Trivia Books

I have been trying to order this from Amazon since October 2005. Twice now they have delayed and delayed the delivery for months only to finally cancel the order. They clearly do not have access to this book.

Stephen Spignesi worte the Stephen King Encylopedia, a book I still read a couple of times a month. He knows his subject and is rather talented as a writer himself. If you've seen the encyclopedia then you've read excerpts of King's immature work. This book concentrates on the lost works : the material King did as a raw kid (This isn't a put down. King's youthful stuff shows that even then he had gift)but don't forget that this is all material that he chose not to publsih or stuck in a drawer somewhere.

The Lost Work is really for totally devoted fans, the people who will buy anything that has King's name on it or in it. The rest of us probably won't be as enamored.

This book does not contain any complete work by Stephen King, but it explores many texts or other works that are little known and that are at times difficult to find. It sums up the texts, works, stories, etc, gives the starting line and at times the punch line, analyzes these works and evaluates the chances one may have to get them. Some of these works are nowadays more readily available than said in the book. It is the case of « L.T.'s Theory of Pets » that has been published in an audio cassette version as read by Stephen King himself in London in 1998 (Stephen King Live !, 1999) or of « Lunch at the Gotham Café » read by the author and published in the form of a CD audiobook (Blood and Smoke, 2000). This book gives some insight on how Stephen King works by exemplifying working or alternative versions of some books we know, and by also covering some rare pieces that show how adventurous and compulsive a writer he may be. I particularly appreciate the column he has in The Maine Campus from february 1969 to may 1970. A must, in other words, for the students of Stephen King's works, the Stephen King literate and the Stephen King lovers. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

SHORT: Fans only, I'd say. For them it may be essential, although the writing style is probably offputting for some. LONG: I found this book quite entertaining due to its contents. (Remember that the "complete" SK encyclopedia by the same author a couple of years back was largely confined to fiction.) Spignesi traces many items in the King universe that are obscure and difficult (impossible in some cases) to obtain. If you want to read about rare newspaper appearances, juvenilia, crosswords, and the like (i.e., if you're a die-hard King fanatic like me), you'll probably want to buy this book - although Tyson Blue covered a fair amount of the rare stuff until 1989 in his UNSEEN KING (starmont). I have to say, though, that I find Spignesi's style of writing, like that of Blue earlier, a little off-putting. It is clear that he is enthusiastic about King and his work, ephemeral as some of the pieces discussed in this book may sometimes be. But there is a line, I think, between unobtrusive and still informative prose (like that of Winter and Collings, who write a carefully measured prose but are still fun to read) and a style that may at best be described as chatty and informal, at worst as annoying fannish hyperbole. The more's the pity since this book could have been so much more - if you're looking for critical discussions that go beyond the superficial, I guess you better stick with the many works of Collings. With a subject matter like this it's inevitable that some customers may be disappointed not to actually get to read some of these "oddities," but with the help of the internet it is possible to collect rare King texts, at least, on a beer budget. And then there is, of course, the BOMC collection SECRET WINDOWS, where you might start to gather a couple of rare pieces. All in all, I'd rank it 3 out of 5.

A very interesting book. I am rereading now actually

I'm not entirely sure who the intended audience of this book is. I'm interesting in things specific to NJ or people born in NJ so I skimmed this book, noting with interest certain events, but I primarily wanted to focus on anything dealing with NJ.

The layout of the text was for me, maddening. Let's say there are 5 items listed for a certain date. Sometimes the authors discuss the events in chronilogical order. Other times they address the most signifigant events first. Sometimes the different events have their own paragraphs, sometimes they don't. In short, to find the discussion of one item you practically need to read them all because there is no pattern or separations. Even more infuriating is that if there are two related events (for exmaple the break-in at watergate, and the resignation of president Nixon) there usually is a reference to the other event. However, sometimes they discuss the event there, and sometimes not. Combine that with the above layout issues, and I could be searching for something that simply isn't there!

