Drew Curtis may run one of the funniest news aggregation sites around, but just because he’s a joker, don’t make the mistake of thinking he doesn’t really understand the news. If his claims are to be believed, Curtis has probably read more news stories in the eight years he’s been running Fark than anyone who actually works in the journalism business. That’s given him a rich appreciation of how much of the so-called content that fills newspapers, TV and the web is just crap–and his book catalogues some of the best examples. Trouble is, the best part of the book is the sharp, 17-page analysis of media BS at the beginning, and the rest is just a rehash of old Fark stories that, frankly, were funnier the first time around. Our recommendation: Read the introduction, then skip to page 264 for the best Fark story ever. –Dylan Tweney
WIRED Explains the workings of mass media better than most insider accounts. Funnier (and quicker) than a 2-year stint in journalism school.
TIRED About 150 pages too long. Most content available on Fark for free. Curtis’ claim that he reads 2,000 news articles per day stretches the bounds of credulity more than the news stories he mocks: Anyone who read that much for eight years straight would be a raving lunatic by now.
$20, fark.com
Link: Book Review: It’s Not News, It’s Fark
Link broken? Try the Wayback Machine.