Schott's Miscellany 2008: An Almanac (Schott's Miscellany: An Almanac) [Hardcover]

Ben Schott (Author)

Book Description

Series: Schott's Miscellany: An Almanac | Publication Date: October 30, 2007

In the modern age, where information is plentiful but selection and analysis elusive, Schott's Almanac presents a unique biography of the year: from Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's historic presidential runs to George Bush's continued infatuation with "the Google," from marriage and crime statistics to the incidence of shark bites worldwide, and from the Nobel Prize for Literature to the Bad Sex in Fiction award, Schott's Almanac distills information and opinions critically, giving readers an accurate biography of the year past.
 
Practical, entertaining, and utterly compulsive, Schott's Almanac eschews endless lists and tiny type to present an elegantly designed and utterly compulsive selection of the year's events.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Schott's Almanac 2007

"Genuine practical value…elegantly designed…a vast [collection] of informational flotsam and jetsam."--New York Times

"If we live in an information age, then Ben Schott has become something of a maestro, or perhaps a master chef, ranging over the whole of knowledge and seasoning his…books with a pinch of this, a drop of that."--Chicago Sun Times
"Schott's Almanac presents a delightful mix of useful information and more whimsical fare that makes it both a reference resource and a source of entertainment."--Kirkus                 

"A meticulously researched and rather addictive annual compendium of facts and figures by Ben Schott, clever creator of the best-selling Schott's Original Miscellany."--Dailycandy.com

 

"One of the oddest and most addictively readable reference books in print."--Boston Globe

About the Author

Ben Schott is the author of Schott's Almanac 2007, Schott's Original Miscellany, Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany, and Schott's Sporting, Gaming, & Idling Miscellany. Together, his books have sold more than two million copies worldwide. He lives in London, and comes to America whenever he can.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596913827
• ISBN-13: 978-1596913820
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #889,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift!, December 28, 2007

By 

Eric H "animal2u" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schott's Miscellany 2008: An Almanac (Schott's Miscellany: An Almanac) (Hardcover)

Great book for the person who has everything and knows nothing. It is chock full of tid-bits of information, important and useless. It is incredibly fun and interesting. My son loves it and can't put it down. I would have never bought an almanac but when I saw it in this cool store in Los Angeles, that sealed the deal. I am glad to have found it on Amazon!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Facts for the Trivia Buff, February 11, 2008

By 

Great Books Fanatic (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Schott's Miscellany 2008: An Almanac (Schott's Miscellany: An Almanac) (Hardcover)

This book is a brilliant review of the year (well, a portion of the year, see below) that hits all of the highlights - and the lowlights as well! With lists such as Grammy and "Blackwell's Best-Dressed" winners, population charts, surveys of Americans' opinions, day-by-day reviews of the year, and one-page bios of important and not-so-important people, Schott's Miscellany 2008 is a staple of the trivia buff's shelf.

Note: the author explains in the foreward that the "Year 2008" covered in this book actually runs from September 2006 through August 2007. So it runs in an odd year, but it helps rather to think of it as an "academic almanack".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schott's Miscellany 2008: An Almanac, February 9, 2008

By 

Dyane Hummel "gift giver" (Waynesboro, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schott's Miscellany 2008: An Almanac (Schott's Miscellany: An Almanac) (Hardcover)

Love this Almanac. Gifted all my children a copy (ages 17,23,25). Love topics like "Some 2007 Movie Taglines of Note". It is packed full of trival pop culture that makes for fun conversation at parties. Who knew all the "best airports for sleeping"? Something for everyone!