Customer Reviews

What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? and 100 Other Great Cultural Lists--Fully Explicated

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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This fun book contains a hundred and one lists organized by number. For example, the chapter known as "Four" includes the following: What are the four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver? What are the four conic sections? What are the four sections of a symphony orchestra? etc.

Chapters are: Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Eighteen, Twenty and Twenty-Four. What makes the book more than just a quiz generator is the lengthy explanatory text, anywhere from three to eighteen pages. These pithy essays entertain and inform, and add greatly to the volume's enjoyment. Some questions are really obscure -- what were the five rivers of the classical underworld, anyway? -- but even the easier ones can leave you scratching your head and cursing your memory. Didn't I used to know allthis stuff? Then, after you knock yourself on the head and shout "Of course!", you will have the pleasure of reading a well-written essay by a co-author or one of a small number of contributors. There is also a fourteen page suggested reading list, organized by subject, that includes music and URLs. Rounded out with a good index, this is very nicely done and lots of fun.

Among the recent spate of "cultural literacy" books, What are the Seven Wonders of the World? is in a class all its own. It takes a huge chunk of the western tradition and offers it up in easily digestible morsels--and does so (incredibly) without dumbing it down. On almost every page I found things I thought I knew but had forgotten--as well as plenty of others I should have learned but never did.

But don't get me wrong. This book is FUN too. Horace put it best: An effective writer will mix the practical with the pleasurable ("utile dulci"), and entertain the reader at the same time he instructs. D'Epiro and Pinkowish do just that.

If you know a lot about history, literature, or art, check this book out. If you don't, check it out too.

This is a clever little volume which, for the most part, I enjoyed. Essentially, it is 101 questions (see the title for an example) with answers provided in short, generally engaging essays. For a triviophile like myself, it provided a lot of interesting stuff, though it's not really a book to be read straight through. Instead, taking a few questions a night should prevent information overload.

In addition, the book does have a few weakness. First, there is the unavoidable one of the selection of questions. Depending on your tastes, some questions will likely be less interesting than others. Also, the authors have the occasional tendency to throw in a judgement with their answers which can rankle, especially in the religious realm. Finally, there is the feeling that some of the questions are a bit of a stretch, shaped to fit the format the authors have chosen.

Still, I don't get the sense that the book is meant to be a reference work. It is meant to be an engaging exploration of a potpourri of interesting questions. In that respect, it works quite well.

This informative, fascinating and entertaining volume presents, in a question-and-answer format, a compendium of 101 easy-to-memorize lists from the fields of history, mythology, religion, literature, art, music, mathematics and science, which are considered to be of great significance for our culture.
Each question is well-organized according to the number of items in its answer, which can vary from three (Who where the 3 Magi, and what gifts did they bring?) to twenty-four (What are the 24 letter of the ancient Greek alphabet?).
Each precise answer, instead of giving a mere list, is accompanied by an engrossing essay that places the list in its cultural and historical context and details some well-researched facts about it that aid our understanding of its meaning.
As a bonus, for those interested in doing further research in a specific topic, the book offers a list of suggested reading, which includes books as well as Web site addresses. A very thorough index is also offered for those interested in looking for a particular subject.
Overall, this is a practical, charming and pleasurable reference to either consult or flip through, recommended for readers of all ages eager to explore our culture's most captivating lists, series and hierarchies.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

I highly recommend this book. It's fun to look through the lists (presented as questions) and try to guess the answers, but what really sets this book apart from most "list" books are the essays that accompany each list. They are witty and informative. You start reading and don't want to stop.

This book would make a great gift for all the "Cliff Clavins" on your gift list. And be sure to get one for yourself!

I found this book absolutely fascinating. Short well written essays filled in details on the history and cultural setting of a wide variety of items from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to the 7 kinds of plane triangles.The topics chosen varied widely over many centuries and many different cultures. While I was familiar slightly with perhaps half of the topics, the essays enriched my understanding of even those about which I thought I was most knowledgeable and informed me on many topics which were previously unknown to me. I could pick up the book and open it to any page and enjoy myself whether I had time for just a single essay or could indulge myself for an hour. Everyone should have fun reading this book.

I just finished reading it cover to cover and found it a truly enlightening and FUN read. I have loved these type of books since my first purchase of "An Incomplete Education" many years ago, as well as Charles Panati's books. The format of "What are the Seven Wonders of the World?" lends itself nicely to reading it on short breaks. I was amazed at how much I could learn in so little time. At last, I finally understand the intricate history (and relationships) of all of the Kings and Queens of England - and it was absolutely painless. There's too much good stuff in the book to mention it all here. If you love trivia, or wish to expand your horizons in order to becomes a modern day Leonardo (Da Vinci), this book is for you. I can't wait for the next volume.

Now, please excuse me -I have to keep my audition appointments for "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "Jeopardy"!

I bought this book maybe a year ago and it has been a favorite ever since. Over 100 topics, each typically a few pages, covering a variety of 'lists.' These include, 'The 4 properties of a musical tone', 'The 12 knights of the Round Table', 'The 10 major U.S. wars', 'The 12 signs of the Zodiac, and the source of their names', 'The 15 decisive battles of the world (according to historian Edward Casey)', 'The 4 horseman of the Apocalypse', 'The 9 great gods of ancient Egypt', etc. This collection includes an incredible variety of topics, each treated sincerely, and with an insightful, light, and frequently very humourous style. One of the best attributes of this book is that it does not matter if you only have 5 minutes available for reading, or 5 hours, this book will deliver. Also, the order of reading is of absolutely no importance. My preference was to just open the book to a random location, flip backwards or forwards to a random topic, and just start reading. It really is fascinating stuff. And with over 100 topics, even if only 20 or so are highly interesting for you, I think you'll agree the book is worth every penny of its price. And, for whatever reason, the topics are highly rereadable. That is, there is extensive information in each topic, and sometimes after an initial reading, I would go back and actually study the information. Occasionally, several times.

Anyway, I just bought another 7 copies to distribute as gifts for the holidays--you know, for those people that I have *no* idea what they might like...

There are already 17 excellent reviews here, each one telling how unique this numerical guide to beguiling lists is. My only additional comment is to buy and check out this unique cultural guide! You won't be disappointed!

This is a wonderful book. Great for all the trivia buffs out there. Seven Wonders is filled with a variety of questions and interesting answers. I would love for the authors to compile another like this one. This one is on my top 10 list of great trivia books. Highly recommended to all.