05.16.2002 - 7:22 am
Essay for School:
The nonfiction book, The Worst Case Scenario Handbook, by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht was a strangely humorous but helpful guide to getting yourself out of bad situations fast. It gives scenarios that may seem a bit rare to happen in everyday life, but they could occur. This handbook, if written in the 1930’s, could’ve been used by Indiana Jones in his adventures. How else would he have learned how to do the stunts?
Picture Indy in a small, musty shop chock full of old books. He browses around and discovers an inconspicuous leather bound enchiridion hiding in a corner. He picks it up…rummages through the pages, and decides to purchase it. Indiana puts it into his knapsack and forgets it…almost. The night after Indy gets his first assignment in search of the Ark he takes it out and reads through. Many tricks were learned! Indiana practiced his stunts on his pet monkey such as “How to Win a Sword Fight.” As learned in the handbook, he stepped into the blows, moved the sword steadily, and deflected the monkey’s blows. Sir Capuchin the Monkey made many mistakes, such as extending his arms and trying to absorb blows with his sword. Tsk tsk! You see, before Indiana Jones read the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, he was a wimp! He couldn’t even ride a motorcycle, let alone steal one and then jump onto a bus with it. To do that properly, you must try to get going at the same speed as the bus. Like Indy could’ve done that without the book. Ha!
I loved this book. It was very amusing to me and informative. Now, whenever I’m on some crazed adventure and run into a bear or shark, I’ll know how to fend off its attack! When I’m being shot at, I won’t be hit! I’ll never sink in quicksand! Hurrah! I would give this a 10. There was always something I overlooked, and when I went back I learned more each time I read through it. I am now a master of breaking down doors and wrestling alligators. I think it should definitely be on the 9th grade book list, and if I’m not mistaken, it already is. I don’t think it should be taken off, then. I think 9th graders would be much better prepared for the perilous real world if they read this.
