Behold the power of Twitter! The ever-popular microblogging site is great for finding out when celebrities die and learning what people had for lunch. But what it does best is add levity to your day with people’s amusing thoughts and links. Short of being on Twitter itself — and you can find us at @bookgasm — the best way to experience the fun is through David Pogue’s book THE WORLD ACCORDING TO TWITTER.
Well, it’s kind of Pogue’s book. He came up with the questions and challenges, posted them to his Twitter account, and let his followers provide the answers and responses that comprise the collection. Whether you’ve been on the site or not, the results are sure to make you smile.
It’s the kind of humor title that can be read by opening to any page. Some examples:
• For “Make up a new Internet rumor that sounds just real enough to catch on,” @EShahan wrote, “Increase in home robberies attributed to Google Map street views.”
• For “Write a brilliantly gripping first line of a new novel,” @pumpkinshirt wrote, “Chelsea St. Dean was the kind of cop who gave 100%, leaving no room for romance. Fortunately, Dirk Xander always gave 110%.”
• For “Describe your Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever,” @ctrly wrote, “Sent letter to our biggest client, included heading: ‘Your account’ (secretary left out the O). Tricky meeting followed.”
That kind of jump-around approach makes THE WORLD ACCORDING TO TWITTER terrific for toilet reading, whether Pogue is asking his virtual friends about the best bumper sticker they ever saw, having them caption a photo, or challenging them to compose a haiku. Since Twitter only allows for entries of 140 characters or less, one really has to boil down a thought to its very essence, which is why many of the jokes work. They hit their target because they are precise and unfussy. —Rod Lott
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