Not that this is a problem, per se, but in reading this book I couldn't help but wonder about the editorial process in terms of selection of material to be included. David Lee Roth's birthday is listed, but there are numerous important musicians who aren't. Who decides? and why? and what's the criteria? (I realize its the authors who decided, but you get my point)

I just felt as though the book was inadequate for the task. I felt the same way about Chases Calendar of Events, a book which tries to list annual events, holidays, celebrations, birthdays, etc worldwide. There must be literally dozens of events that took place on March 12th or June 19th. To list only 4 somehow feels incomplete. I realize this was probably done to keep the book from being 500 pages. But if you're gonna do something, do it full and right or not at all...

It almost inspires me to want to write my own book of "things that happened today" because I felt this one was so incomplete. Then I read some of the other reviews. Didn't realize there were errors in this book. Now I realize I SHOULD write my own version.

I was disappointed in this book. As an earlier review notes, it _appears_ to be "thoroughly researched," but it's full of errors. Just leafing through the book, with no further research, a number of mistakes jump out.
Among the mistakes - the authors say "the US Air Force" dropped the bomb on Hiroshima; the US Air Force wasn't in existence yet - it was the Army Air Forces that dropped the bomb. The authors twice say the atomic bomb was "tested at Los Alamos"; no - the atomic bomb was developed at Los Alamos, but tested 175 miles away near Carrizozo NM. The authors twice, again, report that Nero was "the emperor who fiddled while Rome burned (in 37 AD)" - a neat trick, considering the violin wasn't invented for another 1500 years or so. The authors twice tell us that Tenzing Norkay accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on Everest; the name is Norgay. The authors tell us that Edmund Hillary said he climbed "because it's there"; it wasn't Hillary, but George Mallory, some 35 years earlier, who gave that response.
Many of the entries gloss over, or over-simplify, the facts. For instance, the authors truthfully attribute "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" to Admiral Farragut; however, they don't tell us that the "torpedoes" of that day were not self-propelled, but what we would call mines. Whitely's _The Teacher's Calendar_ fills in the missing relevant information.
On historical events such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, Whitely gives more background than these authors.
On other events, such as the seizing of the Amistad, _This Day in History_ is silent, while Whitely's book gives a detailed discussion.
Another example of gloss is the authors' report that Galileo "created a telescope so he could observe the heavens." Galileo certainly improved the telescope, but he didn't invent it.
The unwarranted, even "cutesy," conclusions the authors frequently draw hamper the usefulness of this book. The authors tell us that at Hiroshima "we learned that man had no control over the terrible might of the microscopic atom." In fact, man showed his ability to control atomic forces at Hiroshima, and you can't see atoms through a microscope anyway.
The authors say that the USSR/Nazi Germany non-aggression pact was "the fuse that ignited the Second World War." Elsewhere the authors tell us that WWII "was ignited when Germany invaded Poland." The statements are contradictory and simplistic.
Of course, the book does have its moments - there are a number of stories which appear to be detailed, correct, and interesting. Yet these have limited use, since the reader has to verify every part of the story, in view of the authors' frequent errors on other entries. Am I being too picky? I don't think so - not with a book which certainly intends to be used as an accurate source of history.
You might consider this book for the limited use of knowing a few events that happened on each day, accepting that the book's facts may be wrong and its conclusions unmerited. This book could certainly use some good editing and fact-checking.
A _much_ better book for the classroom, or parent, is Sandy Whiteley's _The Teacher's Calendar: School Year 2001-2002_. Not only is Whitely much more accurate, but she includes many more events per day, and frequently more information on each event than these authors do.

I love the fact that the authors give details behind the events on each of the days. It's thoroughly researched and well-written. It makes this book very hard to put down.

I've never posted a review before, but when I noticed the errors in the previous review, I felt compelled to come to the defense of one of my favorite books. I found this book to be remarkably insightful, engaging, and accurate. Its day-by-day is a fresh way to look at history. Now, as for those errors:

According to Gregory Titelman's, "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" `Nero fiddled while Rome burned' refers to "...heedless and irresponsible behavior in the midst of a crisis." Legend has it that in A.D. 64 the emperor Nero (A.D. 37 - A.D. 68), last of the Caesars, set fire to Rome to see `how Troy would look when it was in flames' and to serve as suitable background for a recitation of his poetry while accompanying himself on the lyre..." For the sake of acuracy, should all disctionaries of popular sayings be amended to: Nero lyred while Rome burned?

