Curiosities & Wonders Books

Guinness: World Records 2009 (Guinness World Records)

Guinness World Records

Amazon Price: $17.37 List Price: $28.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Guinness Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $14.57

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

great edition 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

this is simply a great book. I believe I am the first person in Nigeria to obtain a copy, which in itself should qualify me for a record entry in the next edition of the guinness book of world records

Cool! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a cool book. Not only do you get the up-to-date list of the latest world records, but 3D photos as well (always loved that 3D glasses stuff when I was a kid). Some of the bizarre things people do to set world records never ceases to amaze (or amuse) me.

I must admit I'm a bit of an adict when it comes to records and statistics of any kind, and I've always loved this series of books. I buy a copy every few years and I'd rate this one (especially with the 3D glasses) the best edition yet. Have fun and have a read. Good stuff.

Editorial Review:

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!!

An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

Judy Jones, William Wilson

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ballantine Books Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $20.73

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Subjects -> Reference -> Encyclopedias -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 90 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

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.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition 2009 (Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition)

Amazon Price: $10.87 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $9.37

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fun book 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Great for the school-age crowd. My third-grader will spend hours reading this and looking at the pictures.

Excellent purchase 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The book was awesome! I'm so glad to have Amazon. I can shop in peace and know I am getting excellent products.

Believe It or Not 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent rendition for readers interested
in a plethora of curiosities on earth. The book
describes how the Zebrafish repairs its own eyes.
There is a beautiful picture of a monster mushroom.

A bionic hand is depicted along with a robotic
violinist. A section has a curious museum of brain
matter. The Colorado wrestling alligators are shown
in a popular action pose. Lastly, a spectacular
Crystal Cave depicts an atmosphere of pure ice.
The acquisition would make a perfect gift for the
curious at heart.

Editorial Review:

The fascinating files of Robert Ripley prove there’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.

Late Show Fun Facts

David Letterman, The Late Show Writers

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $11.52

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

It truly is worth your last $20 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

David Letterman jokes around about his new offering 'Late Show Fun Facts' on his show of course, but he really is right on the money. Despite economic times this book is definately worth the price (even the conversion rate to Australian dollars for myself). If you love the show and especially his fun facts segment this truly does provide you with hours of fun, remembering some he has already done and some great new entries. I still haven't gotten through to the end. So believe me this is no 'pamphlet' it is 239 pages of fun...some will make you cringe, some will make you laugh out loud, but all of them - and other segments and info inserted into the book - you will find endlessly fascinating.

hilarious 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

perfect funny little book to keep on the living room table. I love Letterman and record it every night so I am a little biased!

Editorial Review:

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 General Ignorance

John Mitchinson, John Lloyd

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Subjects -> Reference -> Education -> Questions & Answers

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

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.

Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

Joy Masoff

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Kids love stuff that's gross. From the liquids, solids, and gases--especially the gases!--or their own bodies to the creepy, crawly, slimy, slithery, fetid, and feculent phenomena in the world at large, kids with a curious bent just can't get enough. Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty brings together, in one book, all the good things about some of the baddest things on Earth.

Exhaustively researched and impeccably scientific, yet written with a lively lack of earnestness, Oh, Yuck! is an ants to zits encyclopedic compendium covering people, animals, insects, plants, foods, and more. Here are vampire bats, which sip blood and pee at the same time so that they'll always be light enough to fly away; and slime eels, wreathed in mucus and eating fellow fish from the inside out. Oh, Yuck! explains why vomit smells; where dandruff comes from; what pus is all about; and why maggots adore rotting meant. Other features include gross recipes, putrid projects, 10 foods that make you airborne, and more.

With hundreds of cartoon illustrations and real-life photographs, Oh, Yuck! is the complete guide to the irresistible--at least to an 8-to-12 year old--underbelly of life.

