Book Smarts

Today's Dennis The Menace has the caption "Margaret has book smarts, but she's lackin' in playground smarts."

The attitude is in keeping with Dennis's rambunctious persona.

Many years ago Dennis appeared as a television series. The series ended in part because the child actor who played Dennis grew too old for the part.

The comic strip Dennis does not have that experience -- he's eternally living in the moment with no thought for the future. However much we enjoy Dennis's irrepressible good humor, we know we cannot live like him. In the real world "book smarts" has to tackle issues like "global financial crisis" and "species decline" and Haiti (1), (2)" So we cast a last envious wistful glance at Dennis's cheerful sassy outlook, sigh, and hit the books.

Carpenter Reading Room, Bostock Library, Duke University