The Book Of Lists

The first and best compendium of facts weirder than fiction, of intriguing information and must-talk-about trivia has spawned many imitators – but none as addictive or successful. For nearly three decades the editors researched curious facts, unusual statistics and the incredible stories behind them. The most entertaining and informative of these have been brought together in this edition.

A revised, updated and even more Canadian edition of the classic bestseller. In 1977, The Book of Lists, the first and best compendium of facts weirder than fiction, was published. Filled with intriguing information and must-talk-about trivia it has spawned many imitators--but none as satisfying or successful. In 2005, Ira Basen and Jane Farrow brought together the most entertaining and informative of these original lists and augmented them with homegrown material in the first Canadian edition. Now, more than a decade later, this refreshed and expanded edition gives us even more highly addictive lists, including · Margaret Atwood’s 10 Annoying Things to Say to Writers · 6 Cases of People Killed by God · Jesse Wente’s 8 Films You Should Watch to Prepare for the End of the World · First Sexual Encounters of 17 Prominent Canadians · Cathal Kelly’s 9 Most Compelling Players in Soccer History · 10 People Who Died Laughing Fun, revealing and full of facts you didn’t know you needed to know, The Book of Lists will inspire the list-maker in every reader.

A new edition of the classic bestseller from the original authors, with additional material specifically prepared for Canadian readers by long-time "This Morning CBC producer, Ira Basen, and Jane Farrow, the author of Wanted Words. In 1977, a publishing sensation was born. The Book of Lists, the first and best compendium of facts weirder than fiction, was published. Filled with intriguing information and must-talk-about trivia it has spawned many imitators -- but none as addictive or successful. For nearly three decades since, the editors have been researching curious facts, unusual statistics and the incredible stories behind them. Now the most entertaining and informative of these have been brought together in a long-awaited, thoroughly up-to-date new edition that is also the first Canadian edition. Ira Basen and Jane Farrow have augmented the existing lists with fascinating homegrown material, and compiled lists specifically of relevance to Canadian readers. So if you've always wanted to find out how porcupines really mate, how comedy can kill and -- that most essential piece of knowledge -- how long the longest recorded nose was, this is the book for you. With contributions from a variety of celebrities and experts including Margaret Atwood, Mike Myers, Michael Ondaatje, Dave Eggers, Phillip Pullman and Charlotte Gray, this anthology has something for everyone -- and more than you ever suspected you wanted to know. A list of lists from "The Book of Lists: 10 Notable Film Scenes Left on the Cutting Room Floor 10 Afflictions and Their Patron Saints 14 Nations with More Sheep Than People 5 Trips to the Canadian Wilderness That Ended in Disaster 10 ReallyBad Canadian Sports Teams 14 Last Words of Famous Canadians Kurt Browning's 9 Turning Points in Figure Skating History 7 Trial Verdicts That Caused Riots 12 Museums of Limited Appeal 10 Unusual Canadian Place Names That Start with a "B" 7 Well-Known Sayings Attributed to the Wrong Person 10 Celebrated People Who Read Their Own Obituaries Sloane's Jay Ferguson's 10 Perfect Pop Songs 13 Possible Sites for the Garden of Eden 9 Canadian Sports Stars Who Became Politicians First Sexual Encounters of 13 Prominent Canadians Four Foods Invented by Canadians 1. Processed Cheese -- J. L. Kraft grew up on a dairy farm in Stevensville, Ontario. While working as a grocer he was struck by the amount of cheese that was wasted on wheels of cheddar when the dried rind was scraped off to get at the fresh interior. He resolved to find a way to use this "waste" product, experimenting with double boilers, preservatives and cheddar. Eventually he found a way of stabilizing the dairy product that has come to be known as processed cheese. 2. Frozen Foods -- The technology to freeze food quickly and transport it to markets far away was developed in Halifax in 1928. Within a year, "ice fillets" were being sold to fish-deprived Torontonians who loved the taste and didn't seem to mind the high price tag. Despite this, the fishing industry and private companies lost interest and quickly mothballed the project. In 1930, a feisty American, Colonel Clarence Birdseye, claimed responsibility for developing frozen foods and promptly made a fortune. 3. Pablum -- Invented in 1930 by Dr. Alan Brown, assisted by researchers Theodore Drake and Fred Tisdall. The add-water babycereal revolutionized infant nutrition, and, of course, became synonymous with food that was bland and mushy. 4. Poutine -- Although many claim responsibility for the crowd-pleasing combination of squeaky cheese curds, canned gravy and french fries, it is generally agreed that the first order of this regional specialty of Quebec was served up by restaurant owner Fernand Lachance in 1957. Many variations on the original recipe exist including one deluxe version with foie gras served in Montreal's Pied de Cochon bistro.

