How to Buy an Elephant and 38 Other Things You Never Knew You Wanted to Know [Turtleback]

John Krausz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2007

While it’s possible to go through life not knowing how to tie a dhoti or carve an endless wooden chain, you never know when unusual skills will come in handy. And that’s the fun of this fabulously bizarre handbook, which explains skills that range from the mundane (how to sweep a carpet, how to lose at checkers) to the outrageous (how to restore the apparently dead, how to read minds) to the random (how to be a guest in an English country home). John Krausz has culled material from government pamphlets, Victorian etiquette manuals, farmer’s publications, old military handbooks and magazines, and more. Over 1,000 detailed line drawings illustrate his advice on good posture, Spencerian penmanship, Swiss barns, photosculpture, the ethics and aesthetics of eating…and of course, buying an elephant.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Krausz is the author of several books including Skyhorse publications How To Buy an Elephant.

Product Details

• Turtleback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (November 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602391068
• ISBN-13: 978-1602391062
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,096,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Information About Unusual Topics, January 15, 2008

By 

John J. Browne "bookaholic" (Brooklyn, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Buy an Elephant and 38 Other Things You Never Knew You Wanted to Know (Turtleback)

At one time or another I am sure all of us have wondered, at least once, how you would go about buying an elephant. Well after reading this book you will know exactly how to make such a purchase should you be so inclined. This book is actually a collection of articles on various subjects and while most were written in the 1800s there are some articles as recent as the 1970s and all of them are highly enjoyable. Among other useful skills you will learn how to signal a crane, fly a plane (at least a 1917 version) and cast a statue. The social etiquette articles are particularly interesting as they provide a window into our ancestors views on such subjects as how to shake hands and whom and when to marry. While many of these articles must be taken with a grain of salt they are all quite enjoyable.