Rating: 
Summary: Dumb People Do Dumb Things and Get Their Just Due
Review: The Darwin Awards II is a great book that shows just what can happen when people fail to use common sense. It's filled with well-written, cautionary tales of people who did astoundingly stupid things and paid the ultimate price: death, or in some less drastic cases, sterility.If this were the only thing this book had, it would still be a good book. But this book offers far more than that. In addition to these tales (some certified and some not and both are clearly marked), there are Honorable Mentions (people who did stupid things but didn't pay the ultimate price, but who still might in the future) and Personal Accounts. The book is also sprinkled with the author's wisdom, applicable quotes and each chapter opens with a discussion of a topic related to the subject of the chapter. The book also integrates well with the website, where you can voice your opinion on the book or stories in it, submit new stories, or read more about a particular story in the book, or a topic related to it. As the book says, the grimness of some of these tales makes it such that it may be that it's best read in small doses. But whether you learn something, or just laugh, you'll love The Darwin Arwards II.
Rating:
Summary: How uncommon is Common sense?
Review: The Darwin Awards is by far the funniest series I have ever laid my eyes upon.
It's a comedy series based on people committing stupidity, and paying the ultimate price-DEATH!!! From the moment you pick the series up, you will be laugh and possibly laugh too much. Every page turn becomes a treat, you are anxious to see what unfortunate event lies on the next page. I would recommend starting with the fist book in the series and going in chronological order. With every book, you're guaranteed a laugh and a chuckle for every page. The writer of the Darwin Awards search the world for funny, true stories and write about them in their growing series.
Wendy Nothcutt continues to stun with her hilarious books. I heavily recommend reading this fantastic book, and if your looking for laughs pick up The Darwin Awards II and see how it proves once again how uncommon common sense can be.
-Mac Bellingrath
Rating: 
Summary: Second volume a weaker effort
Review: The first volume of this series was great. This volume is considerably weaker. I can't believe it, but perhaps the gene pool has thinned out most of the idiots so there isn't as much stupidity to report.
Rating:
Summary: Second volume a weaker effort
Review: The first volume of this series was great. This volume is considerably weaker. I can't believe it, but perhaps the gene pool has thinned out most of the idiots so there isn't as much stupidity to report.
Rating: 
Summary: Not As Good as the First
Review: The Second Edition of Darwin Awards is not nearly as funny as the first. It is usually the case that the sequel is a bit of a let down. This book is appropriate for its use, a book from which you can read a few pages each day. A good addition to this book is the "Not A Darwin Award" Chapter in which the author shows stories which were unable to receive a Darwin Award for various reason. If nothing else, this demonstrates the logic behind the awards. The book has many entertaining stories which demonstrate that there are a lot of stupid people in the world. It is all the more reason for the intelligent ones like us to be careful. My strongest objection to this book was chapter of recycled classic stories from the first edition. I would prefer to read new stories rather than ones I have already read. If somebody has not ready those stories, they really should buy the first edition. The second edition is also worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Not As Good as the First
Review: The Second Edition of Darwin Awards is not nearly as funny as the first. It is usually the case that the sequel is a bit of a let down. This book is appropriate for its use, a book from which you can read a few pages each day. A good addition to this book is the "Not A Darwin Award" Chapter in which the author shows stories which were unable to receive a Darwin Award for various reason. If nothing else, this demonstrates the logic behind the awards. The book has many entertaining stories which demonstrate that there are a lot of stupid people in the world. It is all the more reason for the intelligent ones like us to be careful. My strongest objection to this book was chapter of recycled classic stories from the first edition. I would prefer to read new stories rather than ones I have already read. If somebody has not ready those stories, they really should buy the first edition. The second edition is also worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Rehashed, unrewarding
Review: This "second" edition contains several "classic" Darwin selections from the first book. There are a few good, new pieces in here, but mostly this book's a waste of time. Strictly a bathroom book.
Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS!
Review: This book is just great reading. It is well organized and wonderful for a good laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: Shamelessly padded
Review: This book is the most blatant case of authorial padding I've ever seen. Some of the "award winners" are reprinted from the earlier volume; many of the other incidents recorded in the book are urban legends (most of which have been circulating on the Internet for years) or unverified accounts. There's loads of white space on the pages, occasionally punctuated by non-sequitur quotes and proverbs. Northcutt further inflates the page count by including self-indulgent, digressive essays (labeled "Discussions") on topics unrelated to anything else in the book. In the worst of these, Northcutt speculates on the disruption in the world's food supply that would result from damage to the "transportation infrastructure," then smugly concludes that she is "fairly safe" in California because she can hike to an agricultural region! Northcutt also includes a section of gruesome incidents that don't qualify for awards because the victims were too young, mentally ill, or otherwise didn't deserve their fates. If they didn't qualify, why are they included? I could forgive all of this if the book was funny; it isn't. Many of the incidents Northcutt describes are stomach-turningly violent, and her tone is obnoxious and mean-spirited. I'm hoping that I die of natural causes so that I don't turn up in the inevitable third volume.
Rating: 
Summary: Better layout and format than 1st book
Review: This book is the second in the series and takes a look at human stupidity which either results in the stupid one's demise or at least sterilises them so that they can not reproduce. All entries have previously appeared on the official Darwin Awards website and the entire last chapter of this book's entries appeared in the original book as well. The fact that the funniest entries appear in both books would be the reason I would recommend purchasing this one over its predecessor if you are not buying the entire series. The author has realised by this book that 30 page introductions did not impress many and has thankfully drastically reduced them in this sequel. Unlike the original, this book contains a lot more myths which the author acknowledges have been proved false which may not be what you were after if true tales of stupid human demise was what you were after. If this is the case definitely get the first book instead. This book also contains a section where the author has retracted Darwin awards for entries on their website which were not Darwin awards. Following the reasoning behind those decisions if you applied it to most entries in both books then they would also be rejected so one would think if you are going to do this sort of book you should stand by your decisions no matter how much abuse you cop. Everyone who has died will probably at least have someone who loved them so abuse is something that comes hand in hand with this kind of writing. I just find this chapters inclusion pointless. Both books are not as funny as you might expect them to be but they do have some funny moments. If you are looking for a book to keep you laughing hysterically from cover to cover then look elsewhere. If you are looking for a book with a few laughs then either this or the first book will be sufficient.
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