Review by Tamorie21 -- Winners and Losers in words and c...

[Tamorie Hargro]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Winners and Losers in words and cartoons" by Arthur Hartz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Winners and Losers: In Words and Cartoons is an interesting short work which explores how the admired versus the less admired are perceived by spectators. Trading traditional prose for aphorisms and humorous hand-drawn cartoons, author/medical researcher/anthropology hobbyist, Arthur Hartz, provides commentary about the weight of “the American religion of winning” that has dominated much of the country’s history.

I must say that there were not many things to dislike about this book. Aside from it being entirely unique to me (for I have never read a book written completely in short sayings and illustrations), it was also straight to the point and void of mistakes. A book that goes by incredibly quickly and guides readers toward the necessary awareness of an issue while using humor and illustrations to engage them is a huge plus for me.

Hartz’ team of artists worked really hard to make many of the cartoons sarcastic and hilarious. I often found myself laughing out loud to some pairs of illustrations and aphorisms, such as: “Good things come to those who look good,” coupled with a cartoon of a snooty-looking woman in an art gallery asking a man in a suit, “And what makes you worth knowing?” The cartoons, which depicted both young and old, female and male winners and losers, certainly helped make the book more appealing.

My favorite part of the book was its introduction which brought forth the powerful argument that winners and losers are respected and disrespected—respectively—based on commonly approved (often natural) characteristics that are not accessible to all Americans. The introduction then ended on a humorous note that led me into the informational/entertaining structure of the rest of the book. Also true to its word was the introduction’s insistence that the book could be used to identify people the reader may know who are winning and losing types, something I found hilarious. Sure enough, I enjoyed how relatable the winning/losing types described in the book were based on what they said, did, or looked like, and was able to “find” myself and individuals I know in some of the types Hartz described.

If I had to nitpick about anything, it’d be the fact that the cartoons, though highly entertaining as well as admittedly done in only black and white, were less-than representative of the overall diverse image of all Americans. There remains the possibility of light and dark shading (as there was in one cartoon of the many in this book) as opposed to none at all.

However, this remains a small enough issue for me to still rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Winners and Losers: In Words and Cartoons is a book with very few and minor uses of profanity and is suitable for a variety of ages. I’d recommend this book to anyone who may find it useful in reflecting on how they admire others (as well as themselves) and the reasons why.

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Winners and Losers in words and cartoons
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