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How to Avoid Huge Ships: And Other Implausibly Titled Books
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96 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 30, 2011
A display of award-winning books - for their bizarre titles.
It is kind of quirky.
Several titles did jump out at me
Entertaining With Insects - Ways to cook with insects. Not sure I want to cook with insects. And the one recipe they showed that I looked at (there was more than one shown) didn't even specify what kind of insects were to be used. Although it did suggest used mealworms for Garlic Butter Fried Insects. I don't even want to think about garlic butter fried worms.
Bombproof Your Horse - actually this is just desensitizing your horse to noises. but the image in my mind was armoring it - of course, I guess they kind of did that before in the Middle Ages when horses would wear mail.
Do It Yourself Brain Surgery and 50 Other do at home projects. They didn't show any examples of the DIY brain surgery but displayed a crocheted San Francisco Bridge.
And the ever popular, Woodworking with a Chainsaw - it did suggest that before trying to do woodwork with a chainsaw that you actually get instruction first. And apparently lists a place where you can get instructions. Yes, I can imagine that would get out of hand real easy and real fast. First thing you know and you have lost a foot.
It is kind of quirky.
Several titles did jump out at me
Entertaining With Insects - Ways to cook with insects. Not sure I want to cook with insects. And the one recipe they showed that I looked at (there was more than one shown) didn't even specify what kind of insects were to be used. Although it did suggest used mealworms for Garlic Butter Fried Insects. I don't even want to think about garlic butter fried worms.
Bombproof Your Horse - actually this is just desensitizing your horse to noises. but the image in my mind was armoring it - of course, I guess they kind of did that before in the Middle Ages when horses would wear mail.
Do It Yourself Brain Surgery and 50 Other do at home projects. They didn't show any examples of the DIY brain surgery but displayed a crocheted San Francisco Bridge.
And the ever popular, Woodworking with a Chainsaw - it did suggest that before trying to do woodwork with a chainsaw that you actually get instruction first. And apparently lists a place where you can get instructions. Yes, I can imagine that would get out of hand real easy and real fast. First thing you know and you have lost a foot.
July 14, 2014
This is brilliant. I think this is a book everyone needs to read.
The introduction had me laughing out loud and it continued from there. It shows the picture of the book on one page with the name and a description of what the book is actually about on the other page, sometimes with similar books. Sometimes seeing the cover just makes it even better and sometimes even having the description doesn't explain why the book exists.
Just a fun little book to flip through.
The introduction had me laughing out loud and it continued from there. It shows the picture of the book on one page with the name and a description of what the book is actually about on the other page, sometimes with similar books. Sometimes seeing the cover just makes it even better and sometimes even having the description doesn't explain why the book exists.
Just a fun little book to flip through.
February 6, 2015
A funny collection of odd and amusing book titles.
My favourites are: 'Bombproof your horse,' 'NUCLEAR WAR: What's in it for you?' and 'The anger of aubergines'
My favourites are: 'Bombproof your horse,' 'NUCLEAR WAR: What's in it for you?' and 'The anger of aubergines'
April 1, 2019
I have an eclectic taste in art forms, to say the least. Whether I review books, or theatre productions, or music, the range of material I like is pretty vast. I'm rather pleased then to have found some time ago a wonderful resource online called Interesting Literature. Curated by Dr Oliver Tearle, the website posts a range of different literary subjects as large as my own taste. One such area is bizarre or unusual literature, and this is proving costly as I inevitably end up hooked and buy the books.
It is Dr Tearle's fault then, that I am reviewing this book after reading his own review. It was so cheap, easily purchased online and took minutes to read (and most of that was on reading the introduction). But what a delight! And what an investment...
The book lists the best of the 'Diagram Prize' - an annual book contest established in 1978 to determine the oddest book titles of the year. One of the tenets of the prize is to know as little about the books as possible in order to best appreciate the oddness of the titles. For a prize, I understand this reasoning; but for the book, I feel a slight drop in the rating is appropriate for the lack of detail about each titled featured.
Nevertheless, the pictures of each book cover are enough to send me on a new mission. As an avid (and unapologetic) collector of 'collections' - usually in magazine form but also books, DVDs and other media - I now have my new long-term collection goal: I want every book featured in this book by Joel Rickett. The books will surely be put on full display in my home for the benefit of guests. Titles like 'How Green were the Nazis?', 'Italian without Words' and 'The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America' - how can I resist?
But, as I say, my taste in literature is eclectic. You may be concerned to know that I intend, not just to purchase these books over the next few years, but to read them too. I really do want to know about 'Old Tractors and the men who love them'! Or perhaps you don't find it odd? Perhaps you are one of the few like myself and, I suspect, Dr Tearle, who will happily while away a few hours on such subjects.
