U.S. bestseller about philosophy and humor to be published in Taiwan edition in early 2008

[news compiled by Danny Bloom in Chiayi City] [August 15, 2007] [丹布隆] http://www.taiwanho.com/people/dan

TAIPEI -- American writers Daniel Klein and Thomas Cathcart co-authored the U.S. bestseller titled "Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes," which will be published in a Chinese-language translation by China Times Publishing Company in Taipei in early 2008.

Published in May 2007, the 200-page book became a New York Times"bestseller" and has been optioned for a documentary film by the Public Broadcasting System television network (PBS) in Washington, D.C.

The book, which is both philosophical and humorous, contains over 100 jokes and ten magazine cartoons. Basically, the book is a 10-chapter course on the classic categories of philosophy, written in a witty and humorous style, with such chapter titles as "Metaphysics," "Logic,""Ethics" and "Philosophy of Language".

It's a serious book about philosophy and humor, and it's also very funny! That's why the book did so well in the U.S. book market. It is sure to touch readers in Taiwan, too!

Klein and Cathcart majored in philosophy at Harvard College and graduated in 1961. Mr. Klein, now 68, told a reporter for the Boston Globe that he's from "a long line of devout atheists," but that he is also deeply interested in religious thought. After college, he had a long career as a writer for television comedies and quiz shows in Hollywood and New York, he said.

Mr. Cathcart, now 67, grew up in a Christian family, and after Harvard, he went to religion gradute school at the University of Chicago. Later, he worked in the health care field and became director of MercyHospital in the U.S. state of Maine. He also managed a hospice for AIDS patients -- "the best job I ever had; I loved it," he told the Boston Globe.

Both Klein and Cathcart are married, with one daughter each.

Note: The two writers in Massachusetts are now writing a sequel, titled "Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak Through Philosophy and Jokes". It will be about politics and humor, according to the publisher.

When asked how the book came to be, Klein said in an email to a reporter in Taiwan: "Mostly, I collected and wrote the jokes, while Tom worked on the philosophy part of the book, but after eight drafts, it turned out that we both worked on both parts of the book. It was a team effort all the way."

When asked why and how the catchy title was chosen, Klein explained: "The publisher wanted the name of Plato in the title, and also wanted the comic phrase "walk into a bar" in the title, too. During a meeting with the editors, Tom suggested that we add "and a Platypus" to the title and the final title worked so well. We then gave the book a good subtitle because title without a subtitle was not easy to understand."

"When asked how the book climbed so fast into the bestseller lists in the U.S., Klein said that a short magazine article in Harvard Magazine in Boston gave the book it's first national publicity, with a funny radio interview on National Public Radio also helping to boost sales and help spread news of the book nationwide.

The book is being translated for a Taiwan edition in early 2008, according to China Times Publishers in Taipei. In addition, the book will also be published in translation in such countries as China, Turkey, Greece, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Brazil. The book is truly a worldwide phenomenon!

Translating the English-language book into Chinese for the Taiwan market will not be so easy, since many of the jokes and stories are based on American life and culture. But a good translator has been selected, and the book will be soon available for readers in Taiwan.

Klein agrees that the translation into Chinese will not be easy, noting: "I can imagine that it will be a difficult translation task,because the book is not simply about language but also about worldviews and cultural norms. It will take a very talented translator in Taiwan, and I wish him or her the best of luck. Jaiyo!"

When asked to explain how he feels about having a bestseller in the U.S. after a long life writing for TV comedians and book publishers, Klein said: "Well, it's wonderful to have a bestseller. It's double wonderful to have a bestseller at my age! And it's triple wonderful to have a bestseller with my oldest and best friend in the world, Tom Cathcart."

When asked if he has any words for readers in Taiwan, Klein replied:"We are so happy to meet you this way. Enjoy our book when it comes out there!"

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