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Does It Fart #2

True or Poo?: The Definitive Field Guide to Filthy Animal Facts and Falsehoods

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From the scientist duo behind the New York Times bestselling sensation Does It Fart? comes a new illustrated compendium of animal facts and falsehoods, from the head-scratching to the repulsive!

After Does It Fart? comes Number Two...a fully illustrated compendium of animal facts and falsehoods -- the more repulsive the better.

Do komodo dragons have toxic slobber? Is it true that a scorpion that sheds its tail dies of constipation? Speaking of poo, do rabbits really have a habit of, err, eating their own? And can you really get high from licking toads, or is that...fake newts?

The answers to all these questions and more can be found in True or Poo? , a manual for disgusting and one-upping your friends and enemies for years to come.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2018

16 people are currently reading
238 people want to read

About the author

Nick Caruso

15 books7 followers

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5 stars
66 (41%)
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61 (38%)
3 stars
28 (17%)
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2 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Julie.
2,025 reviews634 followers
October 11, 2018
Ever wondered how many of those little factoids about animals and insects we've all heard before (like how many spiders we all swallow while we sleep at night) are actually true? This book upholds some myths about animals and debunks others, presenting the information in an interesting and entertaining way. I had a great time reading this book....and even read several selections out loud to the family. The cute illustrations were fun as well.

The facts are on all sorts of topics ranging from mating and courtship rituals to eating and defenses. Facts are sorted into chapters by topic, with each individual fact or myth presented in a few paragraphs. This book is very easy to read and understand, while being very entertaining and interesting. We always have one of those lovely bathroom reader books in each bathroom in our house -- I think this book would do very well in that capacity as well. Especially since the title is True or Poo? :)

The book has many strange and interesting facts. It definitely kept me entertained from beginning to end. Some were disturbing....like a particular type of male octopus that can fling its penis like a harpoon to avoid being eaten by females. And some were just interesting...like the ability of a shark's brain to keep it constantly swimming even while it's sleeping. Some myths were solidly debunked, such as the story that we are never more than six feet away from a rat or that we ingest spiders while sleeping. Not true. Thank God!

I've already ordered several copies of this book. Each year we give bathroom reader books to family members as Christmas presents....and this will be our informational offering for this year. Definitely a fun and educational book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Hachette Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. And, I was NOT within six feet of a rat while writing this review. Whew!**
Profile Image for Julie (JuJu).
1,213 reviews218 followers
Want to read
September 11, 2018
3.5 ⭐️’s. An entertaining and funny book. Although I thought the book would be written with more layman’s terms, it was still an interesting read—full of facts and myths. I enjoy these types of books more when the individual stories are kept short and sweet and it isn’t filled with scientific names, etc. I’m looking for fun entertainment—not a learning experience, lol. Some of these stories were a little too long for my preference (in this type of book), but still short and interesting! If you’re interested in animals, it’s worth reading.
Profile Image for Nikola.
125 reviews
October 5, 2018
You can find this review on my book blog.

True or Poo?: The Definitive Field Guide to Filthy Animal Facts and Falsehoods by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti is a short and fun non-fiction book about animals and certain aspects of their lives (e.g. how they live, what they eat etc.). Although it’s short I can say with absolute certainty that it will entertain the life out of you! It has so many interesting facts about many many animals! True or Poo? can be read in just a few hours and will keep you entertained with the amazing drawings of different animals. Here’s an example of a chapter in the book (I also found this funny and interesting so I wanted to share it):

WHITE SAND IS MADE OF FISH POO: TRUE OR POO? TRUE

‘’…Bumphead parrotfish bite off bits of coral with their hard beaks, which continuously grow throughout their lifetimes, before chewing it into dust with specialized pharyngeal teeth, digesting the algae and leaving behind the coral’s powdered, rocky remains. This ground-up coral is then pooed out as a fine sand, before being washed ashore to form the stunning beaches for which the Maldives are famous. Each parrotfish can produce 90 kg of sand each year, and as a result 85% of sand in the region has passed through a parrotfish at some point. So if you are ever lucky enough to visit the Maldives, you can relax on the beach knowing it all would not have been possible without one special parrotfishes’ sandy stools.’’ *

*this is a part of the chapter in the book.