That said, 'Reading Toes' and 'The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories' might require a steely determination I normally only reserve for Conrad or Hemingway...
It is Dr Tearle's fault then, that I am reviewing this book after reading his own review. It was so cheap, easily purchased online and took minutes to read (and most of that was on reading the introduction). But what a delight! And what an investment...
The book lists the best of the 'Diagram Prize' - an annual book contest established in 1978 to determine the oddest book titles of the year. One of the tenets of the prize is to know as little about the books as possible in order to best appreciate the oddness of the titles. For a prize, I understand this reasoning; but for the book, I feel a slight drop in the rating is appropriate for the lack of detail about each titled featured.
Nevertheless, the pictures of each book cover are enough to send me on a new mission. As an avid (and unapologetic) collector of 'collections' - usually in magazine form but also books, DVDs and other media - I now have my new long-term collection goal: I want every book featured in this book by Joel Rickett. The books will surely be put on full display in my home for the benefit of guests. Titles like 'How Green were the Nazis?', 'Italian without Words' and 'The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America' - how can I resist?
But, as I say, my taste in literature is eclectic. You may be concerned to know that I intend, not just to purchase these books over the next few years, but to read them too. I really do want to know about 'Old Tractors and the men who love them'! Or perhaps you don't find it odd? Perhaps you are one of the few like myself and, I suspect, Dr Tearle, who will happily while away a few hours on such subjects.
That said, 'Reading Toes' and 'The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories' might require a steely determination I normally only reserve for Conrad or Hemingway...
February 4, 2016
Awesome. It's not a book you read, precisely; you gaze upon it in delight.
May 9, 2018
It's fun but I have encountered even weirder titles for some books while browsing in bookstores.
Read
August 1, 2020An intro which gives some background to the awards handed out to implausibly titled books, and after that it's not much more than cover shots with some limited book information.
March 15, 2022
Worth all $2.99 plus $3.00 shipping I spent for this. Will definitely be picking up some of the titled books within.
March 18, 2023
An amusing book filed with 50 book titles which are incredibly amusing
December 11, 2023
Best self help book available on the market. Well worth the price (I got it for free).
Edit: after reading the introduction I'm disappointed in the exclusion of Weeds in a Changing World.
Edit: after reading the introduction I'm disappointed in the exclusion of Weeds in a Changing World.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
"Nuclear war. What's in it for you?" might be my favorite.
July 13, 2016
First, you have to love books.
Second, you have to enjoy oddity, in particular a book published for a specialized readership that, when removed from that narrow context, has a ridiculous title.
Third, you have to appreciate the effort of curating such odd titles and sharing them.
Now you are sure to love the work of The Bookseller and its Diagram Prize. This delicious small book is a compilation of winning titles. Some would finish the whole thing in half an hour or less. The connoisseur will re-indulge and laugh all over again. Sheer fun.
Second, you have to enjoy oddity, in particular a book published for a specialized readership that, when removed from that narrow context, has a ridiculous title.
Third, you have to appreciate the effort of curating such odd titles and sharing them.
Now you are sure to love the work of The Bookseller and its Diagram Prize. This delicious small book is a compilation of winning titles. Some would finish the whole thing in half an hour or less. The connoisseur will re-indulge and laugh all over again. Sheer fun.
June 9, 2011
Books you never knew you wanted to read ...Includes such must-reads as "Stray Shopping Carts", "Versailles, a view from Sweden", "Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers" and the ever-titillating (title-ating?) "Confessions of a Pagan Nun".
September 6, 2008
This is a great little coffee table book containing full colour covers of books with improbable titles. My personal favourite is 'Greek rural postmen and their cancellation numbers'.
December 28, 2011
Some funny titles. Others struck me as reasonable titles on reasonable subjects, which diluted my giggling.
July 5, 2012
Pictures and taglines of humorously titled books.
June 7, 2013
If you've never heard of the diagram prize then this is the book to enlighten and inspire. Warning: You may begin laughing hysterically when you read this book and be unable to stop.
January 2, 2016
It's a quirky little, ( gift sized) book,, rounds out at 96 pgs long. You'll get a stray laugh, chuckle & smile here and there and then you'll move on with life.
September 24, 2016
herrlich abseitig, amüsant und nicht überstrapaziert.
August 12, 2017
This is unfortunately not nearly as funny as the premise implies. A few of the book titles are funny, and some are quite funny, but the majority just aren't.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews