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11th out of 77 books
—
25 voters
The Second Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is (Still) Wrong
From the brains behind The Book of General Ignorance comes another wonderful collection of the most outrageous, fascinating, and mind-bending facts, taking on the hugely popular form of the first book in the internationally bestselling series.
The original Book of General Ignorance was published in 2006. It has since been translated into twenty-six languages and sold over 1...more
The original Book of General Ignorance was published in 2006. It has since been translated into twenty-six languages and sold over 1...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
October 11th 2011
by Crown
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Mar 19, 2012
Jessica-Robyn
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
television-smellovision
Anyone who is a fan of the British television show, QI (a mock game show, known for it's humor and intelligence) knows how hard it is to see one of the books associated with the program and simply pass it by. When I saw this I knew that I couldn't just leave it on the shelf, knowingly walking away from something that is connected to a group of people that I hold so dear in my squishy, nerdy heart.
Also, it has a bright yellow cover and you should know that yellow covers are a weak spot for me.
T...more
Also, it has a bright yellow cover and you should know that yellow covers are a weak spot for me.
T...more
Mar 24, 2012
Mazmi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
alphabet-books
I’ve become quite interested in factual books as of late and the second book of general ignorance is perfect to fill my need. Facts are something that has always interested me and can be used in almost any situation. Say you’re at a party for instance and the party just isn’t in swing mode but rather like an old people’s home? Throw a fact into the air, that’ll get people talking or just have people looking at you weird while secretly making mental notes to avoid you for the rest of the night.
T...more
T...more
"The Second Book of General Ignorance" is entertaining sequel to already famous and successful book full of funny little everyday trivia and questions about the facts we all think we know but in fact we might just got it wrong. It's very easy read and reader can easily enjoy chapter by chapter as they are not connected - I laughed out loud several times and loved it very much, reading this little book before sleep, it was just what I expected though not as original as the the first part.
This was a fun read, and I learned quite a lot. But there are so many facts in this book, I don't think I'll be able to remember most of it. The questions are very diverse, so it never gets boring.
Because the book is connected to my favorite TV show, Q.I., I expect it to be very funny. There are some funny bits + quotes from the show, but it's not a very comical book overall. That's not something that bothered me, just and expectation I had because of the show.
A nice, informative, quick read.
Because the book is connected to my favorite TV show, Q.I., I expect it to be very funny. There are some funny bits + quotes from the show, but it's not a very comical book overall. That's not something that bothered me, just and expectation I had because of the show.
A nice, informative, quick read.
Both my husband and I absolutely love BBC's QI program. This book is based on the facts they researched for those programs - including the humor. I brought it with me on a trip because its having short chapters was very handy for my schedule.
I learned a lot, of course, and as I'm going 'in reverse', I'm looking forward to Book I, which has been in my home library for years.
I learned a lot, of course, and as I'm going 'in reverse', I'm looking forward to Book I, which has been in my home library for years.
even though i knew some of them already because i'd seen them on the show, this book (like the first one) is another great way to waste time on the train. quite interesting, indeed. but we all know the best thing about these books is playing the annoying quizmaster with family/friends and yelling "minus ten" at them when they are wrong. :P
QI is one of the most insidiously anti-intellectual programmes on television right now; so harmful precisely because it presents itself as ``smart''. Its General Ignorance segment and, by extension, this book, distil the worst of it: self-satisfied, under-sourced trivia, misinterpreted and at best (though usually not even) only technically correct, presented by smug idiots who think their lack of qualifications makes them, if anything, more suited to talk down to the general public.
Garbage like...more
Garbage like...more
"El segundo pequeño gran libro de la ignorancia" es el título de este libro en castellano. En la misma línea del primero. Muchas historietas cortas y muy interesantes todas ellas, salpicadas de anécdotas. Muy recomendable para todos los públicos. Algunas dignas de leer a nuestros peques. Le haré una reseña en el blog.
I have always liked books of facts. I like having this type of book handy when I don't have time to sit and read a full chapter in a novel. Almost every page contained some information that I found fascinating. The topics were so broad and diverse that it never got monotonous. Now I would like to read the original "Book of General Ignorance" to find out what else I think I know, but don't.
I won this book on give-aways.
I won this book on give-aways.
This is a rather silly book but it is perfect for bathroom reading, being divided into several hundred "chapters" by a Q&A format. Like the first "Book of General Ignorance" (2006), it draws on the British television game show "Quite Interesting." A quiz show, the last round of QI is called the "General Ignorance" round. In it, questions to which the answers are seemingly obvious are asked but the answers are never what is commonly believed to be true. The host of the television show, Stephe...more
I love QI, so these books are a must read for me. Full of interesting and unbelievable facts, and often very very funny. My only complaint is that so many of the facts have already been covered by the tv show, but then again, it's always good to be reminded of them too.
