Rating: 
Summary: An eccentric work of staggering genius.
Review: On one level Schott's Original Miscellany is simply a very elegant book of curious, random, eclectic information. It will tell you conversion tables, who sang the national anthem at the Superbowl, what all those washing symbols mean, etc.
But after reading it for a while, the genius of the book becomes apparent. I have no idea who Ben Schott is - I imagine some eccentric English librarian - but he has created a modern masterpiece. In many ways the book defies adequate description. Arcane information on duelling sits cheek-by-jowl with up to date miscellany like the Order of Service for Princess Di's funeral. All I can suggest is that you get a copy, open it at random and start to read.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: One reviewer opines that this book is of limited use because the compiler collected only what he found interesting. By that standard, Johnson's Dictionary would get a poor Amazon review. Although I can agree with other reviewers that there is some inconsequential fluff here, I found this book highly entertaining and mesmerizing, even if some of the arcana in it was of little direct interest to me. I loved the chart of US Presidents that included not only their ages when they took office, but whether they were left-handed, red-headed, whether they had facial hair, and whether they died on July 4. I loved the list of unusual deaths of Burmese kings (one, Nandabayin, laughed himself to death when a visiting European merchant told him that Venice was a free state without a king). I loved the recitation of the British Riot Act of 1714. I loved the list of the 33 degrees of Freemasonry hierarchy. I loved the schematic diagram of Dante's Inferno. What use is this book to you if you're not a reference librarian or a triviaholic? Virtually none. So what? I loved it, and only wish it were much, much longer. Almanac length would be a start.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun!
Review: The deceptively thin Schott’s Original Miscellany is a large and delightful collection of bizarre, interesting, or even sometimes useful bits of trivia such as how to wrap a sari, the knights of the Round Table, a discussion on pencil hardness and a the “to be or not to be†speech presented in Pig Latin.
Schott presents his facts in a completely serious manner that disguises a bit of dry wit. I read the book from cover to cover, sometimes laughing, sometimes saying “I didn’t know that!†and sometimes just agog at the fact that such information is collected in one tome. I mean, where else could you find instructions for measuring bra size on the page facing the schematic of Dante’s Inferno?
This is a five star book all the way and would make a perfect gift for any trivia fan. I’m just sorry I waited so long to buy it and I’m not sure how I ever lived without having the Irish Code Duello or Archaic Golf Club Nomenclature or various Sesquipedalians at my fingertips. Thanks Mr. Schott--I look forward to the next two!
Rating:
Summary: Schott's Original Miscellany
Review: The other day my husband and I were discussing religion and could not remember the name of the blue elephant Hindu god. My mother visited us the weekend before Christmas. The conversation turned to Muses and Mom could not remember the names of the nine muses. A friend knitted a beautiful scarf of blue Italian yarn for me. She gave me the yarn label saying she didn't know if Italian washing symbols were different from U.S. symbols.
You may think, "Interesting questions but what do any of these things have to do with one another?" They have absolutely nothing to do with one another but I found the answer to all these questions and so many more in a little book called Schott's Original Miscellany by Ben Schott.
This little book has more esoteric information in it than I ever thought I would need. It is also a great conversation starter. I checked it out before Christmas thinking visiting family might find it interesting. My seventeen-year-old nephew browsed the pages for about an hour. He would share a bit of whimsical information such as how to say I love you in forty-three languages or all the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner.
In short if you need to know how to tie a sari or decipher cockney rhyming slang, curious about blood group compatibility and hey just what are the rules of dueling? This is the book for you. You can impress your friends and co-workers with bits of trivia and information they didn't know they needed.
Every wonder what the winning word in the 1951 National Spelling Bee Finals was? I suggest you pick up Mr. Schott's little book and find out.
Rating:
Summary: Addictive and Miscellaneous
Review: There are not many books that I read in one sitting - Schott's Original Miscellany was one such book. It's difficult to explain what's so special about this little 160-page hard-backed volume. And it's even harder to explain what's inside. Imagine a cross between a Victorian English enyclopedia; the Book of Lists; and those useful pages at the back of your diary and you have something approaching the style and content of Schott's Original Miscellany.