Before you begin the book you will be greeted with an introduction by the authors and after the introduction you will have a brief summary of what to expect in the first segment of the book. The book has six segments: 1. Courtship, Mating and Parenting, 2. Animal Eating Habits, 3. Digestion and Excretion and more. Before you venture into the world of disgusting facts you will have a brief summary before each segment as well as what to expect in it (I realise I repeated myself in this sentence). I really enjoyed spending a few hours getting lost in this book and learning new facts and being disgusted by them – I still am by the one with mites! I also learned that some animals can change genders (from male to female and vice versa)! How cool is that! That there’s a friendship between a frog and a spider and many more!

If you’re a person who loves discovering and learning new things you will love this book! Also if you get easily disgusted then read a chapter a day!

I would like to thank the publisher Quercus Books UK for providing me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions written here are my own and weren’t influenced by anything.
Profile Image for Joelendil.
876 reviews4 followers
October 21, 2018
The subtitle says it all: look no further for an entertaining collection of gross animal trivia. Apparently this is number two in the authors’ juvenile yet educational zoology series that began with Does It Fart?.

This collection is a little less one note than the first one, in that it gives a statement about an animal and asks whether it is “true or poo.” The facts are loosely grouped into topics like mating/parenting, eating, and (of course) pooping. While a few “true or poo” questions are about common animal myths (e.g. camels store water in their humps), most are just a way to introduce an odd fact about an animal and then launch into a short description of some of its interesting characteristics. I learned some things, even in the sections that started with a common animal myth that everyone over the age of 6 knows to be false.

The explanations are light and humorous with occasional innuendoes that might not be appropriate for a younger audience (but might just go over their heads) and plenty of gross facts sure to delight people like my 9-year-old son (I’m honestly not sure what age group this is aimed at). Fun little cartoony illustrations are scattered throughout the book as an added bonus.

For me, the preoccupation with poo (while not surprising given the title) wore thin after a while. However I did have a lot of fun reading this and definitely recommend it as a fun read and a source of great trivia to astound and disgust your friends and family.
Profile Image for Kirstin.
2,123 reviews20 followers
August 22, 2018
I was given this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was extremely interesting. There were quite a few things that I hadn't ever heard of, but also many 'old wive's tales' that were put to rest.

The explanations were both scientific and easily understood. If you are looking for an interesting, fascinating read about all things animal, this is the book.
Profile Image for Natalie Cranberry.
228 reviews32 followers
May 22, 2019
This is a fun little science book! While the stories are not super in-depth they do offer a unique perspective on animal myths. The variety of animals discussed is quite good and the book itself is very humorous.

I could see this book being a total knockout on a family road trip with high schoolers or junior high students. Some of the content might be a bit beyond elementary school kids. Otherwise it is a happily PG rated romp through some of the bizarre elements of the animal kingdom.
Profile Image for Charlize A..
34 reviews
November 24, 2019
Humorous... and surprisingly informative! This book both entertains our inner 5 year old, and tells us some very interesting facts. True or Poo is a great way to learn some things that you would have never even thought of before, and it helps you to separate myth from truth (how many spiders do you swallow at night?)I really enjoyed this book, and you should definitely read it if you enjoy funny non fiction :P
Profile Image for The Kawaii Slartibartfast.
1,011 reviews23 followers
September 19, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book delightful. It was easy to understand without being condescending and has really cute illustrations.

The vignettes are short and sweet and the book is packed with information.

