Discover's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything: Duct Tape, Airport Security, Your Body, Sex in Space...and More! [Hardcover]

The Editors of Discover Magazine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2008

How much do you know about . . .

• Obesity
• Sleep
• Meteors
• Aliens
• Bees
• Sperm banks
• Sex in space
• Duct tape
• Germs
• Airport security
• Death
• Ancient weapons
• Rats
• The Internet
• Birth
• Weather
• Milk
• Mosquitoes
• Your body
• Space disasters

DISCOVER'S 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything is the first book written by the editors of the award-winning DISCOVER magazine. Based on DISCOVER'S most eagerly awaited monthly column, "20 Things You Didn't Know About," this original book looks at many popular—and sometimes unexpected—topics in science and technology, and reveals quirky, intriguing, and little-known facts.

Whether you're just curious or think you already know everything, this book is guaranteed to expand your mind.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—More than mere trivia, less than true science, this book is based on Discover's popular monthly column of nearly the same title, "20 Things You Didn't Know About." The first thing the editors do is apologize for the volume's title, calling it "absurd." "Everything" is indeed misleading: "20 Things about 20 Things" is spot-on accurate. The topics range widely and are presented one to a chapter in alphabetical order, from airport security to weather, with bees, duct tape, meteors, rats, and sleep among those in between. The subjects fall into the categories of technology, health, and nature more so than hard science. Written with wit and humor, the entries are fun to read and easy to understand, demanding no scientific background. For most teens, the selections will prove to be things they truly did not know. Where is the most likely spot for alien life in the solar system? What did the ancient Greeks use to treat battlefield wounds? And that tape of a zillion uses: Is it duct tape or duck tape? The answers to these and many more, similar questions can be found in this entertaining compilation.—Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

With more than five million readers, DISCOVER is the leading science magazine aimed at the general public. Founded in 1980, this award-winning magazine publishes articles covering science, technology, and the future. New York Magazine called DISCOVER "the science magazine for the interested layman," and the Chicago Tribune said DISCOVER "is the science magazine for anyone who flunked eleventh-grade biology. It tackles topics ranging from global warming to black holes to Neanderthals with a refreshing lack of academic jargon."

Dean Christopher is a regular contributor to DISCOVER, writing book reviews and contributing to the very same column, "20 Things You Didn't Know About," that inspired this book. He has also served as editor-at-large for SPIN magazine and as a contributor to OMNI. Dean's constant yearning to learn has led him to become fluent in French and Spanish. He also spent a decade as a pianist, arranger, and composer in New York, Paris, and Madrid. Dean currently lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1ST edition (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061435643
• ISBN-13: 978-0061435645
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok for a quick read, but a bit shallower than expected, April 3, 2009

By 

Eric L. Fletcher (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discover's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything: Duct Tape, Airport Security, Your Body, Sex in Space...and More! (Hardcover)

I had enjoyed the feature in the Discover Magazine, so I took a flyer on the book. Overall, the book goes pretty fast as the nature of the book make for perfect pre-bedtime or bathroom reading (and spare me your Seinfeldian horror). But the topics are uneven in quality and content, some leaning the needle towards "filler". The problem for me was the price, I don't feel the value is there at this price point. It would be a great $7 book though.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book! Awesome Magazine!, March 26, 2008

By 

Theresa (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discover's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything: Duct Tape, Airport Security, Your Body, Sex in Space...and More! (Hardcover)

I love Discover Magazine so when I saw that they expanded their 20 things column into a book I was thrilled! So many cool and interesting subjects. The topics are all really different ( germs and ancient weapons are especially interesting) and funny too! It's a great book for a plane ride and the beach. Also, I always travel with my Discover Mag and I think it's great that Amazon offers this book with a subscription package as an option. Its a great gift idea.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For those who want to "know it all", May 2, 2008

By 

LoLisa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discover's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything: Duct Tape, Airport Security, Your Body, Sex in Space...and More! (Hardcover)

I'm a big fan of these kinds of kitchen-sink books. In an era when nonfiction writing seem to be getting smaller and smaller (300 pages all about...cod, chocolate, heat, pi, etc) it's great to curl up with a book that's all about expanding your range of knowledge, and doing it in a totally entertaining way. Probably the ultimate example of that is AJ Jacobs' "The Know It All," which manages to live up to the promise of its title without succumbing to the brattiness that it suggests.

"20 Things" isn't quite in the same category--this one doesn't have the unifying plot thread or strong author's voice--but it's really satisfying all the same. The topics range all over the place, and even within the chapters the information quickly bounces from ancient history to modern science and so on. The common thread is that the nuggets of information in here almost all make you think. Yeah, the writing could be a little sharper and there are a couple bits of repetition, but the world looks a little richer each time I put this book down. Good stuff.