Norkay is not incorrect. If the writer were familiar with the differences between Wade-Giles and pinyin translations into English, he'd know that Norkay is Wade-Giles, Norgay is pinyin, and both are simply alternative translations from Nepalese which does not use the western alphabet.

As for the nuclear testing not occuring at Los Alamos, virtually every text on the subject correctly cites the tests as having occurred at Los Alamos. Of course they didn't do them in the lab. Of course they took them out into their back yard (way out into their back yard). However, the point is, the tests were conducted from the Los Alamos lab. They were analyzed in the Los Alamos lab. They we conducted by the Los Alamos Lab. Is it such a crucial piece of history that the actual explosion took place far enough away that it didn't obliterate the lab? Or is it simply a point of pride to the critic that he's aware of this inconsequential and obvious historical footnote. If every detail of every event were included in this book, you'd need a forklift to open it.

As for the US Air Force being the US Army Air Force prior to 1947, he's right. However, at that time, it was commonly referred to as the US Air Force.

According to the back cover, there are over 10,000 entries in this book. If those are the most glaring points this armchair critic could cite, it seems like he should have given the book five stars, as I did. I love this book.

As a home-educating mom, I am constantly on the lookout for non-textbook, non-traditional ways to introduce my children to historical events and people. This book fits the bill to a T! It is a simple and painless way to learn a little bit about a lot of things and has sparked some great discussions in the short time that we have been reading it. A must for all home educators!

This book is okay, the commentary is nice as well, but it really does not have anything in it the average Buffy fan does not already know. Most die hard fans like me are looking for things we can go back and watch that we probably missed...as well as really good trivia. For the true Buffy fan, those of us who have seen every episode at least 50 times or more, I strongly recommend The Big Book Of Buffy Bites 2008. This book is up to date (2008), and contains everything you could possibly want to know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer...and more. One feature I have not seen in any other book, is a detailed time line of all the slayers...from the First Slayer...all the way to Buffy. This was a pleasant surprise.

While it is much advised to also purchase Keith Topping's more comprehensive guide, this small diamond in the rough is appealing in it's own way. Some of the general information *is* found within Topping's larger body of work on Buffy, however, this smaller guide has more of a fun and frisky vibe.

One of my favorite features of this guide is the in-depth look at Spike, and the journey and struggles his character had to go through, including his deeply-rooted love for the Slayer and the repercussions it had on both himself and Buffy. In separate installments throughout the book, Topping explores different aspects of Spike's life in order to better understand the man (...er, vampire) he eventually became. From the day Drusilla sired him and saved him from mediocrity, as Spike himself so eloquently put it, to their love affair that spanned centuries, to his fateful arrival in Sunnydale, and on down the line through the major events in Spike's life. As a Spike fan, I find Topping's take on the subject fascinating.

This is an easy read, and a must-have for Buffy fans. Keith Topping is a self-made Buffy expert, and the book includes fun features such as "Top 10" and "Top 25" lists. For example, there is a "25 Best Episodes" list (according to Keith Topping's opinion, of course, but he's mostly right), and a "Top 20 Most Creative Deaths".

If you want a full in-depth Buffy guide with comprehensive episode guides and trivia to boot, then buy "The Complete Slayer". If you just want a light read with some fun inside info, then this is the one for you. I personally recommend owning both, as I do, but it's up to you.

This is a great little collection of Buffy trivia, cleverly categorized and fun to read. However, if you've already picked up Keith Topping's outstanding same-titled episode guides, "Slayer", you won't see anything here you haven't seen before. While it's worth a look for the Buffy-obsessed, and its much smaller size makes it more accessible as a reference for trivia games, you can get all it contains and much more by reading "The Complete Slayer", Topping's compilation of three previous books that contains his wonderful tour of every episode of Buffy, and then goes on to explore the life the series has outside its 7-year television run in books, comics, the internet, fan fic, philosophy/education, and more.

Still, this is a fun way to spend some time, and the only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because the material is gleaned (often word for word) from the larger works. Topping's take on the Buffyverse is thoughtful, sensitive, often hilarious, and always interesting, and his attention to detail is amazing. He has some great sources that provided behind-the-scenes details most of us wouldn't know about otherwise. Even if you've read the episode guides, you won't be disappointed here, but you'll probably experience some serious deja vu.

I can't say much more than what was already expressed above. I originally wanted the book because I thought it was actually a question and answer thing, it is not. The book has many FACTS about the show, spanning seven years. If you are a Spike fan you might like the book a bit more, Keith Topping writes a ten part series about Spike. The book shows a brief summary of Buffy's seven seasons, but not into great detail. It also shows the 30 "greatest episodes" and the 7 worst episodes according to Topping. "Britishisms", Bible references, movies, and television programs that were featured in Buffy, are also displayed in the book. A few characters have their "defined" moments in Buffy. The book also has the most memorable quotes from each season. There are some other fun little tidbits of info and opinions that are fun to ponder! I'm sure this little book will help you on Buffy trivia night or something like that. Hey, I'm not a "reader" and I didn't go to bed until the book was done, took me around 4 hours! Again, it's not a question and answer book..and most hardcore Buffy fans won't find much information they don't know. Still all and all, I would suggest it! I will be sure to purchase more books by the author! Happy reading!

This book is sort of a quick pocket guide to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series but it isn't the best value for Buffy fans. There's a lot of stuff here in this little (I hadn't paid attention to the dimensions Amazon lists) guide but most of it is repeated in Toppings Complete Slayer book, usually in even greater detail.
I thought the little several page sumary of all seven years was interesting, maybe even as good as reading the episode notes in teh DVD sets would be. I didn't mind the different trivia sections, lots of things in them, but in this book Topping just lists things as occuring in an episode by the show title- in The Complete Slayer he also lists the episode number (which I particularly liked as I don't remember most episodes by title and need more help in finding them).
The most interesting facts I read here, but don't remember from his Ultimate guide, concerned Gile's home in England (seen in early 7th season)- apparently that is Anthony Stewart Head's real home, the other fact was a "you might also have seen me in" trivia bit about the actress who played Marcy the invisible girl in 1st season. I don't remember ever seeing her picture in the episode itself but this bit tells of a movie she's appeared in.
The book is a fun little read but for only a couple of dollars more get Topping's Complete Slayer, it is a much better value.

This book is one of the best books about The X-Files. Not only can you "test" yourself after every episode, the questions help you discover details that you never caught. It also has questions about David and Gillian. After going through this book, I found myself making up my own questions. Once again, any fan of the show should get this book to add to their collection.

I think the x-files should be given the biggest award because Chris Carter has put a lot of work in the show and so have David and Gillian. They are the best actors I have ever seen and I have seen all the episodes of THE_X_FILES at they are the BEST!

This book helped mre get even more interested in the show and bet my friend one on one in an x files tornement!!!!!!!!!!!I suggest it to all who love the x files

If your a serious X-phile, you'll find that most of these quizzes are nothing new. I was hoping to find questions that I could "test" my friends with, but most of these facts I already knew, or disagreed with the answers, with the episodes to prove it. I was dissappointed that it wasn't more in-depth.

I can't tell you how insulted I was after I read this "IQ" test. Not only is the trivia simple, but they even got the facts wrong on some of them. They quoted lines incorrectly and attatched quotes to the wrong people. But the most unforgivable sin in the entire book would probably be the fact that the spelled Mulder incorrectly. If you consider yourself even halfway knowledgeable in the area of the X-files, this is not the book for you. Please. Don't waste your money.

The book makes a mistake about Mr. Stevenson (Blake on MASH). The book says MS left MASH and in no time was on hello Larry. Excuse me! Hello Larry began about four years after MS left MASH.

