Customer Reviews

Know It All!

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ed Zotti is the editor of Cecil Adams' "The Straight Dope" and its sequels, each of which is a collection of fascinating articles that answer a lot of interesting (and sometimes bizarre) questions. The answers are, of course, administered with bitter sarcasm.

"Know It All" is a mellow version of The Straight Dope--some of the sardonic wit remains, but the text has been "dumbed down" to reach younger and less sophisticated readers. (The book even contains pronunciation guides for words that aren't all that difficult.)

Having said that, "Know It All" covers the same ground as "The Straight Dope" and does it with the same no nonsense style. Almost all of the questions and answers are adapted from longer, more cynical pieces appearing in the Straight Dope series--which makes me wonder whether Ed Zotti is really just Cecil Adams' editor, or whether Cecil Adams is instead Ed Zotti's pen name. (For his part, Zotti marvels that "people accept unquestioningly that my name is Ed Zotti."--Triumph of the Straight Dope at 285.)

The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book, though it is not as good as the Straight Dope series. The short "question and answer" format make it a perfect "bathroom reader" (for those of you who are inclined to do your reading at single sittings), and it is still entertaining and informative. Think of it as the Cliff's Notes for the classic "Straight Dope."

This is a fabulous book for the young and old. It's interesting! It's funny! It also answers almost everything you ever dreamed, thought, or wondered about. I myself couldn't put this book down. I looked forward to reading it all day. With this book you'll wonder no more. I'd recomend it to people who enjoy things that are so stupid they're funny. Have you ever wondered how they get the M on the M+M? Or if a chicken can really run around with it's head cut off. Well if if your answers to those questions are both yes read this book as soon as possible!

Reading through the subjects, its like a yuppy usenet thread. Zotti's research is pretty good, but it would actually benefit by being treated as a discussion thread because sometimes he misses some interesting links. "Why are yawns contagious?" dodges answering the question -- even though there are good indicators from other human behavior (when people get seasick in unison). This book is a 10 for my curious 10-year-old, but only about a 5 for me

Supposedly this book is for folks who don't have a strong science background. Yet it contains quite a few factual erors. Also there are spots where Zotti becomes facetious rather than informative without expressly telling you he is joking and not relating facts. If you are not already familiar with the topics covered you will end up misinformed. The book gives the impression that Zotti is tired of standing in Cecil's shadow. Sadly, he shows neither the wit nor the knowledge required to step into the light.

This is my favorite book. Once you start reading it, you can't put it down. Some of the things it tells you about you could have a masters degree and not know. A very fun book to read. He even adds humor to it. I'd recommend it for children about nine and up. Even then they probably wouldn't lose their interest.

Ed Zotti makes in a plain and simple language a quick and straightforward explanation of some mysteries, myths, weird things and such you always wanted to know or wanted to check out.
Plus, the cool drawings ease to help the understanding of some difficult subjects.

Working on a tandem with Cecil Adams, Ed Zotti has made a powerful contribution to trivia fans.

If I were you I wouldnt doubt it for a second...

Aside from offering solid clues that Ed Zotti and Cecil Adams are (at least currently) the same person--I mean, they're both left-handed, both have kids named Ryan and Annie, wives named Mary, and experience as railroad workers?--this book is a treat for any fan of Adams' Straight Dope columns, for fans of intelligent facts and trivia, and for any kids and adults with inquisitive minds.

The book, intended for younger readers, allows itself to get a lot sillier than the Straight Dope books usually do--especially in its footnotes--and I have to say I liked that. The information comes across as much more than a distillation or a repurposing of old Straight Dope columns, and its contents generally seemed fresh and informative.

My only major complaint about the book would be the absence of Slug Signorino's hilarious drawings, Slug being the one who usually illustrates the column from which most of this information was born. Randy Verougstrate's drawings are pretty bland and unexciting, though I suppose they did help clarify the text at times.

I enjoyed reading this quite a bit, even right after reading all five of the Straight Dope books, and I think it would be perfect for any intelligent, inquisitive pre-teen reader. It's good stuff: a good review for anyone of any age who's already read the Straight Dope books, and a enjoyably simplified book of questions and answers for any younger readers.

This book is a lot of fun; but don't take everything too seriously. The author obviously likes to kid around. We enjoyed reading it and checking facts to determine if everthing was REALLY true. You be the judge...

this book will show everything u never learned in school ! it will make u think why u didn't pay attention in Science class which of cvourse is a buy u will never regret !~!~!