Know It All!

Rating:
Summary: The Straight Dope, Jr.
Review: Ed Zotti is the editor of Cecil Adams' "The Straight Dope" and its sequels, each of which is a collection of fascinating articles that answer a lot of interesting (and sometimes bizarre) questions. The answers are, of course, administered with bitter sarcasm.

"Know It All" is a mellow version of The Straight Dope--some of the sardonic wit remains, but the text has been "dumbed down" to reach younger and less sophisticated readers. (The book even contains pronunciation guides for words that aren't all that difficult.)

Having said that, "Know It All" covers the same ground as "The Straight Dope" and does it with the same no nonsense style. Almost all of the questions and answers are adapted from longer, more cynical pieces appearing in the Straight Dope series--which makes me wonder whether Ed Zotti is really just Cecil Adams' editor, or whether Cecil Adams is instead Ed Zotti's pen name. (For his part, Zotti marvels that "people accept unquestioningly that my name is Ed Zotti."--Triumph of the Straight Dope at 285.)

The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book, though it is not as good as the Straight Dope series. The short "question and answer" format make it a perfect "bathroom reader" (for those of you who are inclined to do your reading at single sittings), and it is still entertaining and informative. Think of it as the Cliff's Notes for the classic "Straight Dope."

Rating:
Summary: The Straight Dope, Jr.
Review: Ed Zotti is the editor of Cecil Adams' "The Straight Dope" and its sequels, each of which is a collection of fascinating articles that answer a lot of interesting (and sometimes bizarre) questions. The answers are, of course, administered with bitter sarcasm.

"Know It All" is a mellow version of The Straight Dope--some of the sardonic wit remains, but the text has been "dumbed down" to reach younger and less sophisticated readers. (The book even contains pronunciation guides for words that aren't all that difficult.)

Having said that, "Know It All" covers the same ground as "The Straight Dope" and does it with the same no nonsense style. Almost all of the questions and answers are adapted from longer, more cynical pieces appearing in the Straight Dope series--which makes me wonder whether Ed Zotti is really just Cecil Adams' editor, or whether Cecil Adams is instead Ed Zotti's pen name. (For his part, Zotti marvels that "people accept unquestioningly that my name is Ed Zotti."--Triumph of the Straight Dope at 285.)

The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book, though it is not as good as the Straight Dope series. The short "question and answer" format make it a perfect "bathroom reader" (for those of you who are inclined to do your reading at single sittings), and it is still entertaining and informative. Think of it as the Cliff's Notes for the classic "Straight Dope."

Rating:
Summary: Funny to read and easy to understand
Review: Ed Zotti makes in a plain and simple language a quick and straightforward explanation of some mysteries, myths, weird things and such you always wanted to know or wanted to check out.
Plus, the cool drawings ease to help the understanding of some difficult subjects.

Working on a tandem with Cecil Adams, Ed Zotti has made a powerful contribution to trivia fans.

If I were you I wouldnt doubt it for a second...

Rating:
Summary: it is a a buy you will never regret !~!
Review: Supposedly this book is for folks who don't have a strong science background. Yet it contains quite a few factual erors. Also there are spots where Zotti becomes facetious rather than informative without expressly telling you he is joking and not relating facts. If you are not already familiar with the topics covered you will end up misinformed. The book gives the impression that Zotti is tired of standing in Cecil's shadow. Sadly, he shows neither the wit nor the knowledge required to step into the light.

Rating:
Summary: PURE FUN !
Review: This book is a lot of fun; but don't take everything too seriously. The author obviously likes to kid around. We enjoyed reading it and checking facts to determine if everthing was REALLY true. You be the judge...

Rating:
Summary: PURE FUN !
Review: This book is a lot of fun; but don't take everything too seriously. The author obviously likes to kid around. We enjoyed reading it and checking facts to determine if everthing was REALLY true. You be the judge...

Rating:
Summary: Read it at all costs!
Review: This is my favorite book. Once you start reading it, you can't put it down. Some of the things it tells you about you could have a masters degree and not know. A very fun book to read. He even adds humor to it. I'd recommend it for children about nine and up. Even then they probably wouldn't lose their interest.