Richard Nixon – DaneCobain.com

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.

Johnny Cash – Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash | Review

Title: Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash

Author: Johnny Cash

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 341

Rating: 8/10

Johnny Cash – Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash

This is the story of Johnny Cash as you’ve never heard it before, the story of the man in black from his own lips – it turns out that Cash isn’t just a songwriter, he’s an accomplished novelist and autobiographer in his own right, and this is his second book of autobiographical stories, a fascinating insight in to his mind.

This isn’t an autobiography in the traditional sense of the word – it’s not really linear, and it really is more like a set of stories told around a campfire than the detailed life story of a man who knew he hadn’t got long left. By the end, you’ll feel as though J.R. is a close friend, rather than the mysterious Cash who performed on stages at San Quentin and Folsom Prison.

It’s fascinating, too, to hear his tales of the superstars that he met and conversed with, figures as notable and diverse as Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan, Bill Clinton and George Bush. Hell, president Jimmy Carter was even a cousin of his, a direct blood relative of June Carter, Johnny’s loving wife and a talented performer in her own right.

Johnny Cash

The book is offset beautifully by black and white photographs from Johnny’s own collection, and they really help to bring his story to life – at the end of the day, Cash was a fundamentally likeable person, even if he does talk about religion a little too much for my liking. But that’s just the man he was, he pulled no punches and was just himself, unashamedly, throughout his career.

If you’re a particular fan of Johnny Cash and country music, or if you’re simply a fan of music in general, this is the book for you – it’s one of the most interesting autobiographies I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of autobiographies. Keep on walking that line, kid.