Book Description

In 2003, a curious, old-fashioned, pocket-size book transformed the way we look at information. Since then, Schott's Original Miscellany and its two sequel volumes have been translated into more than fifteen languages and have sold some three million copies. Now Ben Schott returns to the miscellany format with a brand-new cabinet of curiosities. Inside, you'll find fascinating facts cheek by jowl with information you can't live without. All things are considered, from footwear labeling symbols, airport runway markings, and sign-writing brush sizes to the traditional method of counting sheep and how to smoke cigars while reading the news. Nothing escapes the jeweler's eye of this curator of unconsidered trifles. An essential addition to the bookshelf of all who love life's rich tapestry, Schott's Quintessential Miscellany-equal parts encyclopedia, almanac, treasury, and lexicon-will remind you that there is only one Ben Schott. Praise for Schott's Miscellanies: "If we live in an information age, then Ben Schott has become something of a maestro, or perhaps a master chef, ranging over the whole of knowledge and seasoning his...books with a pinch of this, a drop of that." -Chicago Sun-Times "Genuine practical value...Elegantly designed...A vast empire of informational flotsam and jetsam." -New York Times "One of the oddest and most addictively readable reference books in print."-Boston Globe "Completely earnest and mischievous at the same time."-Newsday