Listverse.com's Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More [Paperback]

Jamie Frater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2010

FREAKS OF NATURE, ODD CRIMES, SHOCKING DEATHS,

DEVASTATING DISASTERS, BLOOD-CURDLING RITES,

CRAZY CONSPIRACIES & MUCH, MUCH MORE

•Gruesome Torture Devices

•Mass Hysteria Outbreaks

•Unbelievable Miniatures

•Disturbingly Scary Clowns

•Outer Space Mysteries

•Astonishing Aphrodisiacs

•Disgusting Ancient Jobs

•Spooky Sports Curses

•World-Famous Penises

•Mail-Order-Bride Shockers

•Brutal Pope Deaths

•Outrageous Wedding Locales

•Grossest Edible Animals

•Appalling Religious Practices

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jamie Frater is the creator of the popular website listverse.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569758174
• ISBN-13: 978-1569758175
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 1.6 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Music

More About the Author

Jamie Frater was born in Naenae, a suburb of Lower Hutt, New Zealand, in 1974. He studied postgraduate music at the Royal College of Music in London, after which, due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts, he created listverse.com where he presents a new top ten list every day. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations in the United States and Great Britain. Jamie now writes full-time for his California-based website from his home.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More laughs per page than any work of humor... January 11, 2011

By Kathryn E. Etier VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In the world of science, some things are serious, others are amusing, and then there's the downright hysterical. Depending on your perspective, the following falls into one of those categories (if not, how about "disgusting"?): "Phorid flies reproduce by laying their eggs in the thorax of an ant. The larvae then migrate to the ant's head and develop by consuming the muscle and nervous tissue there. In time, it consumes the entire brain of the ant, which then amazingly continues to walk aimlessly for about two weeks--until its head drops off. The phorid fly then pupates in the detached head."

Circadian rhythms being what they are, I find myself reading late at night while my husband sleeps. One night I picked up LISTVERSE.COM'S ULTIMATE BOOK OF BIZARRE LISTS (subtitled "Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History and More," written by Jamie Frater). Books that can be browsed through are appealing; the reader opens to any page and has a few minutes reading and none of the mental work involved in following a story. Such books are satisfying reads for people who can't commit to novels or chronological non-fiction (you know what I mean).

Reading about super-scary museums, odd wedding sites, and disgusting foods is entertaining, but when I browsed through the "Science and Nature" chapter and found "10 Bizarre Cases of Mind Control" (the ants & phorid flies being one of them), I was so entertained that three of the cases interrupted my husband's sleep (which shows what my sense of humor is like). Laughing out loud while reading is a pleasure that I seldom have--I don't seem to find books that are that funny. To counter the hilarity, I had to read "10 Creatures That Crawled Out of Your Nightmares...." Have you ever heard of a Lion's Mane Jellyfish? I'm shuddering just thinking about it.

LISTVERSE.COM'S ULTIMATE BOOK OF BIZARRE LISTS offers practical advice in varied fields. Looking for a fun vacation spot? How about the Zone of Alienation in Eastern Europe? "...be warned, if you visit, you may either be shot or get radiation poisoning, and we all know how awful that can be. Longing to go back to a more peaceful time? Good luck..."During the last 3500 years, it is estimated that the world has had a grand total of 230 years in which no wars took place." Want to heighten the flavor of strawberries? Use "...very finely ground pepper (from fresh peppercorns)." Information such as this can keep one entertained for hours.

The Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists offers twelve chapters that cover nearly every aspect of life (and death) on earth, from the dinosaurs to rockers who died while performing. Each chapter has between 7 and 24 lists, which have between 5 and 25 entries. It all adds up to 702 pages of truly fascinating minutiae. Readers will find themselves perusing sections they thought were not of interest because it's all so darn riveting--either hilariously so or in the I-wish-I-hadn't-read-that vein. Author Jamie Frater clears up misconceptions with lists of things people believe that just aren't true (...once and for all, dinosaurs did not cohabit with humans!), shares shocking (and shockingly silly) facts about famous people--both historical and current, and gives us more information than we could possibly want about the peculiarities of homo sapiens.

