Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader [Paperback]

Bathroom Readers' Institute (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2003 | Series: Bathroom Reader (Book 16)

Now in its 16th year, The Bathroom Reader — which seems to have replaced the tie as the most popular Father's Day gift idea — has become a movement, with satisfying, easily digested new selections sure to wipe away bathroom boredom. Handily arranged by length — “short” (a quick read), “medium” (1 to 3 pages), and “long” (for those extended visits) — the book covers everything from Americana to The Name Game to Pop Science and Wordplay. Readers can learn the origins of superglue, sample news stories about underwear, read about animals famous for 15 minutes, and learn of unknown heroes of the Wild West. This broad assortment eliminates ennui while wittily educating readers trapped in airports, cars, buses, or lavatories.

Product Details

• Paperback: 522 pages
• Publisher: Portable Press (October 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592231160
• ISBN-13: 978-1592231164
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading in or out of the bathroom, July 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader (Paperback)

The 16th edition was my first purchase of the series, and now I am probably going to get many more of the books in the series because these are great ways to spend relatively short periods of time and learn so much interesting stuff at the same time. As a bonus, every page has what the authors call "running feet" which is little tidbits of trivia, such as "When a person is dying, hearing is the last sense to go. Sight is the first."

Also, since there are over 500 pages in the recent editions, there is plenty of material to read and one won't finish the book all that quickly, especially if it is used in the bathroom alone.

The topics in the 16th edition cover just about everything imaginable, from how rock bands got their names, urban legends, history of the bagel, to interesting facts and trivia about hurricanes and everything in between. I would think this book would be a great gift for someone in a hospital and I would think it might make a great travel companion while sitting in airports or hotels, though its size and weight makes it more difficult to pack in carry-on luggage.

I wish every doctor and dentist had a set of these books in their waiting rooms! It would make those long waits go by much faster and much more enjoyably. And how about automobile repair waiting rooms? They would be ideal places to have these books for customers to read as they wait. The relatively short length and variety of the entries would be perfect in those environments.

If you love trivia or obscure yet interesting facts about the amazing world around us, you will probably enjoy this book and series. It makes spending the time in "the smallest room in the house" a lot more enjoyable and educational.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should have a reader, March 1, 2005

By 

Christina B. Erickson (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader (Paperback)

I think everyone should have a bathroom reader. It is so full of fun and interesting facts, I started taking it out of the bathroom and reading it on the train to work. Since the tidbits are so short, it doesn't take much concentration and you can easily pick up anywhere in the book. My husband and I have a great time telling eachother about the things we read in the book.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Moving Experience!, November 22, 2003

By 

T. Pasquale "TeP 104" (Yonkers, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader (Paperback)

As usual, The Bathroom Reader's Press has provided food for thought and and thought for digestion. An excellent gift for the person who has everything (the toilet is the great equalizer). I even give one to my doctor every year.
An informative and entertaining read.