Customer Reviews

Random Obsessions: Trivia You Can't Live Without

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nick Belardes definitely nails it when he states "I'm just a reflection of society's love for such oddities". There's no need for him to toot his own horn about this amazing book, because anyone that reads it can and will toot it for him. Being a lover of weird, obscure, and otherwise "random" trivia, I loved reading this book. I have had it in my possession for a long time, and there are still times that I pop off a clever and interesting fact that I found inside it.
Having a grandfather who created a few patents himself, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about "25 Rather Useless Patents". From weird jobs to cult movies, witch stories to the beloved Mothman, this book is packed full of freakishly cool and goofy info that you'll be dying to share with people. Well written, Belardes' witty humor pops up in every section of his fact-packed trivia book. Who wouldn't want to go out and get a bunch of copies of this and share it with everyone they know???

This book was a gift and turned out to be one of the best gifts I ever recieved due to the fact that I have held on to it for a long time going back and rereading it for the entertainment.Talk about bizarre, some of the facts in this book were truly wierd, in a good way, and so amusing to read and tell others about.Once I began to read it I couldnt put it down. I highly reccomend this book to be gifted to the person that is hard to buy for and can appreciate bizarre facts, that are hard to believe, but true!

Nick Belardes' book is aptly named. While 'Random' has become a favorite word bandied about by today's youth, the facts contained in this book follow a path through the author's head that reflects his quirky personality.My favorite facts described in Chapter One, "Amassed from the Past' concern the architectural mysteries of Washington D.C. I picture actor Nicholas Cage running through the area on his way to finding a new treasure and coming across it at the bottom of the obelisk of the Washington monument. Strange games, useless patents, and odd inventions described with a wry sense of humor entertain and tickle your funny bone. The fact I've shared most often from this book has to do with missing parts of the anatomy in chapter 3. I won't give it away, you'll have to buy the book. I guarantee you'll belly laugh at least once, and you might learn a thing or two.

I enjoyed Random Obsessions. It wasn't what I expected (Which was a good thing). Found myself picking it back up time in time again and always seemed to find something new out of it. keep in mind it might not be for everyone

If you want to know the size of Delaware or how long the small intestine is, this isn't your book. But if you want to find out about Thomas Jefferson's axe murderer grandson or how to stop a nosebleed by running an ice cube down the back of your neck...then you can't pass this up. Part of this book's charm is in its division of chapters by topic - and then a natural conversational type of progression within each one as it takes off organically into various lists and explanations. Trivia is at its best when it's weird and N.L. Belardes has a special mastery of it.

One of the other commenters here mentioned that Belardes falls short on the "weirdness" task, for example, calling out his list of odd jobs. Fair enough - he's entitled to his opinion. But if I met somebody who was a mermaid at a city aquarium or an organ sorter for a meat packing plant or a fake psychic who read tarot cards for a 900 line or a chicken sexer (sex distinguisher), I'd want to ask them all kinds of questions. I once met a guy whose job it was to bite the testicles off lambs with his front teeth and that was at least an hour long conversation. Just saying.

You gotta get this book. It's fun.

I didn't know whether to cherry-pick my way through Random Obsession based on the blurb, or simply sit down and pore my way through it. This is the high-octane version of Trivial Pursuit; some of the strangest, weirdest, and most unbelievably true things you're going to read. Ever.

Flavor chemistry? Check.
Serpents of light? Check.
Thomas Jefferson's ax-murdering grandson? Check (possibly).

If you're looking for confirmation that the world really is as strange as place as you secretly believe, then look no further than Random Obsessions.

Different than any other trivia/factoid book you will ever come across because it comes from the unique mind of Nick Belardes. Truly interesting and bizarrely random with so many different stories and facts from every source and subject. Fun to read from start to finish or pass the time with a page or twonow and then in bed, at work, in the bathroom, on a plane, at jury duty...

This book seems like such a great book, ideal for people who love facts and Trivia.
Just from reading the description I can already tell it is a good book.
Can't wait to get my copy.

Nick has pieced together a fun book, perfect for trivia lovers or for those of us who enjoy random bits of info we can impress our friends with. His style is refreshing!

Trying to decipher the meaning of life through the latest Chopra? Take a break from the conundrums of the universe and expand your inner musings!! Get lost in the random with this witty book! I love reading it for a couple of minutes to hours at a time, never going without a chuckle or a quizzical, "Hmmmmm..." And hey, you just might, and will, learn something!