I would definitely recommend this book to animal lovers with a good sense of humor.
Profile Image for Olena.
307 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2020
Велике задоволення отримала від прочитання книги в оригіналі, яку придбала на Amazon-і. Вона реально спростовує багато міфів про тварин, які ми знаємо ще з дитинства. Компактна структура, коротенькі розділи - зробили можливим прочитати книжку за 3 дні. Доступно написано, цікаві речі зі світу зоології.
Profile Image for Jeff Grant.
48 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2018
Excellent for anyone looking to fill up on interesting science facts. I bought it for my daughters because you can never have a better way to intrigue kids than toilet humor. I even learned some cool tidbits.
Profile Image for Randi.
1,630 reviews31 followers
December 6, 2018
Just a fun interesting read! I love random animal facts, so this book was perfect.
Profile Image for Justin Neville.
313 reviews13 followers
December 22, 2018
Does what it says on the tin.
This will entertain and educate you for a couple of hours.
And make you regale your friends with weird facts about certain species of mite and sea cucumber.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
1,399 reviews5 followers
June 2, 2019
Fun factoids about animals. These amusing pieces of trivia are nice anecdotes for use when you want to surprise someone with a “fun fact”.
Profile Image for Ганна Кузьо.
Author 1 book78 followers
November 4, 2019
Дотепно та доступно про міфи, стереотипи і надзвичайні факти з життя тваринного світу
Profile Image for YHC.
874 reviews5 followers
March 23, 2020
short but totally interesting read for clarify animal "rumors" that we used to believe.
Profile Image for Kevin.
691 reviews10 followers
January 19, 2019
Short snippets about weird animal facts. Written as if it were for the kiddos. Doesn't get in-depth about any animal in any way that leaves you remembering much. Very light, but somewhat entertaining.
Profile Image for Becky.
135 reviews26 followers
Read
September 5, 2018
This book gives you the answers you've always wanted or the answers you didn't know you wanted and then decided you didn't ever want them because they are gross. Read this and be filled by wonderful animal trivia to share with friends and impress them! This book was so much fun! I enjoyed all the weird fun facts and would definitely recommend checking this book out.

Does an octopus throw his junk at hot ladies? Maybe.
Does touching a baby bird cause a head injury? Read this and find out!
IS MEGALODON STILL ALIVE?!? Hmmm...good question!
Was Jurassic Park right?! Will standing still save you from a T-rex? The internet and movies are always right, right?!?!
Profile Image for Cristie Underwood.
2,270 reviews66 followers
October 28, 2018
This is the perfect gift for that hard to shop for person, as it is entertaining and informative! Plus, the title is so unique that I doubt they will already have bought it. I loved this, as it was filled with tons of weird trivia type info that I never would have even wondered about before reading this!
Profile Image for Mike.
468 reviews15 followers
January 10, 2019
The perfect animal trivia book for short attention spans.

This book is chock full of interesting, odd, and just plain weird facts (and fictions) pertaining to the animal kingdom. Each entry is only a few pages long so it makes it easy to read in small doses. Leave it beside your favorite chair, in your car, (near your toilet?) anyplace where you might get the urge to have a quick read.

Told in easy to understand language and suitable for just about any reader. I recommend this book for animal lovers, trivia buffs, and those with an interest in odd scientific facts.

***Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Meghan.
Author 1 book12 followers
January 22, 2019

Ever since Fabulous Animal Facts That Hardly Anyone Knows (Fact: I still have my original edition from 1981, all taped up but still fact-full), I have enjoyed books filled with animal facts. Is True or Poo? a book filled with animal facts? Yes. Did I enjoy it. Yes. Are there pictures? Yes. Are there as many pictures, and as in colour, as Fabulous Animal Facts That Hardly Anyone Knows. No, but the facts are just as odd, and given with more detail and explanation (likely because Fabulous Animal Facts That Hardly Anyone Knows is geared towards, let's say five year old me while True or Poo? is geared towards ten year old me. Doesn't matter; thirty-eight year old me loves books filled with animal facts!). I did know most of the facts already, likely because of my (have I mentioned it yet?) interest in other books on animal facts. But I still love this animal fact book.



Plus the same authors have one on farting. I bought it for my nephews.



True or Poo? by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti went on sale October 23, 2018.


I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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