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    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Sep 18 20:03:33 -0700 2008</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[If you've never seen an episode (or even a clip) of QI, the british panel show from the BBC, you owe it to yourself to head straight to YouTube and start watching. (I highly recommend the Mannequin Bird clip, and the Parthenon clip. These two made me cry with laughter) Stephen Fry is a delight to wa...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28127399">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[John Lloyd, one of the co-authors of this book seems to specialise in slightly frothy, snippet based books which can be read in tiny bite sized pieces (I refer the reader to The Meaning of Liff with Douglas Adams). In this case the book is a series of questions, many of which you probably think you ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1741712">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is a gimmick book--but a pleasant one at that. The front jacket matter includes the following comment that lays out the essence of this work: &quot;Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56985113">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56985113]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56985113]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[give as a gift to someone who doesn't read much]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 28 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 28 05:32:01 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 28 07:02:00 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Great little book of snippets of facts that one is unlikely to know. In fact it is written in such a way that it often turns misconceptions on their head with a touch of humour at the same time.<br/><br/>The result is normally something like, &quot;Oooh i didnt know that! Would you ever!&quot;<br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16590127">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">22</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>636</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <date_added>Sun Dec 06 07:27:52 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 06 07:38:52 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Well, what a surprise. My mother bought it for me and I foolishly imagined it was just a throwaway she happened to pick up, like a stocking-stuffer. Not at all. Just about every article is an insouciant little gem. How about this: the American zoo and aquarium association estimates that there are 12...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80060462">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80060462]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>18274247</id>
    <user>
    <id>934040</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jim]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Beijing, China]]></location>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">110</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/41/632/410632-m-1255887489.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>636</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue May 06 08:12:25 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Mar 21 06:16:29 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue May 06 08:12:25 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book was fairly amusing. It consists of 230 questions and answers about subjects that most people would not know much about. It is somewhat like detailed answers to questions that might be asked in a pub's Quiz Night. Each of the answers was surprising in some way. <br/><br/>Not deep science ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18274247">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18274247]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18274247]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37144367</id>
    <user>
    <id>956877</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Spencer]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/956877-spencer]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>636</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <date_added>Fri Nov 07 15:57:08 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 25 22:34:38 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[the facts seem credible as far as i can tell. the book is culled from info off the bbc show QI.<br/>did you know:<br/>chameleons don't change color to match their background, they color change is based on their emotional state.<br/>1/2 of humans who have ever died have been killed by mosquitoes....<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37144367">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37144367]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>44401539</id>
    <user>
    <id>2100</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Bronwen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Melbourne, Australia]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2100-bronwen]]></link>
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  <isbn>0571246923</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780571246922</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[QI: The Book of General Ignorance (The Noticeably Stouter Edition)]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.20</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>15</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone!]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 26 10:02:19 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Mar 13 23:09:04 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Bloody brilliant! One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44401539]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44401539]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>57000584</id>
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  <isbn>0307394913</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307394910</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">110</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/41/632/410632-m-1255887489.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 22 15:47:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 22 15:52:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This falls solidly in what one of my friends has always referred to as my random and interesting facts catalog.  Well organized and of course interesting and informative, this book was also had a sense of humor (a must in my belief).  These sorts of books would usually earn a solid three stars from ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57000584">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>43880827</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
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  <read_at>Mon Feb 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jan 21 19:19:12 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 03 11:07:05 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There were some great things in this book, I certainly learned a lot. Some of the questions were phrased in such a way that it seemed that they assumed that I would be thinking one thing, when in fact, I had no answer to their question. There was a decent amount that made me feel like a stupid Ameri...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43880827">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Jules]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178740464m/829656.jpg</image_url>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <date_added>Thu Aug 02 15:41:29 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 02 15:42:37 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[FAB book!!!  Really entertaining and full of uswefull/useless knowedge!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3988737]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>72421431</id>
