Trivia Books

I ordered this book because I think maybe I could get on a game show and win a lot of money. It has great information about "Millionaire", "Greed", "Hollywood Squares", "Jeopardy", "Twenty One", "Wheel of Fortune", "Win Ben Stein's Money", and "The $64,000 Question". It is a pretty book with lots of pictures, and it is very well edited.

But the best thing about the book is the 37 sets of "Millionaire"-style trivia questions. My family has had a blast taking turns being in the "Hot Seat", trying to making it to $1,000,000! These questions are Great! They are right on target with the kinds of questions that you actually watch on the show. Plus, they are very funny with some of the absurd answers that are given as possible choices. I definitely give this little book a "thumbs up" and say order this fun treat for your family.

My husband, Michael Dupee, and myself co-authored this book 5 years ago, and now we really could be TV Game Show Millionaires by following our own advice -- found in this book. My husband, Michael Dupee, is participating in the Jeopardy Ultimate Tournament of Champions which has a top prize of $2,000,000. What's more, by quizzing my husband at home to help him prepare to compete on the show, I have become really good at the trivia needed to win on Jeopardy, so maybe I will audition to go on Jeopardy after Michael completes his current tournament. Who knows? Maybe I can have a 75-game winning streak and win $2.5 million like Ken Jennings did.

I picked up this book at a book fair more for the trivia practise questions than because I had any aspirations to be on a game show. On a whim, I took the book to cafeteria duty during my job as an elementary school teacher and at the end of the lunch period, began to ask the kids questions from the book. It set the tone for the days to follow - the kids would ask when I arrived if I had "The Game Show Book" - if I did, they ate quickly and focussed on me when we organized our own after-lunch game show. Because the questions are arranged from easy to hard, it was easy to quite difficult, making it easy to adjust them to the grades that were present. The more difficult questions were quite difficult; of the 37 practise games in the book, I only got all the way to the hardest questions myself once.

Not all of the Quiz shows referred to in the book are still on, but the questions and tips given - which letters are the best to pick for "Wheel of Fortune," for example - make it a very worthwhile book.

Sutherland's books are great fun for fans of 19th century novels and literary nitpickers. He examines mysteries, plot holes, and unresolved questions in many classic novels. Sometimes Sutherland discovers an answer in the text or in history, other times the puzzles simply cannot be solved. Yet even in these cases, Sutherland can use the mystery to shed light on the writing and editing process. "Is Heathcliff a Murderer?", like the other books in this series, is a thoroughly enjoyable companion to the classic works of English literature.

Of course not, but don't let the fact that I find that one essay of Sutherland's unconvincing deter you from buying this book. There are *so many* marvelous puzzles in this book besides that one inside. Is Helen Graham illegitimate? Was he Popenjoy? What is Jo sweeping? Read to find out.

Blame it on New Jersey public schools, if you like. I find they're always a handy scapegoat. Because - though I blush to confess it - I first came across Emily Bronte's classic tale of undying love and people with confusingly similar names, Wuthering Heights, when I saw the glamorous, romantic 1939 film of that story, and not when I read the actual grim and gritty 1847 novel. This may explain why, for a long time, when I thought of that novel's hero, Heathcliff, I thought of a heroic-looking, sad-eyed Laurence Oliver, and consequently held this famous brooder in rather high esteem. I do so no longer, and the reason why can be summed up in two words - John Sutherland. This professor and scholar has, in Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, put some of the greatest novels of Western literature under a microscope, and found out all of their inconsistencies and flaws. He looks at classic literature from a new perspective, asking intriguing questions about its novels, and offering solutions to the problems they raise - putting new spins onto books which most people probably feel that they already know inside out. I, for example, thought I knew something about the character of Heathcliff, until I read Sutherland's essay about him, and his various deeds and doings. After reading this book (which discusses works by Bronte, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and George Eliot, amongst many others) I can guarantee that you will look at some of your favorite books in an entirely new way - see depths, puzzles, and inconsistencies in them that you never saw before. I, for one, now greet Laurence Olivier's entrance on the screen in Wuthering Heights with a boo and a rather rude hand gesture, rather than a pinkening of cheek and a fluttering of lash. Such is the power of Is Heathcliff a Murderer?

Just when you think you know the movie by heart...! This book covers a wonderful variety of some of the most popular movies ever shown, and tests the reader's ability to recall various aspects of it. The first night we got the book, we took turns reading the questions aloud, challenging each other. We couldn't put the book down for over an hour! Book would be great for parties, taking on long trips in the car, train....a great gift for all ages.

