The Encyclopedia of Immaturity – Review & Giveaway

*Thanks for your stories of immaturity. The two winners of this giveaway have been contacted via email.*

Alright, I admit it. I was one of those adults who almost, almost, bought a copy of Klutz’s Encyclopedia of Immaturity, Volume 1. Actually, I almost bought it for my hubby for Christmas and then I had the good sense to realize that I’d probably regret it about, oh, 5 seconds after giving it to him. Still, now it would seem that the book gods have decided that I was destined to have The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, Volume 2. And what do you know? As soon as I unwrapped the courier box and pulled it out, my fella practically knocked me over to start checking it out it.

I’m happy to be able to give away both volume 1 and volume 2 to two lucky commenters. All you need to do is drop off a comment on this post, telling me the most immature thing you’ve wanted to do (or have done) recently. I’ll choose two winners by November 20th. Be sure to include your contact email info.

Now, a bit more about the book.

The cover: hilarious. I am loving the twist on two of the most unfun folks in 20th century American art. So perfect. The first volume was a doodled-upon version of the Mona Lisa, remember?

As the introduction notes, “growing up is a very big decision and not one that you should rush into without at least pausing for a moment to consider the implications.” Ah yes, the implications (writing report cards, washing the kitchen floor, ironing shirts, paying for someone to clean out your eaves… the list could be endless). This book is meant to counteract the “dark forces of maturity,” and I think most folks (ages 9-99) need that in order to stay sane. You will learn a whole bunch of strange and silly skills such as: “How to Make a Fauxhawk,” “How to Talk Like a Pirate,” “How to Catch Popcorn on Your Tongue” and “How to Play the Spoons.” (Note: not all are in good taste. Most are just plain fun or funny or a little bit gross. But, I’m thinking we could have done without “How to amputate your leg.” Perhaps it’s the teacher in me, but I’m not finding that one funny). The instructions for each of the crazy skills are fairly good, sometimes more precise than others, but these sorts of things are all about practice, right? I think kids will agree. In my opinion, the design of the pages could have a tad more pizazz overall (there’s a whole lot of white space on many of the pages). The photos of the kids make for the most engaging visuals.

Definitely good fun for middle schoolers and up, I’d say. Many of the tricks / jokes seem most likely to appeal to the ten and up crowd. I can think of a few boys who would get a real kick out of this – and drive their siblings and parents crazy in the process.

Here are two videos showing tricks from volume one and volume two:

Drop off your story of immature behaviour – real or only imagined – for your shot at getting both of these Klutz books.