A great book for anyone with a sense of humor or a sense of awe, LISTVERSE.COM'S ULTIMATE BOOK OF BIZARRE LISTS is on the top of my gift-book list. And, no, you may not borrow it. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Make your life interesting again. August 23, 2011

By Mythomaniac

Format:Paperback

The second book accumulated from lists on Listverse. It is great to keep one in the lounge and sure to start off an interesting conversation. The information covers a wide range of topics and is well written. Worth buying.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Talk about bizarre August 25, 2011

By Sam Hancock

Format:Paperback

Trivia. I love it. Bizarre facts. I love them. A book of bizarre trivia and facts in list form? Get out of here! This book was the most eagerly anticipated new book in our house when it first came out and we were not disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Catnip for the Trivia Buff! July 30, 2012

By Michael OConnor TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Having lived in a cave for the past 10 years, I was totally unaware of Listverse.com. Stumbling across LISTVERSE.COM'S ULTIMATE BOOK OF BIZARRE LISTS at the local B&N, I have to say I was truly impressed by this hefty repository of interesting information. This book, a 2010 Ulysses Press release, is truly catnip for the trivia buffs of the world.

The book is subtitled FASCINATING FACTS AND SHOCKING TRIVIA ON MOVIES, MUSIC, CRIME, CELEBRITIES, HISTORY AND MORE and it easily lives up to that claim. Within the book's 702 pages are almost 190 fascinating lists. Here are some of my personal choices:

*10 Truly Awful Ways to be Killed by an Animal;
*10 Ancient Jobs that Sucked Big Time;
*10 Worst Halloween Treats;
*10 Fascinating 'Facts' that are Wrong;
*10 Extremely Strange Phobias;
*10 Oddest Villains in Scooby-Doo;
*10 Most Dangerous Places on Earth;
*15 Worst Sporting Moments of All Time;
*10 Bizarre Body Modifications;
*10 Human Creations Attributed to Aliens; and, my favorite;
*5 Most Badass Nuns of All Time. (I went to Parochial School!)

If you love trivia, you need this book on your shelf. Nicely priced at $15.95, it will brings hours of reading pleasure and increase your font of trivial knowledge no end. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Brain Candy March 19, 2012

By CAS MARINO

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of those books you gobble up instantly for the no-brain fun it provides, while also offering some "wow, really?" moments. Between the bed stand and the bathroom, you'll find a quick bit to read for intermittent fun.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars OMG! I can't stop reading it! August 21, 2011

By Rajen Bali

Format:Paperback

Hey everyone,
After having read the first book of the Listverse.com Book series and having thoroughly enjoyed it - I thought that it was impossible to come up with a follow up. Boy! I couldn't be more wrong about that!

I just finished reading the Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists and I must commend Listverse.com for doing such a great job on the second book. We all have this fascination with shocking and bizzare aspects of life. There are so many stories we hear about celebrities, movies and politics. Ever wondered whether it was true or false?

Well, in a nutshell, this book has it all - all the answers you'll ever need. It fills your appetite for the weird and the surprising while at the same time giving you as much information on the subject as possible. It was one of my best Sunday afternoon reads ever and I can say for sure now that I can't wait for another book like this.

Stop reading! GO AND GET YOURSELF THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Follow-Up August 21, 2011

By Jonathan Novak

Format:Paperback

This book is JUST as amazing as the last. The lists are even more intriguing and the information is even more obscure. I feel like an expert after reading these lists. A personal favorite list of mine is the grisly pope deaths, but I love so many of the lists that I can't even put them all here. If you bought the first one, definitely buy this one. If you haven't bought the first one, buy both! As always, check out the site that these books are previews of: listverse. Keep reading these and I know you'll fall in love with the massive amounts of information in these books.