The Book Of General Ignorance
by Stephen Fry
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 164)
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 watch, Allen Davies is hysterical, and many of the guests add unexpected wit. Series regular Bill Bailey (who is also a regular on Nevermind The Buzzcocks, a similar show about pop music) stands out amo...more
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I think GoodReads has this listed as Stephen Fry, but it's really by John Lloyd and John Michinson. Stephen Fry wrote the foreword and his Q.I. co-host Alan Davies wrote four words. Those four words are the best part of the book.
The book is pretty much just questions from the television show, but it is still entertaining. These are the questions you think you know the answers to or you think you have a good guess for, but you have a good chance of being completely wrong about. A lot of...more
The book is pretty much just questions from the television show, but it is still entertaining. These are the questions you think you know the answers to or you think you have a good guess for, but you have a good chance of being completely wrong about. A lot of...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
fans of Qi television series and the New Scientist's Last Word column
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 know the answer to, but which you are then disavowed of.
For instance, what is the 'Ring a-ring a-Roses' about.
I, like most people thought it was about the Black Death (Bubonic Plague). But it ...more
For instance, what is the 'Ring a-ring a-Roses' about.
I, like most people thought it was about the Black Death (Bubonic Plague). But it ...more
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For trivial buffs like me, this book is kind of refreshing. And for the true know-it-all or der besserwisser as I refer to them as (gratuitous German goes a long way), this book could prove a true secret weapon. Did you know that the number of the beast is really 616? A new translation of the oldest manuscript of The Book of Revelations revealed that. There are many more other nifty trivial items in the book and it's also pretty well-written with a dash of cheeky humour.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
give as a gift to someone who doesn't read much
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.
The result is normally something like, "Oooh i didnt know that! Would you ever!"
A great book for keeping in the toilet as there are lots of little sections to be read stand alone ;)
The result is normally something like, "Oooh i didnt know that! Would you ever!"
A great book for keeping in the toilet as there are lots of little sections to be read stand alone ;)
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A friend gave me this book for my birthday, and since we regularly compete in our local pub quiz, there are no guesses as to why! Full of interesting stories behind the information we think we know. My husband gives me a number, and I read the page closest to it. We only do one or two a night, so it may take me a while to finish this book!
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Things you knew were actually wrong.
A cornucopia of bizarre and little known facts.
If nothing in this book makes you wonder then you are not alive!
A cornucopia of bizarre and little known facts.
If nothing in this book makes you wonder then you are not alive!
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Read in October, 2007
I learnt some interesting things from this book, mainly about pistachio nuts spontaneously combusting and choking people by sucking oxygen out of the air.
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Read in November, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone, especially if you think you're clever
Fantastic book full of amazing facts from the show and beyond. Everything you think you know is wrong and until you read this you don't know why.
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Read in March, 2008
If you want something to pick up and read while your waiting for lectures to start this is ideal!
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FAB book!!! Really entertaining and full of uswefull/useless knowedge!
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Read in December, 2006
A book of interesting facts about all the things you thought you knew.
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