Book of "interesting facts"?

[KnickNut3]

One of my favorite parts of The Da Vinci Code were areas in which he went off on tangents about interesting facts (yes, I know not all of them are true, but I was able to differentiate the truth from the fiction). I mean I know about Phi, the golden number, but some things like "horny" coming from the Egyptian god of fertility having horns, etc., is very cool.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has read any good books that give you interesting facts to quote around the water cooler, per se. Yes, I know it's a cheap way to feign being well-read, but I'm obviously reading out of interest. The book can have a plot, but it doesn't have to. I'm not necessarily looking for exclusively history-based or art-based information either, although I am interested in that. Hopefully not stuff most people already know, either. Just some facts that could come into context and be quoted, a la the Da Vinci Code or CSI.

So, any good books of "interesting facts" to recommend? Thanks!

(sorry if this is a repost. didn't get any hits)

 

[MaxDSP]

Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

 

[MaxDSP]

EDIT: meh, just go to http://www.amazon.com

 

[KnickNut3]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

I actually bought that for my uncle (whose name is John). Looked a little simplistic, but I really didn't give it a good look-over, so that's probably not a fair assessment.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

yeap i have 3 of them myself. Great books to have when you are going to be awhile in the restroom..

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

yeap i have 3 of them myself. Great books to have when you are going to be awhile in the restroom..

Guilty! which ones do you recommend?

 

[Tweak155]

Not exactly a book...but ever see the older movie called Pi?

 

[KnickNut3]

No, looked kind of dark, and I was young... I am a mathemetitian/physicist, so I guess I should give it a try on title alone.

Any slightly more... academic versions than these bathroom readers? (although I'm definitely giving those at try)

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: KnickNut3
No, looked kind of dark, and I was young... I am a mathemetitian/physicist, so I guess I should give it a try on title alone.

Any slightly more... academic versions than these bathroom readers? (although I'm definitely giving those at try)

The title may be crude but the content seems to be interesting and somewhat serious based on the reviews, altho it probably depends on the title. I could've sworn I saw a science title on Amazon last week

 

[LtPage1]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

 

[CaptainKahuna]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Look up Uncle John's Bathroom Reader...I might get a couple soon

Bathroom Reader owns! And they have like 10 of them!

 

[cucumber]

encyclopedia? Well, joking aside, maybe one of those how things work books, or a military survival guide

 

[psiu]

Another vote for Uncle John's Bathroom Readers

 

[VTBigBear]

ill have to read some

 

[n0cmonkey]

Everything you know is wrong
and
50 things you're not supposed to know

And most of the true facts in Dan Brown's books are pretty much common knowledge... And he is still a hack.

 

[KnickNut3]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
And most of the true facts in Dan Brown's books are pretty much common knowledge... And he is still a hack.

Thanks for the suggestions. I know there are many people that don't like Dan Brown, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to call many of the facts he uses common knowledge. I'm probably more well-read and more highly-educated than 95% of the population, and a lot of his tidbits are new to me.

 

[Bulk Beef]

The Book of Lists
The World Almanac

I don't think the ones I remember are still in print.

 

[KnickNut3]

Yeah, I've got "The Top 10 of Everything" and "How Stuff Works" both are good, but don't quite satisfy the intellectual side (and you have to wade through some crap in Top 10 and lots of obvious stuff in Stuff Works)

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
EDIT: meh, just go to http://www.amazon.com

heh just ordered the 10th anniversary one

 

[azazyel]

The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus
Robert W. Funk (Translator), Roy W. Hoover (Translator) & the Jesus Seminar

The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: The First Complete Translation and Interpretation of 50 Key Documents Withheld for over 35 Years
Robert H. Eisenman & Michael Wise

The Necronomicon Files
John Wisdom Gonce & James Wisdom Gonce

Wholeness and the Implicate Order
David Bohm

Edit: dan brown is a hack

 

[badmouse]

Also, there are some books about "everything you learned in history is wrong" nope Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong .

Also, in another subject, Alton Brown's cooking show & books "Good Eats" - lots of interesting tidbits there.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: KnickNut3

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
And most of the true facts in Dan Brown's books are pretty much common knowledge... And he is still a hack.

Thanks for the suggestions. I know there are many people that don't like Dan Brown, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to call many of the facts he uses common knowledge. I'm probably more well-read and more highly-educated than 95% of the population, and a lot of his tidbits are new to me.

I'm kind of well read I guess, and I knew most of it, as did my mom and atleast one of my friends. I consider it common knowledge if I know something.

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: Aharami

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
EDIT: meh, just go to http://www.amazon.com

heh just ordered the 10th anniversary one

you had to go and tell me that didnt you...now I'm placing an order for it even though I should be saving money at this point

 

[MaxDSP]

btw, I wouldnt recommend buying any Uncle John's Bathroom Reader secondhand from the individual sellers...for obvious reasons (unless you're into that sort of thing)

 

[KnickNut3]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
btw, I wouldnt recommend buying any Uncle John's Bathroom Reader secondhand from the individual sellers...for obvious reasons (unless you're into that sort of thing)

I thought about that :shocked: