Vital Statistics: An Amazing Compendium of Factoids, Minutiae, and Random Bits of Wisdom

By Paul Grobman

For lovers of Schott?s Original Miscellany, Jeopardy, and The Book of ListsTrivia lovers rejoice?Vital Statisticshas arrived. Part reference work, part compulsive bathroom read, this compendium of humorous, fascinating, quirky, and insightful tidbits offers knowledge on everything from sports and fashion to literature and architecture and everything in-between.Organized by subject, Vital Statisticshelps readers learn the answers to such pressing questions as: What did Charles Lindbergh eat on his transatlantic flight? How did a goat lay a curse on the Chicago Cubs? Which color do race car drivers consider unlucky? What are the dimensions of the average fashion model? How many lawyers in America are named Crook??Packed with an enormous array of factoids, minutiae, and random bits of wisdom, Vital Statisticsis perfect for both knowledge hounds and pop culture fiends alike. From the cost of the first pair of Levi?s to the name and release date of the first color movie, rest assured, Vital Statisticshas the answers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452286468
• ISBN13: 9780452286467
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Plume
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Trivia by the Numbers

I have lots of trivia and "useless information" books, but this is my favorite for 2 main reasons--first, it is in alphabetical order by topic, from advertising to World Trade Center (9/11). Secondly, it presents the information in statistical format, so everything is in terms of superlatives or amounts: most, best, biggest, smallest, percentages, number, odds, etc. In addition, the author has researched every imaginable source for the facts on nearly every topic. For example, number of parking spaces in US (Kansas City Star); pairs of jeans owned by average American (Women's Wear Daily); most books written about a president (USA Today), etc. This book is great for lovers of trivia, statistics, and random information, as well as people with short attention spans. Only the footnotes are complete sentences, but You can easily read the 329-page book in one sitting. I highly recommend it.

Brilliant!

This book is absolutely brilliant. More than a bunch of random statistics thrown together, this book makes me laugh out loud multiple times per page. If the great content weren't enough, the juxtaposition of various stats is so clever. Case in point, something like "The percent of 70 year old men who say their wives are more beautiful than they were when first married - 74%. Next stat: The percent of 70 year old men who need glasses: 89%. Stuff like this is what the book is about - truly an impressive compendium, well delivered. I can only imagine what kind of work must have gone into writing such a book. As another reviewer wrote, this is the perfect bathroom book. Buy it - you won't regret it.

great trivia

This is the perfect book for bathroom reading. It's filled with tons and tons of interesting trivia. It covers tons of topics and is a lot of fun.

Very addicting...

I found Vital Statistics to be very addicting.... kind of like the potato chip ad "it's hard to read just one!" More than just a trivia book, the information is presented with the story behind the story, providing a wealth of interesting information you never knew. That's really why you get hooked. When you get to the end, the author lists his website address, which has even more Vital Statistics to keep you addicted.

indispensable

this is fun to read and an indispensable guide to minutiae loaded with entertaining chatter great for fans of trivial pursuits