211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do [Hardcover]

Tom Cutler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2006

211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do is the essential life-skills handbook for bright boys of every age, featuring all the subjects they don't teach you at school or Scouts. If you reached adulthood without learning the exact rules of conkers, or how to take off your pants without removing your trousers, or how to put a ship into a bottle, this is the book for you. Divided into handy sections, this fascinating volume contains easy-to-follow tutorials and priceless tips on: / How to Be A Real Man -- including how to mow the perfect lawn and how to fight a bull -- with elegance; / Weird Science and Sideshow Physics -- spoon-bending, teach yourself mindreading, and how to lie on a bed of nails; / Bracing Outdoor Activities -- cowboy ropecraft, how to punt without looking a fool, how to head a ball, and how to make a boomerang come back; / Militant Cookery -- how to make your own pickled eggs, how to spit-roast and dress a suckling pig, how to make a proper pork pie; / Parlour diversions -- shadow puppets, easy tunes for the glass harmonica, and how to make a pinhole camera; / The Human Body -- how to make your hair stand on end, how to dissect a man, sumo wrestling for the beginner; / Those Useful Subjects Not Taught at School -- how to interrogate an uncooperative suspect, how to win money in a casino, and how to blag your way in philosophy, science, art, and psychology; / Gags, cons and practical jokes -- classic old and boggling new tricks, juggling, and unusual party pieces for the classroom, pub and restaurant table. Plus much, much more. This volume won't improve your morals or make you smell nice, but it will entertain and inform. So if you've always wanted to know how to tear a phone book in half, how to identify airline insignia, or the essential moves of Morris Dancing, this is the book you've been waiting for.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Silly -- but very funny.' The Sunday Times 'A witty, tongue-in-cheek manual.' Mail on Sunday 'Those who enjoyed Conn and Hal Iggulden's hugely successful Dangerous Books For Boys would be well advised to invest in this beauty too because it's every bit as delightful.' Hampstead & Highgate Express '!quirky and humorous!' Cork Evening Echo

About the Author

The son of a sex therapist and a sometime Dominican friar, Tom spent his early manhood in a desultory study of Fine Art and Philosophy at a cloistered university. He began his professional career with a number of false starts as a teacher, set designer, doublebass player, speechwriter, printer, toyshop manager, lyricist, wine waiter, City consultant, puppet maker, typographer, magazine editor, bandleader, portrait painter, radio reporter, cartoonist, and ghost writer for Cardinal Hume, before leaving the rat-race to spend more time with his slippers. Tom has written two acclaimed song books for children and his original ditty 'Pigs on Holiday' has been performed live, with actions, by Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein. He is a practising magician and member of the Magic Circle and in his spare time enjoys murdering Bach on the guitar.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Entertainment (September 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007228511
• ISBN-13: 978-0007778430
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for any guy., October 2, 2007

By 

DSS (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do (Hardcover)

I have to say that I never take the time to write reviews but I feel compelled to write one about this. I bought this book just because the cover looked kind of cool and planned to read it in my spare time. It just so happened that 2 hours after I bought the book, I ended up in the emergency room and then a 2 day hospital stay. I had T.V., my Mac, my cellphone and this book. You guessed it! I kept putting down all of my high priced gadgets and this book was very hard to put down. I can't wait to get home and try all of the neat tricks in this book. Again.... FANTASTIC!!!!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent REad, February 4, 2008

By 

N. Keen (Central Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do (Hardcover)

For all those who have issues with the book, learn to use the search inside feature that amazon has. Or just open the book up before giving it to someone. Personally, I found it to be a good read, and rather informative for the next time I need to make a citizens arrest, judge time of death by body temperature, or I need an interesting way to entertain in a dull situation. Once I started to read through the book, I found it rather difficult to put it down. A must have book for any man.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!!!, January 1, 2008

By 

J. Benson (SLC, Ut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do (Hardcover)

Ibought one book for one of my boys for Christmas. Read though it, and immediatly turned around and bought one for the other 3 as well as a good friend! (my husband feels cheated)!! It's really a fun book for boys/guys. Not for young boys!