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Title: "Ring Around the Rosie" Is Not History
Review: I've been surprised by the good reviews this book has received. I picked it up on impulse, but once I began reading, I was almost immediately disappointed. On page 5, the reader is treated to the old chestnut about "Ring Around the Rosie" being some sort of race-memory of the Black Death. The silliness reaches a peak when Cantor brings on Fred Hoyle's fruitcake hypothesis that pandemics are caused by viruses from outer space. And in between-- If Margaret Thatcher were not a public figure, that "joke" of Cantor's about her would probably be actionable.One last thing: If you're going to read this more than once, keep a pencil by your side on the first read-through. Cantor doesn't seem to know what commas are for, but there's no reason for you to suffer through his undifferentiated writing more than once.
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