Mental Floss: What's the Difference? [Paperback]

Editors of Mental Floss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2006 | Series: Mental Floss

Enlighten Up Already!

Monet? Manet? Who can even tell the difference? Well, with the help of the newest mental_floss tome, you can! Want to learn how to tell egg rolls from spring rolls, nuclear bombs from dirty nuclear bombs, or even how to tell an idiot from a moron (there's a real scientific difference)? Piece of cake! Whether you're trying to impress your boss, your mother-in-law, attractive singles, or a pack of fourth graders (you know how they love semantics), mental_floss gives you all the tips and tricks to have you sounding like a genius.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The titans of trivia.” (Newsweek )

“An ideal reference to settle arguments or jog your memory.” (Calgary Herald )

“A lot like that professor of yours who peppered his tests with raunchy jokes: it makes learning fun.” (Newsweek )

“A delightfully eccentric and eclectic new magazine.” (Washington Post )

About the Author

Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur met as first year students at Duke University. Ignoring the lures of law school and investment banking, the pair co-founded mental_floss and have been grinning ever since. Maggie Koerth-Baker is a freelance journalist and a former assistant editor at mental_floss magazine, where she consistently astounded Will and Mangesh with her amazingness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (July 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060882492
• ISBN-13: 978-0060882495
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #733,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes Looking Smart Is Better Than Being Smart, September 21, 2006

By 

Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mental Floss: What's the Difference? (Paperback)

The editors of Mental Floss Magazine have put together the type of quick-read book I thoroughly enjoy since it boosts your knowledge quotient with a minimum of effort. Launched in 2001, the bimonthly magazine has been targeting renaissance trivialists who look for the connections among seemingly different elements in the world to make sense of their existence. "What's the Difference?" focuses on the common dilemma of clarifying distinctions among a familiar series of seemingly similar word pairs. It will help you avoid the glazed look you may have emitted during your last high-faluting conversation.

This slim volume organizes its subject matter by common school subject - English, Home Ec, Social Studies, Science and the miscellaneous category of Band, Art & P.E. Under English, for example, you will have an opportunity to understand the nuances among geeks, nerds and dorks, as well as the true demarcation line between idiots and morons (hint: imbeciles lie between the two factions). Forehead-slappers will be relieved to see that a definitive explanation of em-dashes and en-dashes is provided here. There are even higher intellectual pursuits included such as the difference between polytheism and pantheism.

Even current events are covered, such as the distinction between Shias and Sunnis. Some of the couplets strike me as a bit more forced than others and consequently excisable, e.g., African versus Asian elephants or Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. But there are still gems among them like Monet versus Manet. It all appropriately ends with a more intentionally humorous chapter on terms and people you may suspect are different but are indeed alike, such as bipolar disorder and manic depression, or Chevy Chase and Helen Hunt (!) A fun read for the geeks among us...or did I mean nerds? Hmmm...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome trivia book, August 17, 2009

By 

Melissa Williams "trivia hound" (PORTLAND, OREGON United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mental Floss: What's the Difference? (Paperback)

Great and quick to read book of differences; each 2 pages discusses two to four (generally 2) similar items. This book discusses a wide range of topics from science to match to world history, architecture, people, places, and things. This book is great for many people, not just the random information buffs out there, because it's full of information and it is fun to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mental Floss What's the Difference?, October 10, 2011

By 

el Guapo - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mental Floss: What's the Difference? (Paperback)

Very easy to read and understand. It's another handy reference book just like all the other Mental_Floss books. And it's written in a fun way also.