A (Brief) History of Vice

A (Brief) History of Vice How Bad Behavior Built Civilization

Paperback (09 Aug 2016)

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Publisher's Synopsis

A celebration of the brave, drunken pioneers who built our civilization one seemingly bad decision at a time, A Brief History of Vice explores a side of the past that mainstream history books prefer to hide. History has never been more fun-or more intoxicating.

Guns, germs, and steel might have transformed us from hunter-gatherers into modern man, but booze, sex, trash talk, and tripping built our civilization. Cracked editor Robert Evans brings his signature dogged research and lively insight to uncover the many and magnificent ways vice has influenced history, from the prostitute-turned-empress who scored a major victory for women's rights to the beer that helped create-and destroy-South America's first empire. And Evans goes deeper than simply writing about ancient debauchery; he recreates some of history's most enjoyable (and most painful) vices and includes guides so you can follow along at home.

You'll learn how to:

 Trip like a Greek philosopher.
 Rave like your Stone Age ancestors.
 Get drunk like a Sumerian.
 Smoke a nose pipe like a pre-Columbian Native American.

"Mixing science, humor, and grossly irresponsible self-experimentation, Evans paints a vivid picture of how bad habits built the world we know and love."-David Wong, author of John Dies at the End

About the Publisher

Plume

Plume

Plume was founded in 1970 as the trade paperback imprint of New American Library. In its early history, Plume focused primarily on nonfiction titles, publishing approximately 35 titles per year. In the early 1980s, as trade paperbacks were rapidly becoming the format of choice among a large segment of book buyers, Plume began expanding its reach, and became recognized as one of the pre-eminent trade paperback imprints. The 1980?s saw Plume make its mark with a number of major bestsellers, including Toni Morrison?s Tar Baby, Erica Jong?s Fanny, Russell Baker?s Growing Up, and Gloria Steinem?s Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, among others. Now, in 2014, Plume is publishing 85 to 100 titles a year, and its backlist currently encompasses approximately 700 titles.

Book information

ISBN: 9780147517609
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Imprint: Plume
Pub date:
DEWEY: 179.809
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Weight: 240g
Height: 136mm
Width: 202mm
Spine width: 20mm