The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

Erik Sass, Will Pearson, Steve Wiegand

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Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> Early Civilization

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

interesting reading - in the style of mental floss 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

For those who are familiar with the publication Mental Floss, this book should not be foreign - in term of the writing style, scope and contents, and the general tone. Like the magazine, "The Mental Floss History of the World" is a collection of entertaining, sarcastic and wise-cracking short articles for readers who are into trivia. Like the namesake, "mental floss", this is not a scholarly compendium on world history, but more a collection of interesting trivia about world history that can be mildly intellectually satisfying. As a slight departure from the past Mental Floss publications which were mostly juxtapositions of chronologically unrelated trivia bits, not only does this book have a cohesive theme, it is arranged also in the chronological order of historic events, from the dawn of civilizations to modern day. My only beef with this book is that it is too focused on Western history, which is not horrible per se, but definitely not living up to the title "An Irreverent Romp through CIVILIZATION's Best Bits". Last time I checked, the civilization covers much more than western civilizations.

Editorial Review:

With mental_floss's trademark smart-aleck approach, combined with hilarious (but true) trivia, world history has never been such a joyride.

Uncle John's Unsinkable Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader)

Bathroom Readers' Institute

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Reading!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am a reader and I sure love all of Uncle John's books. So much information can be gleaned from them. All of them are fascinating and filled with knowledge. Someone really has done a lot of research in writing these books. I highly recommend all of them. They're worth it!!

Great Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Uncle Joh's Unsinkable Bathroom is a fun book to add to your collection collection. Easy to read and full of a unique combination of information. Full of humor with a little bit of trivia and tips added, this is a great book for your winter reading. Definitely recommend.

Editorial Review:

Uncle John's Unsinkable Bathroom Reader is jam-packed with over 500 pages of humor, history, science, pop culture, and more. This all-new 21st edition in this popular series is divided into short, medium, and long sections that explore topics including: Breaking the Mayan Code, Cycads: The Most Ancient Plants on Earth, The History of the Library of Congress, Return to Chernobyl, An Untold Story of WWII: The Fighting 442, The Origin of Lasers, Japanese Scholar Rocks, The Heart of the Andes, The Luniverse, and The Truth About Jumping Beans. With Uncle John’s trademark trivia, obscure facts and figures, forgotten histories, and unknown origins, this book provides readers with hours of fun.

The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

Rick Beyer

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Subjects -> History -> Military -> General
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

History isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.

This is history candy -- the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.

Consider:

• The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
• Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
• Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
• The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman

Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.

I Never Knew that About Ireland

Christopher Winn

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: Thomas Dunne Books Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $16.47

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Subjects -> History -> Europe -> Ireland -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

For real travelers or dreamers 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This is a different kind of travel book. Not a guidebook in the Frommer's or Lonely Planet tradition, but just as valuable for learning more about the country of Ireland. This book covers the four province of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Each county within the four provinces are featured. At the end of each section there is an "I Never Knew That..." section. Some things that I bet you never knew about Ireland:

-- In 1822, Richard Martin put through Parliament the first Animal Rights Bill and two years later founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

-- Rosslare has an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes of sunshine every day. (Living in Washington State, that sounds like paradise!)

-- You have heard of Stonehenge but did you know that the Grange Stone Circle is made up of 113 stones and is the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland (it dates from around 2000 BC).

-- The DeLorean (the famous car from Back to the Future) was built in Ireland and caught the eye of Hollywood producers.

--Sophie Pierce was the first woman to make a parachute jump, the first person in the world to fly solo from Cape Town to London and the first woman in Ireland and Britain to gain a commercial pilot's license. Unfortunately she fell out of a tram and was killed.

Winn has written a book with a warm personable tone. I felt as if I were listening to a fun friend who loved Ireland and knew neat trivia about each region. There is something for everyone as there are facts and stories about famous people, true crime, myths and inventions. Although color photos would have been nice, the numerous black and white sketches add charm to this book.

Winn is a writer, quiz master and producer for theater and television. He has also written I Never Knew That books about England, Scotland, Wales and London.

Armchair Interviews says: A wonderful book for trivia buffs and armchair travelers!

Editorial Review:

In this wonderful compendium, Christopher Winn gives a tour of the four provinces of Ireland---Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. Find out where dreams were inspired, ideas were born, and where the unforgettable heroes of Ireland’s past now slumber. A treasure trove of fascinating stories, I Never Knew That About Ireland is packed full of information on the colorful history of the Emerald Isle. 
This irresistible book gives a captivating insight into the heritage, memories, and monuments that have shaped each county in Ireland, searching out their secrets and unearthing their hidden gems.