Mental Floss, The Book: Only the Greatest Lists in the History of Listory

by Ethan Trex (Editor), Will Pearson (Editor), Mangesh Hattikudur (Editor)

Overview

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!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062069313
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/17/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	532
Sales rank:	884,041
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur met as freshmen at Duke University, where they parlayed their cafeteria conversations into the first issue of mental_floss. magazine They have collaborated on more than ten books together, including Condensed Knowledge, Forbidden Knowledge, and The mental_floss History of the World.

Editorial Reviews

Trex (contributor, ESPN Guide to Psycho Fan Behavior) and Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur (coauthors, with Erik Sass, The Mental Floss History of the United States) compile entries from ten years of mental_floss, a popular magazine that's recognized for its unconventional, data-packed lists. The book, whose introduction emphasizes that its focus "is not to offend but to have fun without being political or mean spirited," is easily digestible, providing engrossing tidbits to add spice to dull conversations or perk up boring cocktail parties. It is divided into several sections from "Lighten the Mood at the E.R." to "Lists for People Who Can't Write Good," with subtopics such as "Eight Latin Phrases You Pretend To Understand." Readers will learn, for example, that Play-Doh was initially sold as a wallpaper cleaner, and that Twinkies originally had banana-flavored filling but switched to vanilla when World War II brought the banana trade to a halt. BOTTOM LINE With its wealth of stories and illustrations, simple layout, and low cost, this quick-witted title will appeal to patrons of a broad range of ages and interests. Recommended for students, casual readers, and knowledge nerds of all types.—Bobbie Wrinkle, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY

Library Journal