Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously Entertaining Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True

by Richard Roeper

Urban Legends to the rescue. This is the new book by nationally syndicated Chicago Sun Times columnist Richard Roeper. It is a comprehensive, enlightening, and entertaining look at hundreds of such stories that have no basis in fact—no matter how many people will swear otherwise. Half the people who read Urban Legends will be delighted that a legitimate journalist has finally debunked some of the most maddeningly enduring modern myths of our times. The other half will be shocked that some of their favorite stories have been exposed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, Urban Legends, Pop Culture, Humor, School

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Richard Roeper is a columnist/film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and, since September of 2000, has co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper with fellow film critic Roger Ebert.

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when you think you have heard them all, a new urban legend pops up, In this electronic age these legends spread like wild fire and are taken oh so seriously.

The author, syndicated columnists of the Chicago Sun Times, collects a number of the newer legends, so you won't find your old favorites like the hitch hiking ghost girl or the man with the hook hand here. Instead you will find out that Tupac Shakur faked his own death (similar to the "Elvis is still alive" story), or that Bill Gates will give you $1m dollars if you do a certain thing (what one must do varies depending on which myth you hear). Some of the myths are so ridiculous that it is hard to imagine that anyone believes them but there are a few which are a little more sensible and could be true....but they are not.

This is an entertaining book which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is quick, light reading for the beach or other down time.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021... Not part of any challenges, just for pleasure.
Trick or Treat book 2021

This was awesome. Very well put together and the author was funny too!
So many things out there that people trying to pass off as true and some of the fairly believable. Be careful. Everything from News Stories to chain letters. Take a read, you will be surprised and my find out something you thought was true, isn't.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book if you want to just briefly read about the less popular urban legends, but some you might know. I liked it but it just felt a bit too brief.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth a rating

[Myron M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little read. Not much new that other books on the topic don't already have.

[Danielle Klassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun collection of some excellent urban tales that we tell each other. It was fun to read and more fun than this was finding out all the torrid tales that I've heard myself over the years. (And, admittedly, fallen for sometimes.) If I could say anything that I would like to see more of in this book, it would be an analysis of the tales themselves. Urban Legends usually have a folk root that they are responding to and while the stories are fun to read, I think it would have really would have been nice to have some kind of context under which these legends spawn and even resurface. There is some analysis done but I would have liked to see more for all of them. Also, in a very slight kind of nitpick, I also have to take a little issue with the ones labelled "Classics". Some of them are definitely classic urban legends that everyone knows like the "Welcome to the world of AIDS" or the "gang initiation" tales, I don't think that anything about Y2K's extra day or Furby banned from telling military secrets count as classics, particularly in 1999 when this book was written. That aside, it's a great collection and I suggest it.

[Osheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thought that this book was fantastic, i love urban legends and this was what i was looking for. i highly recommend this to any person that wants to read some interesting stories. this book is a fantastic read for any trip or plane flight, it has all the things anyone could ask for in an urban legend book. weather its how the 311 is related to the kkk or how tupac faked his own death, this book has it all. my favorite story was how the Beatles almost had a reunion on snl when they were offered 10 thousand dollars to come and play. of course they didnt and this story was not true, but paul and john were in johns apartment when they offered this on snl and were tempted to go and play for old times sake. needless to say they didn't. those are just 3 examples from this awesome book, i highly recommend you read it for yourself.

[Lydiajett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Urban Legends book. This one really delves into some of the more popular ones of today that are spread thru emails, text messages, & word-of-mouth. I was amazed at how many of these I had received in my own email. I guess it just goes to show you that some people will believe anything.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book if you like urban ledgends.It explains how you ca tell that the stories are not real and how the urban ledgend got started.I enjoyed reading some of the ones I remember and it was good to find out the reasons why so many people were fooled into thinking they were really true....

[Heather Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new legend wise but I do a good job in collecting them myself. Even if you know them it's interesting to be able to read a logical tear to the throat of any urban legend...though I'm still sure they happened to my aunt's doctor's stepson.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I ran across any new legends, but they always amuse me and he's an entertaining writer.

[Karen]

A quick, funny read. Roeper debunks urban legends from ankle slashing as a gang initiation to Y2K. I thoroughly enjoyed it.