Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tall...
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Apr 15, 2011
Malak
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*The book is inspired by a BBC comedy quiz show. Go to YouTube and watch it! It's funny.
How much you think you know? And even if you think you know enough information, do you think all of them are true?
This is what is the book is about it corrects the misconceptions or the mistakes that everyone thinks they're true in the common knowledge. There are so many things that will shock you and make you wonder how much we really know and for most important how much More...
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Sep 18, 2008
Kyle
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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
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Dec 16, 2009
Richard
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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 More...
For instance, what is the 'Ring a-ring a-Roses' about.
I, like most people thought it was about the Black Death (Bubonic More...
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Sep 20, 2011
Sam
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The tallest mountain is Mauna Kea in Hawaii from base to tip but some of it is below sea level so the highest mountain is Everest from sea level to tip. Henry VIII has 2 wives, his other 4 marriages were annulled. The most dangerous animal that ever lived is the mosquito, having killed an estimated 45 billion humans since we've been around. Hitler was not a vegetarian whose favourite dish was Bavarian sausage and who was not an atheist but a catholic.
Who invented champagne? The stea More...
Who invented champagne? The stea More...
Jul 27, 2011
Jenny Sparrow
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На обложке "Книги всеобщих заблуждений" довольно большими красными буквами выведено имя любимого Стивена Фрая, а под ним маленькими черными: "представляет". Таким образом вы (если повезет) сразу, а может (как я) только после покупки поймете, что автор - не Стивен, хотя он и написал предисловие и выступил редактором книги. Более того, она сделана по мотивам передачи "Quite Interesting", ведущим которой Фрай является.
Что такое эта книга? Сборная солянка из р More...
Что такое эта книга? Сборная солянка из р More...
Jul 25, 2011
Adriane
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What’s the name of the tallest mountain in the world? What’s the largest living thing? Do marmots kill people? How many moons does the earth have? How long can a chicken live without its head? Whatever your answers are to these questions, you’ve got it all wrong. Find out why in this fascinating, hard-to-put-down tome on 230 common misconceptions of the factual world…that is, if you dare to have your grade-school paradigms severely altered. Yes, you will be transported by such gems of knowle
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Mar 02, 2011
Shelley
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Okay so I needed something light and easy to read in between tasks at work. This seemed to fit the bill. It is an easy book to read from for a little while and then stop if you have to. Each topic is its own mini chapter of sorts. I really enjoyed it and when finished I had to ask myself "is the stuff in it really true? Or is it made up?" Hmmmmmm....some of it sounds pretty far fetched and not easily verifiable. But other items are pretty interesting and really made me think. Lik
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Jan 17, 2010
Patrick
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What's the tallest mountain in the world? Think you know right, Mount Everest, at 29,029 feet? Nope, it is Mauna Kea. Though it is a modest 13,799 above sea level, measured from its seabed base to its summit, it is a whopping 33,465 feet in height, almost three-quarters of a mile higher than Mount Everest. What's the driest place in the world? The Sahara right? It is dry alright, getting just one inch of rain a year but it is the third driest place on Earth. The driest in fact is Antarctica, as
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May 22, 2009
Steven
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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: "Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British best-seller."
But the best way to give an idea of what this book is about is to lay out some of the questions and answers. Just enough to pique one's interest! More...
But the best way to give an idea of what this book is about is to lay out some of the questions and answers. Just enough to pique one's interest! More...
