Yes, those were cassette tapes and that was a (special purpose) cassette tape player and the computer was a Commodore VIC-20, and the game was, indeed, Donkey Kong.

Thos

Sent by Thos | 3:11 PM ET | 06-13-2007

Oh, I do hope the Dangerous Books will include instructions on building tree houses and proper snow/ice forts!

Sent by BLR | 3:17 PM ET | 06-13-2007

I think the most important thing that should be taught is the thing that is so seldom taught...critical thinking skills. Don't just believe, know. There is so much BS in the world it is important to be able to tell sense from nonsense and be confident to call nonsense by its true name.

Sent by George from Oregon | 3:25 PM ET | 06-13-2007

I still don't get why this only for boys. Neither did a reviewer (see: http://www.parenthacks.com/2007/06/interview_with_.html )

I really loved his non answer. I truly doubt that the "Daring Book for Girls" will be as good. Buy this book for your kids. Why should boys have all the fun? Oh by the way, six month girls giggle when they are pushed on a swing, too.

Sent by ecotopian | 3:35 PM ET | 06-13-2007

...another reminder of the circular, self-reinforcing ideology that boys and girls are different encourages boys to be active, to explore, build, investigate (etc.) while girls are taught to be passive and to care about "looking pretty." Girls who scrape their knees and like to climb trees despite their gender training are called 'tomboys' because it couldn't possibly be "girlish" to play rough, to want to investigate the natural world, to get dirt under their fingernails, to build a tree house.

Sent by taketwo | 3:58 PM ET | 06-13-2007

I can't agree more with taketwo. This book should be for all children- there is so much need for girls as well as boys to get out of the house, scrape their knees, and learn for themselves. I agree with the author that our society is harming boys with enforced ideas of maculinity, but reinforcing those "hard-wired" "differences" between girls and boys is not the answer! Get all kids outside! Get all kids personal attention, and get all kids to find themselves, and then embrace them for it. And write a book for little boys about cooking and playing house, and write a book for little girls about paper airplanes and knots! If only we had learned that in Girl Scouts, in addition to pie-baking!

Sent by EO | 4:25 PM ET | 06-13-2007

His comment that "when you're a boy, all things are posssible" stopped me cold. That statement sounds so natural...but substitute "girl" and suddenly it'd be a political statement.

If he means "when you're a child" he should say it.

He reminded me forecefully of the grandfather I know who had three grand-daughters that he loved dearly, but when he then had a baby grandson crowed that *now* he had a little captain to train for his boat.

Sent by Kathryn Burlingham | 2:09 PM ET | 06-14-2007

When I was a kid, we used the Boy Scout Guide to fill the niche that seems to be getting filled today by this book. The The Dangerous Book for Boys sounds fascinating, but I do hope the good old boy scout guide gets a boost from the apparent demand for knot-tying knowledge.

Sent by Matthew | 4:00 PM ET | 06-14-2007