Editorial Review

You'll find everything you forgot from school--as well asplenty you never even learned--in this all-purpose reference book, aninstant classic when it first appeared in 1987. The updated versiontakes a whirlwind tour through 12 different disciplines, from Americanstudies to philosophy to world history. Along the way, Judy Jones andWilliam Wilson provide a plethora of useful information, from the plotof Read more

Reviews (59)

More Here Than You Can Ever Know
No, you probably didn't learn all of these 3,684 tidbits. If you had you would have been an excellent player of 'Trivial Persuit' but your brain would probably have been fried.
Study this curricum and have fun doing so!
I just finished the taped version of AN INCOMPLETE EDUATION
A Great Book
This book can be viewed as either a repository of interesting knowledge or as a way to one up people in conversation at cocktail parties.There are chapters to correspond with the major departments in a liberal arts college (art, literature, economics, etc.)This is a guide to everything that you learned in college and forgot (or everything you should have learned but skipped out on).If you are still in high school, read this book--you will be able to easily impress your teachers with college-level knowledge.I cannot wait for the new edition to be released! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Encyclopedias    3. Encyclopedias (Multi-Subject)    4. Handbooks, vade-mecums, etc    5. Reference    6. Research    7. Trivia    8. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (6)

Guiness World Records - 2007
Overall, this work is perfect for the student in your house. It has a
Fun Reading
I'm giving this book four out of five stars because the vast majority of the material is interesting, not the least offensive, and gets kids to read.The one picture of Janet and Justin shows less skin than many pictures of the athletes.Yes, it was a poor choice in topic by Guinness and they need to be made aware they are pandering to the lowest common denominator there (and we don't appreciate it), BUT overall, the book simply acknowledges the huge variety of life to be found on this planet.I do agree a better title would be something like Guinness Guide to the Weird and Extreme.
Decided not to buy
I almost bought this book for my children (ages 1-11) through our school's Scholastic book program but decided to wait and review it here first. I'm glad I did.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. General    4. Reference    5. Trivia    6. Wonders And Curiosities    7. Reference / General   

Editorial Review

From primordial nothingness to this very moment, Read more

Reviews (471)

The Joy of Educational Remediation
This is one of the books I wished someone would write.My knowledge of science past and present was wanting and yet there wasn't a single book written for (and by) someone in the same boat.Bill Bryson has written such a book and brillantly over-achieved in the process.In the spirit of full disclosure, I like nearly everything Mr. Bryson has written.He can be pedantic and peevish when describing the less than admirable characters and circumstances he encounters but he's always very funny.Having said that, this physically ponderous tome made me wonder whether he could sustain his humor while at the same time educating the reader over all those hundreds of pages.Miraculously, his choice of anecdotes and pacing is spot on.It is extremely readable and there are wonderful factoids and "ah ha" moments on nearly every page.Life is short and this book is not but it's absolutely worth the trade-off.

Fun and engaging history of modern science
Well written and fun to read.Bill Brysons style really creates a nice true story, complete with the quirks and oddities of the charecters depicted.Highly recomended if you are interested in the history of science, or if you just enjoy a fun and educational read.

A Good Read for the Basics
This is a good book.And, like all Bill Bryson's work, it is wonderfully written with such a sense of humor! Bryson is very good at finding facts as well as funny historical anecdotes and idiosyncrasies.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. Philosophy & Social Aspects    4. Popular works    5. Questions & Answers    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Trivia   

Reviews (4)

