Re: [quizbowl] Re: CBI Region 9 Results (LONG)

• From: dan blim <danblim_at_sonatanator.yahoo.invalid>
• Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 23:00:00 -0500
• Message-ID: <F149abFTe66W06Rpeqj0000967f_at_...>

>From: sfs98ud99 <no_reply_at_yahoogroups.com>
>Reply-To: quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com
>To: quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [quizbowl] Re: CBI Region 9 Results (LONG)
>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 01:38:13 -0000
>
>I just finished the book Word Freak, by Stefan Fatsis, about
>competitive Scrabble.  I heavily recommend it - those who read this
>board will probably enjoy it a little more given its similarities to
>quizbowl (read it and you'll probably find personalities in our little
>world who resemble G.I. Joel, Joe Edley, and Lester Schonbrun - I,
>personally, would be the guy writing quizbowl-themed show tunes in
>Atlantic City at 1AM).

I definitely want to second this recommendation- it's by far one of the best 
books I've read.  It manages to make the obsession of Scrabble quite 
compelling and addictive to the reader.  And showtunes?  You've just earned 
heaps of my respect and admiration.  But I think the book also relates in 
the sense that college bowl is to many of us like Scrabble is to them- 
something to learn, to study, to conquer, but without the surprise elements, 
and the element of chance, it'd be boring, right?  Which is why new 
questions, new players, and a broad spectrum to continually master (to tie 
in the art history and trash distribution debates here).  But I think my 
main point, sadly, is read the book.  It's great.

I'd also like to put out a general musing on canon-expansion in humanities 
and social sciences- Is there a good way of guaging what books/authors/ideas 
are generally brought up in basic introductory courses specific to these 
categories?  Such knowledge would help in question writing, I think.

-Dan =)

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