Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Why Fish Fart
& Other Useless or Gross Information about the World

by Francesca Gould

     

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!

The Book

Jeremy P Tarcher / Penguin
September 2009
Paperback
978-1-58542-757-4
Trivia
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE:

The Reviewer

Deb Kincaid
Reviewed 2010
NOTE:
© 2010 MyShelf.com