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The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful

Curious and Incredible Facts that Will Blow Your Mind

ebook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available
Take an astonishing, amusing, and charmingly unconventional tour through the curious everyday lives of humans past.

No need to spend the day at an archaeological dig when you can simply make a cup of tea, clamber into your comfiest chair, and settle in with The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful, a compilation of 92 funny, strange, and strangely funny tales throughout human history.

Milo Rossi, the inquisitive mind behind the popular @miniminuteman on TikTok and YouTube, invites you to consider our own place in the long timeline of human development with this collection of anecdotes that shares the foibles, joys, and heartbreaks of being human (and an odd Neanderthal or two).

With chapters organized by the different stages and aspects of life—childhood, food and drink, friendship, play and leisure, rites and rituals, love and sexuality, fashion and beauty, education and work, sickness and health, and, of course, death—dive into a treasure trove of intriguing facts and stories, including:
  • The Paleolithic cave art of a five-year-old girl
  • What you would have eaten in ancient Pompeii
  • The surprising and stinky origins of royal Tyrian purple dye
  • Ol' Rip, the immortal (?) horned lizard from Texas
  • How to win a round of the Royal Game of Ur, a nearly 5,000-year-old board game
  • And much more!

  • Covering various facets of everyday life, The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful is sure to make you laugh, provide some spark to your next conversation, and, maybe, even give you a new perspective on how best to live this thing called life.
    The Wonderpedia series offers comprehensive, display-worthy illustrated references on a range of intriguing topics, including archeological discoveries, world mythology, pop culture, global superstitions, and the fascinating stories behind signs and symbols. A cross-cultural exploration of what makes humans tick, this series magnifies the connective threads between us across time and geography and demystifies the surprising, confounding sides of life.
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      • School Library Journal

        February 1, 2024

        Gr 7 Up-A conversational exploration of human history by a YouTuber with millions of followers known for making anthropology and archaeology accessible. Rossi is an environmental scientist, archaeologist, and science educator and a social media content creator. Instead of presenting history in a linear, straightforward way, the author organizes the content by experiences or milestones regardless of era, such as childhood, pets, playing, falling in love, dying, and more. As Rossi covers each of those common events, he provides examples of each topic from different moments in time. In the Early Years section, he chats about cave drawings made by children all over the world. In Love & Sexuality, he shares how monogamy is only a recent development in Western civilization, whereas polygamy and fraternal polyandry was more common. Snarky humor is the order of the day, but Rossi also waxes poetic about cave drawings, King Tut's ducks, and the history of baloney. Pencil-like illustrations with a palette of green, orange, and dark gray make the book even more inviting. Extended sidebars, humorous headings, and quirky conversation style will keep readers engaged and spark curiosity. The talky approach of the text belies the extensive research and incredible fountain of information. VERDICT A fun and informative book for students interested in the big picture questions that have shaped humanity.-Shelley M. Diaz

        Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • Library Journal

        Starred review from March 1, 2024

        Those wanting to know more about India's hijras--or spout-bearing clay vessel relics, or how Bronze Age people made Tyrian purple dye--will find it here. Debut author/interdisciplinary scientist Rossi's casual, entertaining writing brings to the fore slices of daily life from prehistorical times through the early 2000s. Ten short chapters, organized chronologically, encompass human behaviors around childhood, food, friendship, recreation, rituals, love, sex, fashion, beauty, education, health, illness, and death. That includes the development of specific objects (rattles; baby bottles; toys; Barbie dolls; hopscotch), customs (dowries; the wearing of wedding rings), and traditions (walkabouts; marriage; cremation; pet burials). Sidebars explore topics such as Tolima fighter jets, anaerobic environments, radiocarbon dating, and more. Colorful illustrations alternate with smaller, single-color (green, orange, black) images overlaid with black or white text that's sometimes difficult to read. The bibliography is limited to internet resources, but there's a detailed index. This resource makes an excellent companion to Stuff You Should Know and Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs. VERDICT Emphasizing humanity's history over the traditional time line with its model life stage organization, this intriguing and fascinating title is difficult to put down. It will appeal to both adults and younger students interested in trivia, facts, and history.--Laurie Selwyn

        Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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    Languages

    • English

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