{"product_id":"the-real-thing-2","title":"The Real Thing","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eYou may already know that Belgium is the most boring country on planet Earth, but do you know why? Or what makes the Mark 44, Model O Lazy Dog Missile Cluster, the sexiest piece of military hardware on wheels? Or how LSD edged out all contenders as the Platonic Ideal of illicit drugs?\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eFrom cities to sitcoms, from scotch to soda, from English monarchs to French movies, \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is a compendium of the quintessential, providing definitive answers to some of the most compelling questions of our time: What confection out-cholesterols the competition? Why is The Country Club \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e country club? Which Charlie Chan proved the least scrutable? \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eAuthor Kurt Andersen’s pithy pronouncements sparkle with wit, sophistication, and a healthy dose of skeptical good humor as he strips world culture of accumulated hype and accepted wisdom, laying bare the sine qua nons and the ne plus ultras in a sassy series of satirical essays that give credit where credit is due while simultaneously foreclosing on the bogus, the ersatz, the would-be, and the has-been. \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is the real thing. These days, that’s really something.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kurt Andersen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53615375024508,"sku":"9780803220553","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0251\/4980\/0541\/files\/9780803220553_1a06c66f-db8b-48f8-be2d-c2d06e015f8c.jpg?v=1726575624","url":"https:\/\/combined-academic.myshopify.com\/products\/the-real-thing-2","provider":"Combined Academic Publishers - Mare Nostrum Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}