A World of Imponderables

If there are odd little things in your day-to-day existence that puzzle you, then this might be the book for you. It does not answer life's major mysteries, but it does a wonderful job of answering the little ones. Do you wonder what the 'Q' stands for in Q-tip? Have you pondered whether cats have navels? Do you puzzle over why there is a worm in the bottom of some tequila bottles? Have you questioned why there are no purple Christmas lights? I could go on and on, but you get the idea. These little imponderables, and many more, are collected here in one volume from three of David Feldman's earlier out-of-print books. Besides imponderables with answers, there is also a section on "frustrables," or those imponderables that even the author's research could not uncrack. These include such mysteries as why doctors have illegible handwriting. Readers are invited to provide explanations to these unanswered questions, and there is an update in the back of each book section with reader's answers. Readers are also encouraged to pose questions of their own for inclusion in future books.This collection is not only a lot of fun, but a good source of trivia as well. It is the kind of book you can open at random and find enlightenment, entertainment, and a chuckle or two all in the space of several pages. If you are a fan of Cecil Adam's "The Straight Dope" you will find Feldman's Imponderables a great way to round out your general trivia collection.Eileen Rieback

David Feldman has yet another winner with this book. Personally I have loved his Imponderables books and this is the largest collection to date. What are Imponderables? Well, to be brief, they are the questions that everyone seems to ask at one time or another, but would not have the first idea where to find the answer. For example, why do weather thermometers use red mercury and medical thermometers use red mercury? Why are peanuts listed under the ingredients of plain M & Ms? Can one spider get stuck in the web of another one? While the questions are trivial this is not like traditional trivia. Among other things, my trivia books are always where I left them. People pick it up read a few and put it down. Then later they may pick it up again and read a few more. With this book I have a hard time keeping track of where the book is located. People pick it up read a few, can't put it down and take it with them to another room. By the couch, by the chair, in a bedroom, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, who knows where it ends up? Part of the fun is also being a child again. The questions are the same kind of things that children ask when they are innocent and not afraid to ask questions about anything. Get in touch with the child inside you and ask the questions that you wouldn't ask anymore as an adult.... Do Penguins have knees?

When you read this book, you encounter questions you never really thought about but once you read them, they really make you wonder. For example:Was Ben gay?It was invented by Dr. Ben Gué and originally called Baume Gué.What flavor is original bubble gum?wintergreen, vanilla, and cassiaWhy do we wave Polaroid prints?Back then, Polaroid prints used to be covered with a tacky polymer and we used to wave them to dry. For some reason, we've retained the trait.Besides interesting questions, David Feldman also has a great sense of humor that will keep you laughing. I highly recommend this book. Now if anybody can tell me why we close our eyes when we kiss. Any answers?