The Mammoth Book of Oddballs and Eccentrics (Mammoth Books) [Paperback]

Karl Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2000 | Series: Mammoth Books

Howard Hughes, Liberace, Imelda Marcos, Sarah Bernhardt, Ed Wood, Jr., Ludwig von Beethoven -- they're all here, along with an astonishing assortment of other oddballs, kooks, dreamers, despots, prophets, performers, royals, politicians, inventors, philosophers, writers, artists, and more garden-variety eccentrics. Here, too, are the phobias, compulsions, odd beliefs, and weird habits that have placed them in the ranks of the bizarre, curious, and strange. You will discover, for instance, that Elvis Presley was convinced he could turn Graceland's sprinkler system on and off by the sheer power of concentration, that Salvador Dali ate vast quantities of Camembert cheese before bedtime to make his dreams more vivid, that Florence Nightingale carried a miniature pet owl in her pocket, while Kaiser Wilhelm II always carried with him photos of his deceased relatives in their funeral attire. You will learn, too, that the Victorian judge Lord Monboddo spent his entire life convinced that babies were born with tails (which midwives cut off), and that John Harvey Kellogg of cereal fame spent his wedding night writing an essay on the evils of sexual intercourse. Throughout the pages of this mammoth book you'll find impulses, whims, obsessions, and hangups as skewed as the schemes of Francisco Lopez, the Paraguay president who attempted to rout the Brazilian army with a battalion of small boys wearing false beards. You'll find cases galore that are screwier, too.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Compendiums of eccentricity are often top-heavy lurid-to-loony tales of the rich and nutty, but not Shaw's diverse and democratic addition to the ever-popular study of odd behavior. Shaw doesn't even include Bavaria's King Ludwig, of fantastic castle fame, and others "because they were . . . certifiably insane." His book "is not about madmen," he says, but "eccentrics," defined as those "unaware of how out of step . . . their behaviour is." Thus Shaw omits Salvador Dali, among other intentional eccentrics. Fortunately, he is left with enough oddballs to fill 400-plus pages. Consider the potentate who, inspired by "America's exciting new means of executing criminals," purchased an electric chair, though his country lacked electrical service. And England's King George I, who, upon first meeting a prospective daughter-in-law, lifted her skirts to verify her virginity. Besides daft royals, Shaw devotes chapters to "Religious Eccentrics," "Political Eccentrics," "Eccentric Builders," and 12 more kinds of wacko. Shaw's eminently browsable book has a little something for everyone, except those who simply cannot appreciate the bizarre. Mike Tribby

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf (February 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786707240
• ISBN-13: 978-0786707249
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars AMUSING WEIRDOES, May 8, 2002

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of Oddballs and Eccentrics (Mammoth Books) (Paperback)

Our world consists of those whom we consider "normal" and those who are not so normal. Who are these off centered individuals and what contributions have they made to society? You would be surprised! Welcome to this four hundred ninety-five page book which gives us a snapshot of eccentrics through the ages. You will laugh at their antics and in many cases will find yourself baffled over some of the positions in which they hold power.

Karl Shaw does a remarkable job in presenting us with eccentrics who are in all facets of society. We find them in the religious, political, medical and military realms. This list just covers a few of the many occupations that eccentrics hold. Reading about them and their antics in amusing but sometimes you wonder if many of them were suffering from insanity or a personality disorder.

One of the problems of the book is defining eccentricity. If a person does something strange are they on the road to insanity? What about those people who were thought eccentric but were far ahead of their time? When an eccentric does something that is harmful to himself or others is this not the time to have them seek professional help? These and other questions abound as you read their stories. Most are amusing but there are some tales that are sickening when the eccentric displays bizarre behavior. Overall, the author has provided us with some fun entertainment.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good time killer, May 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of Oddballs and Eccentrics (Mammoth Books) (Paperback)

This book is very good for picking up when you don't have much to do. The facts in the book are interesting, but hard to find. There is no way to find a specific oddball or eccentric. The people are broken up into catergories, but from there you're on your own. Enjoy.