8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny book, April 29, 2004
This review is from: Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!: The Oddly Informative News Quiz (Paperback)
This is a very funny book based on the radio show. I'm something of a trivia fan, and this book has some of the funniest and most entertaining trivia I've seen. The cover says, "Test your knowledge of narcissistic entertainers, stupid criminals, and windbag politicians." That was enough to get me to pick it up and take a look, and I was glad I did.
The book has trivia on other subjects besides the three main ones above. In fact there's quite a variety of stuff, so it's hard to summarize it, but I thought I'd at least mention a few things to give you some idea of what they're like:
A British spy manual during WWII recommended sneaking into German brothels and putting itching powder in the condoms.
Elvis offered to help President Nixon track down Communists and drug abusers.
Bob Dylan told the L.A. Times that he dislikes today's popular music so much that if he was coming of age today, he'd turn to architecture or mathematics instead of music.
Zsa Zsa Gabor once had an affair with Kemal Attaturk, the former president of Turkey, saying, "He dazzled me with his sexual prowess and seduced me with his perversion."
A species of ant belonging to the Camponotis genus can, when provoked, shake so violently that they explode, showering their enemies with sticky goo. They're able to do this because of a special gland that runs the length of the body.
There's even a funny piece of trivia about life in Antarctica. Condom machines were installed in the bathrooms at a research station on the Ross Ice Shelf. The owner of the vending machines said that, "It's pretty much a little village where everyone knows everyone, so if they walk into the loo to buy a condom it's a lot more confortable than going to the local shop and buying them where everyone knows what's going on."
More than 1500 people work at the station during the summer, compared to only 50 during the winter. So I guess most of the romantic dalliances (and condom sales) take place during the comparatively warm summer months. :-)
And lastly, for our almost as frigid neighbors to the north (having travelled around a lot of Canada myself), the Canadian Wildlife Service is worried about the increasing population of beavers and possible untoward encounters with tourists, campers, and park visitors. The Service issued a warning saying, "Beavers rear up on their hind legs and loudly hiss or growl before lunging forward to deliver extremely damaging bites." (The book then says the Service has advised Americans not to wear wood when travelling to Canada :-)).
Anyway, that should give you some idea of what the book is like. Overall, a very funny book that had me chuckling and laughing out loud more than any book I've had in quite a while.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish this book was longer!, February 5, 2003
This review is from: Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!: The Oddly Informative News Quiz (Paperback)
As a fan of the NPR radio show, "Wait, wait, don't tell me," I had to get this book once they announced that it was in print. I read it over a period of two days, laughing and learning about some of the weird and odd news that don't always make the headlines. I've listened to the show for about a year now and I still intend on listening to it for years to come. I give it four out of five stars simply because the book isn't long enough. Maybe the "Wait, wait" staff should come out with a sequel in the next few years or so. ... You won't regret it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
