Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tunes into TV


Book Description

Uncle John channel-surfs through America’s favorite pastime: television. What does Homer Simpson call “friend…mother…secret lover?” Television, you meathead! Here comes your wacky neighbor Uncle John to present TV the way only he can. From test patterns to Top Chef, from My Three Sons to Mad Men, as well as TV news, advertising, scandals, sitcoms, dramas, reality shows, and yadda yadda yadda, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tunes into TV is “dy-no-mite!” Read about… * Gilligan’s seven deadly sins * The inside story of TV’s first commercial * What goes on behind the scenes of Jeopardy! * The most incredibly bizarre shows from around the world * Why Gene Roddenberry tried to beam the original Star Trek cast into space * What reality show producers don’t want you to know * How the King of Late Night crushed his competition * What really went down on the island of LOST * Unexpected sitcom fatalities * TV’s greatest chimps And much, much more!




Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing at Baseball


Book Description

Strange-but-true stories, colorful characters, and big-league bizarreness for fans of America’s pastime! Why is baseball such a great subject for a Bathroom Reader? Because it’s steeped in history and tradition, it’s rife with scandals and controversy, and most of the men that dedicate their life to it are just a little bit . . . weird. Uncle John’s spirited take on the game takes you deep into that history to paint a detailed picture of where the game came from and where it may be going. You’ll go behind the scenes at spring training, listen in on pitcher’s mound conferences, and meet the players, coaches, fans, and broadcasters who make this the greatest game in the world! Swing for the fences as you read about . . . * Minor league mishaps * The violent history of umpiring * The true story of Lou Gehrig’s heroic rise and tragic fall * The man who pitched a no-hitter while tripping on LSD * The origins of gloves, baseballs, bats, uniforms, helmets, and more * Baseball’s most famous call and how it was saved for posterity * The best and worst teams of all time * Animals in the outfield * The birth of Little League * The Abner Doubleday myth * and much, much more!




Uncle John's Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader


Book Description

It's here! The 23rd annual edition in the popular Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series. The big brains at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute have come up with 544 all-new pages full of incredible facts, hilarious articles, and a whole bunch of other ways to, er, pass the time. With topics ranging from history and science to pop culture, wordplay, and modern mythology, Heavy Duty is sure to amaze and entertain the loyal legions of throne sitters. Read about… * Sideshow secrets * The worst movie ever made * The hidden dangers of watching the Super Bowl * The father of the shopping mall * The physics of breakfast cereal * How to speak dog, and how to crack a safe * The unluckiest train ride of all time * The origins of casino games * Powering your car with pee * Keith Moon, bathroom bomber And much, much more!




Uncle John's Bathroom Reader


Book Description

Presents a collection of brief articles on a wide variety of topics designed especially for bathroom reading.




Uncle John's Biggest Ever Bathroom Reader


Book Description

Sit down and relax with Uncle John's Biggest Ever Bathroom Reader. This hardcover edition of the bathroom reading series will bowl you over. No more frantic searches at the last minute for that perfect magazine. No more agonizing choices between light reading and serious stuff. This biggest ever volume has combined two previous Bathroom Readers in their entirety, Uncle John's Great Big Bathroom Reader and Uncle John's Ultimate Bathroom Reader. It has more entertainment, humor, trivia, science, history, and pop culture than ever before. Among lots of other topics, you can read about: * Why the White House is White * Strange Medical Conditions * The History of the Bra * The Origin of the Miss America Pageant * Weird Tales of the Ouija Board * The Hair Museum * Why Thanksgiving is in November * Why Popcorn Pops * The Origin of Pop Tarts. Its all there in Uncle John's Biggest Ever Bathroom Reader!




Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into California


Book Description

California here we come! Uncle John is taking the plunge into the land of freeways, fun, cable cars, and movie stars. From Hollywood to the redwoods, from Death Valley to Napa Valley, this amazing book is your golden gate to the Golden State! You'll discover obscure history, learn fascinating facts, and meet the unique people who make California a place like no other on Earth! Read about… * The day Fullerton was invaded by Superballs * Vasquez Rocks and the scores of movies filmed there * Tahoe Tessie, the Lizard People of L.A., and other California creatures * Hidden secrets of the world's tallest trees * Playing baseball at San Quentin * California’s first hippie And much, much more!




Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into Music


Book Description

An entertaining trivia compendium flush with fun facts about all things music. From boogie-woogie to Beethoven, from Prince to Pavarotti, from the bards of Broadway to the rebels of rock ’n’ roll—it’s all here. Uncle John has created this harmonious collection of tuneful tales for music lovers everywhere. Uncle John has proven once again that he is in tune with our legion of loyal readers. This 516-page musical masterpiece dedicated to all things noteworthy ranges from silly one-hit wonders to culture-changing musical milestones. You’ll get a glimpse into the future of music and go back to the days when prehistoric man first started communicating in song. So, plug in your amp, turn the dial up to eleven, and have a blast reading about: · The origins of nearly every genre and style of music—including rock, country, jazz, the blues, rhythm-and-blues, hip hop, punk, folk, polka, opera, Muzak, disco, and even marching bands · Musical legends, from “outsiders” like the Shaggs and the Carter family, to giants like the Beatles, Elvis, and Weird Al Yankovic · The stories of legendary music venues like the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo, and the Fillmore · How a computer glitch led to Right Said Fred’s 1991 hit “I’m Too Sexy” · Why waltzing was considered as scandalous in its early days as rock was in its early days · The birth of the banjo, the electric guitar, karaoke, and the Stradivarius violin · How John Williams struck a universal chord with his score for Star Wars · Go underground to play the world’s largest natural musical instrument · What happened at Woodstock and other weird concert mishaps And much, much more




Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into Hollywood


Book Description

Take One. Action! Uncle John's Plunges into Hollywood uncovers Tinseltown's best-kept secrets--from murder mysteries Hollywood style to leading lady rivalries. Hooray for Hollywood! Uncle John takes on Tinseltown in this fascinating look at the movies and the people who make them. Come for the trials, tribulations, and trivia! Stay for the mysteries, magic, and mayhem! You’ll go behind the scenes for the sordid scandals, biggest bombs, greatest triumphs, and the unsung heroes who make it all come together. Featuring quotes, puzzles, quizzes, and Uncle John’s famous “running feet” facts at the bottom of every page, this book will give you a new appreciation for the Silver Screen (and you’ll know exactly what a gaffer and best boy do). What else is in here? Check out these previews! * Bad boys on location * The origin of Variety * The biggest cult movie of all time * The “Blond Bombshell Murder Mystery” * How Ray Harryhausen brought fantasies to life * Wretched reviews (for what are now considered great films) * The strange Pink Floyd and Wizard of Oz connection * The “Taglines of Terror” quiz * Bathrooms on the big screen * Unfortunate remakes * Haunted Hollywood And much, much more!




Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader


Book Description

Long ago, Bathroom Reader fans everywhere cried out in terror when Uncle John’s legendary 5th, 6th, and 7th editions were taken out of print. But then they rejoiced at the release of this ginormous book: Uncle John’s Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader! Weighing in at a whopping 673 pages, the entire texts of those long-lost editions have been reanimated into one of the BRI’s all-time best sellers. You’ll be rewarded with thousands of amazing facts, hundreds of incredible quotations, and dozens of short, medium, and long articles (and a few extra-long ones, too), covering history, sports, politics, origins, language, blunders, and more. Find out what half a million readers already know: Legendary Lost is quintessential Uncle John. A few examples: * Pizza history * The Godzilla quiz * How Wall Street got rich * The strange fate of the Dodo bird * The best of the worst country song titles * People who were famous for 15 minutes * Miss Piggy’s timeless wisdom * Accidental discoveries * The king of farts And much, much, much, much more!




Uncle John's Perpetually Pleasing Bathroom Reader


Book Description

The beloved bathroom reader series returns with this twenty-sixth edition that’s flush with weird facts on a wide array of topics. The twenty-sixth annual edition of Uncle John’s wildly successful series is all-new and jam-packed with the BRI’s patented mix of fun and information. Open to any page and you may find an interesting origin (like the origin of the snow globe) or a piece of obscure history (like the true story of the man who tried to repeal the law of gravity). You’ll also find weird news, urban legends, brain teasers, classic riddles, bizarre headlines, and of course, the incredible factoids at the bottom of each page. Here are a few of the perpetually pleasing articles awaiting you: · The Lamest Excuses of All Time · How to Survive on . . . Roadkill · Astronauts Who Got Kicked Out of Space · The Woman Who Was Her Own Twin · Foiled by Technology: Dumb Crooks Edition · The History of the Teleprompter, the Police Car, and the Fly Swatter · “Jogging Makes You Dumber,” and Other Real Study Results · The Lost Fortune of Abraham Lincoln · Boxing Lingo · And much, much more 2014 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Silver Winner in Humor!