"You Did What?" is a collection of tales of decisions that were at best foolhardy and at worst disastrous. Various authors contribute to this work, and the quality of the chapters varies as a result (there are quite a few examples of bad grammar and poor sentence structure throughout the book). Overall, the book is entertaining. Different subjects of varied historical significance are covered, from the Trojan Horse debacle and President Harrison's refusal to wear a coat at his frigid inaugural, to the "Heidi Bowl" and the bad career decisions of several TV actors. This is a quirky book that's rather light on any deep historical information or insight, and the mistakes in writing can be disconcerting. Overall, though, it's worth checking out for some lighthearted reading.

On page 219, Thomsen writes that Ronald Reagan divorced Jane Wyman, "everyone's favorite mother from 'Father Knows Best'."

Maybe he meant Jane Wyatt, who WAS the mother on 'Father Knows Best' or maybe he misplaced Jane Wyman, who was certainly no one's favorite mother on 'Falcon Crest'. The similarity of these actresses ends with the similarity of their names. Their appearance and acting would not be confused by even a casual inspection. This is an error which could easily have been avoided with only the slightest effort at research, which was evidently not done.

I found the book quite entertaining and enlightening until I got to that page. A simple, avoidable error like that one makes me question the credibility of the rest of the book.

Personally, I enjoyed the book. There was much I learned from this book. I knew very little of the Galveston Hurricane. I did not realize that "New Coke" is still made in certain parts of the country. I never realized that Napoleon's big mistake at Waterloo was in having the wrong adjutant in charge. Or how the Kaiser's hatred for his mother helped in causing World War 1. This and many more interesting tidbits are top be found in this book. The only problem with this book is that most of the entries are fairly modern.

Reading this terribly uneven book was the most irritating experience I've had in a long time. Its title seemed to indicate a tongue-in-cheek approach to history's gaffes and goofs, in the vein of "The Darwin Awards". Instead, the reader was often treated to rather ordinary recititations of history. The tale of Watergate was told in a straightforward style without entertainment value. The barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire were a dull, unfunny and undetailed summary (in only 7 pages !) of 400 years of Roman history. Other stories held my interest better, not due to the writing but because of the unfamiliar subject matter. The story of Ferdinand de Lesseps' first attempt to build the Panama Canal was an example. But even this tale, which tried to poke fun at de Lesseps' folly, just wasn't funny.

The book, subtitled "Mad Plans and Great Historical Disasters," is less about the folly of human beings than about the unexpected (but not mad) turns that human activities take. Who knew ahead of time that aspirin would have value while heroin would become a social scourge?

I'll say this for the book: as annoying as it was, I kept coming back to it until I finished it. That's worth 3 stars.

It's main use is for cbs sportslin

A rip-roaring ride through the land of basketball trivia. Ratermann is poignant and articulate. His best work since "Two on the Aisle". Brosi's research is immaculate. I laughed as I read through the section on ABA trivia. I cried when I read that Cindy Crawford never scored in an organized basketball game. A must read for the basketball fanatic that can't find the information on the Internet. I am looking forward to reading the next work of these brilliant associates. Bring on the next book!!

I have learned alot about basketball with this book. It has great facts and up to date info. If you havent bought it you are missing alot of info.

some very far out trivia mixed with some familiar q and a make for a very entertaining trivia book.

As Forrest Gump would say, "I Love Paul Revere, Whether He Rode or Not" is like a box of chocolates. You just don't know what you're going to get.

Author Richard Shenkman has filled this book with bucketfuls of interesting and often surprising historical tidbits. But in reaching for the good stuff he sometimes overreaches, including items that are questionable or just dull.

Shenkman is at his best when he picks a specific and well-known historical "fact" -- and then carefully debunks it. For example: The Pilgrims didn't land at Plymouth Rock, Prohibition wasn't the flop many believe and Betsy Ross did not sew the first American flag.

At other times, Shenkman's assumptions about what Americans believe are dubious. He says the anti-slavery radical John Brown really wasn't a hero -- but I never considered him one. He says that "it is often thought" that Franklin Roosevelt got his inspiration for the New Deal from John Maynard Keynes (and then disproves it). Huh? I've never heard that one.

Shenkman even tries to debunk the phrase "History repeats itself" by showing that historical events always have different circumstances. C'mon. No one thinks the phrase means history repeats itself *exactly*.

