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Avg. Rating: 4
Fun and Fast Read
For some reason I've read several of these odd-trivia type books lately, this one is probably one of the best. It is concise, well-written, well-edited and interesting. It is not hilarious, but it is dry and amusing. Coming from Slate I was expecting a relentless undercurrent of attack on all that is good and decent in society, but this was actually pretty even-handed. Like most of these books, it won't change your life, but you not only pick up trivia with this book, you also get a little behind the scenes look at how journalism is done. Not much revealed, but a little. I wouldn't hock the family jewels to get this book, but if I was looking for an easy read to drag around where it would be hard to concentrate on a novel or long story, this would be perfect. Most of the answers are one or two page works, ideal for bus stop, bank teller lines, that sort of thing.
A Poorly Written "Homage" to a better product.
Slate magazine's little item might not be bad, if somebody else hadn't done it better, years earlier.
Since the 1970s, the Chicago Reader Newspaper has had a column called "The Straight Dope" by Cecil Adams, which provides more accurate information, better writing, & wittier banter.
Don't settle for this poor copy--go search under Author's Name : "Cecil Adams" in Advanced Search, & buy one of several collection of the better product. Start here---The Straight Dope
SO MUCH INFORMATION
Quite literally corresponding with the title of the book, "The Explainer" answers and explains questions you can't easily find answers to. This book deals with issues that are commonly addressed in the news or in the paper, and extrapolates them with more detail.For example, remember this year when Pope died? I always kept thinking to myself, why didn't he just retire if he was so sick he could barely sit up. This book answered my question, "Can a Pope Retire?" which I found the answer to. Also, it is written with easy language, so that the reader without any background knowledge wold comprehend.
This book is categorized into various sections so you can choose which issues that you want to read about. I found "Strange Careers" and "What's the Difference?" categories particularly interesting. You can learn about how much you'd be paid if you were a talk-show guest at the Oprah show, or what exactly is the difference between genocide and "crime against humanity". You can learn about the subtle differences in words (like CEO and Chairman) and question why Bush says "nucular" instead of nuclear. Just have a read through it and you will be shocked how much this book can tell you. This is a great guide to understanding more about the world and once you breeze through it, things on the news will begin to make more sense. AND you can brag off to your friends, you know?
Entertaining
Do you have an annoying friend who claims to know everything? Pick up a copy of this book and I guarantee you'll stump Mr./Ms. Know It All.
It's a fun book that you can read all at once or flip through to sections that interest you. Either way, you'll probably learn something new. It even has a section of questions that you want to ask but are afraid to, and no they're not sex related.
Eg. Money Laundering: What is it and how it's done. That's something I've wanted to know about but it's not really a great conversation piece.
*What exactly is Ovaltine?
*Can you patent common features of the Internet?
*Is there cocain on your money?
*What happens to recalled meat?
*Does the president need a passport?
This book is full of useful and of course useless trivia. It would make a great gift for any trivia junkie.
The Explainer by Curbs et al.
This book covers practically every uncommon phenomenon known
to humankind. For instance, the authors explain how to slow down lava in a volcano. The traceability of cell phones by tower records is described in technical detail.
Recess appointments by government officials are explained as to their timing and cause. The contents of this work would provide good conversation at any party or informal social gathering. For this reason alone, the volume is worth the price of admission.
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