Do You Think You're Clever?: The Oxbridge Questions

Description

'What happens if I drop an ant?' 'What books are bad for you?' 'What percentage of the world's water is contained in a cow?' The Oxbridge undergraduate interviews are notorious for their unique ways of assessing candidates, and from these peculiar enquiries, professors can tell just how smart you really are. John Farndon has collected together 75 of the most intriguing questions taken from actual admission interviews and gives full answers to each, taking the reader through the fascinating histories, philosophies, sciences and arts that underlie each problem. This is a book for everyone who likes to think they're clever, or would like to be clever. And cleverness is not just knowing stuff, it's how laterally, deeply and interestingly you can bend your brain. Guesstimating the population of Croydon, for example, opens a chain of thought from which you can predict the strength of a nuclear bomb . and that's just the start of it.

John Farndon graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge with a degree in English Literature. Libby Purves OBE is a radio presenter, journalist and author. Best known for presenting BBC Radio Four's Midweek, she also writes regularly for The Times and has published twelve novels. She is a graduate of St Anne's College, Oxford, with a First in English Language and Literature.

'As well as putting your smug relatives to the test, this book is an entertaining way of encouraging unusual thought and debate.' -- Oldie 'A great book to dip into... you can hardly stop yourself wanting to see the next question.' -- Evan Davis, BBC Radio 4, Today 'John Farndon has compiled one of the most thought-provoking and unique quiz books from the very questions posed in Oxbridge interviews in recent years. The questions will challenge even the most ardent of QI fans as we find ourselves on the receiving end.' -- Burton Mail 'Light-hearted and informative quiz book.' -- Woman and Home Magazine 'A fascinating little book.' -- Lizzy Siddal, Lizzy's Literary Life blog