June 13, 2006

The Dangerous Book for Boys

A book teaching kids how to make paper aeroplanes, climb trees and play conkers has become a surprise best-seller.

The Dangerous Book for Boys has shot to number five in Amazon.co.uk's Hot 100 charts since it was published last month . . .

It explains how to build a treehouse, fish, skim stones and make a catapult. There are also chapters on insects, pirates, coin tricks, marbles and dinosaurs. . .

The book also includes stories of courage from historical heroes including Scott of the Antarctic, Robert the Bruce, Lord Nelson and Douglas Bader.

Conn added: "Their example is more important than ever. Not one of them would have understood the health and safety culture. If they had, Scott would have stayed at home and Douglas Bader might have kept his legs and lost the Battle of Britain."

From Ananova.

Posted by David on June 13, 2006 11:07 PM

Comments

I grew up as part of a pack of cousins (at one time over 20 of us in the big old house.) Most of those things were skills passed down from oldest to next oldest, down to the baby of the family. Girls as well as boys (I specialized in falling out of trees and off log bridges into creeks.) I don't ever remember an adult teaching us any of those things, though they did join us sometimes (especially Uncle Kenneth).

I like the part about chapters on heroes to emulate. My heroes were Winston Churchill and John Donne. Unlikely, but that's the way it was.

Posted by: Sarah [TypeKey Profile Page] on June 16, 2006 4:01 PM
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