In the spirit of Ben Schott's wonderfully haphazard organizational style, I shall open a page at random, and list what can be found there. OK ... pages 118-119 contain: a list of famous left-handers (including Bill Gates and Cole Porter); a nursery rhyme about sneezing; the traditional names for the various winds (the Sirocco is a South-easterly wind); an explanation of adult dentition; an list of temperature conversions; all of the International Washing Symbols (including the wonderful symbol for "do not wring"); and a list of countries where you have to drive on the left.
It is fantastic, funny, and (believe me) very addictive stuff. I've only just got this book, and already it has been "borrowed" from my desk countless times by colleagues! I recommend it very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but limited, source
Review: This is a highly idiosyncratic and thoroughly browsable collection of the sort of miscellaneous information that most people would label "trivia," but which is highly prized by reference librarians. (We used to love David Wallechinsky's The People's Almanac and Book of Lists series for the same reasons.) I mean, where else are you likely to find the color code for lighting the Empire State Building, or a schematic of Dante's Inferno, or the "Victorian Timetable of Family Mourning"? Some of this stuff, though, is easily available in other common sources - birth stone, the UN Secretaries General, the Fahrenheit/Celsius conversion formula, the Dewey Decimal system. And some are too incomplete or outdated or "casual" to be of much actual use (except to the reader who has never heard of the World Almanac): a short list of medical terminology, a handful of quotes from Winston Churchill, a list of a dozen (!) chemical compounds, and so on. Still, Schott has said that he simply collected what personally interested him - take it or leave it. Given that standard of inclusion, it's an interesting few hours' browsing.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but limited, source
Review: This is a highly idiosyncratic and thoroughly browsable collection of the sort of miscellaneous information that most people would label "trivia," but which is highly prized by reference librarians. (We used to love David Wallechinsky's The People's Almanac and Book of Lists series for the same reasons.) I mean, where else are you likely to find the color code for lighting the Empire State Building, or a schematic of Dante's Inferno, or the "Victorian Timetable of Family Mourning"? Some of this stuff, though, is easily available in other common sources - birth stone, the UN Secretaries General, the Fahrenheit/Celsius conversion formula, the Dewey Decimal system. And some are too incomplete or outdated or "casual" to be of much actual use (except to the reader who has never heard of the World Almanac): a short list of medical terminology, a handful of quotes from Winston Churchill, a list of a dozen (!) chemical compounds, and so on. Still, Schott has said that he simply collected what personally interested him - take it or leave it. Given that standard of inclusion, it's an interesting few hours' browsing.
Rating:
Summary: Wierd and wonderful!!!!!
Review: This is the sort of book that you should leave lying on your coffee table, or anywhere that you may leave guests for a moment while you make them coffee. It is full of all of those odd things that you wanted to know about - measurements, historical facts, odd names, pronounciations, time lines, famous horses and their riders, planets, signals - all things wierd and wonderful. It is just enchanting, and because the information is limited to a page or two (at the most) - usually half a page or a few lines, it is one of those treasures that you can dip in and out of and never tire of. Every time you pick it up you will learn something new. And it is a valuable resource book too! Every home should have one! And if you have that difficult someone to buy a gift for, this would be ideal. Everyone would find something interesting or amusing in it. The ultimate gift!
Rating:
Summary: A fun read to take along and read anywhere
Review: What more can you ask for when you have a book that you can sit down browse through and read again and again? This unique collection of facts and trivia will keep you entralled for many hours. All kinds of odd little facts can be found in this book. Who knew that one book would have the knights of the round table, roman numerals, who sang at the superbowl, and so much more all in one place? I love to tuck this book into my book purse and pull out and read whenever I have to wait or have a bit of time to kill. The information is concise and this is the type of book you can pick up or put down at any time. I highly recommend this book for the person who likes odd little facts, or someone that likes unusual books. Its fun and compact, and you are likely to go to this book again and again.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read to take along and read anywhere
Review: What more can you ask for when you have a book that you can sit down browse through and read again and again? This unique collection of facts and trivia will keep you entralled for many hours. All kinds of odd little facts can be found in this book. Who knew that one book would have the knights of the round table, roman numerals, who sang at the superbowl, and so much more all in one place? I love to tuck this book into my book purse and pull out and read whenever I have to wait or have a bit of time to kill. The information is concise and this is the type of book you can pick up or put down at any time. I highly recommend this book for the person who likes odd little facts, or someone that likes unusual books. Its fun and compact, and you are likely to go to this book again and again.
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