Interesting Facts
Have you ever thought up a question so completely off-the-wall, so seemingly ridiculous, that you couldn't even find the courage to ask it? Maybe at the sports bar you were transported by the beauty of your beer to wonder, "How long could I live on beer alone?" Or looking up at the night sky, you had a moment of angst, "What would happen if the moon suddenly disappeared."
For the curious mind
This book is great if you're the type who doesn't accept the "status quo" answer to questions. If you don't accept something because everyone else does, but you investigate it and like to know more about the why's behind the what's, you'll love this book.
Fantastic read for anyone that ever wondered why
A friend sent me the European version of this book for Xmas and I was blown away. How much does your head weigh? Why is snot green?This book not only provides factual, scientificaly proven answers to these questions but also is a fun and page-turning read. New Scientist is a great Brit publication so you know that the answers have real authority.
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Subjects:  1. Form - Essays    2. General    3. Humor    4. Reference    5. Trivia    6. Humor / General   

Subjects:  1. Form - Essays    2. Form - Parodies    3. Humor    4. Trivia    5. Humor / Parodies    6. Reference works    7. Trivia & quiz question books   

Editorial Review

For nine years, four books, and nearly 4,000 pages, Diana Gabaldon has entranced readers with her talent for historical authenticity, dramatic plot lines, and strong characters in the Read more

Reviews (138)

The Outlandish companion
It was not what I thought it would be after all. I am glad I read it though. It is heplful explaining about how the author came up with the ideas for her novels and etc.. It was also interesting to know what sort of research she did for the novels or series of novels. I loved the photos of the places she went to for the information re:the sights she referred to in the novels. That was also interesting. I was hoping for a continuation of the series that was why I was a little disappointed about the actual book with this title.
Invaluable, but a bit over the top
As it has been years since I read the 4th book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, I found The Outlandish Companion invaluable for synopses of the first 4 books.I also have made extensive use of the Scots-Gaelic "Dictionary" and the secondary character descriptions came in handy for refreshing my memory.I suppose some might find Jamie and Claire's horoscopes interesting or fun, but I thought that was a bit over the top.Still, for fans of her books, if like me, you get behind it's nice to have a reference.Ms. Gabaldon is an excellent researcher, so I suppose she can be forgiven if she gets a little carried away.

SCOTLAND RULES!
I adore the "OUTLANDER" series and this companion book just makes this series that much sweeter!Long live Jamie & Claire!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century American Novel And Short Story    2. American - General    3. Authorship    4. Books and reading    5. Fraser, Jamie (Fictitious char    6. Fraser, Jamie (Fictitious character)    7. Gabaldon, Diana    8. Historical fiction    9. Literary Criticism    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Randall, Claire (Fictitious ch    12. Randall, Claire (Fictitious character)    13. Reference    14. English    15. Fiction / General    16. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    17. Trivia & quiz question books    18. USA    19. Fiction    20. Popular American Fiction    21. Romance - Time Travel   

Reviews (9)

Feldman does it again!
As a kid, asking inumerable "stupid" questions was sure to get a weary "Go look it up" from a parent. Unfortunately, as a kid, I didn't have the innumerable resources at the fingertips of the Imponderables crew. As always, David Feldman and his team of information hunters have compiled questions from all over, some of which kept me going until I read the answer!
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know..And Then Some
Do Penguins Have Knees? is a great book with a great concept.It answers all of life's little imponderables that you always wanted to know the answer to but never knew who to ask.The questions range from, "Why do cats like to be scratched behind the ears?" to "How did they keep beer cold in the Old West?".In the back of the book are Frustables (Imponderables that have not been solved), a Frustable update (new answers to old Frustables), an index to this book, and an index to all of the other Imponderables book.Why someone would put all of that in a book beats me.You look at the big book only to find that 1/3 is spent on things other than Imponderables (such as the complete index to all of the books, which I think is a stupid idea).The only flaw in this book is that there might even be too much information.They give you the answer and they keep rambling on. Some of the answers took up 2-3 pages when they had answered the Imponderable on the first page.Also, all of the names and places where they come from, for example: Bob Smith from the University of Learning Things in Yourtown, USA, seemed to clutter up the page and take away from the answer.I think this book had a great concept, but with a poor format.

