A review by patchworkbunny
21st Century Dodos: A Collection of Endangered Objects: and Other Stuff by Steve Stack

5.0

Hands up if you remember cap guns, cigarette candy and the screech of a tape loading to play your favourite pixellated computer game? If so, you'll find this book a nostalgic, fuzzy-feeling and amusing trip down memory lane. If you follow @meandmybigmouth on Twitter, then you'll have a good idea of the style of writing.

I kept reading "if you're over 30" or "readers under 30 won't remember" and thinking, "I remember this stuff" only to remind myself that I will be turning 30 next month. Maybe this book, more than anything else, has hit that home and I'll stop thinking I'm 25 still. The things of my youth are sadly no longer with us and some of it I never even had the pleasure of experiencing. I don't think I even had a VCR until I left for university!

If you're my age or older, I think you'll love it. It was briefly passed round at work and inspired a conversation about dog poo (our token young person was fortunately out of the office). If you want to know what on earth your parents keep reminiscing about, this could possibly help too!

I admit, I don't remember everything in this book but it was nice to learn about the things that became extinct before my brain cells were fully functioning. I really do think this sort of stuff should be included in the curriculum, history is not just about war but about the little things that changed everyday life. And yes, Opal Fruits are still Opal Fruits in my mind...