Popular Errors Explained

by Stewart McCartney

In 1841 John Timbs wrote a book called Popular Errors Explained . It went on—with Timbs' other great series "Curiosities of …"—to become one of the great popular books of the 19th century, running into many editions and selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Some say the popularity of his one hundred and fifty volumes led him to outsell a certain Mr Dickens. Stewart McCartney, under the Timb's title of Popular Errors Explained has created a new book, capturing the zeal and enthusiasm of the original, to be "agreeable, by way of abstract and anecdote so as to become an advantageous and amusing guest at any intellectual fireside." The book has completely new material—around 200 or so "popular errors" from science and literature, history, sport, popular culture, and so on. Each entry will have that eyebrow raising "I didn't know that!" or "Surely that cannot be true!" feel. Every one will explode a commonly held misbelief.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for the quizzer or general knowledge nut in your life. Filled with weird and wonderful facts exploding commonly held myths. Well-researched and authoritative but written in a really fun way. Great Christmas present or Father's day gift.

[Aaron Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

A irreverent look at popular myths, this book is, however, a little too UK-centric for my taste. As a result, this book seems written too much for the author by the author, alienating his readers.