Pondering the Imponderables
The author has a good formula going here.He takes an offbeat question and consults various experts, coming up with a plausible answer.Most of these I never would have thought to ask, but I still found myself intrigued by the answers.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. General    3. Humor    4. Questions & Answers    5. Questions and answers    6. Reference    7. Games / Trivia   

Editorial Review

What began as a fortuitous discovery, when BBC researcher Adam Jacot de Boinod noticed that an Albanian dictionary contained 27 different words each for eyebrows and mustache, has become, after his obsessive 18-month journey through hundreds of foreign dictionaries, a very funny and genuinely informative guide to the world's strangest--and most useful--words. There are many books out there that invent, Sniglets-style, the words that the English language doesn't have but needs. What Read more

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Reviews (10)

good idea, but...
Several other reviewers have uttered the point I was going to make... the idea is nice, but the examples are, at least for a part, inaccurate... I can only speak for the languages I know and haven't read the whole book from cover to cover yet. But when I already found several undeniable errors, my willingness to read it cover to cover dwindled a bit. Someone already mentioned "Scheissenbedauern" which I have never heard although my mother tongue is German, also "agobilles" isn't German at all, but what really make me shake my head in big doubt was the word "allahaismarladik" (in the chapter "fare well") which according to the author is Wagiman (Australian aborigine language) - "to clear off without telling anyone wher eyou are going". Either this guy does not have any idea, or mislayed his dictionaries, or he is incorporating practical jokes on the less informed reader. Any Turkish speakers here? This word simply means "good bye" (literally "we send you away with God" - notice the word "Allah"?, and the usual answer to this is "güle güle" meaning "laugh, laugh").
Is this book's author a "schlimazl"?
I must say that as someone who loves both language and learning about other cultures, I found the concept behind THE MEANING OF TINGO irresistible. Unique words from other cultures expressing foreign values? The Albanians have 27 different words for moustache types? Excellent!
inaccurate
I agree with other reviewers that the idea is quite nice, but the research has been very sloppy. As a native german speaker, I found that he got about 40% of the German examples wrong. For instance, the word 'scheissbedauern' simply does not exist in German -- as one might verify by picking up any German-English dictionary. (Upon googling, one finds that this word has appeared in the literature -- but only in the American literature.) Hopefully, some later edition of the book will fix these kind of problems.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign words and phrases    2. General    3. Humor    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language and languages    7. Reference    8. Satire And Humor    9. Trivia    10. Vocabulary    11. Reference / Word Lists    12. Bargain   

Reviews (55)

Interesting and informative
Mongello is a long time Disney World fan who has written a trivia book that will give the reader a lot of information that the typical guidebook will not. Of particualr interest to me was info on the age of some of the attractions as well as some history on popular attractions that are no longer a part of Disney World(such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mr. Toad;s Wild Ride, etc).
Walt Disney Trivia Volume I
Awesome Book !! Loved it, could not put it down.Need a Volume 3.

You only think you've been to WDW
Without ruining the magic, Lou Mongello shows you some of the touches that makes Disney World special. Written in question form with mulitple guess answers, you read through and decide for yourself how observant you are...or not.The answers are in a separate part of the book with explainations of the correct answer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Miscellanea    3. Transportation    4. Travel - United States    5. Trivia    6. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    7. Walt Disney World (Fla.)    8. Transportation / General   

Reviews (9)

Not much use for crosswords
I bought this in the hopes it would be a good reference for solving crossword puzzles. Well, I have never once found what I needed in this book. So this is a warning to others: the trivia in it is not useful for crosswords. Since the book may be good for other things, just not what I bought it for, I gave it 2 stars. To me it's worth zero.

could be a usefull resorce
lots of info, if you are a trivia fan : this is your book

Good for pop culture, but has some errors
I bought this to study for a Jeopardy try out.While it is very heavy on events and people from the last 100-150 years, it does lack in more historical trivia.Definitely a nice book, but not a definitive resource for all around trivia.Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. Encyclopedias    3. Handbooks, vade-mecums, etc    4. Questions and answers    5. Reference    6. Trivia    7. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    8. Reference / Trivia    9. Trivia & quiz question books   