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May 01, 2010
Laura
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I may not be the next Ken Jennings upon finishing this book, but it's possible I could stand a reasonable chance to win a few bucks should I ever appear on a trivia-based game show. Short, witty, and cleverishly devil- wait, that's not right. Whatever. The Book of General Ignorance is a perfect book to test the contents of your brain to see what floats...and if it floats, it should be flushed. (Too gross an analogy? Sorry.) To be honest, since I have a trivial brain (and, yes, I mean every
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Jul 10, 2011
Jaclyn
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As most of you know, I am a huge fan of random information and factoids. Hence my love of Trivial Pursuit. That said, I did not like this book. The writers are condescending (which is something I cannot stand) and British (which explains the occasional passive-aggressive comment towards the United States). This book is also detailed. I don’t want to know a three-page history of something. Ironically I don’t read these type of books to learn much. I just like the random one-liners and triv
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Jan 10, 2011
Stven
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A book of interesting trivia built around the premise that a lot of the things we have heard and accepted as true are not really so. For example, the common idea that a person's hair and fingernails continue to grow for a little while after death. "This is a complete myth," say Lloyd and Mitchinson. "When we die, our bodies dehydrate and our skin tightens, creating an illusion of hair and nail growth."
There are 252 pages of facts, some more and some less interest More...
There are 252 pages of facts, some more and some less interest More...
Feb 28, 2008
Tim
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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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Nov 22, 2011
Kate
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Certainly removed some of my preconceptions ;-))
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.
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 t More...
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.
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 t More...
Dec 06, 2009
Gary
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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 12,000 tigers kept as private pets in the USA. Really? Amazing if true. How would you overpower a croc? A rubber band will keep its jaws closed (but it might still knock your head off with its tail). Di
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May 06, 2008
Jim
rated it:
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.
Not deep science or anything like it, but interesting enough...
Not deep science or anything like it, but interesting enough...
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Nov 25, 2008
Spencer
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the facts seem credible as far as i can tell. the book is culled from info off the bbc show QI.
did you know:
chameleons don't change color to match their background, they color change is based on their emotional state.
1/2 of humans who have ever died have been killed by mosquitoes.
moths aren't attracted to light, they are disoriented by it because they think it is the sun and they keep trying to course correct their flight path.
in the 1st edition of charlie and the c More...
did you know:
chameleons don't change color to match their background, they color change is based on their emotional state.
1/2 of humans who have ever died have been killed by mosquitoes.
moths aren't attracted to light, they are disoriented by it because they think it is the sun and they keep trying to course correct their flight path.
in the 1st edition of charlie and the c More...
Dec 29, 2011
Nicci
rated it:
I read this book in a couple of days. Filled with random sciency, history, wildlife sand other facts about all sorts of things, I found it really interesting and couldn't put it down, sometimes fighting against my sleeping tablet to carry on reading. Answers questions like What do dolphins drink (they don't they get water from their food), James Bond's favourite drink was in fact Whisky not martini And babies do not prefer theyre mother until 3-4 months old. Why do Bananas grow? Th Banana plant
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Jan 08, 2012
Nikki
rated it:
Very good for reading just a bit of before bed, palate-cleansing during frantic essay writing, or sitting down with for an hour straight, thinking 'just one more page'... I haven't actually seen much of the TV show, but I do follow @qikipedia and have heard my mother hooting away with mirth when watching the tv show. The book isn't as funny, most of the time, but it does succeed in being Quite Interesting.
It covers a lot of facts I've read elsewhere in other books (some of which I susp More...
It covers a lot of facts I've read elsewhere in other books (some of which I susp More...
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Mar 13, 2009
Bronwen
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Bloody brilliant! One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended!
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Aug 05, 2011
being a big fan of stephen fry, and a huge fan of the show, when i stumbled across this one i just had to read it. although i already knew a few of the facts (due to them being on the show) the book still easily lived up to it's name, Quite Interesting. what i loved most about this book though was annoying people and making a general nuisance of myself as a mini stephen fry quizmaster with friends and family, seeing their faces when they got things wrong and heard the actual ridiculous facts, an
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Mar 01, 2011
Amer
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كتاب رائع .. يصحح كثير مما تعلمناه وقرأنا عنه في الصحف والمجلات أو حتى شاهدناه على التلفاز أو في الأفلام والمسلسلات
ليس أي شيء من العلوم الموجودة والمتناقلة بيننا وفي جامعاتنا ومدارسنا بالشيء القابل بالجزم ١٠٠ ٪ .. والكتاب يطرح حقائق ودراسات جميلة ومعلومات مفيدة
باختصار .. هي أسئلة يجاوب عليها بطريقة لطيفة وممتعة
كمجتمع عربي مسلم قد تكون هناك بعض الأسئلة التي ، باعتقادي ، أنها مجرد تعبئة مكان لأنها عبارة عن تصحيح لأساطير وقصص خيالية وخرافية هي أصلا غير صحيحة ولك More...
