mental_floss Presents Condensed Knowledge: A Deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again

Rating:
Summary: Tasty
Review: This book is like a well done tuna sandwich. It makes for a light lunch, but still infuses the body with needed nutrients and only minor amounts of mercury.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Trivia that sucks you in with Great Stories!!!
Review: This book is such a fun read, even those who don't crave random trivia can enjoy it! It has so much information, and yet is so organized that you can actually find the information! While I don't subscribe to this magazine, reading this book will make anybody consider getting a subscription. All in all, there is really nothing but positive things I can say about this book.

Several reviewers have criticized some of the ways information is presented in this book for the sake of political correctness, as well as some of the opinions about works discussed. I think all the reviewers of this book make valid points. Everybody knows what AD and BC mean, there's really no reason at this point to reinvent the wheel.

The section on Art included a few prickly elements for me. I personally was annoyed by some of the superlatives used to describe many of the artists. The section on seeming like you know what you're talking about at an art exhibit is so funny, however, that it totally makes up for it. :) In all fairness, art is one of the hardest things to write about clearly since it's so personal for whoever is viewing it. Look up the artists listed so that you can see some of the pictures yourself and make up your own mind!

Those small picadillos aside, there's sooo much to enjoy here that the good far outweighs the bad. The sections are well organized, and the authors do a great job of bringing historical figures to life with great stories.

Many trivia books can be read for about an hour at a time. This is a trivia book that can be read for hours on end and still not make you feel overloaded. The bite-size bits of info are easy for anybody to swallow!

All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this book. If it were possible to give it 6 stars I would! Buy it, Read it, ENJOY IT!