Don't get me wrong. There's a lot in this book that's thought-provoking, just not all of it. For the most part, Shenkman is fastidious in providing examples to illustrate his points. Curiously, though, he occasionally throws out a debatable statement without any support, as when he says, "It is now conceded that the weakness of the politcal parties is disastrous."

I'd suggest this book might be best used like a reference book. Keep it on your shelf, and when you're curious about an episode in American history, use the index to see what Shenkman has to say about it. There's a good chance he'll have something to say that surprises you.

I found this to be a pretty good book. It provides fun information about history that you can use to impress your friends. Pick it up.

Shenkman seems to be a little too excited to rebute everything and much too eager to base his pronouncements on questionable or no documentation. Healthy scepticism is good, but being just as willing to believe nothing good and only the bad is irresponsible. Often he has a whole page to explain the "truth" without a single footnote as to where the information is backed up by documentation. Or else the documentation is questionable--one example--in stating that Eli Whitney did not invent the cotton gin he cites a book and an author neither of which comes up on an Amazon or Google search. Shenkman's information on Davey Crockett is downright laughable. Sure he was a blowhard, but his frontiersman and shooting skills are unquestionable and I feel the one source he quotes which says otherwise has to be considered suspect at best. And he did die fighting for his country.
His take on Civil War info is obviously biased and slanted. I feel that his superior attitude that freedom is not worth fighting for is the result of naively taking for granted what America is all about. Some of his information is correct, much is questionable, and some is downright wrong. Don't automatically believe any account of history including this one.

Richard Shenkman reviews the facts behind the legends of American History. He researched various books to present a new look at old history. Where could these mistakes come from? Perhaps it comes from the official history books selected by the Boards of Education. Some from entertainments passed off as history. There is always the need to present old history to "prove" the correctness of current politics. If reading opposing viewpoints educates you, read this entertaining book and become a little wiser.

Chapter 1 is on 'Patriotism'. Our national flag was rarely in use until after the War for the Union. Troops used regimental colors or state flags. The Pledge of Allegiance was created in 1892. Shenkman seems to not understand the phrase "our flag was still there" (p.8). The meaning to me is whether Fort McHenry was captured. Using lyrics from a song about drinking and loving would not be objectionable to 19th century military (p.9). Chapter 2 is on 'Religion'. Shenkman corrects the misinformation spread by corporate advertising. The fact that church membership (and the right to vote - p.25) was limited suggests churches operated as a ruling class and limited its membership by choice (p.23). Page 29 tells how Madison and Jefferson refused public prayers. Lincoln was the first president to affirm the usefulness of religion in politics. Lincoln was never baptized and never a member of any church; he used religion as per Machiavelli's advice. Chapter 3 is on 'Work and Play'. Shenkman doesn't note that as workers became wage-earners instead of self-employed in the 19th century, there was a new need for leisure time activities. Almost all entertainment or sports were invented in the Victorian era (p.35). Show business is the true opiate of the people. The work ethic was replaced by the consumer ethic in the 1920s (p.45). Could scrimping and saving ruin the American economy (p.46)?

Chapter 4 is on 'Business'. Business has a long history of getting help from the government: special franchises, bounties, grants, immunities, protective tariffs, and land grants. Originally, corporations could not be created unless it performed a public service: canals, railroads, water supplies (p.53). Page 58 gives an example of censored history which made this book necessary. Shenkman identifies Marriner Eccles as the prophet of deficit spending (p.61). Page 63 notes how military spending supports business. The statistic about cotton production "not until fifteen years after" is misleading; 1860 produced a huge crop. The statistic about railroad trackage is also suspect (p.65). "War is the continuation of [business rivalry] through non-diplomatic means" said Clausewitz. The post war period of "laissez faire" resulted in more economic depressions than any time in history. The output of commodities increased at a slower rate than before the Civil War (p.69)!

The book concludes with Chapter 12 'So Many Myths'. Page 193 tells of praise for Mayes' book; does this result from advertising and pay-offs to sell books? Could it explain the other myths and legends? As long as they can be sold, stories will be created. Look at TV. Just as America devised its own spelling ("jail" for "gaol"), so too they created new national myths (p.197). Are we that different from other peoples? Myths serve as symbols of cultural unity since the days of Remus and Romulus.