Reviews (4)

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). How Does it Know it's Not my Toe?
Here's another installment of the"Imponderables�" series, which, the jacket explains, find the answers to the conundrums over which, whether you realize it or not, you have been obsessing since your very beginning. Such as: a blast to read and share with others
All of Feldman's "Why Do" books are a blast. You cannot help but read them out loud to who ever is listening. Alot of fun for older kids. He even asks for help solving some of the unsolved questions. And he acceptsquestions for future books.Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. Encyclopedias    4. Games/Puzzles    5. Questions and answers    6. Reference    7. Trivia    8. Wonders And Curiosities    9. Games / Trivia   

Reviews (11)

A Fun Read
This is a good book that reveals some interesting facts about the Civil War. The writing is very upbeat and tantalizing.This book has been around for some time. It is good to know that you can still get it.
Fun to read but be warned...
...you had better be up on your Civil War basics before attempting to read this book. It assumes that the reader is well aware of the main battles, campaigns, personalities and relative strengths and weaknesses of both the North and the South.
A little disapointing
As an avid reader of Civil War material, I was hoping for a little more from this - not sure what my expectations were going in, but there was not enough new information to make the purchase seem worthwhile.This book probably suits the average "buff" who is seeking to broaden their general knowledge of some less well known facts.
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Subjects:  1. 1861-1865, Civil War    2. Anecdotes    3. Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, etc    4. Civil War, 1861-1865    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: American    8. Military - United States    9. Trivia    10. United States    11. United States - Civil War    12. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    13. History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)    14. USA    15. Sale Books   

Reviews (4)

Goldfish Tanks and Waterfalls
Q: Of the word's tallest waterfalls, five out of ten are in which country?
Second Edition - more interesting trivia
Like the prior edition this book contains a collection of trivia questions and answers that center around world culture, politics and geography.As such it is not only interesting but also educational.So many trivia books contain such obscure information that it has no value other than as a trivia question.That is not the case with either the first or the second edition of this book."World Trivia", second edition is a complete rewrite that contains none of the questions of the first edition.Michael Smith again tackles one of the most difficult areas of trivia because culture, politics and many aspects of geography are in a state of constant flux.So, while the trivia questions and answers are accurate today, within a few years many of them may not be.With well-chosen educational and truly interesting questions the book is a recommended purchase.

Entertaining, but too short
"World Trivia" is a small book filled with trivia questions from around the world.Each page has a single question with the answer on the reverse.It contains an excellent selection of questions that I found genuinely interesting, however, with only one question on a page it contains only just over 130 questions.It would have been nice if there were two or three questions per page.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Multicultural Nonfiction    3. Questions and answers    4. Reference    5. Trivia    6. General encyclopaedias    7. Trivia & quiz question books   

Reviews (13)

Cute - but sometimes left you wanting more
I found this really interesting to read; however, many of the answers seemed not enough.Filled my head with lots of useless trivia none the less.

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). 239 "why's" answered
This book is a lot of fun and it is possible to actually have some thing in it tat you did not know. However the statements or answers are limited in scope requiring you to do further research to flesh out the answer. The answers are given by contributors, not Davis Feldman. So we must rely of the credibility of the contributor. Again because of the limited answer the contributor does not feel compelled to back you the reason for the statement.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Reference    3. Trivia    4. Reference / Curiosities & Wonders   

Reviews (11)

Fun Info
I love all the trivia available in this book. A great price for a fun, fact filled book. The only drawback is the layout. It could be improved.

The Big Book of American Trivia
I use this book for work at a nursing home. I use it to ask trivia questions of residents. It has a good variety of trivia questions and lots of good hints.

