The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp Through Civili

Description

Pop quiz! Who said what about history History is . . . (a) more or less bunk. (b) a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken. (c) as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis. Match your answers: (1) Stephen Daedalus of James Joyce's Ulysses (2) Henry Ford (3) Arthur Schopenhauer It turns out that the answer need not be bunk, nightmarish, or diseased. In the hands of mental_floss, history's most interesting bits have been handpicked and roasted to perfection. Packed with little-known stories and outrageous-but accurate-facts, you'll laugh yourself smarter on this joyride through 60,000 years of human civilization. Remember: just because it's true doesn't mean it's boring! Now with Breaking News "If You Thought the Last Depression Was Great . . ." Answers: (a) 2 (b) 1 (c) 3

Erik Sass is a journalist based in Los Angeles with branch offices around the country. When not writing for mental_floss, he reports on the media and advertising business for MediaPost.com.

"[A]n admirable job of covering 60,000 years of human history in one volume. Along with the names of people and places, the dates and statistics, the wars, disasters, revelations, and accomplishments, there are fascinating stories, hilarious oddities, and plenty of fun....[A] wealth of information." -- School Library Journal