AWESOME! Very well written with much attention to the details. We had great fun trying to answer the questions....makes us want to watch these movies all over again! Loved the layout of the book and enjoyed the variety...especially enjoyed the comedy questions! Highly recommend it!!
Noreen C.

This book is very well written, with a very wide range of questions. No matter what your taste in movies is, there are multitudes of trivia questions to satisfy your craving! I would highly suggest this book for anyone. The entertainment is endless!!!!

Containing lots and lots of limericks, along with a vast amount of trivia, facts, stories and tales, this book will provide enjoyment for any adult who appreciates humorous tales, fun facts, and bawdy limericks. (There are even a few clean limericks thrown in, for good measure!) It provided me with many chuckles, and enlightened me to some interesting facts I had not been aware of previously. If you like limericks and enjoy laughing at the humorous side of human sexuality, you will enjoy this book.

I couldn't believe all the interesting, educational and fun stuff that was packed into this book, and at such a reasonable price. The limericks were great and I even found myself laughing at the clean ones. I would highly recommend this book to any adult who likes dirty limericks, sexual information, and fascinating sexy trivia.

Dr. Birch's newest book contains hundreds of catchy limericks, cute quotations and very clever illustrations (done by the author himself) that offer the reader hours of continuous enjoyment and amusement. Warning, this book is not for the conservative crowd! However, it has great appeal for bedroom or bathroom reading or for party time fun. Reading this book is money and time well spent...if you want to add some novelty and humor to your life.

The answer is yes-if you're an English teacher who is always looking for ways to get kids engaged with research methods in the library. This book is filled with challenges that set students in motion in the library. The rest of the non-high school world of readers should find this book a pleasant diversion and a more stimulating breakfast companion than the daily crossword.

I've had a lot of fun with this book, testing my own knowledge of literary trivia and using it on friends in my book discussion group. Appealing format, informative and entertaining. This would be a great gift for any bibliophile.

Entertainingly organized by topic, and with question lists, "Literary Trivia" is truly fun and games for book lovers.

This stuff is trivia, but Michael Gilleland and Richard Lederer deal only with the big authors. They do not ask you any inane questions about authors who no one has ever read. That would be taking trivia a step farther than what is useful. Anyone with a decent reading list will know many of the questions, and the authors present them in such a way that it also turns out to be fun learning.

What will you learn? Delightfully, nothing of consequence. Each chapter begins with a pithy discussion of what little quiz or game is to follow.

For example: in a chapter about how books end, Gilleland and Lederer tells us about the origin of "cock and bull stories". Then, they list 15 quotes to match with 15 books, and then 15 authors to match accordingly. They also generously supply the answers.

You'll ponder pen names, significant numbers, the Bible in the news (impressive overall subsection on this influential book), and, of course, a fair dose of Shakespeare trivia.

Every chapter is succinct. Get stuck or bored with one? Move onward.

This is more than bathroom bookshelf fodder, but a couch and cola book. Teachers can use this to excite students about books. Any coffeeshop owner ought to grab a few copies as well.

By the way, yes: Milton, Melville and Mencken are in here.

Do I recommend "Literary Trivia: Fun and Games for Book Lovers" by Michael Gilleland and Richard Lederer? Wholeheartedly.

Anthony Trendl
http://anthonytrendl.blogspot.com

Sure, most of us just turn the garden hose on the little varmits so we don't have to hear the missus screaming in the background. But when author Jim Cherry takes us down to their level, we wind up feeling solidarity with our scaley brethren. Cherry scores points early on by informing us that lizards have been here even before Strom Thurmond and he even scores an interview with one of the largest lizard luminaries ever recorded (no not Jim Morrison --and you can be sure Mr Cherry busts the, err umph "Lizard King" for not singing the praises of his icky minions in his reams of bad poetry). This book is factual but most importantly FUUUN! Beautifully illustrated by the author, it's a refreshing refresher on something most of us know nothing about.Why doesn't someone give this Jim a nature show?

This is a real find. Even if they have zero interest in reptiles, anyone who has curiousity and a sense of humor would enjoy this little book. The writing style is a combination of Dennis Miller's sarcasm, Bill Nye the Science Guy's mix of facts and fun, Monty Python's surrealism, and a pinch of David Sedaris's self-deprecation. A great airplane or lazy day read. I couldn't put it down. Made a great stocking stuffer gift for the readers on my list. Most amazing is this book's artful blend of solid information, interestingly presented and wacky fun. Great colorful graphics, too, including paintings by Hieronymous Bosch, Ed Mell, Maynard Dixon and others. Godzilla makes a couple appearances, as well.