Fun Book, Great for Car Trips
Call me old-fashioned, but we don't have a TV in our van, so our kids have to actually converse or play games on the road, and this book saw us through a long trip this summer around Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.The thing that makes the book fun is that it is (pardon the pun) all over the map, with series of questions about entertainment, politics, geography, food and drink, others too numerous to list.My kids and I just enjoyed skipping around from one section to another, quizzing each other.Whenever we crossed a state line we went to the section of the book that has a set of 20 questions for each state, which is a neat feature. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference    2. Trivia   

Reviews (5)

Great fun
Our book club is an eclectic bunch if nothing. We read everything from the current bestsellers ("Bark of the Dogwood") to self-help books ("Seven Habits"). So it came as no surprise that we picked this one, especially after we all admitted we thought we were lacking in some of the upstairs areas. For years I've harbored fears about what I "didn't know."And this is not some stuffy book full of dry facts--it's well done and quite easy to read.This would make a nice gift, especially for someone in their teens.

Bathroom reading?
This book has a charming cover and wonderful printing. It makes a nice gift for young people (they'll probably keep it in the bathroom?). Ms. Padwa's writing style is engaging. In the introduction she says that although this book is not thorough, it "has the facts you need to hold your head high" -- that said, I was disappointed to read a few misguided "facts" within the book.Perhaps this is because she admitted to poring over books and articles but did not mention any conversations with actual people. And, with the number of contradictory books and articles on every subject, this method would have to produce somewhat flawed results. The flaws are annoying but forgivable, and since she writes as if she is having a pleasant conversation, I still open the book to random pages and read a bit from time to time.

Neither a dictionary nor the Word of God. . .
This book doesn't pretend to be the end all be all of knowledge compedia. It's a relatively humorous look at some of the things that you may have fudged on in the passed and hoped you wouldn't get caught on. Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias (Multi-Subject)    2. Questions & Answers    3. Questions and answers    4. Reference    5. Vocabulary    6. General encyclopaedias    7. Reference / Trivia   

Reviews (30)

Wonderful and Witty
A wonderful, witty, clever collection of knowledge that everyone should add to their repertoire. The book is presented in a smart, informative and humorous way that keeps you turning the page looking for more. Whether you are looking to impress others or just stimulate your own brain cells this book is for you.

You need this book!
I kept picking this book up when I saw it on display in a bookstore. Now I have it. It'll make you laugh and make you think... sometimes of how stupidyou sound, sometimes how smart you seem. Pick it up for yourself, for your socially inept friends, or just for the hell of it. You'll be glad you did.

Just what I needed
I love this book.I picked it up because it looked funny but it actually does the job.I love how it breaks things down so that anyone can understand.I highly recommend this book for anyone who doesn't want to spend their days poring over history books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities and wonders    2. Interpersonal communication    3. Miscellanea    4. Reference    5. Reference And Information Services    6. Trivia    7. Reference / Trivia   

Subjects:  1. Calendar    2. Calendars & Diaries    3. Non-Classifiable    4. Trivia    5. Games / Trivia   

Reviews (2)

Capturing English idiom in the wild: Red Herrings and White Elephants
This book explores the origin of common phrases used in every day speech.
So that's where that saying comes from
I find these stories about expressions we use, like giving someone the whole nine yards, absolutely fascinating, and this book has hundreds of them, usefully organized.I even like paging through it for fifteen minutes before going to sleep, like having bite sized short stories.Great source for cocktail party conversation, and might make you seem very learned indeed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English Etymology    2. English Language History    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Linguistics    8. Reference    9. Terms and phrases    10. Trivia    11. Reference / General   

Reviews (13)

Most People Will Like This Book
I especially like the machinery and sports because it has a lot of information about breaking records.The only thing I don't like is there is only a little bit about each subject.

My daughter loved it!
My 10 year old daughter loved the book! She was amazed at all the facts and photos.Great gift for anyone!

Staying cool
All my kindergartner friends got this for Christmas so now I have one and can look at the neat records. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. Reference    4. Trivia    5. Wonders And Curiosities    6. Reference / General