Editorial Review

There are so many literary goodies in Judie L.H. Strouf's Read more

Reviews (11)

Literature Lover's Book of Lists
This book contains nearly 200 literature-related lists.The lists are organized into nine chapters:1) an introduction to literature (including definitions of literature, literary terminology and literary criticism, 2) books (including best-seller and readers' advisory lists), 3) genres, 4) poetry, 5) drama, 6) themes, 7) literary periods, 8) a catch-all chapter of lists of literary trivia, such as pseudonyms, rare book values, characters based upon famous people and authors' epitaphs, and 9) audio-books and serials.The book features a very useful table of contents which provides the titles and page numbers to all 198 lists.An author index is included as well.The lists are extensively cross-referenced and many of the lists include annotations and bibliographic references.
A wonderful resource
Like Steven Gilbar's "The Book Book" (see my review), this is a great item to just pick up and open; you're sure to find something interesting in it no matter what page you choose.Though not marketed as such, it will prove most interesting to parents of children from grade-school through high-school age, and may indeed be used as a compendium of reading lists by homeschoolers.Besides allusions, quotations, and definitions, the bulk of the book, as with Gilbar, is given over to lists of books--everything from "Best-Selling Books" to "1990s Literature From Around the World;" there's no reason an intelligent teen can't take a taste of everything Strouf lists.Serious-minded ones may also want to check out List #9 ("Influential Writers from Around the World"), #14 ("Literary Criticism"), and #16 ("U.S./British/Irish Critics") for ideas on where to go next.But above all, buy it for Sections 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 (Books...for All Ages, Genres...for Every Taste, Drama, Themes, and Literary Periods) and the titles and authors in Section 4 (Poetry).It's true that there are a few rather glaring typos that would have been caught by an editor who knew his books, but by searching under both author and title you should still be able to find all the items listed.Then get yourself a used copy of Gilbar (get his "Great Books" too) and "The Prentice-Hall Good Reading Guide," and you'll have a treasure trove worthy of the fabled Indies to search and sample.

Handy, but not overwhelmingly impressive
This is an interesting book - there are a few intriguing lists in here.However, some of them seem a bit arbitrary.It's not overwhelmingly easy to use, either. If you're looking for a very academic book about books, don't get this one.If, on the other hand, you want a general refrence on reading and books, or are looking for reading lists and don't know where to find them, try this out.Don't expect too much. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Books and reading    2. Education    3. General    4. Literary recreations    5. Literature    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Miscellanea    8. Reference    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Reading    10. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading    11. Literary studies: general    12. Reference works    13. Trivia & quiz question books   

Reviews (2)

fun purse book
This is a great little book to pass the time anywhere! I keep it in my purse for those waits at the doctor's office, airport, wherever! The facts in this publication are so much fun to read and to share and they make great cocktail party conversation!

Little Book ThatPacks a Punch
A surprisingly tiny book. (The picture in the upper-left corner is nearly actual size.) After receiving it, I immediately looked up its dimensions in the description on this page. It says 4.7 x 3.3 x 0.6. I had not noticed that before I ordered it. The book seems much smaller than that. Not that that is a problem; it was just somewhat of a shock to find such a minuscule book when I opened the box.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. General    3. Reference    4. Trivia    5. Wonders And Curiosities    6. Reference / Trivia   

Reviews (2)

Probably the same person who took the cookie from the cookie jar...
One of the reviewers on Amazon.com I think correctly described this book as "bathroom reading." I agree wholeheartedly. The book reads like an encyclopedia more than anything else, and it's not recommended to read it in large sections (like I did) because you'll be bored quickly. Apparently its part of a series, and this one focused exclusively on language (Where did the term Peeping Tom come from? What does it mean to mind your Ps & Qs?, etc). I suppose if I read a few explanations every day while in the bathroom the novelty wouldn't have wore off so quickly. Probably a good bet for those word-lovers more than anyone else.
Answering life's deeper questions...
The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes). Read more

Subjects:  1. English language    2. Etymology    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Linguistics    5. Reference    6. Terms and phrases    7. Trivia    8. Games / Trivia    9. Historical & comparative linguistics   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (30)

Not very practical
This books gives you a lot of sites to see on your Road Trip but doesn't give you very practical advice how to get to them or their exact locations.There are a lot better books out there.