Humans love lists. As humourist writer H. Allen Smith once wrote, The human animal differs from the lesser primates in his passion for lists. That infatuation with lists continues here. From Nova Scotia's great collector comes a masterful collection of lists that will start family arguments, provoke a wry smile, or just generally entertain on a cold winter night or in the dog days of summer. In The Nova Scotia Book of Lists find out: -Joe Canada's Top10 qualities that define a real Nova Scotian. - Natalie MacMaster's wish list of the Top 10 Nova Scotians she would like to perform for. -Jimmy Rankin's 10 favourite songs ever performed by a Nova Scotian. -JC Douglas' list to Top 10 bands or performers to ever come out of Nova Scotia. -Dan Soucoup's list of Nova Scotia's 10 best books. -Darryll Walsh's Top 10 haunted places in Nova Scotia. -Len Wagg's 10 best places in Nova Scotia to photograph. -Joan Dawson's 10 most memorable back roads she's ever travelled in Nova Scotia. -Michael de Adder's list of the top Nova Scotians that a political cartoonist likes to draw. -Michael Haynes' list of Nova Scotia's best trails. -Pete Luckett's 10 top choices of Nova Scotian products he likes to see on a menu when he dies out. -Gerry Doucet's top 10 fishing holes in Nova Scotia.

The phenomenally popular Book of Lists series has sold millions of copies from coast to coast, enthralling trivia aficionados with fascinating infobits about simply everything! Now the latest edition turns an evil eye toward the strange, the blood-curdling, and the macabre with spine-tingling fun facts from the dark side of entertainment. Chock-full of creepy information from the netherworlds of movies, TV, literature, video games, comic books, and graphic novels, The Book of Lists: Horror offers a blood-feast of forbidden knowledge that horror fans are hungry to devour, including: Stephen King's Ten Favorite Horror Novels or Short Stories—learn what scares the master! Top Six Grossing Horror Movies of All Time in the United States— which big shocks translated into big bucks? Top Ten Horror-Themed Rock 'n' Roll Songs—maybe it is ‘devil's music' after all! And much, much more! Drawing on its authors' extensive knowledge and contributions from the (living) legends and greatest names in the horror and dark fantasy genres, The Book of Lists: Horror is a scream—an irresistible compendium of all things mysterious, terrifying, and gory . . . and so entertaining, it's scary!

The perfect gift book for every age, generously illustrated with evocative full-color images and striking black-and-white photographs. This is the ultimate book of lists that is sure to entertain and inform—a 1,000-page collection of fun and fascinating facts in a wide range of topics, presented in a wonderfully eclectic format that invites browsing, yet also provides an absorbing read. Featuring over 10,000 entries compiled by experts in each field, this treasure trove of facts, trivia, and bite-size summaries covering diverse areas of knowledge will delight the legions of fans of "best of" lists. Featuring 100 lists each in turn showcasing 100 "bests" covering a wide variety of subjects—including the arts, science, nature, history, sports, design, technology, and philosophy—this volume provides a breathtaking range of informed, accessible, and essential reading. Lovers of the visual arts will encounter fascinating insights into artists, paintings, sculptures, movies, and museums, while foodies will relish the best cheeses, luxury foods, restaurants, and legendary chefs. History buffs will become absorbed in momentous events, famous trials, and great warriors, and sports fans will appreciate facts on sporting heroes, great races, and winning teams. Richly illustrated, this compendium makes the perfect gift and contains an abundance of useful information, hard facts, and obscure trivia. Among the wealth of knowledge in these pages, the reader will find helpful summaries of great art, music, and literature as well as complex philosophical ideas, scientific theories, and history alongside a guide to the wonders of the cosmos, innovative economic and political theories, pivotal scientific discoveries, and game-changing technological innovations.

"After years spent editing American Libraries and the many editions of The Whole Library Handbook, George Eberhart has collected a raft of arcane librariana and amusing trivia for this endlessly browsable volume. ... the mixture of serious topics, tongue-in-cheek items, and outright silliness provides something to please everyone familiar with libraries, making a fun read and a wonderful gift."--Page 4 of cover.

"This is a book of book lists. Not of the '1,001 Books You MUST Read Before You Die' variety but lists that tell stories. Lists that make you smile, make you wonder, and see titles together in entirely new ways. From Bin Laden's bookshelf to the books most frequently left in hotels, from prisoners' favourite books to MPs' most borrowed books, these lists are proof that a person's bookcase tells you everything you need to know about them, and sometimes more besides."--