My progeny has now adopted the phrase "thats just general ignorance" much the chagrin of his friends and family. Entertaining book that makes me feel like I'm smarter than I was before I read it.
I picked this book while I was in Dubai because I had to have a book with me. I really like this and I would look for the First book! It is full with brand new information - at least to me! I recommend this book for those who like to expand their general knowledge.
Leuk boek waarin interessante weetjes heel leuk worden verklaard. Voor de liefhebbers van het programma QI, gepresenteerd door Stephen Fry. Ook de stukjes conversatie tussendoor zijn best wel grappig om te lezen :D.
Leuk boek om aan de hand van korte verhaaltjes nieuwe feitjes op te doen of om hedendaagse opvattingen onderuit te halen.
Persoonlijk vond ik de verhaaltjes in de eerste helft van het boek sterk, maar sprak de tweede helft mij minder aan.
Persoonlijk vond ik de verhaaltjes in de eerste helft van het boek sterk, maar sprak de tweede helft mij minder aan.
Like the first book, this is immensely entertaining and educational. My only beef would be that,like the programme, the format of constantly being old that you are wrong (even if it's true) can get a bit wearing.
Uma amiga minha costuma dizer, ao falhar do primeiro volume que ele "destrói mundos", pois o segundo continua o trabalho de devastar tudo aquilo que pensamos conhecer.
A good book if you just want something cute to dip in and out off. I cannot imagine sitting down and reading it all in one go, but perhaps that is only me.
Very fun, though.
Very fun, though.
Very similar to the first book. The idea wears thin after a while but was still interesting enough to get me through. I think I'll wait a while before I read the animal edition.
1 like · like · see review
They key about informational book is the delivery.
Although some of the information are indeed fascinating by itself, but it lacks the depth and history that made
A Short History of Nearly Everything so enjoyable and so captivating.
Throughout the read, I had the impression that this book was written as a transcript for the popular TV series - QI.
Although some of the information are indeed fascinating by itself, but it lacks the depth and history that made
A Short History of Nearly Everything so enjoyable and so captivating.
Throughout the read, I had the impression that this book was written as a transcript for the popular TV series - QI.
A spiral staircase is actually helical - a spiral is two-dimensional that radiates out from a fixed point. Helix is a three-dimensional curve that doesn't change the angle, like a slinky.
This book is an absolute delight to read. From laughing out loud to saying 'Wow' over and over again, this is definitely worth a read. Go for it!!
Oh, trivia how I love thee! I think I'll see if I can find the first book. I didn't get all the sidebar humor--it's very British. I think I learned stuff, but for the life of me right now I can't think of anything. Ah, the best part of trivia is that it moves into my brain and takes up lodging without any stress on me at all.
All the useless facts you'll ever need to succeed in the pub quiz...as long as you aren't against the blokes that wrote it if course.
What can you say about a reference book? A lot if it's compiled by the same people that bring you a BBC show called QI.
A lot if not all of the information is culled from the show and presented in the same humorous way.
The presentation is kind of scattershot so it's not good for looking up things alphabetically but I'm pretty sure most of the book will stay with you.
What a fun way to learn!
A lot if not all of the information is culled from the show and presented in the same humorous way.
The presentation is kind of scattershot so it's not good for looking up things alphabetically but I'm pretty sure most of the book will stay with you.
What a fun way to learn!
I love these books. I love how it can twist everything you know and tell you everything you have been taught is wrong to some degree. Who knew that Octopuses actually have two legs and Celtic priests wore horned helmets, not the Vikings. I mean really. This is a brilliant book for people who love facts, and love learning weird things that actually come in handy if you like to counteract what people think they know about everything. There are a bunch more in the QI book series and I implore you a...more
Fascinating read as always. Great book to pick up and put down as an when needed.
Another fantastic book of interesting facts, but with a humourous twist.
Not much new stuff if you've watched the show, but entertaining nonetheless.
I skimmed through the book quickly. While it was enjoyable when I stopped at a topic I was interested in, it's far and few between.
***
FLUIDITY = 4/5
CONTENT = 3/5
QUALITY = 2/5
ENJOYMENT = 2/5
OVERALL = 2/5
***
FLUIDITY = 4/5
CONTENT = 3/5
QUALITY = 2/5
ENJOYMENT = 2/5
OVERALL = 2/5
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John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE is a British comedy writer and television producer. Lloyd was Trinity College, Cambridge, where he befriended and later shared a flat with Douglas Adams. He worked as a radio producer at the BBC 1974–1978 and created The News Quiz, The News Huddlines, To The Manor Born (with Peter Spence) and Quote... Unquote (with Nigel Rees). He wrote Hordes of the Things with And...more
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Apr 04, 2013 06:29pm