Make your trip eccentric and different!
A great source of ideas, oddball locations, and "home of the largest" collections, this book is nearly perfect for a long trip that needs some spice.
Sardonic putdowns ruin the content of this book.
I bought this book thinking it would guide me to fun and funky places to visit that were off the beaten track.Instead, it seemed to be more of an excuse to mock the very places it purported to be interested in.The topper was when Roadside America described the Aviation Museum in Ohio as if it were a joke, when in fact it is a memorable and inspiring museum.Overall, I didn't enjoy the tone of the book, which to me, seemed to be one of derisive put-downs.I think many of the places described in this book would be fun to visit, but it's hard to pick out the good from the bad, with the way this book is written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automobile travel    2. Automobiles    3. Curiosities & Wonders    4. Description    5. Form - Essays    6. Guidebooks    7. Touring    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. Humor / Essays    13. Travel & holiday guides    14. USA   

Reviews (16)

My son-in-law loved it
I bought this for my son-in-law who is a new father, and he loved it.It's a very light read and fun to go thru.

Great for Moms, Too!!!
We picked this book up at the bookstore one day as an afterthought on our way out...and WE LOVE IT! It is full of interesting and useful techniques, tips, and tricks for a wide variety of skills. This book is marketed for dads, but I guarantee you will love it if you are a mom, too. Each "how to" is succintly explained in 1-2 short pages, often with illustrations and perfect for busy parents on the go. Click the picture of the cover above and take a look at the table of contents for this book. You'll find yourself interested in learning many of the skills! Absolutely one of our favorite parenting books to date!

Worth buying and reading...
After reading this book, I found some of the 101 secrets to outstanding and others to be unuseful.However, the ones that were outstanding really have really made an impression on my 2 yr old and 4 yr old.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Family/Marriage    5. Father and child    6. Father-child relationship    7. Fathers    8. Miscellanea    9. Parenting - Fatherhood    10. Parenting - General    11. Advice on parenting    12. Family & Relationships / Fatherhood    13. Parenthood   

Reviews (2)

More Political Than Prophetic
While the subject matter seems thorough and well documented, this is more a study of cults than of prophecy. The title is somewhat deceptive.If you are looking for a compendium of end-of-the-world prophecies, especially from a believer's perspective, this book is going to be a disappointment.

A comprehensive, fascinating, informative survey and guide.
James R. Lewis' Doomsday Prophecies provides a 'complete guide to the end of the world': a collection of beliefs from tribal roots, prophets, and those who have predicted doom from the beginnings of mankind to modern times. This examination of underlying questions and issues is intriguing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Controversial Knowledge    3. Cults    4. Future Studies    5. General    6. Millennialism    7. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    8. New Age / Parapsychology    9. Prophecy    10. Religion    11. Wonders And Curiosities    12. Comparative religion   

Reviews (8)

Uncle John's Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader
This book is up to the standards of the former publications and is a welcome addition to my collection.

Took a Risk buying this book, SO GLAD I DID!
Normally, I wouldn't think of buying this kind of book, but it's been aGREAT addition to our bathroom; we love it!What I love about this bathroom reader book is that all the passages are good, readible sizes, nothing's too long that you have to continue reading it in another sitting (ha-ha).:-)There are some informative sections and some funnies, and interesting quotes.It's a sizeable book that contains many things you'd normally not hear about - the CIA and LSD experimentations (dates back to the Nazi's), people famous for being naked (pg. 157), and a quiz section about law, etc! My Boss Hates this book, but we love it!!!
A co-worker brought this book into our work and put it in the bathroom.Ever since, all of my co-worker's bathroom breaks have gotten a little longer than usual.It is a wonderful thing for any bathroom.The content is absolutely fascinating and the passages are short enough that it doesn't take a long time to finish each one.Read more

Subjects:  1. American wit and humor    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. General    4. Humor   

Reviews (2)

walking down memory lane
i loved this book. a great way to bring back old memories of my youth.it was hard to think of something that wasn't in the book.i'm ordering a couple of the books as gifts for childhood friends.

Almost everything? almost,
This almost everything, (but not) pop culture book, is really very good, almost great.
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Subjects:  1. 1970-    2. 20th century    3. Civilization    4. Encyclopedias    5. Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal    6. History    7. Music    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Popular Culture - General    10. Popular culture    11. Reference    12. United States    13. Reference / Trivia   

Reviews (8)

Aimed at children
I love this type of reading. However, within minutes of receiving my copy of this book, and seeing it was compiled from Fate magazine, the tabloid of the paranormal, I knew what I was in store for. The stories, editing and product design are aimed at children or young teens. The cover looks like a comic or like it is from a Nickelodean TV special. The stories are shallow urban legends you have all heard a thousand times. For example "I listened to Satanic music so much I use to see a devil sitting in the corner of my room every night before I went to bed"
A Chilling Read!
A fantastic book that's hard to put down.The tales within are chilling.I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to those who like ghost stories or tales that are just plain weird.

