Machine generated contents note: Foreword by Brad Listi -- Introduction: Boyhood Maps, Modern-Day Trivia -- Chapter 1 Amassed from the Past: Curious and Fantastic Facts from the Archives of History -- Chapter 2 Unnatural Sciences: Bizarre Discoveries from Biology to Outer Space -- Chapter 3 Puzzling Ailments: Most Mysterious Maladies -- Chapter 4 Idiosyncratic Inventions: Technologies We Depend on Every Day and Some Useless Contraptions -- Chapter 5 Odd Occupations: Some of the Dirtiest, Weirdest Jobs that You Never Wanted but Have to Know About -- Chapter 6 Saturday Night Fever: Popular Films for Obsessive Fans -- Chapter 7 Eccentric Authors and Fantastic Art: Great and Little-Known Works by the Wildly (and Weirdly) Creative -- Chapter 8 Mysterious Places: Exploring Some of the World's Most Mystifying Nooks and Crannies -- Bibliography -- Acknowledgements -- About the Author.
Summary:
"Truly trivia you can't live without, A People's History of the Peculiar is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come! Your guide, Nick Belardes, has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation's capitol didn't stay in Philadelphia, why some fossils are smiling, and how, if Preparation H existed in the early 1800s, Napoleon would have won Waterloo. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hours of reading. This book is so fascinating and fun, you'll become obsessed, too!"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.