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Unscientific Americans
Cartoons use puns and the author's offbeat sense of humor to poke fun at human nature and modern life in the United States
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 1986
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About the author
Roz Chast
77 books517 followersRosalind "Roz" Chast is an American cartoonist and a staff cartoonist for The New Yorker. She grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, the only child of an assistant principal and a high school teacher. Her earliest cartoons were published in Christopher Street and The Village Voice. In 1978 The New Yorker accepted one of her cartoons and has since published more than 800. She also publishes cartoons in Scientific American and the Harvard Business Review.
Chast is a graduate of Midwood High School in Brooklyn. She first attended Kirkland College (which later merged with Hamilton College) and then studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and received a BFA in painting in 1977. She also holds honorary doctorates from Pratt Institute and Dartmouth College, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is represented by the Danese/Corey gallery in Chelsea, New York City.
Chast is a graduate of Midwood High School in Brooklyn. She first attended Kirkland College (which later merged with Hamilton College) and then studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and received a BFA in painting in 1977. She also holds honorary doctorates from Pratt Institute and Dartmouth College, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is represented by the Danese/Corey gallery in Chelsea, New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 8, 2016
In reading through this little book, it occurred to me that Roz Chast is really a little-recognized surrealist. How else explain the three panels entitled "No Vacancies"--with the first panel being Eileen H's life, the middle panel being Morris V.'s brain, and the last panel Nanuet Mall? The woman's a genius, that's all there is to it.
May 16, 2016
An older Roz Chast collection featuring many cartoons that don’t appear in her later “best of” books. I love Chast’s cartoons for their literary humor and for her ability to find fun in all sorts of modern neuroses and peccadilloes. Her sketchy art is great, too—there’s one in here in which Freud is, somewhat randomly, a dinosaur, and it’s the drawing of the little dino with a beard and glasses that really made it for me. I also love her occasional narrative comics—the standout one in here is about going with some friends for a nighttime drive. It’s perfectly real and true.
In summation: Roz Chast = WIN.
In summation: Roz Chast = WIN.
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February 22, 2011If you're looking for guffaws or even chortles, this isn't for you. These drawings will raise the odd wry smile or chuckle. Which is what I was looking for. There are too few moderate cartoonists, and they need to be encouraged.
My favorite was "How to Be Your Own Casual Acquaintance"
My favorite was "How to Be Your Own Casual Acquaintance"
May 7, 2017
Roz Chast is an idol of mine. She finds hilarity in some unlikely places, and I can't help but think a lot of humor is absurd. This book is great, just like all her other ones.
November 2, 2019
This early Roz Chast collection shows how she has evolved. She was good then, but not as amazing as she's become. A lot of these cartoons remind me of Lynda Barry; unremarkable things about ordinary people, including lots of kids. Cute, and enjoyable to read.
July 6, 2020
I adore Roz Chast. You know those rare Far Sides that aren't so much funny so much as entirely absurd? Dry, often too surreal to be funny, and steeped in the tepid minutiae of every day life, I find such joy in reading these.
April 4, 2024
Having graduated with a very serious and expensive Master's Degree, I could have been offended by this gift. However, I laughed the whole read which makes this book priceless.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews