Not quite the onion I recognise (Our Dumb World: 73rd Edition - The Onion)

Member Name: jboho

Product:	Our Dumb World: 73rd Edition - The Onion
Date:	09/05/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very convincing, some very funny points

Disadvantages: Not the classic, sarcastic onion format

I have loved the onion ever since the publication of the article: 'God Angrily Clarifies 'Don't Kill' Rule'. And now, with an offbeat satirical book, I was with great expectations.
The onion website has a very unique style to writing- some article are quick, observational comedy jokes, other are genuine political or religious satirical pieces. I was expecting a satire on stereotypes in the onion's atlas of the world, and, sadly, I was disappointed.
The book lacks the wit that the website has, for some reason the book has been aimed more mainstream, which doesn't truly fit the onions idea of going against popular opinion. There are exceptionally funny parts, such as the entry for Nigeria.
This could be because my expectations were too large, but I just can't see the onion-esque sarcastic snippets in here. The way it is laid out is convincing as usual, just as the website looks just like a news site, this joke atlas looks just like a (very) professional atlas.
The onion news is good because it takes comedy from the strangest and most outrageous angles; this book does not work because all the jokes in there are obvious and based on stereotypes.

Recommended to those who have not followed the onion, but devout fans may be disappointed.

Summary: A very well made book, just not the style I expected.