Claudia's Reviews > The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action

If you are at all familiar with the Darwin Awards are, you already know what this is about. If you don't, well - let's say that some humans are climbing back down the evolutionary tree.

Some are the tales are actually Darwin award winners who have managed to either kill themselves in an innovative manner or sterilized themselves so that their genes are now removed from the pool. The story has been verified through reporting by reputable media outlets. The unconfirmed Darwin tales which could be urban legends - the editors do note could not be credibly confirmed as well as which ones are urban legends and provide some explanation behind their reasoning. Honorable mentions which are usually due to the individual surviving their idiotic antics but display the spirit of the Darwin awards. And then there are the personal stories. Not, this happened to a friend of my brother sort-of reporting. This happened to the teller (and they admit it)or they saw the happenstance themselves.

I've heard many of them over the years so I'm certain you've heard several as well. The fisherman who uses a stick of dynamite to stun the fish and having tossed it out into the lake, watches with horror as his retriever does his genetic imperative and brings it back. The man who attaches a mass of helium balloons to his backyard lounge chair and then has to figure out how to get down! The terrorist driving a car bomb to his destination but fails to take into consideration the difference of Daylight Savings Time verses Standard Time and had set the timer for the wrong - for him - one. The man who uses a cigarette lighter to check the barrel of a muzzle-loader and the patient who sneaks a cigarette while in a hospital oxygen tent.

Some are amusing, most will have one wonder how they had managed to live as long as long as they did. Certainly, this is not a book that you can read front to back in one or a few gulps. The idiocy just gets to the point where I had to put it down and read something a bit less - - foolhardy, reckless, silly - - pick the adverb of your choice.

Northcott has collected more stories in several more sequels so in time, I will likely see what other stupid human tricks have managed to chlorinate the gene pool.

2021-190