ليس أي شيء من العلوم الموجودة والمتناقلة بيننا وفي جامعاتنا ومدارسنا بالشيء القابل بالجزم ١٠٠ ٪ .. والكتاب يطرح حقائق ودراسات جميلة ومعلومات مفيدة
باختصار .. هي أسئلة يجاوب عليها بطريقة لطيفة وممتعة
كمجتمع عربي مسلم قد تكون هناك بعض الأسئلة التي ، باعتقادي ، أنها مجرد تعبئة مكان لأنها عبارة عن تصحيح لأساطير وقصص خيالية وخرافية هي أصلا غير صحيحة ولك More...
Mar 09, 2010
Heman
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This is a pretentious and "smart ass" book that busts a lot of "common sense" ideas or accepted tales with "facts"
It sometimes is too smart ass, for example when it claims that Bunsen didn't make Bunsen burner, but came up with the idea and design and then had it made by his assistant! Big deal! it is still his idea!
Or the first man to go around the globe was Enrique Malacca, Magellan's slave bought in Malaysia, taken to Portugal via Africa and then take More...
It sometimes is too smart ass, for example when it claims that Bunsen didn't make Bunsen burner, but came up with the idea and design and then had it made by his assistant! Big deal! it is still his idea!
Or the first man to go around the globe was Enrique Malacca, Magellan's slave bought in Malaysia, taken to Portugal via Africa and then take More...
May 22, 2009
Megan
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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 me, this book was bumped up a bit for its approach. Instead of just presenting things you don't know, it started out with things you think you know, and why those things are entirely wrong. Quite en
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Feb 03, 2009
Emily
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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 American, the British authors would spout out facts about America as if anyone should know them, and then spout out facts about the United Kingdom in the same manner. Of course, I was not so familiar with
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Aug 02, 2007
Jules
rated it:
FAB book!!! Really entertaining and full of uswefull/useless knowedge!
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May 21, 2011
Matt
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A generally interesting book. I found that a lot of what it had to say was on technicalities and had the sense of "nope I said biggest, not tallest" mentality. Despite the childish "largest not most populous city; tallest not highest mountain" type information there is a lot of fun facts in here. They tout it for the trivia buff but most of what is in here is just saying that while most people will think this it is actually this, probably leaving you caught with your pants
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Jan 04, 2011
Thomas
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Pretty nice to read, though I have some problems with one of their sections (which seems to say that Jesus wasn't born of a virgin because of being called 'made of the seed of David', even though both of his parents were descended from David.) Other than that, I don't have too much issue with the book. It's true though, as other reviewers have said, that it doesn't list sources, or at least enough sources, so that's a minus for the book as well. However, it's written in a way that invited me to
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Jul 28, 2011
Abdulaziz
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QI: The Book of General Ignorance (The Noticeably Stouter Edition)
As the Book name indicate this a general knowledge book I haven’t seen the show and I’m not sure I will. I got interested in this because I want something light to read as I was reading a lot and need some space and this book is an excellent idea to do that.
As the content of the book it’s targeting the Native English speaking community misconceptions so if you are not native you might not have these misconc More...
As the Book name indicate this a general knowledge book I haven’t seen the show and I’m not sure I will. I got interested in this because I want something light to read as I was reading a lot and need some space and this book is an excellent idea to do that.
As the content of the book it’s targeting the Native English speaking community misconceptions so if you are not native you might not have these misconc More...
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Nov 16, 2009
Britt
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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 what they did was argue semantics or just phrase things in tricky ways. For instance, we were properly informed about the highest v. tallest mountain, so Everest would not have been the answer they were look
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