Review: Eating the Dinosaur

In his new book, Eating the Dinosaur, Chuck Klosterman delivers another thought-provoking exploration of pop culture very similar to his Sex, Drugs, and Cocopuffs. The book ranges in topics from comparing Kurt Cobain to David Koresh, dissecting time-travel, and critiquing the writings of Ted Kaczynski. 


Klosterman is the master of probing seemingly innocuous or forgotten events and people of popular culture, dismantling them, and exposing new ideas and concepts. He is able to find similarities and analogies in things that seem completely different.

Klosterman's main thematic focus, as in Cocopuffs, is his examination in how musicians, artists, filmmakers, athletes, and the media define reality. Klosterman takes hold of the power of the increasingly simulated experience of modern life and breaks it down, shakes it out, and sees what falls through. This is what makes Klosterman one of my favorite writers—he can discuss a variety of subjects that all come back to his central focus.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in media/cultural studies or anyone who is interested in a good laugh as the book is also funny in a sardonic kind of way.