Games, General Reference

Schott's Original Miscellany

Name: Schott's Original Miscellany
Author: Ben Schott
ISBN: 9781582343495

by Ben Schott, Collin Deckerman (Editor)

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Overview

Impossible to read at one sitting, but utterly unputdownable, Schott's Original Miscellany is a unique collection of fabulous trivia.

What other book boasts an index that includes shoelace lengths, sign language, and the seven deadly sins; dueling and dwarves; the hair color of Miss America and the Hampton Court maze?

Where else can you find, packed onto one page, the names of golf strokes, a history of the Hat Tax, cricketing dismissals, nouns of assemblage, an unofficial motto of the US Postal Service, and the flag of Guadeloupe?

Where else but Schott's Original Miscellany will you stumble across John Lennon's cat, the supplier of bagpipes to the Queen, the labors of Hercules, and the brutal methods of murder encountered by Miss Marple?

A book like no other, Schott's Original Miscellany is entertaining, informative, unpredictable, and utterly addictive.

Synopsis

Impossible to read at one sitting, but utterly unputdownable, Schott's Original Miscellany is a unique collection of fabulous trivia.

What other book boasts an index that includes shoelace lengths, sign language, and the seven deadly sins; dueling and dwarves; the hair color of Miss America and the Hampton Court maze?

A book like no other, Schott's Original Miscellany is entertaining, informative, unpredictable, and utterly addictive.

The Los Angeles Times

It is so pleasant just to have this book near, as though at any moment one could pretend to be deeply involved in some scholarly pursuit of meaning. — Susan Salter Reynolds

About the Author, Ben Schott

Ben Schott is a photographer, designer, and trivia collector. He is twenty-eight (although he believes you might prefer to picture him as a white-haired librarian) and lives in Highgate, London.

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Editorials

The Los Angeles Times

It is so pleasant just to have this book near, as though at any moment one could pretend to be deeply involved in some scholarly pursuit of meaning. — Susan Salter Reynolds

Publishers Weekly

Ever wonder how one ties a sari? Or who makes the Queen of England's pork sausages? How about which three films managed to take all five of the top Oscar awards (picture, director, actress, actor and screenplay), or which Burmese kings died "curious deaths"? Answers to these questions and hundreds more can be found in this delightfully eclectic collection of facts, diagrams, quotations and symbols. Charmingly designed (with its various typefaces, columns and occasional graphics, it looks a little like an old-fashioned almanac), Schott's slim volume was an unexpected bestseller in England. Now the 28-year-old British designer-photographer has updated the book for American readers. Among its additions, the North American version includes a chart of cattle branding symbols, a list of notable Canadians and a description of the Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Internationally essential trivia-such as the recipe for a martini, instructions for tying a bow tie, and a selection of quotations from Dr. Johnson-has, of course, been preserved. Schott declares that the purpose of his little book is to "gather the flotsam and jetsam of the conversational tide." Readers may find its smile-provoking pages absolutely addictive. Photos, drawings. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

are smash successes, having sold more than two million copies worldwide. His idiosyncratic interests, odd discoveries, and subjective selections have endeared these distinctive reference books to many readers. Original Miscellany included such items as a table of international washing symbols, the International Astronomical Union's system of nomenclature for planets and satellites, and a set of descriptions and examples of the various cloud types. When compiling his first collection, Schott didn't believe it would have practical reference value. But he found to his surprise that his listing of wine bottle nomenclature was being consulted by journalists for reference. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Of the three definitions of "miscellany" quoted in this quirky, but attractive little book, probably the most applicable is "a collection, a medley, or mixture" (OED). Schott has assembled a wide range of facts, diagrams, lists, charts, photographs, and even a "Schematic of Dante's Inferno." Eminently browsable, this slim volume provides information as varied as a list of "The Untimely Deaths of Musicians" and photographs of cloud types. From the catalog of golf strokes to the list of the deadly sins and cardinal virtues, the topics range widely, from useful information such as facts about the American presidents and English monarchs to trivia including chat-room abbreviations, emoticons, and the names of people who appeared on the 1967 cover of the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper album. There is an extremely useful index, which is necessary for this apparently random collection of stuff. Teens will be fascinated by this great source for fun and, frequently, edification.-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.