Who Knew? [Paperback]

David Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2000

Who Knew' is a collection of tidbits and trivia about well-known personalities and products that we all are familiar with-or at least think we're familiar with. For example, did you know that the VW Beetle was commissioned by Adolph Hitler (and designed by Ferdinand Porsche)' Or that the name "Oz" came to author L. Frank Baum when he noticed the drawers of his filing cabinet were marked A - G, H - N, and O - Z' From Twinkies to Tupperware to toys and television, these offbeat informational nuggets are guaranteed to entertain and enthrall.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Hoffman is the author of best-selling books The Joy of Pigging Out and Kid Stuff. He has worked in television for 20 years, as both a series writer and on-camera reporter covering trends and popular culture. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (April 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740704877
• ISBN-13: 978-0740704871
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #875,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Hoffman has been a television writer, a creative consultant, and an on-camera reporter for ABC and FOX covering trends and popular culture. He is the author of numerous pop culture books, including Kid Stuff, which celebrates classic toys, and The Easy-Bake Oven Gourmet. He lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Knew? Things You Didn't Know About Things You Know Well, June 23, 2000

By 

Annette Ilonzeh (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Knew? (Paperback)

Did you know that Twinkies originally had banana-flavored filling in them rather than the vanilla we all know and love so well? They did, up until WWII when there was a banana shortage in the U.S. To quote the author, Who Knew? This is just one of the interesting tidbits of information you'll glean from this book. A must-read for any trivia lover, Who Knew? also makes enjoyable reading for the merely mildly curious. Have you ever wondered how Marilyn Monroe walked that walk? She lopped off the heel of one shoe! Highly recommended reading - and a great gift for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your gift list.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but short on content, September 18, 2000

By 

John "John" (PHOENIX, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Who Knew? (Paperback)

I enjoy these type of books and found it to be full of interesting facts. I can't give it a higher rating however because, for the most part, this book has one fact per page. It's not like the page is full of a lot of background information either. A fact may consist of a single sentence. You can read the entire book in 10 or 15 minutes.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun facts, Fun book, January 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Who Knew? (Paperback)

What I loved about this book is that the information it contained was fresh and different from the typical trivia book. I first discovered it a year ago when a friend brought it along on a car trip and being confirmed know-it-alls, both of us were continually amused about what we didn't know (from the origins of popular phrases and products to tidbits about some of our favorite tv shows and movies). Since, I've given a number of copies as gifts. So I was extremely surprised when I read some of the dsigruntled reviews. Yes, there's only one factoid per page - but when they're all interesting, who cares? And I have to add this: The reader who claims the author said Jell-O emits brain waves, obviously misread the whole thing. What the book states is that "if Jell-O is hooked up to an EEG, it registers movements virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult." The 'it' refers to the EEG - not the Jell-O! And for the record, this isn't urban folklore. Several years ago, the Smithsonian did a symposium on Jell-O (yes, the Smithsonian!). And they concur: It's the result of a study performed in 1993 by technicians at St. Jerome hospital in Batavia, NY, to confirm an earlier test by Dr. Adrian Upton. Hey, who knew?!?