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Don't Know Much About
Don't Know Much About Planet Earth
Join best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis on an entertaining trek across the globe as he answers some big questions about the world in the amusing style that has won millions of readers. With fascinating anecdotes about the world's most unusual places and notable quotes from world travelers throughout history, Davis leads you to the longest river, coldest desert, tallest waterfall, most powerful volcanic eruption, and much more. Humorous illustrations and amazing stories make the "boring" facts of geography come to life as you read about Marco Polo's adventures in China and discover that people in Latin America speak Spanish and Portuguese -- not Latin at all! Kenneth C. Davis brings the verve of his popular best-seller Don't Know Much About® Geography to a new audience. He makes it fun to learn more about this incredible planet we call home.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2001
2 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth C. Davis
56 books426 followersKenneth C. Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Don't Know Much About® series of books and audios for adults and children. Don't Know Much About® History, the first title in the series, became a New York Times bestseller in 1991 and remained on the paperback list for 35 consecutive weeks. It has since been revised several times and now has more than 1.6 million copies in print. The 30th anniversary edition of the book was published with a new preface, "From an Era of Broken Trust to an Era of Broken Democracy."
Davis is, according to Publishers Weekly, "a go-to guy for historical insight and analysis."
AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY also became a New York Times bestseller. A NATION RISING also uses dramatic narratives to tell the "stories your textbooks left out." His book, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR (May 5, 2015) was called "searing" analysis by Publishers Weekly.
Kenneth C. Davis’s success aptly makes the case that Americans don’t hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. Davis’s approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight, and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word.
His IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SLAVERY, FOUR PRESIDENTS, AND FIVE BLACK LIVES looks at the lives of five people enslaved by four of America's most famous Presidents and the role of slavery in American history and the presidency. In May 2018, MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War was published.
STRONGMAN: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy was published by Holt. It was named among the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Washington Post.
In November 2022 GREAT SHORT BOOKS: A Year of Reading--Briefly was published by SCribner. A compendium of 58 great short works Davis read during the pandemic lock down, it is a joyous celebration of reading.
Coming in October 2024 is THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 WORKS OF GREAT SHORT NONFICTION. It is an accessible and comprehensive guide to some of the most influential and important works of nonfiction, from the earliest days of writing to contemporary times. Each entry includes information about the writers behind these consequential books and the time in which they lived.
Davis is, according to Publishers Weekly, "a go-to guy for historical insight and analysis."
AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY also became a New York Times bestseller. A NATION RISING also uses dramatic narratives to tell the "stories your textbooks left out." His book, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR (May 5, 2015) was called "searing" analysis by Publishers Weekly.
Kenneth C. Davis’s success aptly makes the case that Americans don’t hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. Davis’s approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight, and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word.
His IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SLAVERY, FOUR PRESIDENTS, AND FIVE BLACK LIVES looks at the lives of five people enslaved by four of America's most famous Presidents and the role of slavery in American history and the presidency. In May 2018, MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War was published.
STRONGMAN: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy was published by Holt. It was named among the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Washington Post.
In November 2022 GREAT SHORT BOOKS: A Year of Reading--Briefly was published by SCribner. A compendium of 58 great short works Davis read during the pandemic lock down, it is a joyous celebration of reading.
Coming in October 2024 is THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 WORKS OF GREAT SHORT NONFICTION. It is an accessible and comprehensive guide to some of the most influential and important works of nonfiction, from the earliest days of writing to contemporary times. Each entry includes information about the writers behind these consequential books and the time in which they lived.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2019
Definitely written for a younger crowd, but it gives a good simple explanation of the material.
March 17, 2021
It was an interesting book with learning about different countries and cultures and which region of the world would be good for which activity and which type of job. I think it mentioned one time why is there a Fourth of July and the author said that Christopher Columbus discovered America which is wrong, he actually went to Central America before he went to ‘America’ where a lot of Natives died as a result. He did mentioned the Natives though so I’m giving this reading a 3/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2017
I listened to the audiobook of this book, and I don't think it was a good fit for that format. This book seems designed to be read in short chunks or dipped into for reference. Plowing through the whole thing in audio format was a bit overwhelming, and we found it hard to retain much. That said, the language and topics are very accessible for kids, and it is funny enough to keep their interest.
November 20, 2017
Splendid non-fiction book.
I learned much and devoured each page.
I learned much and devoured each page.
December 19, 2017
dig it.
May 20, 2018
I would have loved this when I was twelve. As it is, it is worth reading at 37.
April 10, 2022
Snippets of facts.
February 23, 2023
A fun kid’s book about things we all ought to know about geography.
June 29, 2017
A lot of interesting facts, but probably better to actually read it than listen to it.
May 20, 2014
An interesting book full of details about each of the continents, I did find parts interesting and compelling. Although the book clearly is written for more of a middle- or high-school audience, it was informative and a good book for that age range.
May 25, 2009
This book has so many amazing facts. I want to listen to it again so that I can learn more.
November 30, 2009
An interesting blend of geography and world history. It is definitely written for a teenage audience, but I enjoyed the review and learned a bunch.
May 5, 2010
A fast and entertaining book. I kept saying "I didn't know that" while reading this book. This was geared to those with an 8th grade reading level... thus I felt right at home. :)
September 4, 2010
A fun book - lots of facts about our motherland.
September 12, 2010
It's very informative.
December 21, 2012
Easy read. Nice overview of interesting facts.
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January 16, 2013I love Kenneth C. Davis!!! This is a great book with lots of information intertwined with fun jokes and tricks to memorizing things.
May 19, 2010
Great book! Very informative and entertaining!
January 16, 2015
Campy yet information. Memorable and very to the point.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews