The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits
by Erik Sass
from Collins
History is . . .
(a) more or less bunk.
(b) a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken.
(c) as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis.
Match your answers:
(1) Stephen Daedalus of James Joyce's Ulysses
(2) Henry Ford
(3) Arthur Schopenhauer
It turns out that answer need not be bunk, nightmarish, or diseased. In the hands of mental_floss, history's most interesting bits have been handpicked and roasted to perfection. Packed with little-known stories and outrageous—but accurate—facts, you'll laugh yourself smarter on this joyride through 60,000 years of human civilization. Remember: just because it's true, doesn't mean it's boring!
Guinness: World Records 2009 (Guinness World Records)
by Guinness World Records
from Guinness
Guinness World Records 2009 continues to build on the intriguing, informative, inspiring and instructional records and superlatives that have made Guinness World Records one of the most famous brands and an annual best-seller around the world.
This year, we've created a revolutionary new design and filled it with more records than ever before. And the 2009 edition will have two gatefold spreads and over 20 pages of special records all with 3-D photos, which can be viewed with enclosed 3-D glasses!!
Combined with a new, research-tested, eye-catching cover, over 1,000 new records and 100% new photos, this year's edition once again sets out to be the best Guinness World Records book ever!!
The Complete User's Guide to the Amazing Amazon Kindle (Take advantage of this terrific price to get the most out of your Kindle now!)
by Stephen Windwalker
from Harvard Perspectives Press (hppress.blogspot.com)
Late Show Fun Facts
by David Letterman
from Hyperion
Drawn from the popular weekly segment, Late Show Fun Facts is a collection of unusual, little-known--and sometimes even true--bits of trivia assembled by the Federal Bureau of Miscellaneous Information.
The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong
by John Mitchinson
from Harmony
Fast on the heels of the New York Times bestseller The Book of General Ignorance comes The Book of Animal Ignorance, a fun, fact-filled bestiary that is sure to delight animal lovers everywhere. Arranged alphabetically from aardvark to worm, here are one hundred of the most interesting members of the animal kingdom explained, dissected, and illustrated, with the trademark wit and wisdom of John Lloyd and John Mitchinson.
Did you know, for instance, that
• when a young albatross takes wing, it may stay aloft for ten years
• vampire bat saliva—unsurprisingly, when you think about it—is the source of the world’s most powerful blood thinning drug, appropriately called draculin
• bombardier beetles fire a boiling chemical spray out of their rears at 300 pulses per second
• a bald eagle’s feathers weigh twice as much as its bones
• a giant tortoise recently died at the documented age of 255
• octopuses are dexterous enough to unscrew tops from jars
• spider silk is so light that a strand long enough to circle the world would weigh as much as a bar of soap?
So meet the water bears that can live in suspension for hundreds of years, the parasite carried by your cat that makes men grumpy and women promiscuous, and the woodlouse that drinks through its bottom. Marvel at elephants that walk on tiptoe, pigs that shine in the dark, and woodpeckers that have ears on the ends of their tongues.
If you still think a pangolin is a musical instrument, that hyenas are dogs, or that sheep are pointless and stupid, The Book of Animal Ignorance has arrived just in time.
The Book of General Ignorance
by John Mitchinson
from Harmony
Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.
Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more,
The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.
Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, The Book of General Ignorance also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).
Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.
You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following:
How long can a chicken live without its head?
About two years.
What do chameleons do?
They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states.
Who invented champagne?
Not the French.
How many legs does a centipede have?
Not a hundred.
How many toes has a two-toed sloth?
It’s either six or eight.
How many penises does a European earwig have?
a)Fourteen
b)None at all
c)Two (one for special occasions)
d)Mind your own business
Which animals are the best-endowed of all?
Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body.
What is a rhino’s horn made from?
A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair.
Who was the first American president?
Peyton Randolph.
What were George Washington’s false teeth made from?
Mostly hippopotamus.
What was James Bond’s favorite drink?
Not the vodka martini.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition 2009 (Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition)
from Scholastic Inc.
The fascinating files of Robert Ripley prove thereÂ’s nothing stranger than the truth. Turn the pages, if you dare. But watch out! There are more creepy facts and crazy feats than ever before.
An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't
by Judy Jones
from Ballantine Books
You'll find everything you forgot from school--as well as plenty you never even learned--in this all-purpose reference book, an instant classic when it first appeared in 1987. The updated version takes a whirlwind tour through 12 different disciplines, from American studies to philosophy to world history. Along the way, Judy Jones and William Wilson provide a plethora of useful information, from the plot of Othello to the difference between fission and fusion. It's not a shortcut to cultural literacy, the authors write in their introduction, but it's an excellent "way in" to the building blocks of Western civilization: the "books, music, art, philosophy, and discoveries that have, for one reason or another, managed to endure." Think of it as finishing school for your brain; study up and you'll gain a lifetime's worth of cocktail conversation--as well as a new list of books you simply must read.
