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

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

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

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

John Lloyd and John Mitchinson – The Q.I. Book of General Ignorance | Review

Title: The Q.I. Book of General Ignorance

Author: John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 300

Rating: 9/10

John Lloyd and John Mitchinson – The Q.I. Book of General Ignorance

“Everything you think you know is wrong.” That’s one hell of a strap-line, isn’t it? You get what you expect here, from what I believe was the first ever Q.I. book – it’s full of interesting little tidbits and fascinating factoids that you can use to impress your friends at dinner parties.

The book is dedicated to debunking the incorrect assumptions that society makes, a bit like the general ignorance round in the show does. Henry VIII didn’t have six wives, Everest is not the highest mountain in the world, and Alexander Graham Bell didn’t invent the telephone. Like I said, everything you know is wrong.

Okay, so it might not be as good as actually appearing on the show, but for most people, this book is the closest that they’re going to be able to get. But that’s okay because it’s a pleasure to read it, and it’s one of those books that just feels beautiful in your hands, too – Faber & Faber has done a good job with it, as usual.

In fact, this has the rather bizarre honour of being one of the few books that I decided to give a couple of extra points in the rating whilst writing the review of it, because the review reminded me of how good it actually was. I can’t really fault it, but I just don’t feel justified in giving it a ten because I have a feeling that it could, somehow, somehow be even better. Luckily there’s a sequel to it, for that – it’s called The Second Q.I. Book of General Ignorance. Imaginative title, right? Review is coming soon.