A gimmick more than a book, Anthropology’s 101 stories of 101 words are funny, bizarre, and occasionally macabre. But despite its brevity, Anthropology consistently revisits certain tropes--tiny skirts, "perfect, lovely" girlfriends, and lots of smoking--that say more about the author's predilections than about his ingenuity. The book jacket promises depth and insight; it's too bad that the collection ultimately reads like one of those "100 Jokes About Something" books that I bought as a child. And even all its cleverness can't hide that fact that the jokes get pretty old, pretty fast--even 101 words at a time. At least it's short.

Copyright © 2003 Steven Wu