Rating: 
Summary: Hysterical!
Review: Though some of the essays may seem a bit dated, they are ALL very clever and worthwhile. I suggest this lighthearted book to anyone, particularly to fans of Eco.I've read both _Foucault's Pendulum_ and _The Name of the Rose_, so I can fully appreciate Eco's genius, his careful research into topics, and his knack for expressing all the details in an interesting and captivating way. This book is COMPLETELY different than what I'm used to with Eco, and *I love it*!
Rating: 
Summary: The Unobscure Eco
Review: Umberto Eco's books are wonderful, but they often ignore the playful side of Eco's personality. Besides being a master of semiotics and trivia, Eco is also a talented humorist, and these essays, taken mostly from his column in an Italian magazine, reveal just that. The essays remind me of Woody Allen's 'Without Feathers', although I think I enjoyed Eco more. With observations on everything from fame to politics to minor personal inconvenience, a wealth of human wit and thought is compounded here in one slim volume. I personally have enjoyed other books of his more, but these essays reveal a side of Eco that his novels don't hide, but do tend to play down.
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