The Mindset List of the Obscure: 74 Famously Forgotten Icons from A to Z

(Paperback)

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An entertaining trip through pop culture, for the "old fogeys" and "kids these days" An entertaining trip through pop culture, for the "old fogeys" and "kids these days" Today's teens and twentysomethings have never seen a real airplane ticket. To them, point-and-shoot cameras are so last millennium and "Star Wars" is a movie, not a defense strategy. The world views of today's young and old have never been more different. In this entertaining romp through American culture, the creators of the Beloit College Mindset List explore 75 icons once-famous and now forgotten-from Abbott and Costello to the singing telegram. Packed with entertaining facts, trivia, and photos, this is the perfect gift for college students, their oh-so-outdated parents, and pop culture mavens nostalgic for days gone by.

Reviews

"Exquisitely mindboggling entertainment." - Jim McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street
"Tom McBride and Ron Nief have never failed to open my mind while making me smile. The Mindset List has been an annual treasure. The Mindset List of the Obscure opens the way to pleasurable discovery of Americans lost but not to be forgotten." - Jim Fleming, former host of PRI's To the Best of Our Knowledge and host and producer of Wisconsin Public Radio's Chapter A Day
"If you're up for a trip down memory lane, or want to learn more about your parent's generation, this book is for you... READ IT IF: You're feeling nostalgic.Your parents like mentioning things and people from the good ole days. You're curious about past American cultural icons and phrases. " - Second Bookshelf on the Right
"Fans of the board game Trivial Pursuit will like this book. Its chapters, arranged in alphabetical order, refer to bygone fads and phrases, then list a fun "Inspired Guess By Today's Young and Restless" before revealing the "Ancient Truth" -- explaining how the phrase or fad originated, what it meant, and when it was popular. " - Delaware County News Network
"There are enough factoids here to make fierce trivia lovers happy, there's plenty of history for your historian, and it's good gift for any Boomer or senior with a sense of humor. If you've ever wondered what people will remember about Miley Cyrus in fifty years or if you wonder what they'll remember at all this is a fun book to read and share. For you, "The Mindset List of the Obscure" is oddly addictive." - Bookworm Sez
"This book is full of great trivia and gems of information from the past. This book could be a bit of a reference book if you would like, but it can be just a bit of entertainment too. " - Jenn's Review Blog
"A good choice for baby boomers and older GenXers looking to take a trip down Memory Lane-or (sigh) to feel old." - Library Journal
"This book is a wonderful glimpse at pop culture and history... McBride and Nief do well to remind us of these gems from our past." - Looking for a Good Book
"A wacky but really fun, fast read that could even help those in search of an extra "quick gift" for the holidays. " - Barbara Genco, Projects Manager, Library Journal
"A fascinating and eye-opening read. " - Examiner.com
"A fascinating and eye-opening read... We like that McBride and Nief don't preach or moralize about this passing parade of cultural icons. Instead they skillfully emphasize that whether these folks, events, technology or trends were silly, profane or even profound in their time, their eventual passage to the back burners of our collective memories, while envitable, leaves footprints that the current crop of icons use to find their own places in our popular culture." - The Examiner

Author Bio

TOM MCBRIDE, Keefer Professor of the Humanities at Beloit College in Wisconsin, and RON NIEF, emeritus director of public affairs at Beloit, are coeditors of the internationally renowned Beloit College Mindset List. They have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and on CBS, NPR, CNN, Fox, and more.