Don't miss it.

Okay, I'll confess up front: I'm in this book. But when author Jim Cherry first contacted me to interview me for his book, I really didn't have a clear idea what the book was going to be about, other than the fact that it wasn't going to be about the care of captive lizards nor was it to be a natural history book about wild lizards.

Well, Jim was wrong about that: the book is wild. It's wildly fun and colorful, a cornucopia of lizardly facts and artifacts, with lizards in history, lizards in movies, lizards on the walls, even lizards on CDs. Jim has put together a kaleidoscopic collection of information, art work and more in the exploration of the human relationship with lizards, both as living animals and graphic representations in a wide range of media and cultures.

As a herp keeper and educator, I read a lot of books on reptiles. Loco For Lizards was a real treat for me, a welcome and often laugh-filled break from the mundane. A must buy for those interested in lizards in whatever form, as well as a great gift for the herper on your list.

yeh yeh yeh !!!!

This is an excellent book. There is a lot to read here. It is more like a mini encyclopedia of oddities.

This thick little book will have you chuckling and guffawing---did I mention laughing?---because of its skewered spin on just about all human and animal peculiarities. DON'T PASS IT UP!

This is a great little book to pass the time anywhere! I keep it in my purse for those waits at the doctor's office, airport, wherever! The facts in this publication are so much fun to read and to share and they make great cocktail party conversation!

Great book for those who enjoy random trivia. Contains short snippets of intersting info.

A surprisingly tiny book. (The picture in the upper-left corner is nearly actual size.) After receiving it, I immediately looked up its dimensions in the description on this page. It says 4.7 x 3.3 x 0.6. I had not noticed that before I ordered it. The book seems much smaller than that. Not that that is a problem; it was just somewhat of a shock to find such a minuscule book when I opened the box.

I believe it is intended to be carried with you in your pocket or glove box or the locket around your neck so you'll have a chance to pick out a few choice topics of conversation before you enter a party or whatever.

It certainly is not intended as bathroom reading. For one thing, the pages are much too small for emergency TP use.

Not that I am complaining, mind you. This is a gem of a book with over 200 interesting bits of trivia listed more or less alphabetically from "The Amish" to "Zero". (This is not to imply that the title of each page has much to do with the text, but who cares - the book is fun.)

Each page has its stated "Fact" and a follow-up paragraph to expound on the subject.

Also, there are a number of pages randomly strewn through the book with three "Instant Personalities" each - little tidbits of info about famous people. (Although, Thomas Jefferson got his own page, as did Alfred Hitchcock.)

And unlike another trivia book I purchased recently (Bla Bla), the information here is actually correct. Will and Mangesh research their topics, not just publish un-provable "facts" gathered from the Internet. Use the contents with confidence.

My six year old received this for xmas and loves it!! It is challenging and FUN for him. He definitely needs help with some of the spelling, but thoroughly enjoys it! And how can you complain about something that helps with penmanship and spelling skills!!

Our daughter is at a 1st grade reading and writing level and she loves this book. She definitely needs help with spelling some of the words but loves that she can do many of the lines herself. The pictures are clear, the boxes are large. Overall a well done book!

I work with kids with autism who are very bright, but need to practice writing and communication skills. The picture crosswords give them a fun alternative to writing paragraphs and a little more workout than a regular crossword, since they need to translate the picture into words and then figure out where to put the word in the grid. It is a big hit with them and a great exercise for them.

This book has the best of both worlds:
- Through the trivia questions, the book is an enjoyable source of entertainment for the film noir lover, and even let me learn some stuff about my favourite movies;
and
- The list at the end of the book serves as a thorough reference to complete one's knowledge of all the film noir movies out there.
Highly recommended!

I am the author of this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's a great way to learn more about your favorite films and learn about films you may never have seen. There is also a large section on actors, writers, and directors which gives insights into their lives.

A fun read for fans of film noir, this book compiles trivia for dozens of the top film noir from the 1940s and 1950s. It's a great way to spend some time, testing your knowledge of these films, the actors who starred in them, the writers who wrote them, and the directors who made them. The book concludes with a fairly comprehensive list of film noir, including many foreign film noir movies not listed in some books on the subject.
Truly a must for the classic movie lover.