Encyclopedia Brown was my hero. A modern-day (or mid-Twentieth Century at least) Sherlock Holmes who solved crimes with his brain and his vast and miscellaneous collection of knowledge. In retrospect, I even essentially married the adult version of his partner Sally Kimball: the pretty and tough woman who appreciates a generalist nerd.
But I lost faith in Encyclopedia Brown. And I can trace that loss to a single moment: my reading the story **"The Case of the Tooth Puller" in Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way. Encyclopedia solves the case by noting the following simple facts:
This is poppycock. My father, in addition to being a dermatologist, is a magician. And I have never known a situation where he performed a magic trick (illusion) where he needed long sleeves. Poor Hank. And I'm sorry Encyclopedia Brown, but you can do better.
Top image:Nick Douglas/Flickr/CC
