Customer Reviews

The Mammoth Book of Oddballs and Eccentrics (Mammoth Books)

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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.

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.