Tag: Up-to-Date

John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller – 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over | Review

March 20, 2018
Authors F-J (By Surname)Authors K-O (By Surname)Non-Fiction

Title: 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over

Author: John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 390

Rating: 4*/5

 

John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller - 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over

John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller – 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over

 

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this book for free for review purposes.

I’ve read and reviewed a few of these books so far, and so we’re now at the point where Faber & Faber just automatically pop a copy of every new one as and when they’re released. There’s not too much that I can say here that I haven’t said for the previous ones. It’s aesthetically pleasing, interesting and easy to either dip in and out of or to read from cover to cover.

What I will say is that this particular collection feels somehow more “up to date” than previous releases have, possibly because it includes a bunch of facts about technology, the internet and social media. But honestly, while slightly over 1,400 facts might seem intimidating, I binged my way through the entire book in an afternoon. What can I say? I love trivia.

I’m not sure what else I can tell you here to sell you on the book, and so I figure I’m just going to share a few facts until I hit my word count. So here we go. A clock’s second hand is really it’s third hand. People who buy “bags for life” are safer drivers. In 2017, Doris Day discovered she was two years older than she thought she was. If you stood on top of a mountain on the moon and fired a gun at the horizon, you could shoot yourself in the back. In 2010, Fiji lost its original Declaration of Independence and had to ask Britain for a photocopy.

Still not convinced? Here are some more. The award ceremony for obituary writers is called “The Grimmies“. Richard Nixon once ordered a nuclear strike on North Korea while drunk. In 2004, a pine tree planted in memory of George Harrison died after an infestation of beetles. And of course, people who read books live longer than those who don’t. I like that last fact. It bodes well for me, and presumably for you too. If these facts haven’t swayed you then I guess this book isn’t for you. If they have, go ahead and get it.

 

John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

 

Click here to buy 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over.

David Attenborough – Life On Earth | Review

August 21, 2017
Authors A-E (By Surname)Non-Fiction

Title: Life On Earth

Author: David Attenborough

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 324

Rating: 4*/5

 

David Attenborough - Life On Earth

David Attenborough – Life On Earth

 

If you’re familiar with the work of David Attenborough then you know roughly what to expect here. This is basically the great naturalist’s narrative on how life on earth came about, and it’s thoroughly fascinating if you’re interested in animals – although also occasionally intimidating as well.

My copy of it is maybe forty years old, but it’s still pretty interesting and it’s all up-to-date in most areas – except for where Attenborough said there were four billion humans on the planet. It also comes with plenty of high quality imagery because he wrote the book at the same time as filming the documentary series of the same name, so he’s able to tap into the footage from the show and from other wildlife photographers. Sometimes they take up both pages of a two-page spread, which means they’re shown in fantastic quality – and that it’s easier to whizz through pages than you might first imagine.

I think the most interesting aspect of this book is actually the little things that you learn about different animals, although I find it hard to think of a specific example. But it’s cool when he tells you about the animal with the largest eyes in relation to the rest of its body (I think it was a lemur at 250 times larger in proportion than human eyes) and then you turn the page and see a photo of it.

All in all then, this book definitely isn’t for everyone – and in fact, I suspect it’s meant as more of a coffee table book than as one that you’d pick up and read from cover to cover. Nevertheless, that’s what I did and I enjoyed it, and so if you’re an animal lover or you think that biology is just fascinating, you’re going to like it. If not, you still might.

 

David Attenborough

David Attenborough

 

Click here to buy Life On Earth.