A creepy collection...
I have always been obsessed with all kinds of supernatural phenomena but most of the stories I have read were obviously made up by somebody. When I came across this book, which claimed to be a collection of true personal experiences, I couldn't resist the temptation to immediately pick it up and read it. From the moment I started to read until I finished it, this book had never let me down. All the stories inside are really well-written and creepy enough to haunt you in your nightmares. My advice is read this book alone at night and it will be well worth the nine dollars.
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Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Case studies    3. Curiosities & Wonders    4. Fiction    5. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    6. Parapsychology    7. Parapsychology - General    8. Spiritualism    9. Spiritualism - General    10. Supernatural    11. Unexplained Phenomena    12. Body, Mind & Spirit / Unexplained Phenomena    13. Occultism & quasi-religious beliefs   

Reviews (2)

By thoughts..
I bought this book to host trivia nights with friends.
Fun for Everyone!
This book contains questions with the answers in the back of the book.No two answers are on the same page, so the person asking the questions can play along, too.My family has used this book for entertainment on longauto trips and at parties with groups of people whose ages range from 15 to75.We have formed teams and the competition was fierce!The contentappeals to all ages.The questions are arranged by category anddifficulty.There are true/false andmultiple choice questions.Types ofgames which can be played are suggested, but the reader can creat his owngame depending on the circumstances. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Questions and answers    3. Reference    4. Trivia    5. Reference / Encyclopedias    6. Trivia & quiz question books   

Reviews (4)

Read with a grain of salt
I got a lot of laughs from the book.The "facts" are not always true -- kind of like what you'd expect from a cocktail party flippant sort of reply.Great book for 2 truths and a lie or just for making the reader or other go "I wonder if..." and rush off to look up the information.

WRONG
The Answers to the questions are wrong!!For Examples - they state the largest lake in the WORLD is Lk. Superior.. Nope, Caspian Sea.(Please look up the word lake!!)

Don't believe everything you read
This book is a fun collection of obscure "facts", but shouldn't be taken too seriously, as there are errors on almost every page.The Philco Predicta wasn't the first TV set made (it dates from 1958)...Those of us who watched Howdy Doody on NBC in 1950 will be surprised to hear that Captain Kangaroo was the first network TV kid show in 1954... Napoleon certainly didn't appoint Louis Pasteur to a committee to study food preservation for his invasion of Russia in 1812, since Pasteur was born in 1822...Nor is chi a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet.Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. General    3. Humor    4. Questions & Answers    5. Questions and answers    6. Reference    7. Humor / General    8. Humour    9. Trivia & quiz question books   

Reviews (1)

Bond with your spouse! Impress your boss! Bore your kids! Score a date!
Yes, you can do all these things and more with the book Random Kinds of Factness!
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. Reference    3. Trivia    4. Humour   

Reviews (2)

I LOVE BOOKS LIKE THIS ONE
Whether I am at home or on the road, books like this one provide this traveller with a lot to do without having to go very far. Personally, I view Connecticut as one of those often overlooked states which gets unfairly dissed because of its close proximity to NYC. Get Out There!
If you want to explore interesting things in Connecticut, this is the book to start with. My son and I often do interesting things on Saturday mornings. Part of it is just "bonding time", but part of it is that mom works every other Saturday, so those days we have special freedom to do interesting things. And we do. During warm months, an emphasis is on hiking and outdoor activities. During cold months, if we are not sledding, we try more indoor activities.Read more

Subjects:  1. Connecticut    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. Guidebooks    4. Miscellanea    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - New England - Connecticut    8. United States - Northeast - New England (General)    9. Travel / United States / Northeast / New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)   

Reviews (3)

A "must read" for all dedicated baseball fans
Now Batting Number...: The Mystique, Superstition, And Lore Of Baseball's Uniform Numbers by former semi-pro baseball player (where he wore #4) and self-described obsessed fan Jack Looney is a very specialized baseball history that has as its particular focus the numbers on baseball jerseys. Jack explains why ball players were numbered in the beginning of baseball in the latter decades of the 19th century, and follows the evolution of uniform numbering to the serious aspect of baseball that it has become today. Superbly illustrated throughout with full-color photography, Now Batting, Number... is paced with hundreds of anecdotes and "infobits", myths and legends, "insider" stories, and the particulars behind why players choose a specific number, to produce a 560-page compendium that is a "must read" for all dedicated baseball fans, and a seminal contribution to academic and community Sports History reference collections.
Now Batting Number...
If you're a baseball freak like me you'll appreciate this book. I don't how
Baseball Bible!
I just read this book and this is a must have for anyone who loves
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Subjects:  1. Baseball - General    2. Baseball - History    3. Baseball - Statistics    4. Body, Mind & Spirit    5. New Age    6. Numerology    7. Sports & Recreation    8. REFERENCE / Trivia    9. Sports & Recreation / Baseball / General   

Reviews (36)

Where to go to experience strange things first hand
This book is a state-by-stae guide to haunted sites: cemetaries, neighborhoods, houses, schools, historical sites - you name it, if it was ever reported as experiencing paranormal occurrences, it's listed here.
Great Read!
I bought this book over 5 years ago, and have read it cover to cover 7 times.It provides a State to State list of a bunch of hauntings.It even provides addresses, and directions at times. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is obsessed with the paranormal, and ghost hunting!

