Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Yet Kind of Sad
Review: As a social studies teacher, I thought I would find a great deal of enjoyment in this book. Many of the errors of college students I read in this book are similar to mistakes I have seen my students make. The unfortunate part about this book is that it is a little depressing to see how unmotivated some people are to learn. This does not make it bad to get a laugh at the expense these unmotivated adolescents. I can't help but be curious if some of President Bush's college papers made this book.The preview of the book gives some excellent hints at the funny parts of the book. Some are hilarious, but some are not so humorous. The sections about World War II and religion are particularly amusing. This book would make a great gift for the history buff or teacher in your life. I know my copy has become quite a conversation piece.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Gift for Teachers
Review: If God is indeed merciful, then we will not be condemned to repeat the history presented by these college students. Professor Henriksson has excerpted some stunning examples of "higher" learning from his student's essays, including such gems as: * "The Wholey Roman Empire amazed many when it was found in Germany." * "The Hundred Years War (1320-1600) was fought over English holidays in France." * "World War II became the Cold War, because Benjamin Franklin Roosevelt did not trust Lenin and Stalin. An ironed curtain fell across the haunches of Europe." And my personal favorite: * "Anarchism is a system of government headed by an Anarch. Canada, for example, became an anarchy in 1867." If you enjoy this sort of dry humor, then get a copy of this book for yourself or for the teacher in your life. And for the sake of humanity, MAKE YOUR KIDS DO THEIR HOMEWORK!
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE READING!!
Review: I first picked up a copy of this at the local bookstore and had the shotgun rider read to me on our way home. BAD MISTAKE!! I laughed so hard that I was truly a danger on the road. Absolutely the funniest book I ever read! Now for the scary part..it is true! Actual test and homework answers! Just unbelievable! Don't miss this book! I bought a copy for the holidays for all my family! I wish Henriksson would write another!
Rating:
Summary: funny, but sad
Review: This book is hilarious, although pretty sad when you remember that the rather creative history contained in it was found in actual college papers and exams. The examples range from spelling mistakes, to mixed-up or misunderstood words, to creatively rewritten history. I know the panic of having to write a timed essay on something I don't quite remember the details to, and I know I've written a few things that had some embarassing mistakes in them because I finished them without enough time to check for errors. I'm sure that quite a few of the examples in this book were the result of a complete lack of knowledge (not to mention writing skills), but that doesn't mean all of them were. In the Postscript, the professor who compiled these examples gives some of his own thoughts about how these errors might have occurred. If you're a college student yourself, you might want to take a look at this book - it's worth quite a few good laughs and it might convince you to look over your tests and papers more before you turn them in. I know I certainly don't want parts of my papers to end up in a book like this!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Gift for Teachers
Review: If God is indeed merciful, then we will not be condemned to repeat the history presented by these college students. Professor Henriksson has excerpted some stunning examples of "higher" learning from his student's essays, including such gems as: * "The Wholey Roman Empire amazed many when it was found in Germany." * "The Hundred Years War (1320-1600) was fought over English holidays in France." * "World War II became the Cold War, because Benjamin Franklin Roosevelt did not trust Lenin and Stalin. An ironed curtain fell across the haunches of Europe." And my personal favorite: * "Anarchism is a system of government headed by an Anarch. Canada, for example, became an anarchy in 1867." If you enjoy this sort of dry humor, then get a copy of this book for yourself or for the teacher in your life. And for the sake of humanity, MAKE YOUR KIDS DO THEIR HOMEWORK!
Rating: 
Summary: How did these students get into College in the first place?
Review: Although not an hilarious read this book does have some extremely funny entries from North American college students on American and world history. Learn that the allies landed near Italy's Toe and gradually advanced up her leg, Japan Bombed Pearl Harbour the main US base in California, the Germans subs sunk the Titanic and Aztec troops fought at Gallipoli. The Black Death was passed around by midgets, Joan of Ark was famous as Noah's wife and other stuff you won't find in textbooks. Some of these entries are obviously students trying to be funny when they have no idea of the answer to a question, some are from total reliance on their computer's spellcheck but others highlight the fact that maybe the academic requirements for college placements need to be increased with maybe a few less football scholarships in North America. The book isn't actually that big and only takes about half an hour to read is my only complaint. An interesting book, check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Death Rates Exceeded One Hundred Percent In Some Towns
Review: This is an absolutely amazing collection of 'works' by college students from the US and Canada, and will make you fear for the future. My Dad was an English professor at a four year university for his adult life and was amazed by some of the stuff that crossed his desk. One of my best friends is an English professor at a four year university, and is even more stunned by what crosses his desk. After listening to them grouse, I got a degree in biology and became an airline pilot. This collection spans several decades of student essays and exams from a history professor and some of his associates. There are so many delightful errors in this book that I can't pick a favorite, but I will share three selected at random: "The Russian revolution of 1905 began about 1907. Unfortunately, the Czar was easily influenced by flutterers. The Triple Alliance faced NATO. This too was produced by Bismark, who worked for Caesar at the time." "Japan boomed Pearl Harbor, the main U.S. base in southern California. American sailors watched in shock as the sky filled with Japanese zebras." "History grundled onward. International relationships moved to the broodle stage." As you can see, there is no stopping the silliness (and, yes, I did recheck the spelling in the three examples to ensure it was exactly as written)! Buy this book! You may never laugh this hard again!
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air for any teacher
Review: A collection of essays from college students around the country, this book serves as a frighteningly funny snipet of student writing blunders that teachers so desperately try to get these future "novelists and critics" alike to avoid. Some of the mistakes will make you laugh out loud and some simply make you shake your head in amazement. As a Middle School English teacher, I encourge anyone who has ever corrected a paper or given a writing tip to flip through this book and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Clearly, spell check is not the only answer!
Rating:
Summary: My spell checker made me do it!
Review: I bet you did not know that the major cause of the "...[US] Civil
War is when slavery spread its ugly testicles across the West"?
Or that "Hitler's instrumentality of terror was the Gespacho?" or
that "Judyism had one big God named 'Yahoo'". Or that Julius
Ceaser was especially told to beware of the "Yikes of March". Or
that "Prehistoricle people spent all day banging rocks together
so that they could find something to eat. This was the Stoned
Age"! Or that "Spinning Jenny was a young girl forced to work
more than 40 hours per week". I bet you did not know all these
facts, did you? This book is a hilarious compilation of how
freshmen and sophomores (and even some seniors) view our
collective world history. The author does not apologize for the
lack of education; simply notes that the kids of today are apt to
believe the spell checker when it suggests "Yahoo" as an
alternative for "Yahweh". This is a short novella that should
probably be required reading in Western Civilization 101. Keeps
you laughing till the last page.
Rating: 
Summary: It is impossible to read this book with a straight face!
Review: This book is a laugh-riot from start to finish. Essentially a compendium of errors made by college students in their exams / test papers, it includes numerous gems of mis-spelling, inadvertent plays on names, unintended innuendos, timeline rearrangements and frequently just plain imagination gone wild. It probably helps if the reader is no slouch at history but I suspect much of the material can generate mirth even from those with little pretensions to historical expertise. The authors have helpfully followed a chronological timeline in arranging their material and the book progresses from the "Stoned Age" to the modern world. Fair warning : it is almost impossible to read this book with a straight face and without laughing out loud, and hence reading it in public is likely to case your fellow travelers on the bus or train to seriously doubt your sanity. An excellent pick-me-up or cure for a blue mood.
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