Mental Floss Presents Instant Knowledge (Collins Gem)

by Mental Floss

Mental_floss is proud to present a full-bodied jolt of inspiration for thirsty minds on the go. Blended with titillating facts, startling revelations, and head-scratching theories collected from around the world, Instant Knowledge will jumpstart riveting exchanges at cocktail parties, the watercooler, or any powwow. To experience the clean, rich flavor at home, just tear into a topic of your choice, and add conversation. It's that simple

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060834617
• ISBN13: 9780060834616
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 3.3" x 4.6"

Customer Reviews

purse pal

Tiny enough to keep in my purse, I read a little here and there when stuck in traffic. Perfect!

fun book

Great book for those who enjoy random trivia. Contains short snippets of intersting info.

fun purse book

This is a great little book to pass the time anywhere! I keep it in my purse for those waits at the doctor's office, airport, wherever! The facts in this publication are so much fun to read and to share and they make great cocktail party conversation!

Little Book That Packs a Punch

A surprisingly tiny book. (The picture in the upper-left corner is nearly actual size.) After receiving it, I immediately looked up its dimensions in the description on this page. It says 4.7 x 3.3 x 0.6. I had not noticed that before I ordered it. The book seems much smaller than that. Not that that is a problem; it was just somewhat of a shock to find such a minuscule book when I opened the box. I believe it is intended to be carried with you in your pocket or glove box or the locket around your neck so you'll have a chance to pick out a few choice topics of conversation before you enter a party or whatever. It certainly is not intended as bathroom reading. For one thing, the pages are much too small for emergency TP use. Not that I am complaining, mind you. This is a gem of a book with over 200 interesting bits of trivia listed more or less alphabetically from "The Amish" to "Zero". (This is not to imply that the title of each page has much to do with the text, but who cares - the book is fun.) Each page has its stated "Fact" and a follow-up paragraph to expound on the subject. Also, there are a number of pages randomly strewn through the book with three "Instant Personalities" each - little tidbits of info about famous people. (Although, Thomas Jefferson got his own page, as did Alfred Hitchcock.) And unlike another trivia book I purchased recently (Bla Bla), the information here is actually correct. Will and Mangesh research their topics, not just publish un-provable "facts" gathered from the Internet. Use the contents with confidence.