The New Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information [Paperback]

David Wallechinsky (Author), Amy Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2005

The original, benchmark compendium of facts weirder than fiction, intriguing information, and must-talk-about trivia that has sold over eight million copies worldwide and spawned many imitators. For nearly three decades David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace have been researching curious facts and unusual statistics and the incredible stories behind them. Now the most entertaining and informative of these have been brought together in a long-awaited, thoroughly up-to-date, and Americanized new edition, including brand-new lists and list makers. Contributors include: Oliver Stone; Jane Fonda; Sean Connery; Robert Duvall; Pedro Almodovar; Stephen King; John Waters; Wynton Marsalis; Quincy Jones; Arnold Palmer; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Isaac Stern; Ian Rankin; Alan Dershowitz; Margaret Atwood; Dave Eggers; Brian Eno; and Elmore Leonard.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Canongate U.S. (November 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841957194
• ISBN-13: 978-1841957197
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Curiosities & Wonders
  • #39 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Trivia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Reasons to Buy this Book, December 21, 2005

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information (Paperback)

Ok, there are more than five reasons! I was eight years old when my older brother received the original "Book of Lists" (1977) as a Christmas gift. The book compiled lists of mostly useless trivia. My family members all had fun scanning the lists, but I was the most mesmerized. To an eight-year-old list freak, The Book of Lists was like manna. Reading about people who died unusual deaths or about the shortest celebrity marriages provided endless hours of entertainment. I've always loved lists and eagerly anticipated each successive edition of the "Book of Lists." More than a decade has passed since the last version - the rather ho-hum "90s Edition." Since that time, the internet (especially google) has made these types of lists somewhat irrelevant, as anybody with a laptop can successfully build their own lists of trivia. However, it's still great fun and provides a certain nostalgia factor for those of us who grew up with this series.

"The New Book of Lists" brings back two of the original authors - David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace (the third author was now-deceased Irving Wallace). This edition combines a number of old favorites (9 Disparaging Sobriquets), updates others (the 2002 Olympic ice skating scandal is added to "10 Olympic Controversies"), and includes a number of brand new lists (Oliver Stone's 12 Best Political Films). The book is perfect for bedside, as it can be digested in small portions before you slip into arcania-sated slumber. Since the first 1997 edition, numerous other books have aped the Book of Lists, but none has ever approached this series. A real winner.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal, December 29, 2005

By 

Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information (Paperback)

Back in the 1970s, I bought the Book of Lists and Book of Lists #2. I loved the countless of facts both arcane and informative and I along with my fellow college radio DJ's recited a few on air. I'd long since forgotten the joy and pleasure I derived from reading all of these lists. I was reminded of those long ago memories when I bought a copy of this book. The authors have once again done an excellent job in compiling numerous lists. With main topics like Movies, Music, the Arts, Animals, Sex, Love & Marriage, Work & Money, Crime, Politics, etc. you can spend hours reading through this book. It's the kind of book you can leaf through on a rainy night or on a lazy afternoon. Guilty pleasure it may be, or just fascinating the amount of trivia available, this book is lots of fun.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overall a dissapointment, January 13, 2006

By 

R. C Sheehy "deadsox" (Foxboro,MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information (Paperback)

Having read the entire Book of Lists/People's Almananc series since I was a kid I was eagerly anticipating this newest version. I have to admit to being dissapointed in what is at best a rehash of some of the prior lists.

I would estimate that somewhere between 40-60% of this book is nothing more then repeates from previous books. While the original content is as fascinating as ever all of the warmed over lists really hurt this books experience for me. Having read the books by the folks at Mental Floss and the Bathroom Readers it would seem that the torch is being passed to a new generation.