Uncle John's Triumphant 20th Anniversary Bathroom Reader [Paperback]

Bathroom Readers' Institute (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2007

Happy birthday, Uncle John! This 20th anniversary edition proves that some things do get better with age. Since 1987, the Bathroom Readers’ Institute has led the movement to stand up for those who sit down and read in the bathroom (and everywhere else for that matter). Uncle John’s Triumphant 20th Bathroom Reader is jam-packed with 600 pages of all-new articles (as usual, divided by length for your sitting convenience). In what other single book could you find such a lively mix of surprising trivia, strange lawsuits, dumb crooks, origins of everyday things, forgotten history, quirky quotations, and wacky wordplay? Uncle John rules the world of information and humor, so get ready to be thoroughly entertained as you read about:

The incredible (edible) history of bread
The secret congressional bomb shelter
Farts in the news
The history of the aloha shirt
The real Zorro
The worst city in America
How your taste buds work
It’s the Peanuts story, Charlie Brown
And much, much more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The Bathroom Readers' Institute is a tight-knit group of loyal and skilled writers, researchers, and editors who have been working as a team for years. The BRI understands the habits of a very special market—Throne Sitters—and devotes itself to providing amazing facts and conversation pieces.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Portable Press; 20th anniversary edition (October 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592230938
• ISBN-13: 978-1592230938
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,387 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It Was 20 Years Ago Today Uncle John Taught the Band to Play! March 14, 2008

By Michael OConnor TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

For trivia fans, 1988 stands as a landmark year. 1988 was the year "Uncle John" and the Bathroom Readers' Institute published the first BATHROOM READER volume containing interesting and oddball facts. That first book ran to 224 pages and cost $9.95. And now, praise be, here we are celebrating the 20th anniversary with this whooping 597-opus sure to delight all lovers of knowledge.

Edition 20 is the usual, entertaining collection of isolated facts, short two-four page articles on various topics and extended, multi-part articles on subjects like Music industry lawsuits, the history of bread, etc. along with the Word Origins, Court Transquips, Urban Legends, Strange Lawsuits, Bathroom Lore and other sections that have been a regular feature of the series. The series also retains its punny sense of humor as witness the following sections: Gnome Gnews is Good Gnews, The Ig Nobel Prizes and I Walk the Lawn.

Included in Edition 20 are articles on Historical Blunders, Animal Heroes, The Aloha Shirt, Weird Canada, Farts in the News, Odd Buildings, Car Name Origins, Weird Game Shows, Food Origins, Underwear in the News, The World's Oldest Calculator, Weird Wrestlers, Cockney Slang, Dumb Crooks, Comic Phrases and much, MUCH more! And all for $18.95...such a bargain!

You can't go wrong with this latest Uncle John Reader or any of the BR series ("Plunges Into," "For Kids," etc.). Total sales for the whole ball of wax is something like 7 million books so Uncle John & Co. must be doing something right. Pick up a copy of Edition 20, read and enjoy! Here's hoping we have another 20 years of Bathroom readers to look forward to!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncle John's Bathroom Reader-TOO Funny!! January 7, 2008

By J. Carson

Format:Paperback

I read an older edition at my sister's house and found it hilarious and actually informative, so I bought 3 copies of the latest edition as Xmas gifts. I gave one copy to our neighbors, and when the wife saw the title, she immediately handed it to her hubby with disdain. Eventually, her curiosity got to her, and she picked it up and didn't put it down for almost 1 hour! She then left our house early so that she could go home and continue reading it with no interruption. Definitely not a waste of money. Now I just wish someone would give a copy to me!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Trivia Series November 12, 2008

By Leigh Bain

Format:Paperback

The Uncle John Bathroom books are a great series of endless trivia. If you are a trivia nut like my husband and I, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book as well as ALL of the others. Good luck finding them all however, some are more difficult to find but each book has new trivia and unbelievable, with the number of books this group as published...they NEVER repeat facts. Amazing. Also, just as the title indicates, if your guy (or you) are like my husband and spend plenty of time in the bathroom throughout the day - this book makes a fantastic read while sitting on the pot. These books are also great to place in the bathroom for company to enjoy while doing their "business".