‘The Dangerous Book for Boys” is for girls, too.
And grandmas, attorneys, school cooks, cowboys, just about anybody who remembers making a train from grocery store boxes or who would benefit from an adventure in creativity.
Most kids from the 1950s know this stuff by heart, but for youngsters who think Harry Potter stories are the be all and end all, they should stick a nose into this award-winning, bestseller by Conn and Hal Iggulden.
The book may open a delightful door of discovery.
The English brothers delved into their pasts and talked to friends about tying knots, building treehouses and learning the difference between longitude and latitude. They wrote in the preface that in this age of video games and cell phones, they hope their work helps boys recapture Sunday afternoons and long summer days.
A bit of the book is old- fashioned and out of line in today’s safety-conscious, sanitized society. It says boys should carry around essentials, such as a big marble, magnifying glass, pocket knife and matches.
Gulp. Matches?
Some of the supplies wouldn’t be allowed in school, on an airplane or at a neighbor’s house. To be safe from controversy, skip along to a chapter on how to make a paper airplane and play tabletop football.
A wonderful part of the book is just fine reading: What are the seven wonders of the world, ancient and modern? How do you tell how old a tree is? How does grammar work? Who are baseball’s most valuable players?
Kids will know names on the list, including Alex Rodriguez and Ichiro. Those who take the time to read further down will note Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills and Stan Musial.
Ask granddad to talk about those great names.
Kids with cell phones use R for “are” and U for “you” when they text message. Code writers of old used numeral “1” for A and “2” for B. Remember? Friends had to take the time to decode messages.
Youngsters who think they invented text messaging might be amazed to learn about compressing words with Morse Code.
Climb a tree (I hope your neighborhood has a few trees) settle in and read about famous heroes, insects, cloud formations, the earth’s circumference and how to find constellations.
Build a go-kart. The project teaches potential contractors about cutting wood, painting, bolting, nailing, attaching wheels and padding a seat. It makes me sad to think that in these days, finding a place to try out the go-kart might be difficult, what with traffic and road rules.
And even more of a drag, don’t forget to wear helmets, knee pads and elbow pads.
When my oldest was an only child for 8 years, we got him a unicycle and he learned to juggle. Then he taught me how to juggle one long afternoon.
Start with scarves. Juggling is a great thing to know when you are challenged to perform an impromptu talent at summer camp, in the third grade or while shooting darts at a pub.
The book even gives boys “delicate” advice about girls.
Listen closely when they talk, the brothers advise, lest there be an uneasy silence like two owls sitting together. Tell one joke, then let her talk about herself. Do not sign Valentine’s day cards, keep the mystery, and don’t hand out fancy ones.
And, they advise, excitable bouts of wind breaking will not endear you to the opposite sex.
“If you see a girl in need of help unable to lift something, for example, do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, while surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can’t, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation.”
Be polite and pay attention to hygiene. Without girls, life would be one long football locker room.
I objected to the chapter on hunting and cooking a rabbit, that’s just me, but it got back in my good graces by teaching how to grow sunflowers.
For future game-show prowess, it’s always wise to memorize official nicknames of the states. Of course, Washington is the Evergreen State, but one should know that Idaho is the Gem State and Rhode Island is the Ocean State.
I would disagree that boys need to learn how to make pocket lights. The devices go inside tobacco tins, and where can one find a tobacco tin these days? Flashlights are already handy and inexpensive.
Something everyone should know are pencil and paper games. One called Squares, where we connect a grid of dots, kept me and a reporter from the Stanwood-Camano News entertained at long, boring, city council meetings some 25 years ago when I was a stringer in north county.
It’s a quiet game easily passed back and forth on clipboards.
For writers of all ages, how impressive that the authors included a chapter on famous sayings by Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Should we hold these truths to be self-evident? Read the whole text of the Declaration of Independence.
One idea took me way back, building a pinhole projector to watch an eclipse. Get ready for the next one Aug. 1, 2008.
The book aptly notes poems that every boy should know: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I am sorry I could not travel both.”
My oldest “boy” is 38 and he would savor every word about the history of armor and famous battles. This book is a treasure, with Roman numerals and common Latin phrases.
I don’t know if boys need to know the difference between who and whom. I am going to brush up on the chapter about how to play poker.
The authors were asked in a radio interview why they included “Dangerous” in the title of the book. The only truly dangerous thing is ignorance, they said. The safest place in the world is a cage, but where’s the fun in that?
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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