On The Bookshelf 11
Edutainment For
The Masses
r
the Complete Idiot's Guide signify
about its author and potential readers?
Why would a distinguished 10th-gen-
eration rabbi pen a book with "Idiot's"
first came the "Dummies"
the largest word on the front cover?
books. Then the "Complete
For Rabbi Blech, who was invited
Idiot's" guides. The compet-
to contribute to the series based on
ing series of introductory
the success of his
paperbacks cover a
book Understanding
wide range of sub-
Judaism, writing
jects — from com-
this guide provided
puters, personal
an opportunity to
finance, dating,
reach out to
wine and golf to
worlds of people
taxes, yoga, job
who wouldn't ordi-
interviews and
narily buy a book
grammar — all in
by a rabbi."
a distinctive style:
In an interview
education packaged
in the Upper West
as entertainment.
Side apartment
With short,
where he and his
accessible chapters
wife now live, the
and lots of head-
65-year old rabbi
ings and sidebars
explains that peo-
marked with picto-
ple's reactions to
rial icons, to
the title are usually
describe these
split along genera-
books as user-
tional lines. Some
friendly seems an
of his peers have
understatement.
"kibbitzed" him
With millions
about it, he says,
of copies in print
adding that while
and new titles
for some the title is
being published on
off-putting,
a regular basis, a
younger people
guide to something
familiar with the
Jewish was
series "have been
inevitable. The
delighted."
Complete Idiot's
The title sug-
Guide to Jewish
gests "that we're
History and Culture
Easy-co-read coverage of event:.
spanning from i:fle Old Testament
going to teach you
ro
by Rabbi Benjamin
Key Jewish figures such as Kirig
something in a
Blech
David.Albent Einstein. arci
Goicia
non-intimidating
(Alpha/Macmillan;
The Jewish culturzi experience
,
in the arts.
poinics.
it's
t s not
way"
$18.95) is the first.
area :ports
talking down to
Rabbi Blech,
people
but "speak-
associate professor
ing to them where
of Talmud at
they want to be addressed," he says.
Yeshiva University, covers 6,000 years
The headline on the back cover reads,
of Jewish history, taking on big ques-
"You don't have to be a talmudic
tions like Jewish identity in brief
scholar to learn about Jewish history."
takes, and following the Jewish jour-
With 200 different books in the
ney from Adam and Eve to Philip
Complete Idiot's series, Macmillan
Roth, Elie Wiesel and Jerry Seinfeld.
Publishing Editorial Director Gary
But what about the title? If an art
Krebs says the company sensed a
lover's guide to Paris implies that the
"demand" for a Jewish title. Krebs
author and reader love art, what does
describes the book's audience as being
Sandee Brawarsky is a freelance
anyone with an interest in learning
writer based in New York.
about the subject.
SANDEE BRAWARSKY .
Special to The Jewish News
In "The Complete
Idiot's Guide To Jewish
History and Culture,"
Rabbi Benjamin Blech
reaches _out to worlds
of people who wouldn't
ordinarily buy a
book by a rabbi.
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