When it was originally published in 1987, An Incomplete Education became a surprise bestseller. Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here’s your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be!
How do you tell the Balkans from the Caucasus? What’s the difference between fission and fusion? Whigs and Tories? Shiites and Sunnis? Deduction and induction? Why aren’t all Shakespearean comedies necessarily thigh-slappers? What are transcendental numbers and what are they good for? What really happened in Plato’s cave? Is postmodernism dead or just having a bad hair day? And for extra credit, when should you use the adjective continual and when should you use continuous?
An Incomplete Education answers these and thousands of other questions with incomparable wit, style, and clarity. American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History: Here’s the bottom line on each of these major disciplines, distilled to its essence and served up with consummate flair.
In this revised edition you’ll find a vitally expanded treatment of international issues, reflecting the seismic geopolitical upheavals of the past decade, from economic free-fall in South America to Central Africa’s world war, and from violent radicalization in the Muslim world to the crucial trade agreements that are defining globalization for the twenty-first century. And don’t forget to read the section A Nervous American’s Guide to Living and Loving on Five Continents before you answer a personal ad in the International Herald Tribune.
As delightful as it is illuminating, An Incomplete Education packs ten thousand years of culture into a single superbly readable volume. This is a book to celebrate, to share, to give and receive, to pore over and browse through, and to return to again and again.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008 (World Almanac and Book of Facts)
by World Almanac Books
from World Almanac
Description A staple in homes, libraries, and offices everywhere, The World Almanac and Book of Facts delivers authoritative information you can trust. With a 140-year tradition of editorial accuracy, The World Almanac and Book of Facts contains hundreds of thousands of facts from only the most reliable sources, and each year features topical articles by well known figures such as Coretta Scott King, Wendy Wasserstein, and Mr. Fred Rodgers. Including over 1,000 pages of information compiled by a full-time team of editors and a handy quick reference index, The World Almanac and Book of Facts puts information at your fingertips.
The 2008 edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts includes updated information on every topic, from the every day to the obscure. Whether you're doing your taxes, watching the news, doing a crossword, or settling a discussion, The World Almanac and Book of Facts serves as a dependable desk-reference. Topical features and a "Year In Pictures" section also make The World Almanac and Book of Facts a great scrap-book of the previous year. For students, reporters, infomaniacs, or anyone seeking accuracy, The World Almanac and Book of Facts remains the most trustworthy, easy-to-use source.
"My #1 reference work for facts." -- Will Shortz, The New York Times Crossword Editor
"For the most information in one source, The World Almanac remains the champion." -American Library Association
"The World Almanac is the most useful reference book known to modern man." --Los Angeles Times
"An institution -- The range of records and data the book collects is staggering." Dallas Morning News
"It's the best in the business." --Manchester Union Leader
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 (World Almanac and Book of Facts)
by World Almanac Books
from World Almanac
New for 2009—The World Almanac and Book of Facts includes the complete 2008 U.S. election results, and World Series statistics. Every family needs this New York Times best-selling reference book.
The World Almanac is the #1 best-selling American reference book of all time. It is the source for essential and authoritative facts for entertainment, reference and learning. The book contains thousands of facts and statistics that aren’t publicly available which are sourced and double-checked by the staff of World Almanac experts.
The 2008 Edition spent 12 weeks on the NYT Bestseller list reaching #2; 10 weeks on the USA Today Bestseller List reaching #51; and 9 weeks on the Book Sense List reaching a high of #11.
Features in The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009:
· The World at a Glance: The most fascinating facts of the past year in science, economics, sports, arts and media, and more
· World Almanac 2008 News Quiz: For news junkies and snorers alike
· Election 2008 Coverage and Results: Twenty-four pages dedicated to the complete coverage of key issues, pivotal primaries, memorable moments, and election results from the presidential campaign.
· Beijing Olympics Recap: faces, Places and records from the Summer 2008 games.
· World Series: For the first time in 5 years, the World Almanac will contain facts covering the World Series.
· Celebrity Picks: notable names serve up their very own lists of Favorite People, Places, and Things
· Year in Pictures: 16 page color photo section of the top stories of 2008, as well as 16 pages of world maps and flags and easy-to-use side abs.
· Plus thousands of facts and statistics that aren’t publicly available; sourced and double-checked by our full-time editorial staff who are reference experts by category
World Almanac Online: www.WorldAlmanac.com
2009 will feature the third year of Bonus Content Online, extended reading to the printed edition for the same combined price of $12.99. This year will feature the Election Results from 2008, plus lots more free information available year-round at worldalmanac.com: historical presidential information, health news and features, and early access to WA09 info.
Once online, look for The World Almanac Blog, launched in 2006 and every weekday featuring
· New original entries, including provocative postings such as Unbreakable Sports Records; fascinating scientific and historical trivia; and new links to online tools and archives for almanac fans · This Day in History, Notable Birthdays and unusual anniversaries such as when Nixon met Elvis Presley in the Oval Office (1970)
· More useful links and tags to essential reads
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