Never Shower in a Thunderstorm and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

Buy New
 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
$4.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
74 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In
 
 
Start reading Never Shower in a Thunderstorm on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: knuckle crackers, negative calories, United States, New England Journal of Medicine, New York (more...)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

List Price: $15.00
Price: $10.20 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Ordering for Christmas? This item requires additional time to ship and will arrive after December 25. Need a last-minute gift? Send an Amazon.com Gift Card.

25 new from $2.00 49 used from $0.01

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, May 15, 2007 $9.99 -- --
  Paperback, May 14, 2007 $10.20 $2.00 $0.01

Frequently Bought Together

Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In + The Book of General Ignorance + The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong
Price For All Three: $37.34

Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Show details

  • This item: Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In by Anahad O'Connor

    Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong by John Lloyd

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Always Follow the Elephants: More Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths about Our Health and the World We Live In

Always Follow the Elephants: More Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths about Our Health and the World We Live In

by Anahad O'Connor
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  $10.20
Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?: And 114 Other Questions

Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?: And 114 Other Questions

by New Scientist
4.1 out of 5 stars (12)  $10.08
The Book of General Ignorance

The Book of General Ignorance

by John Lloyd
4.0 out of 5 stars (65)  $13.57
Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Unsettling, Witty Answers to Questions You Never Thought You Wanted to Ask

Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Unsettling, Witty Answers to Questions You Never Thought You Wanted to Ask

by New Scientist
3.9 out of 5 stars (18)  $3.26
The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong

The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong

by John Lloyd
4.3 out of 5 stars (12)  $13.57
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Connor, a contributor to the New York Times Science Times section, has amassed more than 100 peculiar tidbits on everything from the potency of Spanish fly to the cancerous effects of cellphone use. O'Connor easily waxes on about whether bicycle seats cause impotence or if knuckle cracking can lead to arthritis. While regular Times readers will remember many of these topics, the newly casual tone of the discussions will either entertain or distract, depending on one's tolerance for anecdote. For instance, in exploring the infamous "Will eating poppy seeds make you fail a drug test?" conundrum, O'Connor got right to the point in his 2005 column ("a couple of bagels heavily coated with poppy seeds can result in morphine in a person's system for hours"), but here he begins with the retelling of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine, after a bagel breakfast, tests positive for "You know, white lotus. Yam-yam. Shanghai Sally." All of O'Connor's research is backed by legit scientific studies, but he refers to them only in passing. A bibliography would have been welcomed. Nonetheless, medical receptionists take note: this is a great book for the waiting rooms of physicians, dentists and psychiatrists alike. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Product Description

The New York Times’s intrepid health reporter investigates the truth about sex, eating, exercise, and other health conundrums For more than two years, the New York Times’s science and health columnist Anahad O’Connor has tracked down the facts, fictions, and occasional fuzziness of old wives’ tales, conventional-wisdom cures, and other medical mysteries. Now in this lively and fun book, he opens up his case files to disclose the experts’ answers on everything, from which of your bad habits you can indulge (yo-yo dieting does not mess up your metabolism and sitting too close to the television does not hurt your eyes) to what foods actually pack the punch advertised (you can lay off the beet juice!).
A compendium of answers to the curious and nagging questions of how to keep healthy, Never Shower in a Thunderstorm will provide guidance and amusement to anyone who has ever wondered if the mosquitoes really are attacking her more than everyone else. (Yes, they are.)

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Times Books; 1st edition (May 15, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 080508312X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805083125
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #12 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Reference
    #38 in  Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Mythology & Folklore
    #41 in  Books > Reference > Education > Questions & Answers

More About the Author

Anahad O'Connor
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Anahad O'Connor Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In
64% buy the item featured on this page:
Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In 4.1 out of 5 stars (7)
$10.20
The Book of General Ignorance
16% buy
The Book of General Ignorance 4.0 out of 5 stars (65)
$13.57
The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong
9% buy
The Book of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong 4.3 out of 5 stars (12)
$13.57
Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Unsettling, Witty Answers to Questions You Never Thought You Wanted to Ask
6% buy
Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Unsettling, Witty Answers to Questions You Never Thought You Wanted to Ask 3.9 out of 5 stars (18)
$3.26

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty poor book, February 20, 2008
I bought this book to entertain me for a trans-pacific flight, and boy was I disappointed. Most of the questions are answered along the lines of: "Maybe, but it can't hurt to [blah]..."

Nothing is really backed up, and you're just supposed to trust the author. At some point in the book, it was talking about hair loss caused by tight hair styles. And it made the statement of Andre Agassi wearing hats all the time and then suddenly he was bald. So the hats must have caused him to lose his hair. Uh, maybe he wore hats because he had thinning hair?

I was not happy with this purchase at all.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun and Most Informative, June 4, 2007
By G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This book was great fun to read. Many myths, legends, sayings, old wives' tales, etc., all related in some way to health and life, are either debunked or confirmed - and rationales are provided. The author appears to have researched each topic quite exhaustively - not only through reviewing published papers in the scientific and medical literature but also through interviewing acknowledged experts in each field. The book's writing style is friendly, authoritative and very engaging. But what stands out the most is the author's clever wit and humor; on several occasions I found myself laughing out loud. This is a wonderful book that could be enjoyed by anyone, especially those who have ever pondered the veracity of what may or may not be a bit of misinformation.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Lacks Sources, August 6, 2007
By Charlie "Librarian" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
About: Facts and myths about health explained. Includes such topics as "Is too much sleep bad for you?" (yes) and "Can you swim right after eating?" (also, yes)

Pros: Quick read, interesting.

Cons: Sources are not cited, a large downside when debunking myths or providing facts.

Grade: B
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Never shower in a Thunderstorm;
Lots and lots of good tips. It was so interesting that I read the whole thing in one sitting then passed it along to my kids.
Published 17 months ago by Carmen Marie Verge

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun stuff you can share with friends and family
"Wait half and hour after eating before swimming."

"Cover your head in the winter so you don't catch a cold. Read more
Published on July 17, 2007 by armchairinterviews.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Answers Plus Fun and Easy to Read
This book by New York Times columnist Anahad O'Connor made me think of two things that were twin fantasies for a long time. Read more
Published on May 18, 2007 by Michael McCarron

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book written by genius
I've actually known Anahad personally since he was 16 and a student in my American Lit class, and I can tell you this: (1) I just got my copy and the book is great fun; (2) you... Read more
Published on May 17, 2007 by Heather H. Ordover

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.