Collegiate Times

Annoying and disgusting habits are referred to as annoying and disgusting for a reason. Typically people don?t want to be immersed in the minute details of these habits. And yet, Ian Whitelaw decided that writing an entire book about these habits would be a good idea. In ?Habitus Disgustica: The Encyclopedia of Annoying, Rude and Unpleasant Behavior,? Whitelaw sets out to categorize and describe such habits as nose-picking, scratching and loud cell pone talking.

At first I was intrigued, like most people I find it disgusting when I am stuck in an elevator or crowded bus with someone who apparently just had a plate full of beans. And I find it equally annoying to be forced to listen to the bass of someone?s MP3 player or having to walk through a cloud of smoke because someone decided smoking right in front of the entrance doors was a good idea.

Reading about these things, however, was also unpleasant.

As you can probably tell by the preceding paragraph, the book did not put me in a good mood. Rather, I became agitated and annoyed when reminded of all the various things people do that annoys me.

If you enjoy this Louis Black ?I?m angry and annoyed let me unload it all on you? type of humor, then you will enjoy this book. I, however, am more of a Seinfeldian ?Isn?t that ironic? person. At any rate, I would suggest reading the book in small chunks; an entry a day will do it.

I say this because in the first two pages I was saying to myself ?Yeah, that is annoying! Thank god I?m not alone in thinking so.? By the third entry I was telling Whitelaw to ?quit whining and relax, life isn?t that bad.? Perhaps if I had stepped away from the book, I would have enjoyed it in small doses.

The book is simply written and very visually appealing, despite the subject matter, making it a quick and effortless read.

Each entry begins with a brief background description. For example, the section on ?Abusing Portable Stereos? begins with a short history of the walkman. I found these parts interesting, and they are short enough to hold anyone?s attention. The entry then focuses on the specific behavior and why it is disgusting. Often the author will bring in information from other cultures, which is also interesting. However, there are a few areas of psychobabble that is laughable, such as the claim made that smoking is a subconscious yearning to ?return to the mother?s breast.? Sure it is.

Overall, the book is well-written and creative, and I think that many people would find it enjoyable and even funny. But this type of humor isn?t for everyone, and if you don?t read the book in small chunks, you?re likely to find the book itself ?annoying, rude and unpleasant? from sheer overload of discussion of such things.