I loved this book! Unlike some trivia books which merely list page after page of interesting
and quirky facts, Francesca Gould’s Why Fish Fart & Other Useless or Gross Information about
the World is a narrative. Each fact is set in explanatory context, a vignette elaborating on
the nature of farting herring, for instance. And with each mini-story comes a dose of humor,
making this trivia book irresistible.
The book is well designed, too. Six chapters group both human and critter freaky information
into categories: obscene cuisine; weird creatures; vile bodies; pernicious practices; disgusting
diseases, curious cures, savage tortures; and, finally, one titled—believe it or
not—the final chapter. Plus, if you’re like me and hate it when you cannot locate a great
conversation starter in a trivia or other reference book at the time you need it, you’ll appreciate
the subheadings that make quirky-factoid retrieval a cinch. This book is fun!
I discovered the author had written a similar book, which was published in the U.S. in 2008,
titled Why You
Shouldn’t Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless (or Gross) Information about Your Body. I’m
going to hunt that one down as well! Enjoy!