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  <isbn>0307394913</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Nov 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Sep 24 22:43:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Nov 16 21:51:58 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book did have a lot of interesting bits of information in it, but I don’t feel like it succeeded in its goal. We were to learn the truth about so many things about which we have been misinformed. I didn’t find that I actually had the incorrect knowledge on most of this. I think a lot of wha...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72421431">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72421431]]></url>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone curious!]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Richy Black]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 14 14:22:50 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 14 14:24:55 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1.5</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There is a comedian/historian who says &quot;When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.&quot;  It is amazing how many myths and misconceptions continue to be perpetuated in our society.  There was plenty in this book that caught me off-guard and guilty as charged!  An effective reminder, for me...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63486281">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 31 21:59:55 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 31 22:47:10 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Best bathroom reading there is. High-brow and pop-cultural, the book, topically, is a fun survey of trivia and oddities ranging from antiquity to outer-space. The authors regard all subject matter--from Krapper's toilet (spoiler alert: he didn't invent it) to the Immaculate Conception (applies to th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28950943">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Dec 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 03 23:44:29 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 10 02:43:06 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Read it after <em>Animal Ignorance</em> and didn't like it as much. I prefer the &quot;Check Out How Awesome Animals Are In Alphabetical Order (And With Machine Arms)&quot; structure to the &quot;Everything You Thought You Knew Is, Technically, Wrong&quot; tact, but this one is still good (though). <br/><br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79841834">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79841834]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.80</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
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  <date_added>Thu Sep 10 19:04:10 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Sep 10 19:06:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I really enjoyed this book. It's a nice thing to have around when you don't have much time to read because everything is organized in little snipits of information. Of course, it has unfortunately increased the huge ammount of useless information in my head as well as given me another reason to corr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70787541">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70787541]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2006</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Tue Nov 06 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 10 16:28:00 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 10 16:28:00 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[John Lloyd and John Mitchinson both write for <em>QI</em> (and Lloyd produces, I believe), which is one of my favorite shows. Fascinating stuff, and the index is quite amusing. (I never thought I'd ever say &quot;the index is quite amusing,&quot; but it is! The book covers so many different topics that it's ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45976024">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45976024]]></url>
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    <![CDATA[The Book of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It’s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino’s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond’s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is one of those books that I tend to get as Christmas presents. And it fits the mould of being immediately appealing in the content, but ultimately disappointing in its lack of proper structure or in having a point to it.<br/><br/>However, it does what it's designed to, which is to provide tr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65697093">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[I love trivia quizzes, word games, and general nerdery. The QI show is a wonderful combination of all three (although with far too much Alan Davies -- who keeps hiring that annoying guy?), with the inestimable Stephen Fry as its host. I highly recommend seeing the show if you can (ask nicely and I'l...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54952243">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[QI: The Book Of General Ignorance]]>
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    <![CDATA[Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.<br/><br/>Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, <br/><br/><em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> is a witty &#8220;gotcha&#8221; compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It&#8217;ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.<br/><br/>Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don&#8217;t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you&#8217;ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or <em>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</em>.<br/><br/>Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, <em>The Book of General Ignorance</em> also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).<br/><br/>Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.<br/><br/>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how much you don&#8217;t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: <br/><br/><strong>How long can a chicken live without its head?<br/></strong>About two years. <br/><br/><strong>What do chameleons do? <br/></strong>They don&#8217;t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. <br/><br/><strong>Who invented champagne? <br/></strong>Not the French. <br/><br/><strong>How many legs does a centipede have?<br/></strong>Not a hundred. <br/><br/><strong>How many toes has a two-toed sloth? <br/></strong>It&#8217;s either six or eight. <br/><br/><strong>How many penises does a European earwig have? <br/></strong>a)Fourteen<br/>b)None at all<br/><em>c)Two (one for special occasions)<br/></em>d)Mind your own business<br/><br/><strong>Which animals are the best-endowed of all?<br/></strong>Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body. <br/><br/><strong>What is a rhino&#8217;s horn made from? <br/></strong>A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair. <br/><br/><strong>Who was the first American president?<br/></strong>Peyton Randolph. <br/><br/><strong>What were George Washington&#8217;s false teeth made from? <br/></strong>Mostly hippopotamus. <br/><br/><strong>What was James Bond&#8217;s favorite drink? <br/></strong>Not the vodka martini.]]>
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  <date_added>Tue Oct 13 20:33:22 -0700 2009</date_added>
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    <body><![CDATA[&quot;This book will make you feel very small and silly.&quot; Is what it says on the inside cover, and it does.  But you learn the truth of all those things you thought were truths that were only myths. Read this book, and you can make others feel small and silly....maybe even win a few game shows!]]></body>
    
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