The Charles Curtis effect is when a book, especially a children’s book on certain historical groups neglects to show one of the most prominent. Named after Herbert Hoover’s vice president, to this day the Native American who has ascended the highest, he was not in a children’s book I saw on prominent Native Americans but Jim Thorpe was. This is like including Bo Jackson but not Barack Obama in a book on prominent African-Americans.

One of the most recent Curtis Effects I saw was also one of the most baffling. It was a children’s book on the New York Giants that had reference to pre-Super Bowl era players, mentioned Phil Simms and Ottis Anderson as stars in the 80s…. but did not mention Lawrence Taylor once.

It’d be like a book on the New England Patriots saying “And here are two of the greatest Patriots ever: John Hannah and Richard Seymour!”