Review by shravsi -- Winners and Losers in words and car...
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shravsi
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Review by shravsi -- Winners and Losers in words and car...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Winners and Losers in words and cartoons" by Arthur Hartz.]
Does your mind get baffled from time to time about the double standards society has for winners and losers? Did you ever think glorifying the rat-race might have a negative impact on our society? Or how we tend to give precedence to beauty over integrity? This book, Winners and Losers in words and cartoons, is a collection of such hypocritical observations made by Arthur Hartz.
This book is a collection of cartoons and aphorisms about how we idolize winners and shun losers. The single panel cartoons are drawn by three cartoonists: Aleksandar Jovic, Mike Wolfe, and Heroud Ramos. There are nine chapters, in which, first four chapters are about winners, and the next four chapters are about losers. The ninth chapter depicts what winning actually means, according to Hartz. There is also a commentary at the end by Elena Whitcombe.
Although this book is small, it packs a punch. The reader will be mulling over Hartz’s comments over and over. There was a cartoon where a man was crawling towards a trophy, neglecting food and beautiful women. It showcases how we are ingrained to value success over anything else. There was another cartoon where shops sell qualities like beauty, loyalty, and honesty. Loyalty and honesty were cheap compared to beauty in the price menu.
My defense reaction was on high alert while reading this book. I wanted to argue that society was not that cruel, but somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that Hartz’s observations were real. We unknowingly judge people based on their weight, color of the skin, clothes, and language. We sympathize with minute struggles faced by winners. But, when someone who has failed laments about the odds stacked against him, we shrug our shoulders by him a sore loser. Intentionally or unintentionally, we tend to be lenient towards the rich and beautiful. The dose of bitter truth packed in this small book was large.
Hartz calls these cartoons “heretical cartoons about the American religion of winning.” While this is true, these satirical cartoons showcase the mentality of the whole of mankind. I liked the cartoon about parents’ expectations from kids. Not every cartoon was a massive hit; some were uncertain in their message. But overall, I have no complaints. I did not find any grammatical books so, this book felt considerably well edited. I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
Some comments in this book were ambiguous; they could lead to debates. Hartz intends to make you think, and as he graciously put at the beginning of the book, to initiate fights between friends and families. I will not recommend this book to young readers, not because there was any vulgarity or profanity (there were none), but simply because, they are already shrouded by the negativity of their surroundings. To those readers who love thought-provoking satirical tweets and satirical cartoons, this book is a perfect match.
******
Winners and Losers in words and cartoons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Does your mind get baffled from time to time about the double standards society has for winners and losers? Did you ever think glorifying the rat-race might have a negative impact on our society? Or how we tend to give precedence to beauty over integrity? This book, Winners and Losers in words and cartoons, is a collection of such hypocritical observations made by Arthur Hartz.
This book is a collection of cartoons and aphorisms about how we idolize winners and shun losers. The single panel cartoons are drawn by three cartoonists: Aleksandar Jovic, Mike Wolfe, and Heroud Ramos. There are nine chapters, in which, first four chapters are about winners, and the next four chapters are about losers. The ninth chapter depicts what winning actually means, according to Hartz. There is also a commentary at the end by Elena Whitcombe.
Although this book is small, it packs a punch. The reader will be mulling over Hartz’s comments over and over. There was a cartoon where a man was crawling towards a trophy, neglecting food and beautiful women. It showcases how we are ingrained to value success over anything else. There was another cartoon where shops sell qualities like beauty, loyalty, and honesty. Loyalty and honesty were cheap compared to beauty in the price menu.
My defense reaction was on high alert while reading this book. I wanted to argue that society was not that cruel, but somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that Hartz’s observations were real. We unknowingly judge people based on their weight, color of the skin, clothes, and language. We sympathize with minute struggles faced by winners. But, when someone who has failed laments about the odds stacked against him, we shrug our shoulders by him a sore loser. Intentionally or unintentionally, we tend to be lenient towards the rich and beautiful. The dose of bitter truth packed in this small book was large.
Hartz calls these cartoons “heretical cartoons about the American religion of winning.” While this is true, these satirical cartoons showcase the mentality of the whole of mankind. I liked the cartoon about parents’ expectations from kids. Not every cartoon was a massive hit; some were uncertain in their message. But overall, I have no complaints. I did not find any grammatical books so, this book felt considerably well edited. I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
Some comments in this book were ambiguous; they could lead to debates. Hartz intends to make you think, and as he graciously put at the beginning of the book, to initiate fights between friends and families. I will not recommend this book to young readers, not because there was any vulgarity or profanity (there were none), but simply because, they are already shrouded by the negativity of their surroundings. To those readers who love thought-provoking satirical tweets and satirical cartoons, this book is a perfect match.
******
Winners and Losers in words and cartoons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Sam the Chosen by Wally Jones
