Customer Reviews

University of Psychogenic Fugue: A Course Catalog for Students of Life

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are reading my review then you're probably looking for that final kick in the pants to convince you to add this lovely piece to your cart. Don't think TWICE! I am telling you, whomever YOU are, that UPF is the the purest form of hilarity. When was the last time that you read something that made your guts bust wide open (in the pleasant-est of ways)?
However, this book is not only a catalyst for giggly to gut-popping laughter, it's a conversation piece. Reading this book on the bus, on a park bench, at work...people start asking you questions..."Are you thinking about going back to school?" Ah, yeah. Since UPF is right down the street, it won't be a bad commute...BR>With humor, the authors address the current state of affairs of the education system and culture, be it pop or otherwise--and what we, the reading, laughing, thinking audience get from these 240+ pages is beautiful, hilarity.
Oh, and i think laughing a lot does great things for your abs! I learned that at UPF!

Anyone who has attended college or looked at a college catalog will laugh out loud as they browse through the course catalog for the "University of Psychogenic Fugue". A totally fictitious university the satirical catalog includes a history of the college, course listings and descriptions, clubs, awards, crime statistics, admissions information and everything else that you would expect in a real college catalog.

A good example of the strength of the satirical style would be the Hysterical Blindness Award. A student scholarship, it is awarded to two students who "simply convince themselves that the world doesn't have any problems. Award is very similar to how the United States of America refuses to officially recognize the nuclear capabilities of countries it doesn't like." Or perhaps a little information on one of the clubs would be a better illustration. How about the Future Corporate Raiders of America? They "conduct hostile take-overs of other campus groups, fire all the old members and sell their club equipment back to the University. Predatory instinct and lack of humanity required."

A thoroughly enjoyable read it is highly recommended for those that enjoy satire and parody. Pick up a copy today and have a good laugh at a course catalog for real life.

An engaging, humorous, and fast-moving read....Farrell and Morrow waste no time before slicing open middle-class academic life....An affectionate sort of sarcasm flavors their treatment of both its foibles...and its virtues.

I found this hard-to-put-down book wise, revealing, and very funny. I can finally finish my degree at UPF and only have to go into a minor amount of debt this time around.

I have never written a review on here before, but felt like I had to let people know how funny this book is.

It really is funny on so many levels. It has become a cult favorite at my college. I think I'd go further in life if I could take some of these classes. The authors are so on the mark.

I'm going to buy the diploma with the magnet on the back off their web site. I'll tell my parents that it's worth as much as the other one!

This wry parody of a college catalog advertises that it's for "students of life" but it's especially for those who have earned an A+ in Satire 101. It deserves a place on the Dean's List of Pop Culture. Its incisive, insightful tidbits are reminiscent of the old "National Lampoon" with the tang of "The Onion" thrown in for flavor. The course titles alone are worth the price of the book! Every detail of the layout mimics those cheesy handbooks (except the paper is much better quality) but the real bite is in the writing. It mocks the socks off academia and contemporary culture without being overly bitter. My favorite entry is "THE ETHICS FEE: Students who are pursuing a degree in the Ethics Department and are willing to pay double the regular tuition price for their course load will not have to actually participate in classes---we'll just give you the credits..." Ah, the irony. I also love the photos, which range
from dorky to deep. I think every high school guidance office should have a copy of this book to prepare college-bound kids for the hilarious, absurd truth.

Farrell & Morrow have created a rich, imaginary circus that puts all our preconceptions and interpretations of life (especially college) on stage. UPF turns many of the beliefs we live by mindlessly into elephant men, the fat lady, and half-cocked clarivoyant gypsies for us to ridicule and humiliate. Challenging topics as serious as racism, aneorexia, homosexuality or human disconnectedness is not easy but the book is brilliant in bringing them to the audience dressed in disguise, which makes us think differently about them.
My favorite aspect is the way they pull the blanket off of marketing schemes. Every transaction we make using the Dollar is riddled with business and capitalist strategies; paying tuition is no exception!

Farrell & Morrow have created a rich, imaginary circus that puts all our preconceptions and interpretations of life (especially college) on stage. UPF turns many of the beliefs we live by mindlessly into elephant men, the fat lady, and half-cocked clarivoyant gypsies for us to ridicule and humiliate. Challenging topics as serious as racism, aneorexia, homosexuality or human disconnectedness is not easy but the book is brilliant in bringing them to the audience dressed in disguise, which makes us think differently about them.
My favorite aspect is the way they pull the blanket off of marketing schemes. Every transaction we make using the Dollar is riddled with business and capitalist strategies; paying tuition is no exception!

Farrell & Morrow have created a rich, imaginary circus that puts all our preconceptions and interpretations of life (especially college) on stage. UPF turns many of the beliefs we live by mindlessly into elephant men, the fat lady, and half-cocked clarivoyant gypsies for us to ridicule and humiliate. Challenging topics as serious as racism, aneorexia, homosexuality or human disconnectedness is not easy but the book is brilliant in bringing them to the audience dressed in disguise, which makes us think differently about them.
My favorite aspect is the way they pull the blanket off of marketing schemes. Every transaction we make using the Dollar is riddled with business and capitalist strategies; paying tuition is no exception!

I heard about UPF from a friend's recommendation, and have to say this book is hilarious! It's sharp, biting, dark, and laugh-out-loud funny. My friends and I read sections out loud to one another and it is such a great time. The authors manage to lampoon so many aspects of college life and American culture and they are SO right on about their observations. It's easy to read and can be read in any order since it's all written in short sections; the scholarships and clubs are my favorite and there are 100s of them. Really, I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Very unique new idea.