of Liberal higher education of UC Berkley,in molecular biology,to develop a... Read more

Published on December 28, 2010 by Jerry Guild

"Evolution in Action"

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. Read more

Published on October 30, 2010 by Alex C. Telander

So much stupidity, so little time

While the idea of publishing approximately 300 short anecdotes about terminal stupidity sounds like it could be entertaining, in actuality most of the stories in this book are not... Read more

Published on February 14, 2010 by David F. Nolan

Think of it as Evolution in Action

By now a cultural icon, the Darwin Awards were created by Wendy Northcutt in 1993. This is the first book of an ongoing series, because there is really no end to human stupidity. Read more

Published on September 20, 2009 by Benjamin Espen

Jeer review

To win a Darwin Award, you must meet five criteria: The winner is he (or, less often, she) who removes himself (or herself) from the gene pool, while exhibiting an astounding... Read more

Published on August 17, 2009 by Harry Eagar

For fans of the macabre... people removing themselves from the gene...

The Darwin Awards "celebrate" the removal of selected individuals from the Homo sapiens gene pool. The book starts off with an overview of how the Darwin Awards came about, and... Read more

Published on July 7, 2009 by R S Cobblestone