Customer Reviews

5 People Who Died During Sex: and 100 Other Terribly Tasteless Lists

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I found the book interesting, but I found it hard to take any of the information listed in the book as fact. The author erronously cites Victor Hugo as penning The Three Musketeers when it was in fact Alexandre Dumas. With a glaring error such as that, what else could be miscredit as fact that I am unaware of? I did enjoy the book, but only as a piece of interesting fiction.

There are certain people who will simply love this book. I should know as I encountered a number of them while reading this at the coffee house. Light, fast, breezy and morbid usually adds up to a book worth at least looking at and 5 PEOPLE WHO DIED DURING SEX is no exception. The book is good for those times when you have a few minutes to kill - on the can, a few minutes before nodding off...

The author is a bit sloppy with some of his facts, though, as one reviewer has already mentioned. He refers to the 1972 Olympics in Montreal, when they were in Munich that year (Montreal was in 1976). And when he is not sloppy, the author stretches things a bit to get his lists together, as when he refers to one actor having committed "accidental suicide," a true oxymoron if one ever existed.

It is a bit ironic. People will forgive an academic for errors in a far more substantial book. But, boy, don't mess with people's trivia. Still, the book only sets you back a ten spot. Just don't use it as a reference for any term papers

The thing that attracted me first to this book is that it isn't bogged down with worthless information like "plot," "imagery," or other thematic elements, it is just everything you have always wanted to know, but never knew how to ask, conveniently packaged into 101 lists for quick learning and easy reference.
Some of the lists, such as "40 Syphilitics" are merely, bare bones, listings. No unneeded details, just the names. However, other lists such as "10 Appalling Pontiffs" not only lists the names of the 10 worst popes, but goes into the story of exactly what made them so horrible and evil.
This book also tells you things that you want to hear, like ten literary greats' thoughts on William Shakespeare, a pleasant burst of fresh air for English majors such as myself who loathed the day that man ever put quill to paper.
This is a book that I pick up every day and thumb through. My copy is full of dog ears and highlighted text. One of the best humor/reference book purchases I have made.

If you are someone who likes obscure, funny, interesting and somewhat gross factual information, this is a book for you! Everything you (didn't) want to know about everything! Laugh out loud frolicking fun!

I picked up this book mainly for the macabre aspect but found this to actually be a really informative book. It's full of facts about celebrities, royalty, and even just normal people who have done some weird things. Learning that Napoleon only had one descended testicle and that his wife only own two pairs of underpants but over 900 dresses, or that Elizabeth I had no teeth and used cloth to fill her mouth out while in public was really fun and interesting. I recommend this to anyone interested in history, science, and/or the macabre.

Had me fascinated from the first page!. Some of the stuff in this book is absolutely unbelievable, had to look it up online only to find that they are true!
Imagine this - the most expensive coffee is actually processed out of the poo of a jungle cat!

This was a fun, fast read with loads of information. While some of the information is muddled - generally years and bits like Olympic locations, things an editor should've picked up on - it is a great launching off point for further reading. Each paragraph gives you just enough to think "Wow, that's neat/interesting/weird/couldn't have happened" and make you want to find out more.

This is a good book to keep handy for times when you might be stuck hanging around with nothing to occupy you.

For example, the doctor's waiting room. You want to take your mind off the myriad diseases and ailments you might be catching from all the sickly people waiting there with you. The TV is blaring the latest world crisis on CNN (good content when your spirit is flagging). Do you really want to handle those germ-infested copies of People Magazine?

Instead you can read about Adolf Hitler's cure for flatulence. Or find out that one of the five who died during sex was a Pope(!).

Reviewers have blasted the book's factual errors as if making a mistake in print is a crime on a par with pedophelia. Grow up! I have news for you: lots of published works have factual, spelling, or grammatical errors.

This book is clearly intended as entertainment, not something President Bush will base national policy on.

The book is not even entertaining, and the author has his facts so badly mixed up, you wonder if he ever researched any of the stuff he writes. And yes, Jeff Buckley was NOT a suicide. I find the spreading of this kind of misinformation offensive and disrespectful.

I think that the author of this book should've gotten the facts straight before releasing this! Singer/Songwriter Jeff Buckley is listed in the book as a suicide, and that is 150% INACCURATE! Jeff's death was a terrible and tragic accident and for him to be so disrespected like this, it makes me sick!

(I would've given this book NO STARS, but I cannot post apparently without giving it at least 1 star)