The Trivia Lover's Guide to Even More of the World: Geography for the Global Generation

by Gary Fuller

Gary Fuller’s entertaining and informative guide uses geographic trivia questions as a springboard to learning about non-trivial aspects of our globe. An enlightening book for all readers, it enhances geographic know-how with good, old-fashioned fun. Discover who named the kangaroo; where can you find Lakers and Salties; what chili peppers, pineapple, chocolate, and vanilla have in common; where Shangri La was; and who was the most successful pirate in the Caribbean.

An inveterate traveler and geographer extraordinaire, Fuller provides extensive background, engaging maps and photos, and thorough explanations for each intriguing trivia question. Challenging today’s global generation to truly get to know their world, his book is a delight to read and an essential antidote to our lack of geographical knowledge.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

Reviews

[Samwell Raleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not as good as the first book. Some of the trivia was the same. The first book sometimes felt disjointed between fact and answer, and the paragraphs didn't have the best transitions, but this was WAY worse. The first book also put the answer to the question in direct italics at the end of the corresponding paragraph. Found myself having to hunt for the proper answer a lot while reading this.

And, no, I don't think "What fleet trains at Baker, CA?" and "Starfleet Enterprise" counts as geography trivia. Fictional trivia, yes. Star Trek trivia, definitely. But geography? No.

[John Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free via Goodreads First Reads.

I found it to be a very interesting and varied view on world geography and other subjects. I learnt a lot from it and as I love trivia I will pass some of it on in the future.

The book is exactly what it says on the cover and I would recommend it to all geography and trivia fans. I hovered between 4 and 5 stars but I gave it the higher mark as I feel that any book that teaches like this book does deserves the higher rating.

[Justin Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of interesting facts and maps, but they were loosely related so it seemed quite random. The best part was the author's infrequent snarky remarks that added some much needed humor. I'd recommend this as a book to read while traveling.

[Joseph Matuch · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were chapters in this second of Fuller's geography trivia books that I enjoyed. However, I didn't like the changes he made between the first and second books.

First off, he asks a series of questions at the beginning of each chapter in both books. In the first, he labels the answers within the chapter in bold with the word ANSWER so that you know one of the questions is being answered. This isn't as intrusive as it sounds, and it helps you realize one of the questions is being answered. He doesn't do this in the second book. The answers are generally in sections separated by an extra new line, but it's still hard to find them. By the time I get to some of the answers, I didn't remember the original question.

Second, I didn't enjoy the colored pictures in the sequel. The maps were nice, but the pictures were kind of grainy.

Lastly, the topics in the sequel tended to be centered more around the movement of people groups rather than land features and organization. I enjoyed the first book's familiar titles, like "Cities," "Oceans," "Mountains," etc. This book has more titles like "Spice Seekers," "Pirates," and "Minerals and Mines."

The chapters I enjoyed the most from this second book were those centered on population, which are very interesting, and those that seemed like they could have fit in the first book (like "Islands").

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys geography and/or trivia, but I wouldn't recommend reading the entire thing, front to back, like I did with the first "Guide to the World." Just pick out the chapters that interest you.

[Rick Chollett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a few interesting tidbits of trivial information!

[Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Fuller has written a fun and engaging book that is chocked full of facts. This book is perfect for lovers of geography and history. Through reading this book, it seems as if the author really understands the knowledge deficit that many people have when it comes to the world. Fuller does an incredible job at educating the reader in a way that elevates the reader to higher learning.

I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. I can honestly say that if anyone were to ask me for a book that teaches one about geography, I would highly recommend this book. I loved it!

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting facts and maps, but they were loosely related so it seemed quite random. The best part was the author's infrequent snarky remarks that added some much needed humor. I'd recommend this as a book to read while traveling.

[Raven Nivhaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a fun, interesting, and entertaining read.
I love trivia and this was really cool. :D