Given to Matthew Hayes - 05/11/2023

Excellent book pointing out that Dumb is NOT a Virtue with concrete examples from Allen's life as well as ways to change it if you think you fall into that category. ( )

The former host of late night TV takes on the decline of intellectualism and the rising tide of ignorance in the United States. Amusing, perceptive, and fun to read, though I will have to take issue with some of his sniping at rock music, which is not always a sign of ignorance and sloth. ( )

I read this over a year ago. At the time I wrote up a full page in my intellectual journal (a notebook page that I eventually file in a looseleaf binder) - This happens to be one of his suggestions coincidentally Anyway , seeing the page reminded me I read this book , thus the update. As I re-read my full page list of to-do`s and Steve Allen reccomendations , I realized how much this book influenced me because over a year later I am still attempting to add the various "ways to think better" to my repertoire of self-educational weapons. Little things like picking up logic games and puzzles , reading books on the brain , educational field trips (museums , zoo etc;) , listening to classic music such as jazz or classical , shut off the T.V and do something intellectually stimulating. All these things I have done within the last month (last 7 yrs or so actually) without actually recalling the call to arms of Steve Allen , and his advice to avoid the dumbth that pervades America. I found his anecdotes very amusing and the his advice on how to avoid lazy thinking such as always check your premises , be realistically skeptical , avoid assumptions , be aware that there is not alway one answer and other self-evident truisms.(Is that redundant ?) Worthy read for those who seek intellectual selfp-improvement and for those who don`t seek it but should. http://www.kasualkafe.com ( )