We live in a competitive world where winning and losing are important. Our primary lessons from educators, life coach specialists, sports psychologists, and other teachers centre on how to approach success and how to be winners; Few teach us how to deal with failure, which is an even more important lesson. In Winners and Losers, Arthur Hartz uses two forms of expression of images and words and challenges readers to think beyond the page about what it means to be successful in the present-day world.
The book is divided into nine chapters, beginning with cultural definitions of winners, emphasizing their flaws, and then concluding with how society views losers, their coping strategies, and a description of actual success. The remarks and cartoon renderings are both funny and enlightening. What I particularly liked about the book is that the author does not serve the message on the platter. He makes you think about it carefully. Additionally, the author includes quotations from well-known figures to support his points. Sometimes, the author revamps proverbs with a humorous twist to convey a message. The sarcastic humor used in the book enables an introspective assessment by the readers.
One illustration, in particular, caught my interest in which a public speaker makes the following statement:
implying humans are worth saving because of their utility and not their intrinsic worth.Who knows how many Nobel prizes could have been won by people killed in the Holocaust?
Thought-provoking illustrations and commentaries are littered throughout the book, highlighting how obsessed with winning we have all grown to be as a culture. Honesty, kindness, and humility are looked down on, whereas overachieving is heralded. The author fundamentally argues that society admires people for their talent, good looks, or status. I concur with the author's message that we are more than our accomplishments, outward looks, and social graces.
One minor thing that disappointed me about the book is the lack of color. The cover of the book conveyed the idea that it had bright and amusing graphics inside. Sadly, there were only white and black illustrations. Nevertheless, the thought bubbles, illustrations, and quotes were placed compatibly. I don't have any negative comments to make about other aspects of the book. I didn't notice any grammatical errors. Therefore, I give Winners and Losers 5 out of 5 stars.
This book is recommended for anyone who appreciates reading graphic novels with social commentary or who enjoys engaging in thoughtful discussion.
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Winners and Losers:
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