Ego Trip's Big Book of Racism!

""Due to our strong personal convictions, we wish to stress that this book in no way endorses a belief in racism. We just hate everybody."" So proclaim the folks behind this often funny, often offensive and appropriately bitter book, which does hate a few people by name: Cameron Diaz, Don Cornelius, even Elvis. There are a few culls from the now-defunct ego trip magazine's pages, but most of the content is new and shameless: there's list journalism (""Professor Griff's Favorite Jewish People Some of Whom Also Happen to be Friends""; ""60 Notable Moments in Interracial Luv 'N' Lust""), essays (""Fear of a Black Pool Party""), parodies of some easy targets (TV Guide, magazine quizzes) and some harder ones (MAD Magazine, which is itself an organ of parody), and digs at some others that deserve it (professional sports). The writing is sharp and to the point, and though there's plenty of silly stuff (""Who are the Black Muppets?""; the ""hidden hate"" in Wite Out and watermelon seeds), the underlying message is dead serious: racism pervades every aspect of culture, from travel books to television. Anyone who can call himself Chairman Mao must have a very thick coat of irony to protect himself-as should prospective readers, some of whom will remember ego trip's Book of Rap Lists, ""hip hop's answer to the telephone book, you pity-party patsies."" 3-color illus. throughout.