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 a good bathroom or nightstand book Feb 15, 2010
This is a nice, light book, with each question being answered in about 1 page. a good book to read for quick reading sessions, like on the pot or before going to sleep. some stuff is pretty interesting, some stuff I definitely already knew. Not bad if you're looking for an easy read that's good to pick up and put down alot.
 Facts, damned facts and inescapable facts Feb 12, 2010
I read this book in great gulps. Filled with fascinating facts about history, science, geography and literature, this book is certain to overturn many long-held beliefs and make you look at the world differently. The first entry -- What is name of the tallest mountain in the world? -- brings forth the almost reflexive answer "Everest." But this launches the authors on a discussion of how do we measure tallness? From sea level? From the "bottom of the mountain" whatever that is? From the center of the Earth? Depending on the gauge, the answer is different. Other items, from the largest creature in the world (a fungus) to the existence of King's Tut's curse (sorry!) to whether feminists burned their bras (no) are presented with confirmatory proof, including references to documentation from the time the events occurred. Many facts will stay with you -- like the fact that hangovers are not caused by your brain being sore (it has no sensory nerves) but that a brain dehydrated by alcohol pulls on its covering membrane (it does). And that the Canary Islands (Insula Canaria) are named for dogs, not yellow birds. You won't learn that *everything* you know is wrong, but you will learn that far less is sure than you might have once believed.
A fun book or those not afraid to have their pet certainties challenged.
Purchased for my boyfriend Feb 04, 2010
Purchased for my boyfriend now husband as a gift. He loves general random information. This is a great book for that! I got the idea from a Men's Health magazine.
well... Feb 01, 2010
This is a very interesting book; filled with amazing insights. I think. The weakness of the book is the lack of a bibliography with citations to supporting authorities to corroborate the claims in the book.
I give it a three because it's a good read; but it utterly fails to offer proof of any of its assertions, so there's no reason to change any long-held belief -- they certainly have not been rebutted by this author.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Open your Eyes to Real Knowledge and be Amazed Nov 19, 2009
(With foreword by Stephen Fry and Four words by Alan Davies)
This number-one bestseller, will set you right.
Be the focus of any social gatherings with impressive historical knowledge as the number of wives Henry VIII did have; trivial data as the number of nostrils we have; the length of time a chicken can live without its head and brainstorming questions as, What has a three-second memory?
Other interesting facts as how polar bears disguise themselves will have you wondering how much you really know. As Stephen Fry says in the Foreword, `Read it wisely, Little One, for the power of ignorance is great.'
Alan Davies' four words, `Will this do, Stephen?' makes us think about what we believe we know and what the facts really are.
We find out other facts like who introduced tobacco and potato to England and who invented the telephone - not Alexander Graham Bell as we are lead to believe - surprising isn't it?
Culinary and scientific facts such as:
Where the popular Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala comes from - this is really interesting.
French toast and France - I hadn't have known this.
What makes a hunk-hunk noise - a natural response and amusing.
How many senses a human being have - I thought of 6 but there are more.
How many states of matter there are - very interesting scientific knowledge.
What is three times as dangerous as war - a true known fact.
What killed most sailors in an 18th century sea battle - this fact is surprising.
What we have Thomas Crapper to thank for - what we use daily and surprising too.
Who America was named after - not Amerigo Vespucci as widely thought - and someone I'd not heard of before.
Where baseball was invented - I hadn't have thought of this country.
Who the first American President was - not who I'd first thought of.
What George Washington's false teeth was made of - very interesting.
What is most likely to survive a nuclear war - not cockroaches as widely thought - something more scientifically expressed.
More importantly, who blew the nose off the Sphinx - amusing and surprising.
These facts will astonish even the non-culinary experts and trivial pursuit enthusiasts.
With humour, facts and anecdotal explanations, you'll become an expert at such `important' trivia and general knowledge that you'd be asked back to more social events and more than those you can fill in your diary.
Where the authors add a touch of humour, you'll like the explanations given and where facts are necessary, you'll like the way they set out the details so you can remember them well and have them stored in your vital memory bank for those occasions when you need to show how much you really know as opposed to how much others think they know and that will get you on a good footing for next time.
It's near Christmas so where Santa Claus is from is of the utmost importance - not Lapland or the North Pole as we would have thought but somewhere as far from my thoughts as you can imagine.
This has to be in your Christmas stocking - the recipient of this book will be forever thanking you for opening their eyes to facts we would never have known otherwise.
They will astonish even the literary, science and general knowledge quiz buffs.
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