Extremely Compelling True Ghost Stories ... ...
Haunted Places, The National Directory is one of those books that once you get started reading is difficult to put down.Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. General    3. Ghosts    4. Guidebooks    5. Haunted places    6. New Age    7. Occultism    8. Supernatural    9. Travel - General    10. United States    11. Reference / Curiosities & Wonders   

Reviews (3)

You will LOVE this book!!!
We have bought dozens of this book for friends and family and they all love it! Great Little Book!
I have been collecting trivia for a lot of years, and have collected a lot of interesting facts and info about Christmas and holiday music. I didn't expect to find much that I didn't know when I ordered "Christmas Trivia", and was blown away by the range and depth of the information. It is set up in quiz form, with two hundred questions about various aspects of the holiday. The answers are all in the back. This is a great source of holiday fun and quizzes for your friends and family. Teachers will also find this to be a valuable reference to keep students entertained as well as teaching them some fun and interesting facts and legends. It's an inexpensive little book that you'll refer to again and again.

Sparked the holiday conversation
This book broke the ice at the office/spouse holiday party!and gave the in-laws and ex-es some good laughs at the family dinner.Lots of information loaded into a stocking-sized prize. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Holidays - Christmas    3. Miscellanea    4. Questions and answers    5. Reference    6. Trivia    7. Reference / Trivia    8. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. General    3. Handbooks, vade-mecums, etc    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Reference   

Reviews (2)

Love this series
My 8-year old son has never read so much as when he discovered Horrible Histories. This extra large version has funny visuals and stories that are just horrible enough to grab any kids' attention-- although it's not for the faint of heart!

History With All the Nice Boring Stuff Removed!
This picture book has sensational pictures and fairly detailed information on the subjects it covers.Learn how kids were sold to work in coal mines, as chimney sweeps and other stuff for next to nothing as well as medieval oddities and ancient rituals.Why some world leaders were disgusting or just outright mean.History's most evil leaders are covered from Adolf Hitler to Roman leaders.This is an excellent source for historical facts so you'll stand out at the next dinner party or if you're a bit younger ace that next school assignment.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Curiosities & Wonders    4. History    5. History - General    6. History - Military & Wars    7. History - Other    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Miscellanea    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Other   

Reviews (3)

Show Off Your Inner Geek at Boring Cocktail Parties
For some reason, this slim volume reminds me of the old TV commercial for Silly String which featured a room of yawning guests as a naval officer showed off his ribbons and said, "This is from the Boer War." It's always a good idea to have something up your sleeve to break the ice with strangers that doesn't have to do with the latest edition of People Magazine. After all, you want to have some semblance of an intellect on display to make that right impression. Ah, Mental Floss!
If you do not know mental_floss the magazine, you are in for a treat with this little book.Not only is the information fun and facinating, it is very well organized and you could almost actually use it at a cocktail party!
wish I'd kept it
I bought this as a gift, and of course, started to thumb through it.The trivia is interesting and humorous.It is a good leisurely dipping book.I didn't read the whole thing, but enjoyed the excerpts that I did.Hopefully my friend enjoys it as much as I would have! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conversation    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. General    4. Humor    5. Reference    6. Reference And Information Services    7. Trivia    8. Humor / General    9. Humour collections & anthologies   

Reviews (27)

Feel Smart with Schott's Original Miscellany
Ok, this book for some reason has become a bathroom book, don't ask why, I just keep finding it there, that being said I don't think that it should hinder anyone from buying it, ever since I've owned my copy I buy copies for gifts, everyone who I've giving it to has loved it and read the entire book. And yes I have to say its a very cheap way to feel smart.

Hysterical Little Book
Perfect for dinner parties....great conversation piece...it will make you more "smart" and crack up your friends. :-)

A Neat Book
This book is one of those factiod books filled with all sorts of useful information.There is a mnemonic to remember all of the English monarchs, a guide to the U.S. presidents and states, and all sorts of other interesting tidbits.One of those books read yourself, and then buy copies for your friends and family. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. Encyclopedias    3. Handbooks, vade-mecums, etc    4. Reference    5. Trivia    6. Reference / Trivia