Has limited scope as questions are by team many of which hold little interest.

This was an OK trivia book. Standard question-and-answer format of stuff you will find in most baseball trivia books. Mostly run-of-the-mill stuff that I already knew.

It's a nice book full with nice and tricky questions about the americas past time. It's funny ! Nice to read when you're in the subway or something like that (or when you're fall sleep)... a nice piece filled with history and great moments of baseball !

It's a nice book full with nice and tricky questions about the americas past time. It's funny ! Nice to read when you're in the subway or something like that (or when you're fall sleep)... a nice piece filled with history and great moments of baseball !

This fascinating read is fun, educational and truly lyrical. Entertaining for adults and great fun and inspiration for kids. I wish they'd have taught me history like this in school.

The iconic cover image sets the stage for this exuberant escapade through history and science. Essay topics are well organized and documented in the Contents and Appendix.
Encore, encore!

Poorly written. Simple, sophomoric and boring. Barely more interesting than a grammar school history book. You'll find out more and more interesting facts by spending a day watching The History Channel. The author is overly impressed with his own statements and over uses the exclamation point "Isn't this fact EXCITING!? No, not really." to try and make things that are boring, everyday knowledge interesting. This book fails at all levels. The only people I could see finding any of this interesting are young children. You'd be better off getting it from the library and then only for the bibliography at the back of the book for the reference works the author used to write this.

I enjoy history and trivia, so I snapped up this book seeking eye-opening historical perspectives - after all, the author is an award-winning writer at Jeopardy. What I found was a smattering of mildly amusing factoids, lots of basics I already knew (overview of the Big Bang, most of the human body is water, etc), and a slew kiddie jokes.

The 'biggest murderer in history', for instance, turns out to be Cain because he decimated one-fourth of the world's population at the time. See what I mean? Don't get me wrong, if you're 13 and don't know who Horatio Nelson is, don't know that the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius calcinated people where they stood, or are amused by quotes from record industry executives saying the Beatles would never make it, then this is the book for you. Otherwise, you'll find it much too short, rehashing too many history concepts any high school graduate should know, and full of lame attempts at humor.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh; just know that this books seems to have been intended for a younger audience (early teens, I would guess). Yes, it would be a fine present for a youngster interested in history, but not for people who have already been exposed to books and travel in some measure. In the end, it doesn't hold enough to captivate older readers and a free browse through Wikipedia may prove much more enlightenting.

I am a retired lawyer, a book-lover, and a loyal fan of the Bundy family. This book is near the top of my list - "The Worst Books I Have Read in the Past Fifty Years." It is poorly made, unorganized, poorly written, and replete with errors. I should have returned it for a refund but after reading it I was so annoyed that I took the satisfaction of throwing it in the trash. Fans of this great TV show can do much, much better by visiting the free Married with Children sites on the internet.

Really tests your knowledge of the show. Great companion piece for the video collection!

I was surprised, ecstatic and overjoyed to see this book. I grew up with Married with Children and am a Bundy at heart. I can relate to them better than most TV families. I go to all the MWC sites and do every trivia and quiz I can. So when I seen this MWC trivia book I just had to have it. I like how the author breaks it down into simple, medium, hard and expert. It can appeal to all levels of MWC fandom. How much do you know? I have to admit, some of the expert questions were really tough, like the Bundy's phone number and when are their birthdays. I tought I knew everything about the Bundys especially being an at home mom who has watched the show everyday for the last ten years. The
author really did his homework and took time with the layout.
Before each section of questions, the author will list different thing about the show that are special to him, like his ten favorite shows, {can anyone pick just ten?} the Christmas poem, Al's speech. This is a fun book even if you are not a MWC fanatic like I am. I would highly recommend it to other MWC fans.. Thank you, Trudy

I am not necessarily a trivia nut,but I do love this show, but I think the book was ok, but not that great, as some of this trivia is quite hard and I, personnally, did not like the way the book was laid out,but it was fun and informative.