Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Plunges into History [Paperback]

The Bathroom Readers' Hysterical Society (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002

The real stories behind famous people and events from ancient to modern times. Anecdotal, thought provoking and organized by topic. Chapters will include: You Said You Knew How to Fire That Thing: Misadventures and Wrong Turns that Challenged History; the 10 Most Important Forgotten People in History; Slips of the Tongue: Simple Mistakes that Led to Great Discoveries and Awful Disasters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 490 pages
• Publisher: Portable Press (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157145697X
• ISBN-13: 978-1571456977
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Trivia
  • #48 in Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Collections & Readers

More About the Author

Since 1988, the Bathroom Readers' Institute has led the movement to stand up for those who sit down and read in the bathroom (and anywhere else, for that matter). Our crack staff works year-round to bring you the publishing industry's most absorbing anthologies of history, humor, origins, flops, fads, quotes, puzzles, kids' stuff, and more. Today, with more than 11 million books in print and a membership base topping 40,000 loyal readers, the movement begat by Uncle John is stronger than ever. In fact, the "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" series in the longest-running, most popular series of its kind in the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bathroom Historian, June 29, 2003

By 

William Holmes "semloh2287" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Plunges into History (Paperback)

I received the first Uncle John's Bathroom Reader as a gift nearly fifteen years ago, and I have enjoyed every one of its many successors. "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History" is the first of the readers to focus on a specific subject matter, but it is every bit as enjoyable as its more generic brethren.

Whether you read this book in the bathroom or in the living room, you'll really get a kick out of it. Each article is short, interesting and can generally be read in one sitting (so to speak). Although some of the material was new to me, the book seemed to have its facts straight about the stories with which I was familiar. Despite the witty and breezy style, the authors have usually done enough homework to master the basics. To top it off, the "factoids" on the bottom of each page are pretty interesting in their own right!

If you enjoy history lite--featuring short articles that can be read quickly in a series of short sittings--check out "The Bathroom Historian," my ongoing list of books in this genre. Happy reading!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of "short and sweet"s, January 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Plunges into History (Paperback)

Each selection is two to three pages, thus lends itself well to situations where you have less than ten minutes. Found myself reading these to my newborn to get her to go to sleep. Sure beats reading nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Half the time I find my wife listening in. The historical trivia are interesting and written in a humorous way that will keep you coming back for more.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May be too good for the bathroom..., February 26, 2005

By 

Thom Cuddy (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Plunges into History (Paperback)

I'm not, by nature, overly impressed with trivia books. I enjoy them at times, but I rarely consider them "page-turners", which is why they are often considered great choices for bathroom reading material. This collection is a welcome exception! History is a fascinating field, something more people need to realize but few can grasp after years of stale high school history lessons. This book has a lot of fascinating material in it, and offers the reader a wealth of hilarious and/or startling trivia. This book is well worth the cost!