Do Elephants Jump? (Imponderables Books) [Hardcover]

David Feldman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Imponderables Books | Publication Date: November 2, 2004

Every day, we are confronted with innumerable small mysteries that puzzle and confound. Why do pianos have 88 keys? Why is peanut butter sticky? And do elephants jump? Now David Feldman returns with his tenth Imponderables#174; book to answer these and 100 other perplexing questions about food, popular culture, the human body, science, and more. Like the other books in the Imponderables#174; series, Do Elephants Jump? answers questions sent in by Dave's vast, and inquisitive, readership. For the painstakingly researched answers, Dave turns to his national network of experts in everything from fishing to astronomy to plastics, not to mention his millions and millions of readers who are eager to supply him with tidbits about even the most obscure phenomena. And since it's presented with Dave's trademark humor, you will be learning and laughing in equal measure.

This tenth book in the series is complete with an indispensable master index to all ten of the Imponderables#174; books, and charming illustrations by longtime collaborator Kassie Schwan. With well over two million copies of Imponderables#174; in print, Do Elephants Jump? is sure to be the biggest hit yet. Join Dave Feldman as he strikes another blow against Imponderability.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this latest addition to his "Imponderables" series (which includes Do Penguins Have Knees? and When Do Fish Sleep?), Feldman answers about four score more fascinating questions that, as he puts it in a rather vivid analogy, "spring from dark corners like cockroaches in a crumb-filled kitchen." So do elephants jump? The answer is pretty easy to guess: elephants’ legs and bones are not structured for jumping. Other questions provide more illuminating information: silver fillings don’t rust because they contain more mercury than silver; Campbell’s Alphabet Soup is sold only in North America; football’s two-minute warning was invented to keep the game fair; pregnant women may get strange food cravings because hormonal changes affect their perception of taste. But obvious or arcane, Feldman’s answers are consistently lively and entertaining. His collection is a good fit for trivia hounds on the go, as each of the brief q&a’s take only a few minutes to read.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Remarkably, this is the tenth installment in the Imponderables series. Who'd have thought there were so many interesting, trivial, nagging, and just plain mind-boggling questions that needed to be answered? Why does the pope change his name when he assumes his papal duties? How does the hole get in a syringe's needle? Does P.U. (as in "P.U., that stinks") mean anything? Why don't bars put sawdust on their floors anymore? And on and on. Like all the Imponderables books, this one is pretty straightforward: questions and answers, accompanied by some letters from curious readers. But it's more than a trivia quiz book, because it really does spark one's curiosity about the world. As you read, you find yourself thinking: yeah, why is that, anyway? Why do toads have warts, and why do pianos have 88 keys, and, for crying out loud, do elephants jump? Fans of the series will consider this one a must-have. It's also ideal for people who like to amuse and astound their friends with esoteric knowledge. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper (November 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060539135
• ISBN-13: 978-0060539139
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,462,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Imponderables

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo to another great book by David Feldman!, December 2, 2004

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Elephants Jump? (Imponderables Books) (Hardcover)

I have only one complaint about David Feldman, one of
my favorite authors: he doesn't come out with a new book
more often!

His latest--DO ELEPHANTS JUMP?--is just out . . . it is
the tenth in the Imponderable Series, a collection of answers
to questions (raised in other titles) such as: WHY DO CLOCKS
RUN CLOCKWISE? HOW DOES ASPIRIN FIND A HEADACHE?
WHEN DO FISH SLEEP? DO PENGUINS HAVE KNEES?

Feldman has made it his life's work to answer questions that
just pop into his head . . . he also gets suggestions from his many fans, of which I'm proud to admit that I am one.

Many of his answers will make you laugh, such as his response
to this question:

What letters does Campbell's include in alphabet soup in countries that don't use our alphabet (e.g., Greece, Israel, Egypt)?

His response: And what about France? Does Campbell's include
an accent mark over the e?

He then went on to give the following answer:
The media representatives at Campbell's aren't exactly inundated
with his question, but they researched it for us and graciously
responded with the disappointing answer: Campbell's Alphabet
Soup is sold only North America. We urge reconsideration.
Contemplate the potential of Campbell's Cyrillic Soup!

Other questions are ones that I've thought about, often
more than once . . . such as:
Why do we see "stars" when we bump our head?
Why do you sometimes find ice in the urinals in men's bathrooms?
Why are some parts of our bodies more ticklish than others?

To find out the answers, you'll just have to read the book . . . if you do, you'll also enjoy the illustrations of longtime collaborator Kassie Schwan.

DO ELEPHANTS JUMP? will make a great Chankuah/Christmas/Kwanzaa
gift for just about anybody.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read, March 4, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Elephants Jump? (Imponderables Books) (Hardcover)

This wonderful book is one of David Feldman's Imponderables Books, in which he raises questions that few have ever asked before, and then goes out and finds the answers. Among the questions asked are "When does a bill become a beak on a bird?" "Why do pianos have 88 keys?" And "Do identical twins have identical fingerprints and DNA?"

Yep, this book has 98 such questions, if I counted correctly. Each one is surprisingly interesting, and makes for quite a fascinating read. I really am glad that this book fell into my hands, and highly recommend it to anyone who dares to ask questions of the world around them.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, not great, December 24, 2007

By 

Robert B. Kelman "RobDotCalm" (Loveland CO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Do Elephants Jump? (Imponderables Books) (Paperback)

OK book for over, say, 13. Not a great book for kids. I enjoyed it though, but will keep it a few years before giving it to the grandson.