Schott's Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany 
asked by localhost on November 19, 2006 1:40 PM
From the author of the international bestsellers Schott’s Original Miscellany and Schott’s Food and Drink Miscellany comes the third and most playful installment in the series: a miscellanist’s wisdom from the worlds of sports, games, and idling.
What other sporting book will explain the rules of elephant polo; the perils of the Cresta Run; the link between crosswords and the devil; the story behind the Nike “swoosh”; or why surfing is the “Sport of Kings” (in Hawaii)? Which other volume will list the seven deadly sins of golf; the secrets of Houdini’s Code; or the myriad personalities of the Pac-Man ghosts? Where else will you stumble across an account of Evel Kneival’s broken bones, a detailing of Mike Tyson’s tattoos, the nicknames for classic poker-hands, or every sporting ailment from jogger’s nipple to housemaid’s knee?
You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to enjoy this irresistible volume of factual odds and ends. Schott’s Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany scores big with its fascinating hodge-podge of sports- and activity-related trivia.
What other sporting book will explain the rules of elephant polo; the perils of the Cresta Run; the link between crosswords and the devil; the story behind the Nike “swoosh”; or why surfing is the “Sport of Kings” (in Hawaii)? Which other volume will list the seven deadly sins of golf; the secrets of Houdini’s Code; or the myriad personalities of the Pac-Man ghosts? Where else will you stumble across an account of Evel Kneival’s broken bones, a detailing of Mike Tyson’s tattoos, the nicknames for classic poker-hands, or every sporting ailment from jogger’s nipple to housemaid’s knee?
You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to enjoy this irresistible volume of factual odds and ends. Schott’s Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany scores big with its fascinating hodge-podge of sports- and activity-related trivia.
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Fans of "Schott's Original Miscellany" may think of this as a potential gift for the sportsfan in their life, but it does not carry enough detail for the typical sportsfan, in part because in its strenuous effort to be both broad and flippant it extends its scope to crossword puzzles, quizzes, and the like...so it's great on the miscellany dimensions and scant on the sports. But if you are satisfied to know a single set of trivial details about cricket and one about polo and one about [whatever], this might be ok for you.
If on the other hand, you're not a sportsfan but are merely looking for more Schott's like reading material, I recommend instead the "Companion" series, which show every sign of being issued by the same publisher (same size format, typeface, etc.) althoug they are from Robson books rather than Bloomsbury. Examples includes "The London Companion," "The Literary Companion," "The Gardener's Companion," etc.
If on the other hand, you're not a sportsfan but are merely looking for more Schott's like reading material, I recommend instead the "Companion" series, which show every sign of being issued by the same publisher (same size format, typeface, etc.) althoug they are from Robson books rather than Bloomsbury. Examples includes "The London Companion," "The Literary Companion," "The Gardener's Companion," etc.
reviewed by fazer on November 27, 2006 5:07 AM