Uncle John's Triumphant 20th Anniversary Bathroom Reader (Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader) (Paperback)

by Bathroom Readers' Institute (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Proving that some things do get better with age, Uncle John's Triumphant 20th Anniversary Bathroom Reader is packed with 600-plus pages of all-new material. Here, fans of “the John” can find all of their favorites: obscure trivia, strange lawsuits, dumb crooks, origins of everyday things, forgotten history, quotable quotes, dazzling wordplay, and much more. Celebrating two decades of royal reading on the throne, this edition plunges deep into history to reveal the origin of the Golden Rule and the history of boxing; flushes away all the fictions surroundings real-life sea monsters, and cowboys and Indians; and wipes out preconceived notions about how tastebuds work. Other sections dip into such topics as Viewmaster and the 3-D revolution; books by crooks; and the real-life Zorro. Equally suited for quick stopovers or lingering stays, this absorbing anniversary book is sure to entertain and educate readers while eliminating any traces of boredom.

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: 8 x 5.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 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 "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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!

4 of 4 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 (Livonia, MI USA) - See all my reviews

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!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Leigh Bain "Binary Woman" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

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".