{"product_id":"the-real-thing-9780803220553","title":"The Real Thing","description":"You may already know that Belgium is the most boring country on planet Earth, but do you know why? Or what makes the Mark 44, Model O Lazy Dog Missile Cluster, the sexiest piece of military hardware on wheels? Or how LSD edged out all contenders as the Platonic Ideal of illicit drugs?\u003cbr\u003eFrom cities to sitcoms, from scotch to soda, from English monarchs to French movies, \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is a compendium of the quintessential, providing definitive answers to some of the most compelling questions of our time: What confection out-cholesterols the competition? Why is The Country Club \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e country club? Which Charlie Chan proved the least scrutable? \u003cbr\u003eAuthor Kurt Andersen's pithy pronouncements sparkle with wit, sophistication, and a healthy dose of skeptical good humor as he strips world culture of accumulated hype and accepted wisdom, laying bare the sine qua nons and the ne plus ultras in a sassy series of satirical essays that give credit where credit is due while simultaneously foreclosing on the bogus, the ersatz, the would-be, and the has-been. \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is the real thing. These days, that's really something.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bison Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/01\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780803220553\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 180\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.80h x 5.20w x 0.40d","brand":"Kurt Andersen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36643629432988,"sku":"9780803220553","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_949eee4c-8aa7-4133-83ae-879c980eef6c.jpg?v=1603856974","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-real-thing-9780803220553","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}