The New Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information

Wallechinsky, Wallace and Wallace are THE listophiles supreme!For more years than I care to remember the Book of Lists and it's sequels have been giving us information that's presented with panache' and just the right amount of humor.Want to know about stupid criminals - It's in there.Want to know odd facts about historical figures - It's in there!Want a light, fun read to satisfy your need for trivia - Oh, it's in there!This particular volume is a mix of many of the lists in the original Book of Lists, plus a few updates.I cannot say more about this book other than it helped me to seek other sources and aided me in so many ways when I was in college.I mean, where else can you find the Dog Hero of the Year and 16 Cases of People Killed by God?The Wallaces/Wallechinsky's also got a number of famous people to write their spin on the "listomania" as well.This was an eclectic group covering such things as Lucille Ball's favorite sitcomes to Raold Dahl's best books to take to a distant planet.Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.Of course, it would be great if they would re-release the original Book of Lists volumes in some kind of tribute package, but you take what you can get.Highly recommended.

Ok, there are more than five reasons! I was eight years old when my older brother received the original "Book of Lists" (1977) as a Christmas gift. The book compiled lists of mostly useless trivia. My family members all had fun scanning the lists, but I was the most mesmerized. To an eight-year-old list freak, The Book of Lists was like manna. Reading about people who died unusual deaths or about the shortest celebrity marriages provided endless hours of entertainment. I've always loved lists and eagerly anticipated each successive edition of the "Book of Lists." More than a decade has passed since the last version - the rather ho-hum "90s Edition." Since that time, the internet (especially google) has made these types of lists somewhat irrelevant, as anybody with a laptop can successfully build their own lists of trivia. However, it's still great fun and provides a certain nostalgia factor for those of us who grew up with this series."The New Book of Lists" brings back two of the original authors - David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace (the third author was now-deceased Irving Wallace). This edition combines a number of old favorites (9 Disparaging Sobriquets), updates others (the 2002 Olympic ice skating scandal is added to "10 Olympic Controversies"), and includes a number of brand new lists (Oliver Stone's 12 Best Political Films). The book is perfect for bedside, as it can be digested in small portions before you slip into arcania-sated slumber. Since the first 1997 edition, numerous other books have aped the Book of Lists, but none has ever approached this series. A real winner.

Like many of the other reviewers, I was first introduced to the original 'Book of Lists' as a teenager. I had received the book as a bar mitzvah gift, and I recall how I pored over the arcane facts with delight. The lists spanned from random information to lurid surveys, and I can still recite a few of the more memorable word & phrase lists to this day. Looking back, this book spawned a keen interest in trivia and a love of vocabulary, which actually relates to my profession. Now, three decades later, I picked up 'The New Book of Lists' and it's as enlightening and entertaining as the original. Replete with old favorites, updates and new 21st century categories-- this curious compendium continues to captivate!I'm very grateful for the efforts of David Wallechinsky and Irving and Amy Wallace; they have positively impacted my life. And, I know Franz Listz would be proud!

I made a mistake; I should have read reviews carefully before ordering this book. I expected lists of capitals, rivers, presidents, periodic elements, and other factual trivia. I thought the book would be a great aid for playing Jeopardy, participating in trivia contests and the like. I was disappointed that much of it is lists of people's opinions on matters that simply don't matter. It could be great fun for those simply curious about idle information, but I was hoping for actual knowledge arranged in lists.

The original was such a huge part of my youth, I thought I'd pass along the tradition to my list-loving son, but this is nothing like the 1970s book. Way more prose, very adult themes and little silly or spurious.

I got this book as a gift for my sister-in-law. She is very quirky and outgoing, but it is hard to figure out what gifts she might like. We haven't given it to her yet as her birthday is in a month, but we flipped through and it seems like a great gift. It is a little more in depth than I thought it would be too - instead of lists like the top ten things to do in an elevator, and jokes like that, it includes actual facts and the reasons they are in the list - such as lucille ball's top 10 favorite tv shows. It spans everything from politics to pop culture and is almost three inches thick! wow!

This book was on the shelf of a hotel where I was staying and I began reading it. I couldn't put it down. As soon as I got home I ordered it from Amazon.com. It is one of the most ENTERTAINING books I have ever read. It's one you can open anywhere and begin reading. It's a book of list, and they list everything. I said Entertaining, but it is also EDUCATIONAL. You will learn facts and figures you didn't know existed. The book is next to my bed and I read from it every night.

As someone who loves crazy, funny, and somewhat useless information-this book is wonderful. My husband and I use it as a coffee table book and he sometimes sneaks it into the bathroom with him lol! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves interesting facts.

Wallechinskyの新しいBook Of Listsと喜んで購入しました。開けてがっかり、殆どが旧作のBook Of Lists　１，２，３からの転載で僅かばかりの追加項目を探す羽目に陥りました。第一作は1977年発行ですから所有している人は少ないかもしれませんが、NEWのタイトルを付けることに不信感が募ります。