# Would you buy a "Complete Idiot's" guide to something? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818 "2007-10-24T14:34:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/41 "2007-10-24T20:00:26Z")
This book, the [Complete Idiot’s Guide to Submarines](http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Submarines/dp/0028644719) is probably the best guide to modern nuclear submarines that I have ever seen. I wasn’t expecting much when I opened it up while idly browsing in a book store, but my jaw dropped when I saw the info in it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/42 "2007-10-24T20:27:14Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] Yeah, if we didn’t understand the meaning we really would need that Complete Idiot’s Guide to Complete Idiot’s Guides. I’m not _offended_ by it, I just think it’s a dumb way to name books. And a ripoff of the successful Dummies series. [/QUOTE] Please help me understand this. You are ok with Dummies Guide and Klutz’s books, but Complete Idiot is pushing the joke title too far? Did I get that correct? Jim ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/43 "2007-10-24T20:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Please help me understand this. You are ok with Dummies Guide and Klutz’s books, but Complete Idiot is pushing the joke title too far? Did I get that correct? Jim [/QUOTE] Yes, that is my position, and I stand by it. Until something good comes on TV. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/44 "2007-10-24T20:47:18Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] Yes, that is my position, and I stand by it. Until something good comes on TV. [/QUOTE] Ok, as I have never bought a Complete Idiot’s Guide, only Dummies and Klutz’s, who am I to complain. Just realized, I have two Dummies books here at work. Crystal Reports 10 & SQL Server 2005. They were not as helpful as the ones I bought 10 years earlier. I probably won’t buy anymore in the future. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/45 "2007-10-24T21:58:57Z")
For those who get their self-esteem from their book titles I am going to publish _Nothing for Absolute Geniuses (who are also handsome and witty)_. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/46 "2007-10-24T22:07:14Z")
I have at my house The Dummies book on Astronomy. It helped me out when I was taking Solar System astronomy. I am considering picking up the Dummies book on learning Arabic, as the book I have is a bit above my current ability (saying hello, and introducing myself). ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/47 "2007-10-24T22:17:39Z")
While trying to replace the old windows of the house many years ago, I got myself a book called _Windows for Dummies_. It had all kinds of unrelated stuff about computers. That’s how I learned I was a Complete Idiot. Nah, just kidding. I never bought one of those books because I would feel like the butt of a joke any time someone saw me reading it. I think someone should capitalize on the notion of an “In-Depth Guide to [subject] for Otherwise Brilliant People Who Happen Not to Have Learned About [subject] Until They Purchased This Book” series. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/48 "2007-10-24T22:33:36Z")
This takes sensitivity and wanting to look smart to the next level. If you think the title of a book is trying to insult you, you probably should grow a pair. I know people who actually turn books around backwards on their shelves so people won’t know they read it. Its the same people who panic about taking the Oprah sticker off their copy of Anna Karennnanannanaina. I have one of these books. Its between my cliffs notes for organic chemistry and my copy of the Da Vinci Code. YEAH I SAID IT. And if someone thinks I’m stupid for it I will tell them about how I read Crime and Punishment for the 5th time in backwards Latin. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/49 "2007-10-25T01:54:21Z")
[QUOTE=Gary T] I think some of you are confusing “complete idiot = someone who is significantly ignorant about a subject” with “complete idiot = someone who is inherently stupid.” These books are using the former sense, not the latter. The titles are a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reference to the difficulty people have with guidebooks that are written such that one needs to already know the subject matter in order to understand what the dang book is saying. Seems to me you’re going out of your way to miss the point and take offense where none is intended. [/QUOTE] Right – and in the process it also plays off of the frustration many adequately intelligent persons feel, when attempting to familiarize themselves with a new topic and facing instructions/guides that don’t help them: \*"I have three university degrees, but _this &^%$# thing is making me feel like a fool!"_ ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/50 "2007-10-25T02:10:07Z")
