The Book

Author: Ethan Trex
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062069314
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 440

Book Description
For ten years, the knowledge seekers at mental_floss have been hunting and trapping the world’s rarest facts, locking them into captivating lists for the world to admire. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Mental Floss: The Book is packed with a decade’s worth of the smartest, quirkiest stories around, including: Five Presidential Fashion Flubs Seven Shameless Abuses of Diplomatic Immunity Five Units of Measurement Weirder Than the Metric System Four Toys That Have Gone to War for America Seven Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever Five Things Your Body Can Do After You Die Six of Baseball’s Strangest Trades Four Foods People Actually Die For Seven Things Walmart Has Banned Four TV Shows That Changed the Course of History Ten “Q” Words That Aren’t “Q-U” Words Four Horrifying Parasites to Keep You Awake at Night Eight Fake Archaeological Finds Five Articles of Clothing That Caused Riots Four Memorable Moments in Cross-Dressing History Five Doomsdays We’ve Already Survived And 124 Other Extraordinary Lists!

The Mental Floss History of the World

Author: Erik Sass
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060784776
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 433

Book Description
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!

mental floss presents Forbidden Knowledge

Author: Editors of Mental Floss
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780060784751
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
Think of anything bad, from art heists to Genghis Kahn, and it's likely to be included in this wickedly smart and humorous guide to the seedy underbelly of basically everything. The brainiac team at "mental_floss", creators of the hit magazine and last year's Condensed Knowledge, have scoured the darkest, dirtiest corners of history and the globe to gather this ultimate collection of the bad stuff you're not supposed to know and you certainly never learned in school. Organized by theme, with chapters for each of the seven deadly sins, the book includes feuds, plagiarists, hoaxes, lies, schemes, scandals, evil dictators, mob bosses, acts of revenge, angry queens, cannibals and much more, all organized into bite-sized—albeit foul-tasting—lists (i.e."The Fascist Style Guide: Five Dictator Grooming Tips", “Four Biblical Girls Gone Wild" and “Three Delicious Animals We Charbroiled Into Extinction."). It's the perfect way to add some spice to a dull conversation and proves that learning can be not only easy, but exquisitely sinful.

The Mental Floss History of the United States

Author: Erik Sass
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006201434X
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 696

Book Description
Smarter than your old history teacher, funnier than the founding fathers, and more American than apple pie, The Mental Floss History of the United States is an almost (but not entirely) comprehensive primer on American history (or at least, the good stuff). From the editors of MentalFloss.com and mental_floss magazine—with its tagline: “Feel smart again”—comes an American History text packed with hilarious (but true!) trivia written in the smart-aleck tradition of The Mental Floss History of the World, Mental Floss Presents In the Beginning, and the first mental_floss book, Condensed Knowledge. Perfect for trivia buffs, history lovers, college students, and anyone who likes to laugh and learn. United States history has never been so fun.

Brainiac

Author: Ken Jennings
Publisher: Villard
ISBN: 1588365522
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 282

Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A witty, charming, and engaging dive into trivia’s colorful history, from America’s highest-earning game show contestant of all time and host of Jeopardy! “Insightful, informative, and written with a strong dose of humor and humility. . . . I loved this book.”—Will Shortz, crossword editor, The New York Times Ken Jennings is trivia’s undisputed king—and as he traces his rise from anonymous computer programmer to nerd folk icon, he explores his newly conquered kingdom: the world of trivia itself. Trivia, he has found, is centuries older than his childhood obsession with it. Whisking us from the coffeehouses of seventeenth-century London to the Internet age, Jennings chronicles the ups and downs of the trivia fad: the quiz book explosion of the Jazz Age; the rise, fall, and rise again of TV quiz shows; the nostalgic campus trivia of the 1960s; and the 1980s, when Trivial Pursuit® again made it fashionable to be a know-it-all. Jennings also investigates the shadowy demimonde of today’s trivia subculture, guiding us on a tour of trivia across America. He goes head-to-head with the blowhards and diehards of the college quiz-bowl circuit, the slightly soused faithful of the Boston pub trivia scene, and the raucous participants in the annual Q&A marathon in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, “The World’s Largest Trivia Contest.” And, of course, he takes us behind the scenes of his improbable 75-game run on Jeopardy! But above all, Brainiac is a love letter to the useless fact. (Who knew that there’s a crater on Venus named after Laura Ingalls Wilder? Ken Jennings, that’s who.) Engaging and erudite, Brainiac is an irresistible celebration of nostalgia, curiosity, and geeky obsession—in a word, trivia.

Was Napoleon Poisoned?

Author: Peter Haugen
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
Did King Herod slaughter Bethlehem's babies? Who was the real King Arthur? What made George III insane? Was Princess Diana murdered? Discover the secrets of royal history's most enduring mysteries and scandals, from ancient times to the present. You'll learn the historical context, scientific findings, theories, and controversies surrounding each puzzling episode, and you'll see how investigators have used every means available—including the latest historical research, psychological analysis, forensic technology, and sheer guesswork—to shed new light on these fascinating regal conundrums.

mental floss presents Forbidden Knowledge

Author: Editors of Mental Floss
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061747653
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 322

World History For Dummies

Author: Peter Haugen
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470547529
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 14

Book Description
Now updated! Your personal tour guide to the history of the world Want to know more about global history? This concise guide explains in clear detail all the major players and events that have made the world what it is today. Covering the entirety of human history, this comprehensive resource highlights important developments in everything from religion and science to art and war — giving you an understanding of how the 21st-century world came to be. Begin to connect with the past — label the eras as you meet the Neanderthals, home in on Homer, raise Atlantis, and preserve Pharaohs Find strength in numbers — trace the growth from ancient civilizations to today's global community and discover what makes societies succeed or fail Discover the impact of thought — explore the rise of religion, the roots of philosophy, and the advance of science — and how our feelings and beliefs continually redefined us Know the global consequences of war — ride with the Greeks and the Romans, arm yourself with the cavalry, dig the trenches, and follow the paths humans took to wage modern war Meet the movers and shakers — from great leaders and courageous revolutionaries to ruthless tyrants and unsung heroes Examine significant events of the 21st century — from 9/11 and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to climate change, Hurricane Katrina, and the economic rise of China, India, and Brazil Open the book and find: A detailed overview of history The development of the world's religions Reviews of essential historical documents, from the Bible to the Bill of Rights The invention of writing and art Scientific developments that revolutionized the world Capsule biographies of people who changed history — and a few who were changed by it Ten unforgettable dates in world history

Carry On, Warrior

Author: Glennon Doyle
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451698224
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
A New York Times essayist shares her journey from a self-destructive college student to a devoted family woman and teacher while illuminating the importance of trusting in a higher power and being truthful about life's challenges.

The Lady and Her Monsters

Author: Roseanne Montillo
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062235885
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
The Lady and Her Monsters by Roseanne Motillo brings to life the fascinating times, startling science, and real-life horrors behind Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece, Frankenstein. Montillo recounts how—at the intersection of the Romantic Age and the Industrial Revolution—Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein was inspired by actual scientists of the period: curious and daring iconoclasts who were obsessed with the inner workings of the human body and how it might be reanimated after death. With true-life tales of grave robbers, ghoulish experiments, and the ultimate in macabre research—human reanimation—The Lady and Her Monsters is a brilliant exploration of the creation of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s horror classic.