Blame It on the Dog: A Modern History of the Fart

by Jim Dawson

Did you know that James Joyce liked to smell his wife'¬?s farts? That some fish communicate by expelling gas? Or that the Pentagon is developing weapons of mass olfactory destruction (WMOD)? That'¬?s just a whiff of what's in store in this breathtaking follow-up to the best-selling fart history, WHO CUT THE CHEESE?In BLAME IT ON THE DOG, eminent fartologist Jim Dawson sniffs out the latest and greatest new items of the past century, from flatulent robot dogs and fart fetishists to poot-proof underwear and anti-stink pills. In fifty breezy chapters, he spills the beans about scientific (wind)breakthroughs, celebrity butt rumblings, and real-life fartistes like Flatulina Fontanelle Boutier, cyberspace entertainer the Queen of Farts, and Mr. Methane, England'¬?s Prince of Poots. Plumbing the nether regions of politics, pop culture, and the (f)arts, this stinker of a bathroom book will leave you gasping for air.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: History, Humor

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2006

About the author

Dawson has also written extensively about early rock and roll and rhythm and blues, including 'What Was the First Rock 'n' Roll Record?' which Mojo magazine called 'one of the best musical reads of [1993].' His 1980 cover story on Ritchie Valens in the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times led directly to the reissue of the forgotten rock 'n' roller's recordings and the making of the biopic La Bamba, which used some of Dawson's research.

Jim Dawson is a Hollywood, California-based writer who has specialized in American pop culture (especially early rock 'n' roll) and the history of flatulence (three books so far, including his 1999 top-seller, "Who Cut the Cheese? A Cultural History of the Fart"). Mojo magazine called his What Was the First Rock 'n' Roll Record (1992), co-written with Steve Propes, "one of the most impressive musical reads of the year"; it remains a valuable source for music critics and rock historians, and an updated second edition is currently available on Kindle. Dawson has also written a series of articles on early rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll pioneers for the Los Angeles Times, including a front-page story in the Calendar entertainment section on the forgotten tragic figure Ritchie Valens. The piece led directly to Rhino Records reissuing Valens' entire catalog (with Dawson's liner notes) and eventually to the 1987 biopic "LaBamba," which used some of Dawson's research. Since 1983 Dawson has also written liner notes for roughly 150 albums and CDs, including Rhino's prestigious "Central Avenue Sounds" box set celebrating the history of jazz and early R&B in Los Angeles. His most recent book (2012) is "Los Angeles's Bunker Hill: Pulp Fiction's Mean Streets and Film Noir's Ground Zero."

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as educational as "Who Cut The Cheese" (doesn't that sound bizarre), but still interesting. This collection of flatulence urban lore shows a growing appreciation for the wind that flows backwards in our culture. The feeling I'm left with is that we are slowly accepting this as something that's ok. That and seeing more TV shows using the word "Fart" ... soon we may be able to just pass gas anywhere. Won't that be a great day!

[Melki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems superfluous to say that a book that explores the invention of the whoopee cushion, offers an examination of the phenomenon of exploding toilets, and involves a dissection of the phrase "pull my finger," is, perhaps, the perfect by-the-shitter book. This one, sadly, wore out its welcome pretty quickly. In nearly every essay, the author makes reference to his previous book on the subject of passing gas, Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart. My advice would be to search out that lofty tome, and give this one a pass.

Since I've now read this one, AND a biography of Le Petomane -https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... I think that's probably enough literature about farting for one lifetime.

[Fly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some trivia of historical significance (one bit that I would unread if I could, seriously) but way too much Howard Stern. Some of the wordplay was really witty/clever, yet it started getting old real fast... this book is better as, dare I say, "toilet reading" - at a rate of one (very small) chapter every few days. I would have let it stretch out over the course of a few months if I hadn't needed it for a reading challenge. Short as it is, I wouldn't recommend reading it straight through. Fun book, and interesting, but better in small doses.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

As George Carlin once said, "Face it, farts are funny". So is this book. Some of it is ripped from the headlines, some of it wafted in from scientific journals, and the rest blew in from movies and pop culture. Each chapter is around three pages, so a quick chapter or two during a bathroom break would not cause excessive door pounding.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's everything you'd expect a book about farting to be.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, crude, and has some truly interesting information about farts. Love this kind of stuff.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I just read a book about farts.
It was quite interesting though - some quirky characters and tidbids of information I never knew. So many puns though!

[Hartmut Markert · Rating 1 out of 5]

She farts in form of bad posts / explosions everywhere and at any time
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