Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?: An Imponderables (R) Book (Imponderables Books) [Paperback]

David Feldman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Imponderables Books | Publication Date: September 4, 2007

Ponder, if you will . . . Is yawning contagious? Do starfish have faces? Why do they put crinkly paper into pairs of men's socks? Why is it that cans of Diet Coke float, but cans of regular Coke don't?

Pop culture guru David Feldman demystifies these questions and much more in Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?

One of the Imponderables^®—the unchallenged source of answers to civilization's most perplexing conundrums—and charmingly illustrated by Kassie Schwan, this book provides you with knowledge about everyday life that encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs just don't cover. And think about it: Where else are you going to find out how they get the paper tag into a Hershey's Kiss?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Feldman is the author of ten previous volumes of Imponderables^®. He has a master's degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and consults and lectures on the media. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060888431
• ISBN-13: 978-0060888435
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Imponderables

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another witty, informative winner from Feldman!, October 5, 2006

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Do Pirates Love Parrots? (Imponderables Books) (Hardcover)

David Feldman returns! . . . for fans of his series of
IMPONDERABLES books (and I'm one), that's good news because
by reading his latest effort, you'll learn the answer to the question
raised in the title: WHY DO PIRATES LOVE PARROTS? . . . along
with answers to such other questions as: Why are most psychics
women? How does the vending machine know when it's Sunday?
And why do peanut butter cookies have crisscross marks
on them?

I like the fact that Feldman thoroughly researches each and
every question, then proceeds to answer it in a manner that
not only informs but also puts a smile on your face . . . for
example, in case you've always been wondering what do they stuff
in medicine balls to make them so heavy, he found this out from
the MediBall company:

The balls are filled with an aqueous gel composed of potassium
polyacrylate and water. It is non-toxic and non-hazardous,
the same material is used an absorbent in baby diapers. Should
not hurt you unless you eat too many of them.

I also liked his discussion of the most frequently asked irritating
questions . . . among them: Do blind people dream? (Yes, but
they rarely see anything in their dreams.) . . . also: How many
licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? (The
average seems to be 600 to 800 licks, though my finding
is more along the lines of Mr. Turtle, who when in commercials
was asked how many licks it took him to get to the center,
replied, "I never made it without biting."

The accompanying drawings by longtime Imponderables illustrator
Kassie Schwan added to my enjoyment of this wonderful book that
will make a great holiday gift for folks of all ages.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things you need to know, October 26, 2011

By 

karin chappell - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?: An Imponderables (R) Book (Imponderables Books) (Paperback)

These books are great to own or give as gifts because they bring hours of enjoyment to all. We use ours as coffee table books so when we have company these books open up all sorts of topics of discussion. We have bought these as gifts for that hard-to-buy-for person at holidays and for birthdays. A must buy for inquiring minds or for those you want to develop an inquiring mind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars why do pirates like parrots, August 21, 2010

By 

Lance Martin (BOSTON, MA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?: An Imponderables (R) Book (Imponderables Books) (Paperback)

I like Mr. Feldmans' books, so it was cool to find such a deal.
It's a quick read and there are some questions which will make you laugh out loud.
BE CAREFUL: I will buy Feldman books sight unseen, but be careful of REPRINTS if you see a title which you may think is new, search online to make sure it is not a re-hashed title of a book you already have. I ended up giving away one of these, and my gift receiver loved the book.