I’ve probably checked a few out of the library (solar energy for the home, recently) but the only one I’ve actually purchased is [_Art for Dummies_](http://www.amazon.com/Art-Dummies-Thomas-Hoving/dp/0764551043/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2742590-9906518?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193277613&sr=8-1). I wanted to better understand where the general public is coming from when they view and discuss art and figured a book geared towards “outsiders” would explain their perspective. It’s very gossipy about the artists’ personal lives, so there was plenty of stuff I didn’t know. But the plate for Van Gogh’s _Starry Night_ was backwards. That drove me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/51 "2007-10-25T02:23:48Z")
Some of you guys really seem to be taking this whole thing personally. Just because some of us don’t like to be called an idiot or a dummy by a book doesn’t mean we think \*you \*guys are idiots or dummies for buying it. (Well, some might, but I don’t.) It’s just not my thing, that’s all. That’s not my bag, baby! ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/52 "2007-10-25T03:28:47Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] I think they are getting a little carried away with the whole thing. The other day I saw “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Commodity Futures Tradings” or something of the sort. There are some things that complete idiots should probably leave be. [/QUOTE] Bwah! The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Surgical Procedures… I do like the Dummies books–I started with **DOS for Dummies** , way back in 198-something. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/53 "2007-10-25T04:32:43Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] Bwah! The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Surgical Procedures… [/QUOTE] Ah, that’s on my shelf, right next to _Do-It-Yourself Dentistry for Dummies_. 😃 Seriously, though, I have no problems buying and reading _Dummies_ and _Idiots_ books. They’re a good overview of the subject matter and they’re not too detailed–you can use these books to become familiar with a topic without being overwhelmed by it. They also usually have reputable references (web pages, other books) you can go to for more information if you want to look further. What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/54 "2007-10-25T05:45:02Z")
I guess I can kinda see someone maybe being put off by the title back when those books were new (wouldn’t have bothered me). But those books are so ubiquitous and successful that I don’t see how someone could be put off now. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/55 "2007-10-25T13:00:10Z")
I have 5 of the Dummies series here at work - all software related. They are very useful tools for finding out how to do something I haven’t done before or don’t do often. And even the worse one is far better than the Microsoft help menu. Haven’t seen too many of the Idiot’s series but if I needed information and found it in their book, I’d buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/56 "2007-10-25T15:36:28Z")
I had _The Complete Idiot’s Guide to DOS_ back when I got my first computer, right after the dinosaurs all moved to Jupiter. I found it extremely helpful for what I wanted to learn, which was how do I download Jungle Jane on this thing? [These](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=complete+idiot%27s+guide+to+asatru), however, irritate me in a vague way. I feel that spiritual exploration should require a more scholarly approach. And liquor. Lots of it. And after previewing a couple of random pages on that last one, it looks to me like nothing more than a list of helpful websites about the subject at hand. Most of them from the first page of responses from googling “asatru”. Pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/57 "2007-10-25T17:22:24Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] I object to the title, there’s a difference between being an idiot and just ignorant. [/QUOTE] a) David Pogue’s _Macs For Dummies_ series was both immensely useful (even though I knew those Macs inside and out) and hilarious, so 2) get the hell over it. This reminds me of the women who gets insulted by the “do you have a beard” question on the generic forms they fill out when they get hired. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/58 "2007-10-25T18:09:13Z")
I own several. They are proudly displayed on my shelf next to _The Drooling Retard’s Complete Guide to Tying Shoes_; _Only a Fat, Stupid Loser Like You Would Read This_; and _The Secret_. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/59 "2007-10-25T18:23:54Z")
I would really like to see a series called “Reasonably intelligent but interested in this new unfamiliar subject”…but it isn’t really catchy. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818/60 "2007-10-25T19:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=Sitnam] I would really like to see a series called “Reasonably intelligent but interested in this new unfamiliar subject”…but it isn’t really catchy. [/QUOTE] “The Incredibly Smart and Sexy Person’s Guide To…” “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About \ But Were Afraid to Ask” (oldie but goodie.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-complete-idiots-guide-to-something/423818.md?page=4)